The 36,000 Communes of France have this week elected the
Delegates who, with the members of the Councils-General, will, on 30th January, elect the 225 remaining Senators. From the returns which have reached the Home Office, the Government calculate on a great majority of Conservatives, but the Moniteur, a Ministerial journal, though not an official one, says only 33 Departments are decidedly Conservative, 17 doubtful, 16 Repub- lican, and 6 Bonapartist. Calculation by departments is mis- leading, as some departments send more members than others ; and calculations before the 30th are useless, as all sorts of alliances will be made. At present, though the Government is jubi- lant, the Republicans believe that they have secured a majority. M. Buffet must obtain 133 Senators against 89 to give him a majority of two, he having only 18 Life Senators against 57 Republicans. If he has 133 elected votes, he will have 151 in the senate against 149.
