The French elections of Sunday have ended in a great
victory for the Republicans. In six out of seven departments—depart- ments, not electoral districts—the Gironde, the Indre-et-Loire, the Oise, Calvados, Vosges, and Algiers—Republicans were returned, often by heavy majorities, the closest fight being in the Indre-et- Loire, where M. Nioche was opposed by M. Schneider, old Bona- partist and great employer of labour. In Morbihan alone (Brittany), M. Martin, Legitimist and Clerical, was beaten by M. Beauvais, Republican, by 40,000 votes to 30,000. At the last elec- tion, however, M. Beauvais had only 18,000 votes, and his rival more than 32,000. We have elsewhere tried to give an explanation of these returns, the effect of which has been greatly to discourage the Right, and to make English correspondents, who seem to be all pledged to the dynasties, weep once more over the misfortunes of France, which wants to choose its own ruler. It is said, though we have no proof of this, that all the new representatives except M. Martin are pledged to secular education.
