Daily National Intelligencer

FRENCH ELECTIONS.

As it is the universal opinion of France, and indeed of all Europe, that the intention of the ultra royalists is to restore the ancient despotism in all its purity, and to give back the confiscated lands to the princes, the church and the nobles, it is matter of surprise to many, how they should have any chance at all of being returned members of the new assembly. Such persons are not aware that the people of France have nearly as little to say in the election of deputies to the legislature, as the inhabitants of China or Japan. If the primary assemblies had to decide who were to compose the chamber of deputies: if the electors were forty shilling freeholders, as in England, not a man of the ultras would ever show his face again in the legislature, unless perhaps some strong royalists from La Vendee. For even in Provence and Languedoc, the ultra party is confined to the nobles, the priests, and the rabble, while all the middling classes of society, though desirous of repose and tranquillity, are as anxious as their neighbors to preserve the advantages of the revolution. The electors in France are the survivors of those nominated to that office by the primary assemblies in 1800. They are in general far from being a numerous body, not exceeding the freeholders of a Scotch county. An arrondissement that returns three candidates to the electoral college, seldom contains above two, or at most three hundred electors. From the candidates so returned by the electoral assemblies to the electoral colleges of the departments, one out of the three is sent as deputy to the legislature. His immediate constituents are the members of the electoral college, who were themselves appointed to that situation in 1800, and have received since that time no addition to their number, except those added by the king of his own authority and by his own direct nomination in 1814. Over this complicated machinery the prefect, an officer appointed by the king, and removable at pleasure, presides with great authority and considerable means, direct and indirect, of influencing the elections.