he department.

When the legislative elections came on in September the authorities of
the Calvados made desperate efforts to break the solid front of the
Monarchist deputation from this department. In the arrondissement of
Pont-l'Eveque, where M. Conrad de Witt stood as the Monarchist
candidate, the official interference against him was so open that the
Prefect, M. de Brancion, did not hesitate to sign and circulate a letter
intended to affect the elections, though by Article 3 of the law of
November 30, 1875, regulating elections, all agents of the Government
are expressly forbidden to distribute ballots, professions of faith, or
circulars affecting the candidates. M. de Witt had cited to the electors
a remarkable declaration made in the Senate by M. Leon Say as to the
inevitable increase of local taxation which must be expected from the
development and enforcement of the Government policy in regard to
education.

M. Leon Say resigned his seat in the Senate last year that he might
enter the Chamber, his friends having convinced themselves, on no very
apparent grounds, that his appearance in the Chamber would rally around
him the support of Conservative men of all shades of opinion, and make
him master of the situation. He was a candidate in the Hautes Pyrenees.
The quotation made by M. de Witt from his sensible speech in the Senate
much disturbed the Republicans in the Calvados, and some official
application was evidently made to him on the subject; for, without
denying that he had said in the Senate what was imputed to him, he seems
to have assured the Republicans of the Calvados that it was absurd to
suppose he would so speak of the Government policy when he was standing
as a Government candidate for election to the Chamber. This obvious but
quite irrelevant statement was instantly circulated all over the
department by the Prefect himself. As it was very easily disposed of, it
did no great harm. But it is a curious illustration of the way in which
these election matters are managed now in France. M. de Witt was
triumphantly re-elected, receiving 6,972 votes against 5,189 in the
arrondissement of Pont-l'Eveque. The Monarchists also carried every
other seat for the Calvados, making seven in all.

In 1885, under the _scrutin de liste_, the votes given to M. de Witt
show a Conservative majority in the Calvados of 13,722 in a total poll
of 89,064. In 1889, taking all the districts together, the Calvados
showed a Monar