t complied. The banquet concluded with the "Marseillaise" and the
"Chant du Depart" sung by the entire company.

The great work of electing a president proceeded without interruption or
disturbance, and the result was the election of Prince Louis Napoleon
by an overwhelming majority. The following, by an eye-witness, is a
condensed account of the transactions in the assembly upon the occasion
of formally announcing this result. The letter was dated November 20th,
and referred to the previous Wednesday, as selected for the ceremony by
the executive government, instead of Thursday, which had been publicly
announced; the change of the day arising from the apprehension of
disturbances consequent upon an attempt which was expected to be made
to greet Napoleon as emperor. The prince himself acquiesced in the
arrangement, to prevent unnecessary bloodshed:--

"At two o'clock orders were forwarded by the government to the colonels
of the 24th regiment of infantry and of two regiments of dragoons to
march their corps towards the National Assembly. At three o'clock two
battalions of the former, and a battalion of _garde mobile_, preceded
by a detachment of national guards, entered the Garden of the Tuileries,
and advanced to the gate of the Place de la Concorde, a general,
accompanied by his aide-de-camp, and escorted by a few lancers, taking
his station close to the obelisk. In the meantime, the quays adjoining
the palace were lined with dragoons. The presence of these troops, which
nobody could account for, created much uneasiness, though in some
groups a report circulated that the assembly was about to proclaim the
president of the republic.

"At half-past three o'clock M. Marrast, president, took the chair. The
assembly was extremely numerous, and animated groups were to be seen
here and there through the hall. Prince Louis Napoleon was not present
at the opening of the sitting, but his cousin, Jerome Buonaparte,
occupied his seat. The public galleries were crowded. In one of them we
remarked Princess Mathilda, sister of Jerome, and next to her M. Emile
de Girardin. Two aides-de-camp appointed in the morning by the prince,
M. Edgar Ney, and a son of General Pajol, were also present. No serious
discussion could take place in the state of excitement of the assembly,
and most of the orders of the day were adjourned. Two applications for
leave to prosecute Messrs. Caussidiere and Turk, representatives of the
people, were rejecte