The Chamber had been elected shortly after the accession of the Prince, at a period when the nation scarcely knew what policy their ruler intended to adopt, or, indeed, the details of the new Constitution. The consequence of this ignorance was a wrong application of the election laws--fully half the elections would have been annulled had they been strictly investigated. It was evident from the first that no Ministry could reckon upon a majority in a House so equally divided, and so it happened that the Budget could not be passed at the proper time. In February the factions had combined so far as to defeat the Ministry, but the new majority was again divided into three factions, and unable therefore to do its duty. The Senate was dissolved for the same reasons. A complete victory was scored by the Liberal Government at the general election, both in the Chamber and the Senate. The speech from the throne on January 15, 1868, congratulated the Deputies on the peaceful course of the elections; and, after touching on the Jewish Question, insisted upon the necessity of legislating for the army, the Church, and finance, which all demanded their closest attention. Count Bismarck pointed out to the Prince that Russian support would be of the greatest benefit to Roumania, an opinion shared by Prince Charles Anthony, who remarked that Russia was either a powerful friend or a dangerous enemy. The future of the Orient belonged to Russia in the probable development of European affairs. "France will continue to lose _prestige_; it is, therefore, only common sense to step voluntarily into the Russian sphere of influence before one is forced to do so, yet at the same time without falling out with France...." In a letter, which crossed the above, Prince Charles wrote: "The greatest danger for Roumania is a Franco-Russian Alliance. The former Power at present does its utmost to effect this. To-day France is forced to make friends of its enemies, for nobody sides with it. The whole Orient is against France.... Italy will have need of Prussia, and Prussia of Italy, for they both have only evil to expect from France.... France has lost much ground here, and if we did not remember that she has done much good for Roumania, we should break with her entirely...." A Treaty--purely "platonic," as the Prince termed it--was ratified with Servia on February 2, 1868, to "guard the reciprocal interests of the two countries ... and to develop the prosperity of the countries in conformity with their legitimate and autonomous rights."