Editing July Monarchy (section)

==== The legislative elections of 2 March 1839 ====
{{further|French legislative election, 1839}}
Confronted to such a slight and uncertain majority, {{lang|fr|Molé|italic=no}} presented his resignation to the king on 22 January 1839. {{lang|fr|Louis-Philippe|italic=no}} first attempted to refuse it, and then, approaching Marshal Soult, who was not initially persuaded, offered him the lead. {{lang|fr|Soult|italic=no}} finally accepted after the funeral of the king's daughter, the [[Marie of Orléans (1813-1839)|{{lang|fr|duchesse de|italic=no|nocat=y}} {{lang|de|Württemberg|italic=no|nocat=y}}]], on the condition of moving promptly to new elections. During the electoral campaign, the left-wing opposition denounced what they termed a constitutional coup, comparing the 1837 and 1839 dissolutions to the consecutive dissolutions of Charles X in 1830. {{lang|fr|Thiers|italic=no}} compared {{lang|fr|Molé|italic=no}} to {{lang|fr|[[Jules de Polignac|Polignac]]|italic=no}}, one of Charles X's ministers.

The [[1839 French legislative election|2 March 1839 elections]] were a disappointment for the king, who lost two loyal deputies, while the coalition mustered 240 members, against only 199 for the government. {{lang|fr|Molé|italic=no}} presented his resignation to the king on 8 March, which {{lang|fr|Louis-Philippe|italic=no}} was forced to accept.