▁had ▁an nex ed ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁boy cot ts ▁of ▁the ▁election . ▁Over all , ▁the ▁turn out ▁of ▁almost ▁ 6 5 % ▁was ▁significantly ▁higher ▁than ▁previous ▁elections ▁to ▁the ▁Pr uss ian ▁Land tag . ▁The ▁government ▁tried ▁to ▁influence ▁the ▁elections , ▁but ▁never theless ▁the ▁results ▁reflected ▁the ▁political ▁m ood ▁of ▁the ▁population . ▁A ▁majority ▁was ▁formed ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Liberal ▁Party , ▁the ▁Progress ive ▁Party , ▁and ▁the ▁liberal - con serv ative ▁Free ▁Conserv atives ▁(. ▁There ▁were ▁also ▁some ▁more ▁liberal - mind ed ▁MP s . ▁T ogether ▁the ▁block ▁constit uted ▁ 1 8 0 ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 9 7 ▁seats ▁and ▁formed ▁a ▁major ▁block ▁of ▁potential ▁support ▁to ▁B ism ar ck ' s ▁policies . ▁This ▁was ▁counter ed ▁by ▁ 6 3 ▁Old ▁Conserv atives , ▁ 1 3 ▁Polish ▁deput ies , ▁ 1 8 ▁Part icular ists ▁and ▁ 1 9 ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Progress ive ▁Party . ▁The ▁anti - Pr uss ian ▁dem ocrat ically - orient ed ▁Sax on ▁People ' s ▁Party ▁was ▁represented ▁by ▁August ▁B eb el ▁and ▁Rein old ▁Sch ra ps . ▁ ▁Com position ▁Edu ard ▁von ▁Sim son , ▁who ▁already ▁held ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁President ▁in ▁the ▁Frankfurt ▁Parliament ▁and ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁Reich stag ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Empire , ▁became ▁Reich stag ▁President ▁( ). ▁August ▁B eb el ▁later ▁wrote ▁in