312 



FRANCE. 



CHAPTEB VII. OF THE COUNCIL OF STATE. 



XXXV. The Council of State is charged, under 

 the direction of the Emperor, to draw up the bills 

 and regulations of the public administration, and to 

 solve any difficulties that may arise in the conduct 

 of affairs. 



XXXVI. It sustains, in the name of the Govern- 

 ment, the discussion of bills in the Senate and Le- 

 gislative Body. 



XXXVII. The ministers hold rank in the Council 

 of State, and have a right to sit there and vote. 



CHAPTER VIH. GENERAL PROVISIONS. 



XXXVIII. Petitions can be presented either to 

 the Senate or to the Legislative Body. 



In April, two of the ministers, Buffet and 

 Count Daru, who belonged to the party of the 

 left centre, resigned, because the Government 

 did not agree to their demand so to change 

 the senatus-consultum as to allow an appeal 

 to the plebiscite only in cases when the draft 

 of the plebiscite shall have been agreed to by 

 both Chambers. At the request of the Govern- 

 ment, the Legislative Body adjourned until the 

 Thursday following the vote on the plebiscite. 

 The Senate approved the draft of the senatus- 

 consultum on April 20th. A few days later 

 (April 23d), an imperial decree convoked the 

 people for May 8th to vote on the following 

 plebiscite: "The people approves the liberal 

 reforms which the Emperor, with the assist- 

 ance of the great bodies of state, has carried 

 through in the Constitution of 1860, and adopts 

 the senatus-consultum of April 20, 1870." The 

 Emperor, on the same day, issued the follow- 

 ing proclamation : 



PALACE OF THE TUILERIES, April 23, 1870. 



FRENCHMEN : The Constitution of 1852, drawn up 

 in virtue of the powers which you conferred on me, 

 and ratified by the eight millions of suffrages which 

 reestablished the empire, has given to France eighteen 

 years of calm and prosperity which have not been 

 without glory ; it has insured order, and left a way 

 open for all possible ameliorations. Thus, the more 

 that security has been consolidated, the larger has 

 been the share given to liberty. 



But successive changes have altered the plebisci- 

 tary bases, which could not be modified without an 

 appeal to the nation. It becomes, therefore, indis- 

 pensable that the new constitutional compact shall 

 receive the approbation of the people, as did former- 

 ly those of the republic and of the empire. At those 

 two periods the opinion prevailed as I mvself be- 

 lieve at this day, that every thing done without you 

 is illegal. 



The Constitution of imperial and democratic France, 

 reduced to a small number of fundamental disposi- 

 tions which cannot be changed without your assent, 

 will have the advantage of rendering definitive the 

 progress already accomplished, and of putting the 

 principles of the Government beyond the reach of 

 political fluctuations. The time too often lost in 

 violent and sterile controversies may henceforward 

 be more usefully employed in seeking out the means 

 of promoting the moral and material welfare of the 

 greatest number. 



I address all of you who, on the 10th of December, 

 1848, surmounted all obstacles to place me at your 

 head ; all who for twenty-two years have unceasingly 

 enlarged my position by your suffrages, sustained 

 me by your cooperation, and recompensed me by 

 your affection. Give me now a fresh proof of confi- 

 dence. In bringing to the urn an affirmative vote 

 you will dissipate the menaces of the revolution, you 



will establish order and liberty >n a solid basis, and 

 render more easy in the future the transmission of 

 the crown to my son. . 



You were almost unanimous eighteen years ago 

 in conferring on me the most extended powers : be 

 as unanimous at present in agreeing to the transfor- 

 mation of the imperial regime. A great nation can- 

 not attain its full development without the support 

 of institutions which guarantee at once both stability 

 and progress. 



To the request which I address to you, to ratify 

 the liberal reforms realized during the last ten years, 

 reply Yes. As to me, faithful to my origin, 1 shall 

 inspire myself with your ideas, fortify myself by 

 your resolves, and, trusting in Providence, will not 

 cease to labor unremittingly for the prosperity and 

 grandeur of France. NAPOLEON. 



The plebiscite was opposed in the most de- 

 cided manner by the democratic opposition. 

 An " Anti-Plebiscitary Address" was issued 

 by the Democratic Committee in Paris, in 

 which they say to the people : 



Will you, under the semblance of a parliamentary 

 system, consolidate 'personal government? If you 

 wish to dp so, vote " Yes." But, if you bear in mind 

 the teaching of events, if you have not forgotten the 

 eighteen years of oppression, of outrages to liberty, 

 nor Mexico, nor Sadowa, nor the debt increased by 

 five milliards, nor the budgets exceeding two mill- 

 iards, nor the conscription, nor the heavy taxes, nor 

 the enormous contingents then you cannot vote 

 " Yes." For all these evils the traces of which 

 France will be unable for a long time to efface are 

 the result of two plebiscites taken eighteen years ago 

 similar to that which is now submitted to you. For 

 it is a signature in blank that is required from you, 

 the alienation of your sovereignty, the infeuda'tion 

 of the popular right in the hands of one man and 

 one family, the confiscation of the imprescriptible 

 right of future generations. In the name of the 

 sovereignty of the people and of the national dignity, 

 in the name of order and social peace, which can only 

 be obtained through the conciliation of interests and 

 classes in a system of free democracy, reject by your 

 vote the new Constitution. Protest by a negative 

 Vote, by blank votes, or even by abstention ; all forms 

 of protest will contribute to the advantage of liberty. 

 For ourselves, we shall resolutely vote "No," and 

 wo counsel you also to vote " No." 



The document was signed by seventeen 

 Deputies, namely, MM. Emanuel Arago, Ban- 

 eel, Crernieux, Desseaux, Dorian, Esquiros, 

 Jules Ferry, Gagneur, Gambetta, Gamier 

 Pages, Girault, Glais Bizoin, Grevy, Magnin, 

 Ordinaire, E. Pelletan, and Simon. It was 

 also signed by eight representatives of the 

 Paris and provincial press. 



The interest of the people in the election 

 was intense. The number of voters inscribed 

 was over 10,400,000; the votes cast nearly 

 9,000,000. The majority in favor of the Gov- 

 ernment was overwhelming, 7,836,484 votes 

 being cast for, and only 1,560,709 against the 

 Government. The following is the official 

 vote, as verified by the Corps Legislatif on 

 May 18th: 



YES. 



Eighty-nine departments 7,016,227 



Army at home 240.492 



Navy 23.759 



Civilians in Algeria 10,791 



Army in Algeria 86,165 



Total 7,386,434 



