306 



FRANCE. 



ing by 512 against 188 votes. The second 

 reading of the new constitutional laws began 

 on January 28th. An amendment to the first 

 clause, moved by Laboulaye, intended to pro- 

 claim formally the legal existence of the re- 

 public, and therefore proposed that it should 

 read, u The government of the republic con- 

 sists of two Chambers and a President." The 

 discussion of this amendment was of a violent 

 character. Louis Blanc, in the name of the ex- 

 treme Left, denied the right of the Assembly 

 to sanction once more the republican form of 

 government, which, moreover, existed by its 

 own higher law. Notwithstanding this oppo- 

 sition to the principle on which the amendment 

 was based, Louis Blanc and the other five 

 members of the extreme Left cast their votes 

 for it, as they hoped that its adoption might 

 strengthen the permanency of republican insti- 

 tutions. When the amendment was, neverthe- 

 less, rejected, the extreme Left fell out again 

 with the Left, and Louis Blanc published a ve- 

 hement declaration against Gambetta. Soon, 

 however, there was a considerable change of 

 public opinion. A letter from Marshal Canro- 

 bert, who undisguisedly placed his sword at the 

 service of the Bonapartists, so alarmed the Or- 

 leanists of the Right Centre that they concluded 

 to vote with the conservative Republicans, 

 for the express recognition of the republic. 

 Accordingly, an amendment by M. Wallon, to 

 clause 2, providing for the election of u the 

 President of the Republic " by the Senate and 

 Chamber of Deputies united in National As- 

 sembly, was on February 2d adopted by 449 

 against 249 votes. On the following days, 

 the expression " President of the Republic " 

 was adopted for the following clauses. A 

 still greater triumph of the Republicans was 

 achieved on February llth, when an amend- 

 ment introduced by Duprat, providing for an 

 election of the Senate by the same electors 

 who chose the Chamber of Deputies, was adopt- 

 ed by 327 against 310 votes, 30 Bonapartists 

 and 50 Legitimists voting for it. General Cis- 

 sey, in the name of President MacMahon, de- 

 clared that the Government regarded the con- 

 servatives interests endangered by the last vote 

 of the Assembly. The latter, nevertheless, 

 adopted several other amendments supplement- 

 ing that of Duprat, relative to the election of 

 Senators ; but, when the whole new section of 

 the election of the Senate was put to a vote, it 

 was rejected by 368 to 345 votes. Brisson, in 

 the name of the indignant Left, now demanded 

 the dissolution of the National Assembly, but 

 the urgency of the motion was negatived by 

 407 against 266 votes, and a resolution was 

 passed to refer new conciliatory amendments, 

 m regard to the composition of the Senate, to 

 the special committee. Again a union of the 

 Orleamsts and Republicans was effected, and 

 on February 24th the bill introduced by M. 

 Wallon relative to the election of a Senate was 

 adopted, by 448 against 241 votes. The defin- 

 itive adoption of the whole of the new consti- 



tutional laws took place on February 25th, by 

 436 against 262 votes, and on February 28th 

 the new state laws were published in the offi- 

 cial paper. Among the Republicans who voted 

 against them was M. Thiers. 



The new constitutional laws, as adopted by 

 the National Assembly, are as follows : 



CLAUSE 1. The legislative power is exercised by 

 two Assemblies the Chamber of Deputies and the 

 Senate. The Chamber of Deputies is elected by uni- 

 versal suffrage, under the conditions determined by 

 the electoral law. The composition, mode of nomi- 

 nation, and functions of the Senate, will be regulated 

 by a special law. 



CLAUSE 2. The President of the Republic is elected 

 by a majority of votes by the Senate and Chamber 

 of Deputies united in National Assembly. He is 

 nominated for seven years, and is eligible for re- 

 election. 



CLAUSE 3. The President of the Republic has the 

 initiative of legislation concurrently with the two 

 Chambers. He promulgates the laws when they 

 have been voted by the two Chambers. He watches 

 over and insures the execution of them. He has the 

 right to pardon ; amnesties can only be accorded by 

 law. He disposes of the armed force. He appoints 

 to all civil and military posts. Every act of the 

 President of the Republic must be countersigned by 

 a minister. He presides at national ceremonies. 

 The envoys and embassadors of foreign powers are 

 accredited to him. 



CLAUSE 4. According as vacancies may arise after 

 the promulgation of the present law, the President 

 of the Republic in cabinet council nominates the 

 Councilors of State. Those so nominated can only 

 be superseded by a decree adopted in cabinet coun- 

 cil. The Councilors of State nominated by virtue 

 of the law of the 24th of May, 1872, can only, until 

 the expiration of their powers, be superseded in a 

 manner prescribed by that law. After the separa- 

 tion of the National Assembly the suppression can 

 be pronounced only by a resolution of the Senate. 



CLAUSE 5. He may, with the assent of the Senate, 

 dissolve the Chamber of Deputies before the legal 

 expiration of its term. In such event the electoral 

 colleges are to be summoned for new elections with- 

 in three months. 



CLAUSE 6. The ministers as a body to be responsi- 

 ble to the Chambers for the general policy of the 

 Government, and individually for their personal 

 acts. The President of the Republic to be respon- 

 sible only in case of high -treason. 



CLAUSE 7. In the event of vacancy by death or any 

 other cause, the two united Chambers to proceed im- 

 mediately to the election of a new President. In 

 the mean time the Council of Ministers to be invest- 

 ed with executive power. 



CLAUSE 8. The Chambers to have the right, by 

 separate deliberations carried on in each of them, 

 by an absolute majority of votes to declare either 

 spontaneously or at the instance of the President 

 of the Republic that the constitutional laws should 

 be revised. After each of the two Chambers shall 

 have taken this resolution, the two unite into a Na- 

 tional Assembly for such revision. Any delibera- 

 tion revising the constitutional laws, either in whole 

 or in part, to be carried bv an absolute majority of 



i i 7 / ;t -4.T A IA IT -VT 



/. Nev- 

 ertheless, during the term of power granted by the 

 law of November 20, 1873, to Marshal MacMahon, 

 such revision cannot he made save on the proposi- 

 tion of the President of the Republic. 



CLAUSE 9. The seat of the Executive power and 

 of the two Chambers to be at Versailles. 



THE SENATE LAW. 



CLAUSE I. The Senate is composed of three hun- 

 dred members two hundred ana twenty-five elected 



