,00. FRANCE 



more than in 1012) and the revenue at 180,164,000. To cover the probable deceit of 

 6,421,000 the Ministry proposed to resort to the " provisional account." During the 

 latter part of iqia a new income tax scheme, a milder version of the project put forward 

 by M. Caillaux in 1007, and voted by the Chamber in 1009, passed through its pre- 

 liminary stages before a commission of the Senate. The more moderate tendencies of 

 the majority in Parliament,, arid especially the breaking up of the old Left bloc, were shown 

 in May when a new President of the Chamber was elected on the death of M. Brisson. 

 M. Paul Deschanel, 1 the moderate Left candidate, was elected on a second ballot, out of 

 a number of oddly assorted competitors, entered against him by the Radical groups. 



In the Chamber the principal work of the session was the Bill for electoral reform. 

 The discussion went on for a long while (from Feb. i2th to July loth) and was enlivened 

 by various incidents. The previous ministries had only turned very slowly 

 Electoral towards this reform. M. Briand had been avowedly hostile, and it had 

 B///r" taken a very decided expression of opinion at the general elections to 



incline him, and his successors after him, to look favourably on proportional 

 representation. The Government groups cast no friendly eye on a reform so highly 

 extolled by a parliamentary minority. It would probably upset the existing distribu- 

 tion of seats. Many of their most eminent members among them were strong supporters 

 of the" absolute majority "system, which returns deputies for each " arrondissement " 

 or each " circonscription." These were nicknamed the " arrondissementiers." 

 M. Combes, 2 old-fashiened Radicalism incarnate,- made a violent speech against 

 proportional representation 'at a Radical and Socialist-Radical banquet on June 

 Oth. But the verdict of the general elections was too much present in people's 

 minds not to tell upon votes given in the Chamber. In vain the arrondissementiers 

 fulminated against dangers to which the Republic was exposed by the introduction of 

 schemes supported by deputies representing a minority. It was generally thought that 

 there was no danger except for the speakers themselves, who might lose their seats. 

 The measure passed the Chamber on July xoth. It provides an election system of 

 " scrutin de liste " by departments, with representation for minorities. The counting 

 of the polls is entrusted to a general revising committee sitting at the headquarters of 

 the department. This committee apportions the seats among the lists of candidates 

 according to the number of votes obtained for each list. The measure had hardly been 

 passed by the Chamber, before M. Clemenceau launched a violent manifesto (July i2th) 

 against the " so-called reform," calling it " an attack on universal suffrage;" and a prop- 

 aganda committee was started. At Tours, in October, the Radical-Socialist congress 

 condemned the " R.P." bill, after they themselves had voted for it. The struggle was 

 now carried to the Senate. On March i5th the Chamber had passed a law providing 

 for the secrecy of the ballot and genuineness of the votes. 



In June and for some time after trade was much upset by a new strike of the " inscrits 

 maritimes " at the ports, which in August became more or less confined to Marseilles. 

 On July 1 2th Parliament rose. In August M. Poincare went to Russia to confer with 

 the Tsar and his Ministers on the alliance between the two countries, and the new aspects 

 of the Eastern question. 



Throughout the summer the Government showed a more and more decided tendency 

 to take the side of " order," by starting proceedings against anti-militarist teachers in 

 the schools. The opportunity came up when the Teachers' Unions Federa- 

 *wtHarist t ' on ^ On 8 ress (Congres dc la Federation des Syndicate d'Jnstitnteurs), held 

 Movement. August at Chambery, gave its support to the cause of " the Soldier's 

 Halfpenny." This society (the Sou du Soldat), under pretext of giving 

 pecuniary aid to young men in barracks, carries on anti-militarist propaganda under 

 the auspices of the General Federation of Labour (Confederation generate du travail). 

 On August 22nd the Government gave the Teachers' Unions notice that they must 

 dissolve before September loth. Such unions (syndicates) had so far been allowed on 

 sufferance, until a law should be pa-ssed deiining the limits within which officials might 



1 B. 1856; sec E. B. viii, 91. 2 B. 1835; see E. B. vi, 751. 



