Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-08-17
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The FRENcH CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, or rattle.
the Flee onS' which are to deslente i,s meseers,
thus moment otiects OF great though unequal sell
Crude, both IN Europe aud America A.the cc,npo.i-
on oil The Chamber, the mod OF constituting the e
loal Colleges aud e.pcci,y the privil, f tbs
dOBJe pote allow ed 10 one fourth Of those Eec,ors wi
pay the highes taxes are little understood this coun-
iry, we avail ourselves OF an arcl The subject ia
the London Time TO present readers with in.
terestiug particulars on all these points:
The French isi.c've Cha,nber is composed 81 i3a
msmtcfs returned by bodies assemblies oi E'ec:ors
who vote in Coli ges Of reimbursement department
Every Freuchnan in the enjoyment Of civil and poi-
cal rights paying 800 francs ayear (aSout 500 in di
rect taNes, and having attained the tircth year of
OF age il entitled 90 vote in of these Colleges
er ia other words, has voice in ,hs election of
preventative 10 an Assembly which Opposes OF his
aud the national purse. The direct taxes which
thus made the basis oi the electors qualheaien 81
personal property, upon doors aud Hn6ows and upon
poenfes licenses 10 exercise trades aud professions
OF thee taxes, the 6ist il the important
ing at the las, general election I'm ls27 to l54 o5l $50
francs (about thirty million IF d0Hars) while the
whole OF the direct impos's cllculatsd at 33S SOP
1919 irsncs-asout sixiy-6ve mill ons Of dollars The
tax pofenfes for the whole Kingdom. did
TO four millions fire hundred thousand doiors, Will.
thar raised on doors and windows !. not more than
IL ,Sl 900 trance. Cor about too million three HIM
dred thousand dollars Thus, with The exception OF
tax OF 27,I6o,2iS francs personal property, the
whole of the electoral qualification Tor all the DEPART
n-ns oil the ngdom, is founded Oh The possession OF
lst dsd eststes
Bu, though every Frencbman who pay. s6s 10 the
State, in direct taxes, is entitled Sc an Eecor, all
ts The popular Chamber. Tue $50 qualification IL the
mimu, and eutiiles 1t, possessor 10 vote in the Col
leges OF arronhi.semeDt. But, in Francs, there
TWO kinds OF Electoral A'slRhes.-bose call-d dis
uic or arouds'emert colleges, and those called collie
yes Ut department. greater colleges; tie former
mouu'rg 25s and the latter to liz. IL the former,
all rerscn lave a vo'e, whose cpntrihu ions
ths census ab0v- sprcfet; in the latter, only The
fourth part OF ne Electors, who pay the highes CON
tibnton' The latter in respect TO heir fortune, hav-
dubie vote; they vote in ih ir oniis em.nt
aut they have additional vots in the departmental
colese-TtUs suppose as In Paris that The uumher of
ec amcuu's TO 900. the whole body have votes
in III dsrict rond-semen', or minor college ard
1900, Tor one-ourthD who pay he high rate Of tax
vote likewise ior additional members in the greater
colleges, colleges al department. The number OF
depue' returned by this arstocrac body of Electors
l72 OF two mrmbers for each Of the Sc partments
into which the country il divided In order 10 enable
ia piyle sed vo,,r avail himself Of his double al
vantage certain interval il slwsvs allowed between
the two kind OF election. Thus. IN the presen, year,
the general election for the reimbursement b gins
this % instant, while the departmental colleg are
convoked on the 3 Of Julv, days later. Ante
ror t. the year 1920, the French had only cI4s o
FL cors and one kind OF electoral colleges. The re-
then consisted al 2JS mrhers elected by
all the persons who paid 500 francs in direct taxes In
the sDring OF that year Che alarming psrod in which
The Duke OF Berry was muidered) the Nius,ry and
The Court cOuceiy sd that the Chamber OF DEPUTIES
too democratic in its tendency, and decided that
imlu'ion Of the aii.tocratic spirit was necessary, Ivy
raising the qualification OF tie Elecior. The charter
siCO in the way OF altering the electoral OF the
existing number OF members; but like Peter, in the
Idie Of the Tub, the Ministers OF louis VIII, if they
could not lind permission 10 change the obnoxious ar,
ces OF his political grant, fottdem uerbs or fotd-H
iit6yis they discovered that addition change
and, therefore, grated on The existing Chamber two
delegates more for every department To b. returned by
fourth part OF the weal,hier Eectors. Thus I72
members added TO the popular branch OF the lie gsa
tre by single act, and double vote created in favcr
IF wealth ana fortune.
ubn'a nf
ed in the official iS's Of 1927, at the general election
IS 356; the hole number who actually voted did
not amount to $1,000. Nearly 10000 OF these possess
ed, OF course, the right cf the double suffrage, and
elected 172 members, besides sharing 10 the OF
the other deputies. Thus small body OF 20, 600 men
possessed OF the Highest fortunes OF the country, re-
urD l72 depu les by their exclusive ballot, indie
dent OF their influence the Returns Of the arrondsse.
ment colleges
"A the number of electors is limited and their pow
extensive, IL ;s OF the greater consequence
the purity of the let in which their appe
Direct taxation being the basis Of the privilege the
means for accomplishing Til purpose, with honest
administration, comparatively easy. The E'ectOI
vote either in the department where his domcile
il fixed, where his property rated The receivers
general oi direct taxes, Who on their rolls his
OF contributions T. the STATE, thus can determine hi:
electoral righs. BY law passed under the late Minis
Try, the time for publishing the lists is determined and
pivilee. granted 10 thrd parties demand the era
SURE Of any which cannot justify claim 10 the
requisite fortune. These l't4 revised annually
and it behoyes the elsciors each for himself, only
10 gee INA MS OH naie ~ dNiy entered, mat
should be enrolled who il not legally entitled to
vote In that way only The relative weight OF hi:
own vote he preserved.
u the qualification OF elector must he the poSses
sion Of considerable iude endsnce, tina, of deputy
must be respectable iorune; Tor can aspire tc
| seat in the Chamber OF Depu,ies who does not pay
annually. in direct taxes a equal nearly 10 Too
htmdred doliars. This implies a conside rsble fixed
property The result is that the last French Chamber
OF Deputies. contained ,s greatest Landed and monisd
fortunes OF Frsnce. II absutd charge such
me who have avery thing TO lose by political troubles
and revolutionary movements, with de-igns unifiendy
10 ihe peace aud prosperity Of the Kingdom
In connection with this subject, and in order 10 illus
fae tho cabinet noi'h Ia Paris, of the freedom and
sacr. dness OF hs ballot vote, annex circular Of
N. de PoIigndc, the ing Minister at war TO the
Generals commanding divisions Of the army
MINISTRY WAR.
Private and onfdenhdi IN pursu ,Dcs OF the Roy
Electoral Colleges for thu 20 OF III, month, in
vte you inform, without delay IN. officers of oil
rank, in garrison IN qusftefs, in the dvifiJn IN
which you con'Dand, who sba qualify electors, that
you authorized TO deliver to them directly, fur
loushs 10 go to the departments in which they have "a
eSerci.o their political righis.
The duration OF the frrouehs which you will
grant them for this purpo'e must be calculated approx
manvely, according TO the time which wi be necess4
Tor them 10 make the journey, 10 be present al tile
fa)ns OF their colleges ami 10 return TO IN H. posts
These infioughs will not any dninution of the
pay Of tts officers who shall obtain them.
! &" The King expects from you on this occasion the
same proof, OF attachment his person and to his SER
vice, which you have given him on similar orca.
sions. You have already, several occasions
Plansd 10 the military called 10 take share in
the elections the and the extent of the duGe.
wh ca belong TO their employments, and how ncon-
pats with those employ mems any conduct would be
nj aef;, obi