The daily union., 1846-05-02

sho"ulS WorhhhB HaJotiAy iot "o hipAseots ot oUi
while the whole ofee-holdng vote in their favor is
l44, and allowing IA for absences, Is l3O. Deduct
ing four or Ave for absences from the oice-holding
opposition vote, there remain 40. Deducting this
number from the 100 ofhee-holding votes given TO
the ministry, there remains an excess of ninety
votes of this class of voters always at the service
Of the government; and this in a House of Depu.
ties where the whole average ministerial majority
is not more than fhy. On this statement M.
Theirs concludes that the present majority OF
ministers is made up exclusively from the Office
holders. After showing by the preponderance
of the ofce-holdng vote in favor of the government
that the ofce-holders are directly subject to govern
ment influence, the orator thus proceeds to answer
another objection to the proposition before the
| chamber.
"But some friends of power, whose opinions |
hold IN high respect, tell me, Government has in
huence upon the ofice-holders. So much the bet
ter. Government should have strength. We have
no such arstocracy in France exists in England;
and 1t must needs be that government shall rely upon
its ofice-holders'
al admit the force Of this consideration. But
what is the nature Of this reliance If in troubled
times this power grew strong, and then grew weak
posed without danger, | would yield to this argu-
ment. But the fact is otherwise. take the mem
bers Of the chamber as they stood in the Royal III
nanack in 1912 | know the then state Of things
perfectly; bo.e part then, both as deputy and as
minister. Do you know what, at that epoch, was
the proportion OF otice-holders in the chamber
Then there were l44 deputies in Office, instead OF
le4. And do you know what then the proper
ton between the ministerial and the opposition
ofice-holding vote There then 81 ofice.hold-
in the opposition, against 10 ofice-holders vot-
ing with the ministry. And now, when tranquility
has been established, we have 40 against l44.
"Well, then, | say for myself partisan as am OF
strong government, ! can find little utility in a
force which dlminishes in a time Of difficulty, and
increases when the difficulties are passed."
Passing, them to a consideration Of the electoral
system OF France, M Theirs finds the elective
franchise in the hands Of $50 900 electors in France
selected from the classes paying to the amount
Of 200 francs. These electors required TO give
their votes exclusively TO candidates paying taxes
TO the amount Of 500 francs. This arrangement is
made it is sad in the interests Of public order, and
the government is thus placed in the hands of the
wealthier classes in the country to secure conser-
vatve influence. At present, in political affairs, in
terests altogether outweigh opinions In this view,
deputies are elected to the chamber less to represent
the opinions of their constituents than to carry out
their local interests. After specifying some instan-
ces Of this course of things, and pointing out its
abuses, M. Theirs thus proceeds
'NOpnon is then comparatively powerless to- day.
Government has become more confident than ever,
while opinion is weaker and less listened TO than IL
has ever been before Permit me- gentlemen, to tell
you Of truths, already 60 years old in country.
Do you know how governments begn' They al.
ways begin in the right. Why? Because they come
satisfy great wants of the people, and to sustain
great principles, which they embody. These prin-
ciples they establish with effort and difficulty And
when they are established, governments seek to
turn them to their own profit. Thus the principles
are lost. Governments compromise them, and
fall.
an this, behold our history for the last sixty
years. Did not the French revolution come to meet
great and legitimate demand Of the people-the re-
form of our society The irritation caused by re-
sistance urged il on to anarchy and blood. And
Napoleon, when he arose, arose TO bring US what
we then wanted-order and victory. Well how
did he end He transformed order into despotism;
victory closed in defeat; and after Marcngo and
Austerlitz, we found a Leipsic and Waterloo.
The restoration, too, embodied its idea, not wanting
in truth when 1t came TO say to France, after thirty
years Of revolution bring to you stability This
principle Of stability the restoration found in legiti
macy, anu ulu uen ueSeTVe consider
alton. Time passed on, and what came Of IL II
framed the fourteenth article of the charter. The
restoration went mad upon its prerogatives, and
thought TO crush our institutions under its legiti-
macy!
"You see, then, all governments begin well, and
end i'll. do not wonder at it. 1t is in the human
heart-in the nature Of things. We need not rage
at it. We should provide for it.
"And oppositions-let me speak the truth to
them. On the day when governments begin, oppo-
slton in the animation and order of its sentiments
visits upon them from the first, all the reproaches
which they will deserve at later day. The emf
grants said to the constituent assembly all that the
convention would have deserved to hear the tribu-
nate said to Napoleon, at the commencement of his
power, all that should have been said to him in
1915; and the opposition TO the restoration-have
we not heard it from the first, from 1916 saying to
the restoration that it violated the charter before
even a thought Of such a violation had been con-
celved' Then 1t happens that oppositions are no
longer believed when they have need of credence,
because they have begun their accusations too loud
ly and too soon. What has happened to all govern
ments happens to you in your turn You began by
just idea, to which gave in my assent. 1t was
prudence and the Of all interests You came af-
ter the revolution which had pushed the spirit of lib
erty, even to anarchy and to blood after the empire
which had pushed the spirit of conquest to mad
ness; after the restoration, which had pushed the
spirit of legitimacy to the l4th article 1t was nat
ural that your principle should commit none ofhose
faults, that you should have prudence, that you
should wish to conciliate all interests. But
this principle Of prudence and Cancellation of
all interests, what have you made of it, | wish
not to offend you. But it is my right to say-your
prudence--you have pushed it to weakness; and
your Cancellation of nerests--you have pushed it
TO dehcaon Of interests-( murmurs in the centre)
And because the opposition has told you all this too
early you no longer believe it, that is, the opposi-
ton fails to gain belief, when it should most be be-
lieved-when the government begins to fail. When
1t speaks to you Of corruption, you do not believe
1T when 1t speaks to you of weakness, you do not
believe it, because it so spoke to you too soon.
"When you have thus filed the Chamber with
Office holders, what will happen upon change of
ministry am convinced that such changes will be
for the future, matters Of most serious concernment
What, at such time, will the ofice-holders do
whom you have permitted to increase Will
they sustain the new ministry By so doing, they
would justify all have said to-day of their sub
servience. Will they pass over to the oppositon'
What will be the attitude of power before them'
Will it endure their opposton' That would be
an anomaly Will it strike down the ofice-holders