The republic., 1851-07-11
it will be impossible to ascertain its humor with

stutlon be not revised 30 as 10 admit the legal
election of the President he will be reelected le
| gally-such is the fur0r existing in his favor
thfoug ghout the country. Thisis of course intended
to work upon the minds those members who may
be vacilating as to what course TO pursue, and to
decide them to avoid certain inevitable confusion
at the time of the election, by siding with the
visionists, and thus rendering Louis Bonaparte's
denomination constitutionaD To such arguments
these, the Steele, moderate republican, and de-
voted to Cavagnac, taking it for granted that the
minority in the Chamber will eftectually defeat the
! project, says: "The powers of the President can
neither be prolonged constitutionally nor unconst
tutionaly. There ia no proongation possible. We
! give you notice beforehand, that the day in which
NJ Louis Bonaparte's powers expire, we shall cease
to acknowledge him as President. This is our duty
and right. We announce that we shall consider
null and void. factous and unconstitutional, all
votes which may be given to him contrary to the
constitution. We will not submit for day an
hour We will not permit the President to re-
main for moment in Office after he shall have
arrived at the expiration of his term" :"
Such is the antagonistc position of the Bonapart-
lists and the Republicans. The former declare that
il the latter will not consent to his constitutional
: re- election he will be elected unconsttutionay.
The latter as firmly declare that they will acknow-
ledge him no longer than The 18th of May, 1852.
BUTT is certainly premature to allow ones self to be
frightened from his propriety by the contemplation
of contingency which is nearly a twelvemonth in
prospect yet. 1t is hardly possible that, with
whole year before US, we shall arrive at the period
fixed for the election with the minds of the people
little prepared for the exercise of their first po-
litical duty, to rush madly into such gulf Of
| anarchy an illegal election would surely turn
out to be. Some means of avoiding catastrophe
80 fatal will be found before the expiration of the
present term. Universal suffrage may perhaps be
restorcd-indeed the three million disenfranchised
voters threaten, at least they said to threat
en-, by some mouthpiece who processes. to speak by
authority, to march TO the polls, pistol in hand and
sabre in belt to claim uiet aris the exercise of the
right guaranteed by the constitution. What
extraordinary spectacle France would present if
these two threats should actually be carried into
execution. Three million votes thrown for q can
didate known to be ineligible, and three million
more thrown by citizens who have no right to vote
at all do not for moment believe that a civil
lied country like France find other mode
of extrication from political dilemma than by
such tortuous path.
1t is question often asked by Americans, how it
was possible to dsenfranchise three million of vo-
ters The constitution declares that every French
|
litical libertes hos the right of suffrage. Under
this clause, ten million out of the eleven million
males who havo arrived at maturity, were declared
electors-one million being eliminated for various
| reasons. Now, ask many Americans, little versed
in French politics, what power higher than the
constitution has been able to alter the ratio of vo
ters and non-voters2 What authority has dared
to give the constitution the ie and to deprive Of
tho right of suffrage three million electors, who
were not only in the enjoyment of their civil and
political liberties but who had already voted at the
municipal and presidential elections? The answer
is obvious. The National Assembly is above the
constitution. The higher law here is fact, and
not fiction. There is appeal from a law passed
by the Legislature. In the United States, a man
who finds himself unjustly affected by law, ap-
peals from Congress to the courts. An unconsti-
tutional law may be quashed by the judiciary.
But here there is no power, above the Chamber,
capable of entertaining an appeal. The President,
it ia true, hestated long before signing the late
electoral law, and, if he had refused his signature
it would of course never have received execution;
but once signed, and logaized by the executive
seal, nothing but the Chamber that passed it can
revoke it. SO that the three million electors have
perfect constitutional right to vote, only it is
against the law!
| Mr.. Bond, son OF the Director of the Cambridge
Observatory, and himself enthusiast in astro-
nomical science, ID at Paris, his way to Norway,
to see the great eclipse very large number of
European astronomers intend starting from Eng
land for Bergen, the Norwegian capital, about the
| beginning of July. 1t is hoped that government
yacht will be placed at their disposition. In nearly
| all parts of Norway the eclipse will be total at
about three O'Clock in the afternoon. This is per-
| haps the most favorable position for viewing the
celestial phenomenon. II the travellers could
manage to have good view of the Maelstrom be-
sides, they would certainly make most profitable
| excursion, In q scientific point Of view.
| The chiflonniers rag pickers Of Paris have
lately formed fraternal association. To celebrate
its Inauguration they have just held banquet out
side the walls of the city. This took place at the
Three -colorcd Pot hostelrie specially dedicated
to the entertainment of chiffonniers. 1t contains
three eating rooms, of different grades of cleanli
ness. The ceanest is used only by the upper class
of ragmen-those who possess basket in state
of preservation, and crook pick ornainented
with copper point. Upon the door is written in
chalk, in defiance of the revolution of February,
| chamber of Peers" The next apartment, con-
sideraby dirtier than the fret is occupied by such
/ as have baskets and crooks in u state of downfall
| and dilapidation This is the "ChaInber of Depu-
ties" The third is sacred to the convivial pur-
poses of all the lower order of chfonniers-such
have neither basket nor crook, but cram whatever
they get into an old bag. This is styled the "As-
sembly of the True Proetaries.' The etiquette OBJ
served is severe; and, in order that may make
a mistake and get into the wrong room, the badges
of the different ORDERS crooks, baskets, and bags,
displayed at the entrances At the fraternization
| banquet, however, all distinctions confounded
in harmonious harity. They all sat at the
| same table. Their deliberations were presided
over by the dean of the faculty, old fellow in
his eighty eighth year Before the vands were
placed upon the table, the master Of the house sub
jected his guests to the indignity OF paying for
them, having already made them put down the
l valuo of the spoons. The repnst then commenced.
The principal dish called an ola podrida. 1t
probably was. During the desert the statutes or
constitution of the fraternity read aloud by
the secretary, and were highly applaudcd. The
presidents health the prosperity of the association,
| and the union of its members, then drunk
| with all the honors. contribution then
taken up for sick chffonniers. One dollar and thr
| ty- five cents collected in less than quarter
of an hour. The signal for departure being given