New-York tribune., 1870-09-19
NEW FRENCH GOVERNMENT.
THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLIES.
PREVIOUS ATIONs-REQUIREMENTS AN


Ihe COnVOcat1On OF the representatives. vi d
nation is usually occasion of supreme Importance;
but IN France IL marks in history, because s
Shect 20 construct Constitution. The order ior
election for Constituent Assembly is among the irs'
acts the present Provisional Government OF France
As it meets, the Provisional Government VIII pioo"
blyas 1sss-resign its powers into the hands OF 'ne
Assembly, who viii proceed to provide both uoNe'n
ment and Constitution. Hence the circumsti.o N
under which the two preceding Constituent AsSel1D -
cOnvOked and the works they ehee'eu '.o s,on
treme interest their relation TO the preS ,,d ~
While il is the belief and hope OF the pes' ponrh
France that the coming Assembly wii ei' ,,bin the
lican form OF government 1t will YET pe w "a n,o 20
powers conferred upon the Assembly D., =. o. even an
make their country once more hon"
empire - itb discoptent The
- -. t,ns+ revolution smoldering pche"'n
the mass Louis XIV. had LETT 'nc Neo'' I,A a. enc
rels with Parlaments to MS suooooS' -, g. a.
-, aIet my grandson take care OF thenn' ior IL Is
rore than probable they will endanger the cro"n' anu
A.. .hhs Pericord afterward to become ilustrious as
the nripce of dipOmatists Taleyrand, had just re-
marked that the "mserabe affair of the diamond neck
Isoe may overturn the throne" The extreme de-
hceces in the of the State had compelled the
convenng of the Assembly of Notabes for the purpose
of ievyng increased taxation In dismssng that assem-
bage which had come together from all parts OF the
kingdom the Archbishop of Toulouse made the startling
announcement Of the coming ehange-that the Tiers
Est, c., the people, matter Of justice should be
equal to that of the clergy and mobiles taken
together. Marshal Segur said to the King that
the assembling of the Notables might be the
sced of the statesGeneral; If so, it was Of
rapid growth for the pressure Of both mobiles and clergy
compelled August 1885, the order for the conyocaon
of the national satesGenera for the 1st of
May 7s9 Each Of the three estates mobiles, clergy and
people expected control this assembage, which
elective and, so far the TiersEtat concerned,
resulted in the selection of of the popular
VIII. Neckar, the Prime Minister procured the auhori-
cation by Kings Council Of the which doubled
the number of the deputies representing the TersEtat
The sssembage OF the representatives Of the three
Estates thus collected the 5th Of May 1882 was COM
posed of persons and called also the Constituent
Assembly.
consisted Of 29 representatives Of the clergy 27O Of
mobiles of the Tiers Eat thus quite realizing
the proportion of numbers the latter named by tho
Archbishop Of Toulouse OF the representatives of the
clergy more than twOthirds cures GO out Of l0S
may and magistrates in the Assembly were by
people and from the latter there came also 2s law
yers II viii be perceived that the preponderance OF in
tellectual activity, as well as Of numbers might
naturally be expected the side of the TiersEtat
one the earliest taken by the representa-
tves of the people attempt TO draw dividing
line; the 18th of June 1882 they took TO themselves
separately the title of the National Assembly, and
Neckar prepared plan for a constitution in which the
distinction further indicated by providing for their
meetings in different chamber from the mobiles and
clergy But five days afterward 14s Of the clergy left
the rest and joined themselves to the National Assembly
An endeavor disperse the staesGenera the part
OF the King resisted by the National Assembly,
Immediately 46 mobiles, among whom the Duke OF
Orleans followed in the footsteps Of the clergy, and
went the resisting body and at last the King
ordered the remainder of the mobiles and clergy TO join
the opposition, and the National Assembly embraced all
the members Of the States-General.
There were however, two other important classes who
already endeavOred to contest ts Government with the
Crown and the National Assemb the of France
and the pOpulsce of Paris Treacnery the troops
has been eOiEcident with disasters to the French
monarchy The National Assembly. if it did clearly
Ceve the distinction between the voice Of the people and
the violence of the mob pOwerless to que the Paris
ian insurgents who in the successful stormng of the
Bastle the l4th Of july 1889, learned alike the power
Oi the populace and the weakness of the crown But
with these insurrectonary movements which afterward
extended to other cities and with the formation of the
National Guard, which dates from that day. began the
growth OF that military spirit and training which event
uay made France nation OF soldiers. On the 6th OF
October following the mob seized the person Of the King
ana conducted him, virtually their prisoner from Yer
sales 10 Paris where he was permanently detained in
obedience the popular behes On the 2Oth June 1871,
the King attempted escape, but was arrested at
and reconducted TO Paris by three commission
from the National Assembly. That body the next
day passed decree suspending temporarily his hngly
functions would have been far better for France TO
have permitted his escape These acts were unques>
tonaby among gravest political of the Assem-
bly, and only be regarded weak concessions TO the
violent expressi",ls Of popular sentiment
The great work accomplished by the Constituent AS
seby was the overthrow OF the feuda forms Of gov
ernment and the recognition Of the rights of man Its
enaotmens provided for extended surage for reforms
n the systems Of law and administration of justice in
Guiding the introduction OF trial by jury they secured
liberty OF religious worship, and connscated church
property they placed taxation broader basis, and
secured better foundation for the finances of the
the law of inheritance, and provided
for distribution Of landed property to the untitled
classes. The Assembly prepared a Constitution for
France which intended 10 TO that country
the advantages of limited monarchy. On the l4h OF
September l7g the King having been restored by the
Assembly the exercise Of his functions and TO his per-
sonsl freedom declared in public his acceptance Of the
Constitution amid great popular enthusiasm Its work
accomplished on the 29th OF the month the Assem-
bly, declared Its tngs closed. Witha view to more ex
oct representation OF the people the Assembly sacrificed
iself by making it's members ineligible as candidates to
the ne x Assembly With the close OF the Constituent
Assembly IL therefore resulted that those representatives
who had learned much OF the governing art in the stormy
~ months OF its existence longer permitted them
solves to exercise their knowledge for the benefit of
their country. They succeeded by the Legislative
Assembly which opened its sittings within two days
sfer the Constituent Assembly closed But the
legislators were a very different class Of men frOmtheir
predecessors monarchy, however limited, no longer
met the requirements OF the nation and the Constitution
VI 1891 soon superseded
brief review Of the legislative bearings of the
luton OF $780, the abdieaOn Of Charles X and the
sion Of Louis Philippe, will throw light upon the circum
stances Of the eonvocatiOn Of the second Constituent
Assembly Charles X yielded TO the force Of revolu
ton inced by his refusal 10 comply with the
straints Of a limited monarchy. Though perhaps au-