The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-12
THE FRENCH CRISIS.
The New senntus ConsuItum-The Changes
PropOsed by it.

The New Senutub COnsuitunl-Vne CnunRes
Proposed by it.
The following is the Sendtus ConSult,tn sub
mitted by the Emperor's order to the French
Senate on the 2Sth of March, the action Of the
Senate upon which, it is thought, will be COM
pleted before the pIebiscatum is taken:-
Article /. The Senate shares the legislative
power with the Emperor and the legislative
body, and possesses the right of initiating laws.
Nevertheless all bills for the taxation of the
country must be first voted by the Legislative
Body.
Article 2. The number OF Senators may be
raised to two-thirds of the number of members
of the Legislative Body, without including the
Senators who hold their seats by right. The
Emperor cannot nominate more than twenty
Senators annually.
Article 3. The constituent power belonging to
the Senate by virtue of article 81 and article SO
of the Constitution of the 14th of January, 1852,
ceases TO exist
Article 4. The stipulatons annexed to the
present SendtuS COnSultum, which are COM
prised in the plebisCitd of the 14th and 21st of
December, 1851, and of the 2lst and 22d of No
vember 1852, or resulting therefrom, form the
Constitution of the empire.
Article 5. The constitution can only be modi-
fed by the people on the proposition of the EN-
Article 6. Paragraph 2 of article 25 and the
articles 10, &C. ~, 2S, 30, 30, 81, 32 80, 35 40,
al, 50, and 81 of the constitution, well as all
legislation contrary to the present SendtuS Con-
sult,ln1, are abrogated without prejudice to the
abrogation resulting from the pLebiScitunl of the
21st and 22d of November, 1852, and the Sendtus
ConsoLta promulgated, notably that of the
Sth of September, 1869. . ...
Article Z. Those portions of the constitution
of the 14th of January, 1852, and of the SendtuS
COnSultd since promulgated, which are not
abrogated formally or by implication, or are not
reproduced in the appendix to article a, will
have force of law.
The following are the principal articles of the
Constitution referred to above, all of them, ex-
cept the first sentence of article 25, being abro-
gated by the new Senatus Consultum:-
Article 25. The Senate is the guardian of the
fundamental pact and of the public liberties.
No law can be promulgated without having
been first submitted to it.
Article 20 The Senate opposes the PRONUNCIATION
first, of laws which are contrary to or which in
volve an attack on the Constitution, religion,
morality, freedom of worship, individual liberty,
the equality of citizens before the law, the in
volatility of property, and the principle of the
irremovability of the magistracy; second, laws
which might compromise the defense of terri
tory.
Article 81. The Senate regulates by a
SendtuS COnSuHun-frst, the constitution
of the colonies and Algeria; secoad, all
that has not been provided for by
the constitution and which is necessary
to its operation; third, the meaning of the arti-
cles of the constitution which give rise to diff
ferent interpretations.
Article 80. The Senate maintains or annuls all
| the acts which are referred to it by the govern
ment as unconstitutional, or are denounced for
| the same reason by the petitions of citizens.
| Article 30. The Senate can, in report ad-
| dressed to the Emperor, lay down the basis oi
| projects of law of great national interest
! Article 81. 1t can also propose modification:
| in the constitution. If the proposition il
| adopted by the Executive, it is enacted by c
| Sendtis COnSult,tnlA
| Article 33. In the case of the ution Of
| the Legislative Body, and until the new convoca
tion, the Senate, on the proposition of the Pre-
sident of the republic, provides by measures o
urgency for all that is necessary to the carrying
on of the government.
The Pail Mall Gazette of March 80 publishe
the following remarks on the subject
In order to appreciate the practical conse
! quences of the notifications which have jus
been made in the constitution of the Frencl
Senate, it is necessary TO bear in mind the pecu
liar position which that body has hitherto occu
pied in the system of the second empire. Th
key to the constitution of 1852 is to be found il
Louis Napoleon's declaration that the socia
fabric of France had been ''regenerated by tn
revolution of 80 and organized by the EN-
peror" (meaning, of course, his uncle), and tha
this organization was the one which hest suited tn
temper and conditions of the people. The re
public was still in existence when this ney
constitution was promulgated, the Institution
of the empire, including the Senate and tn
Council of State, being first revived before tn
empire itself was formally re-established. TIL
Senate-so Louis Napoleon announced in tn
procamations of the 14th of January, 1S52-wa
to be mo longer like the Chamber of Peers, tn
pale reflex of the Chamber of Deputies, repeat
ing, after some days of interval, the same discus
sions in another tone" 1t was to fill "greG
and independent role" having the Constitutio
of the country under its special charge.