The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-06-10
THE PLEDIsCITUM AND IT'S
HISTORY.

defer the answer until such time as we
should have sufficient leisure to give
lit proper attention. We have con-
densed the followinaDarticle on the
subject, which we hope will prove sat
Iisfactory to our readers:
Article thirty-two Of tho Constitu-
ton of the 14th OF January, 1862,
which, with the notifications of vari-
Gus Senatus Consula, is the present
CONSTITUTION Of France, runs as fol-
lows: " All notifications, in the
fundamental bases of the constitution
such as they were laid down in the
proclamation Of the I'd OF December
l1S51), and adopted by the French
people, shall be submitted to univer-
sal suffrage" This appeal to univer-
sal suffrage il known in France a. a
plebiscite, from the Latin compound
word otebisci-tun, or l,lebiscitum a law
made by the common consent Of the
people. without tho intervention OF
the Senate or Legislative power. The
article referred TO occurs in chapter
four OF the Constitution, limiting and
defining tue powers Of the Senate, by
which the especial guardianship OF the
constitution il commuted TO that body.
Article twenty-seven for instance. says
that the Senate regulate by Senafus
Consuitum all that has not been pro-
vided by tho Constitution, and which
in necessary for its march" and the
sense Of articles of the constitution
which give rise to different interpreta-
tons" sH IA
The fondness Of the Emperor for
the plebtscite may be very easily ac-
counted for. BY this process he and
his uncle got all they ever acquired OF
supreme power in France. What his
special object in the present appeal
may be is not on the surface, but it
may be mentioned that the name of NJ.
Ronher, regarded as tho Mephisto OF
the present situation, is ut the foot OF
the Constitution OF 1852, and perhaps
he too, has constitutional scruples.-
What il the vote is Lees than the vote
of 1862? What If the vote is adverse?
Such considerations do not enter into
the theory Of piebiscites. Since the ex-
ecution of Louis XVI, there has been
several appeals to the piebiscite in
France on constitutional points. The
first was on the constitution OF
1893. when the Mountain party hav-
ing finally conquered the Girondists
in the Convention set about the COM
pietion of the constitution which the
Girondists had begun, said TO be the
handiwork of Condorcet. This con-
stitution, which was filed up with q
rapidity that contrasted with the slow
ness of the Girondistg in celebrating
constitutions, regulated the number OF
Representatives in the National Con-
vention, ordered annual elections, and
established trial by jury. This con-
stitution was submitted to ,,iebiscite,
and approved by l ,S01 ,91S, against
IL ,010 votes. The ardor of the con-
vention in constitution building was,
however, greater than the desire to
put the constitution into effect. This
constitution. so approved, was in fact
never acted upon. Two years after
wards, subsequent to the death Of
Robespierre and the downfall of the
Jacobins, the National Convention
again applied itself TO constitution
making. II employed upon the work
that experienced hand, Abbe Sieys,
with Cambaceres and others; and on
the 23d Of June, 1795, there was SUBJ
mitted by Busy D'Anglas bran new
constitution. This new constitution
created two chambers--the Council of
the Aneients (25O) and the Council of
Five Hundred, who in their turn elect
ed five persons, called the Executive
Directory, known as the French Di-
Irectory.} This constitution also was
submitted to q plebiscite, and approx
ed by 1 ,O57 $50 votes against 40 ,957.
More fortunate than the consti-
tuition of 1878, it did work. Itendur-
ed for four years-till the famous 9Th
Brumaire which brought on the scene
Napoleon Bonapart, who made very
short work of the Ancients, the Five
Hundred and the constitution. Ma
poleon, in his turn, went to constitu-.
ton building, and on the 10th of No
vember, 1899, produced his constitu-'
ton, which provided, among other
things for the election of a Chief Consul
and two assistant Consuls. This like
wise was submitted to a plebisctte, and
approved by 3,911 900 votes against
| / ,569. The Consuls appointed, were
Napoleon Bonaparte, Cambaceres and
Lebrun. Three years afterwards, in
1902, Napoleon was appointed Consul
for the term of ten years; and few
months subsequently q plebiscite
made him Consul for life by /, 1858, 1856
votes against 9,074. Quickly upon
the heels of the life Consulate came,
as we know, the hereditary empire in
1904, when again there was an appeal
to plebiscite, not on the point wheth-
or Napoleon should be Empror, as
has Been often asserted, but with re-
gard to the hereditary succession.
The :" yeas to- this question were
|3, ,321 ,675 to $3.50 g noes" Once
more in 1851, on the acte additional as
to the succession, there was plcbis-
cite. But the star of the Emperor
had set only 1900, 900 votes were
cast in the affirmative and but 4, ,205
against. a.5ss.4.s, III IS NE ..s ~
There is here q long gap in the his
tory of ptebiscites in France. Until
the cousin Of the Great Emperor came
upon tho scene the plebiscites was al
lowed to rust. In 1S48 Q plebiscite gave
the Presidency. Of the Republic .to|
Louis Napoleon by (, ,O48, ,872 to the
millior and odd votes cast for Cavags
mo- In Dscam bar. 1861. . .ple6iseiks]
declared Louis leon 2 dent iorl