The New York herald., 1870-05-08
Tho Plebiscitum EectOn-NapoIeon the Third
NJ the Grand Crisis of His Public Career.

Tho Plebscitum EiectiOn-NapoIeon the Third
at the Grand Crisis of His Public Career.
The French people will vote ON the plebascituna
submitted 10 them by Napoleon the Third to-day
Sunday. France viii, from Paris, the door Of the
Tueres, TO Oran, In Africa, by the smouldering huts
Of the gallant Arabs pronounce through the ballot
box the worldly fate Of The Napoleon dynasty. 1t is
most serious critical occasion; critical TO the
French people and their ruler critical to the Empe-
rors son and TO the Children OF his subjects critical
to the future position OF the Empress Eugene. and
seriously critical TO the industries and comforts or
the wives OF millions OF Frenchmen, who toll, who
fight and pray for their country. Our cable te!e.
grams OF this evening, announcing the result, viii
consequently speak the lptt trtumphantes or impe
rialsm or the dies irtg Of grand nation. la view
OF the approaching reception OF the news. and anti
cipatory OF It's publication in our columns to-mor-
row, we present to our readers this morning a
c.nc history Of the various French pleoiscia from
the first with statement OF the number or votes
which were cast at the general elections.
THE FRENCH PLEBIscITrM, ITS ORIGIN AND INTENT
Article thlEty-wO OF the French constitution OF
the l4th OF January 1852 which, with the modidca-
tuns OF various Seadtus Co,tsuitd. Is the present
constitution Of France, reads follows:--.All mod
hcat!ons IN the fundamental bases OF the constIu-
ton, such as hey were laid down in the proc!ama-
uon Of the % OF December Qs5l and adopted by
the French people, shall be submitted TO universal
suhra9e.' This appeal to universal suffrage is
known In France pte5lsctte from the Latin COM
pound word p'eb{s-scitunl or ptebiScttunl-a law
made by tie common consent OF the people, without
the intervention or the Senate or the legislative
power. The article referred to occurs in chapter
four of the constitution, limiting and defining the
powers OF the senate, by which the especial guar
alansnlp oi the constitution Is committed TO That
the enate regulates by SelldtuS COissuitUna 'al
that has not been provided Dy the CONSTITUTION and
winch is necessary ITS march,, and ..the sense OF
the articles OF the constitution wncn give rise to
dlAeren lnterpietatons.' This Is the pieD scttu1l
o. ffance IL Is universal suffrage under the con-
troll or moDarchsm
lis HISTORY AsD USES
Since the execut on OF Louis Xvi. there have been
seve a. Appeals o the ptebtscte In France The first
was o. Inc Constitution 1893, whea the Mountain
party, ha a. con ne ed the Grondsts in the Con-
sehton set aDou Tue M Ell n 0i The cons Hutton
wilcn tie Orondsts had begun. said to the handi-
work or Con ofcet. ihis cons ituil0u Which was
III ed up win lapi' lty that contrastel with the
sowness OF the irJndists ea5orating constiili-
tlons' csulat the number OF Representatives in
Na,luna Con, en- ION, ore. ed annual eec ions ana
Established tIial by jmy. IL was submitted to a
pe0tscte, ana approved by l,s0l9l8 against H. ol0
votes. Two years Afterwards. sub. eQuent TO the
uea oi Roues perle and ne downfall Inc Js cobins
tile Ealonai CLnve ton 4ppied isef 10 cons tuition
making. II emp o. ed upon the work AhbG sie,es
with CamDaceres ahd hers; and ON the 23d o. Jun .
1913. there was submitted by Busy d'Angla anew
con tliul on. This con tirl-.on created two CHAM.
berslhe Council OF the Ancients (25o and the Coun
cil Of the FIVE Hundret, VINO IN their turn led
five pc sons, called me Executive Directory. known
as the Freach Directory. This constitution was sab
mi ted TO l]iebtscue. aud approved by 1866 $50
votes against 40 95T. 1t eniuTed fur years-til The
eghteenth Brumaire, VIII ch brought Oh the scene
Napoleon Bonaparte, who lnaoe very short work of
Anclcnts, lhe Five Hundred anu the constitution.
Napoleon, III ms turn, Wen 10 Constitution building,
and on the 10th Nov 'embe!, 1892 pro luced his
BLtutl n, which provided Tor election OF a Chef
Consal and TWO AS lsant consuls. This was sub
mtted TO pte5tSctte, and approved by 3,9ll, 900
Lot
Consul for the Term OF ten years, anu lew months
suos os.Guenly plebiscite lnaue him Consul Tor lie
b. 356S,lS votes aga nsL g0s4. Quickly upon the
heels ol the he Consulate came the hereditary
empire in 1904 wheu AGAIN there was an appeal TO a
pt.0tscie mol on the point whether Napoleon should
be Emperor, as has been Oiien asserted bur with
regard to the hereditary succession. The ayes
TO this question were 3,32l 90 TO p 500 noesr In
1913 on the dcte additional as to Lie succession,
there was pie65Ctte. But the star OF the Emperor
had sci; only 100000 votes were cast the airm
atiNe aud but 400 against. There is here long
gap III tile history OF pieOisctss IN France. untl
the cousin OF the Great Emperor came upon the
Scene the pteDlScHe was allowed TO rust In I64S q
peotsctle gave the Presidency OF the republic TO
Louis Napoieon by 6,0!sS12 against the million and
odd votes cast for Cavalgnac
The present Will be the 1Ith ptebisctte taken by
Louis Napoleon. In December 1913. pLe5tSclte de-
ciared him President FOR ten years, by 7,4sl,2 ,2sl
A.aiilsl 64O7 negative votes In 1852 che present
constitution was ratified by 7473.43l votes to 64l, 1851.
A. Az December of The same year pte6iscue ratided
the Seilu as CollSiHi establishing the empire by
7.S25IS9 votes against 25S.li5.
THE PLEBISClTE TICKETS AND VOTES.
To-Day, WlGn tIle dtie1t.0l oil the world is drawn
TO the SUBJECT OF Tie iebiScite the following
tcai details or the questions submitted to tile French
people on eight similar occasions, with the totals or
the votes caS III response possess very great interest,"
The exhibit reads thus-
Constitution de 1858 (Repubique. ..... 1901 sis ISI0
Constitution de Pan III Repuoliaue, . 10 ?.,SD 4l57
Constitution de Fan VIII (Consulat.... 39ll000 Ib69
Senatus-consu.te de Pan X. (Consuiat a
Senaus-cOnsulLc ue Tan ALL (Empire). SSI.b75
Acte addttonnel de 1915.
Constitution ne 1872 ...,......:.. 7,47S,a3i en,S5l
Sennt tus-cOnsllte de Decemhre, 1892 (;tn-
7,saslss 25sIs5
THE TICKET TODAY.
The form OF the Fiencn ''tlckeJi paper has been
discussed at the Tule with Ministers, and the
committee OF the ,tn te took part in the daIDera-
ton. Fwo drafts or an Ell ciUn "ticketr were ex-
an, ned-one general, and running nearly as io-
lows
Does the French people consent 20 the liberal mod
ncut ons made In the constitution OF 1892 purpose
establishing parliamentary system with the imperial gov
crnuen as well as all the OF that y,gnsf
This wording not beng accepted, another was pre-
pared in more explicit language. The text is as fol-
lows
win French people accept ths bersl notifications of
the constitution Of ic52 the following Respon
siblty OF nsiers In presence OF the Chanlbers
ff., NJ