, 1870-04-29

From the Lire7pooi Journal, Apr:i 13-
Tho Emperor Of the French is about dia once
more to appeal to universal suffrage. N 1e4ss
| IN 1851 and in 1882 twice, universal suffrage
has served Louis Napoleon He is gong TO
| the constitution of the 1ath Of January, lS52,
Which. with the notifications Of vHrlous
senat4s ConsuAa, is tho present e. S9nsu-
| "Al notifications in the fundamental b2ses
/! of the constitution, sucb1 IS they were laid
down in tie proclamation Of December
(1s51), aud adopted by tho French people,
shall be submitted to universal suffrage.
This appeal TO universal suffrage Is known II
France rs ple1isciie, from the Latin compound
word plebis-scitanl or plebisclunt-a Law made
| by the common consent Of tho people, WltnouI
! the Intervention of the Senate OF tho leG.ata-
| tive power. The article referred to occurs III
Chapter OF the constitution, limiting and de-
tiuinc the powers of tho Senate, by which tho
cspecial Etiardiauship Of the constitution Is
committed to that body. Article q, fof IN.
stance. says that the Senate regulates By
Scnatus ConsuNun tsall that has not been
provided by tho constitution, and which is NEG e
essay for It's march," and the sense OF the
articles Of the constitution which giTe rise to
different interpretations"
lsci,e may be very casily accounted for. By
ihis process he and his uncle got all they eyer
acouircd of supreme power in Franco Nhat
bis special object IN tho present appeal may
be seen on tho sutaee Gaa Rnhar y, nay reeaTed o. sa
ns The Mephisto Of the present situation, IS at
tle loot OF the constitution OF 1852 and pas-
hans he. too, has constitutional scruples.
What if the vote should % 1ess @ tnan the foSes I
rotn should bo adyerse7 Such considerations
do not enter into the theory Of pie
Iiscites. Since the execution Of Louis
XIV. there have been several mp
peals; to the ple'Hseite N France On On con con
stit1tion Of 1888, when the Mountain party,
, Laying finally conquered the Girondists in the
convention, set about tho completion Of the
constitution which the Girondists bad begun,
said to bo the handivork Of condorset, This
> constitution, Which was filed up with rapid
C ty that contrasted with the s1owness Of the
Gironiists in celebrating constitutions, Eegu-
r lated tho manner OF representatives in the
+. National Convention, ordered animal elections
!, and established t1ial BY jury; This const'tu-
: proved b. 1,801, ,91s against II ,olo votes. The
= art1or OF the convention in conHGtution
y building was, however, greater than its
desire to put the constitution into effect This
> copstitution, 30 approved, MAS in fact never
acted upon. Two years afterwards, subsequent
4 To fhc deatl, Of Robespierre and tho downfall
e Of tie Jacobins, the National Convention again
l. applied itself to notwithstanding. It en-
,. ployed upon the work that e1por1encei hAnd
9 Abbe Sieycs, with Cambacercs and othesa AMI
" " On tho 2Jl OF juno, 1895, there WAS submitted
by BussT D,Anglas bran new constitution
+ The constitution created two chambcra-th.
lc Council Of the Ancionts (250) and the Counci
p 2 Of the Five Hundred who IN their turn electet
known IS tho French Directory. This consti
v. tutlon also was submitted to a ple5iscih
+ and approved by 1,057,ss votes, asains
1927? More Of ,7as fortunate I "a haa a59 u
eaapred for four ~ @ the famous 1s
Bru1naire, which brought on the scene Eapo
G G. leon Bonspstte, who made rery short work o
n n the Ancicnts. the Fiye Hundred and the con
stitution. Napoleon. in Ills turn, went to COL
p stitntion building, and on the 10th Of Noyen
On provided, among other things, for the e1ectio7
Of Chief Consul and two Assistant Consuls
H. This, likewise, was submitted to ple5iscat
and approved by 3,s11, 900 against 1,5s
By votes. The Consuls appointed were Napo
Is s. leon Eonaparte, Cambaceres and Labrur
y. ~ Three years afterwards, in 1902, Nape
leon was appointed Consul for the teri
r. r. Of ten years and q few months subsequent
o' ple14sche made him Consul for Life, by 3.5G5
r. 1s5 votes against 9,074. Quickly upon the heel
hereditary empire in 1904, when again theE
+. VAS m appeal 10 plc1iscitc, not on tho poi1
~ whether Napoleon should be Emperor, a. ha
Il: been often asserted, but with regard to th
hereditary succession: The yeas" to th
more, in 1915, on tho actc additional as to h
succession, there was a pleoiscite. But the ct.
Of the Emperor had set only 800, 900 vote
were cast in the affirmative and but e
against
res There is here long gap in tho history {
pkbiscites IN France Until tho cousin Of II
Great Emperor came upon the sceno the pl
nd 6iscile was allowed to rust. In 1913 plebi
es- cite gAvo the Presidency OF the republic
.be TouiH Nanplcon By -a-i'*~E .1,~ mil
ion and odd votes cast for CaTagnac- In D.
~ cember, 1851, q plctiscMe declared Louis Napa
loon President for. ton wears, by 7,48l q
~ against Gi0,7s7 negative votes. In 1852 IL
T. present constitution was rati6ed by ,473, As
q. votes TO GIL ISL. In December of th
iIas Ies same year Pe1ascIs ratified IL
Senat1ls Co,sulun1 establishing the ou
n n rle by 7,s2S, ,18o votes against 253, 14'
~ ~ I've can hardly wonder that the Emperor
70 enamorcd Of the plan which has done SO niue
-, for him, and that he will make struggle
IL IL retain the power to resort to it when nece.
ca sarv. A very considerable party in the Chan
a.. H. hers ia bent destroying this power Of tt
to, Emperor 10 keep himself outside Of the COZ
"a atitution. Il the Emperor is equally dctel
:bc mined TO retain it, Franco has just eptere
of upon constitutional struggle which, in Ent
= land, We shall regard with interest, but wit
RI 5s that equanimity and philosophy with whic
NJ people are apt to regard the troubles Of other
!he In the meantime, it is remembered that p1oI
,1s plon, only last September, declared that pl
n 1isCikeq Uerc Bham8.