New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-16
The New French Constitution.


We give below the text of the new Frencl
constitution. adopted February 26 by tn
French Assembly, by q vote of 425 yeas t.
254 nays:
CLAUSE l. The legislative power is ex
ercised by two assemblies-the Chamber o
Deputies and the Senate. The Chamber o
Deputies is elected by universal suffrage
under the conditions determined by th,
electoral law. The compositions. made b,
nominations and functions of the Senate
are as tollOws:
First-The Senate is composed of 3O(
members-225 elected bv the department,
and colonies, and seventy five by the Ma
tonal Assembly.
SecOnd--The Departments of the Seine
and the Nord will elect each five Senators
Seine -Inferieure, Pas de- CALAIS, Gironde
REOne. Finistere. and Cotes- -du Nord, eacI
four; Loire Inferieure. SaOne- ct Loire, Ille
et-Villaine, Seine-et-Oise, Isere. Puy de
Dome, SOmme, Bouches. du .Rhone, AisDe
Loire, Manche, Maine-et-Loire. Morbihau
Dordogne. Haute Goronne. Charante- In
ferieure; Calvados, Sarthe, Hera alt, Bases.
Pyrerees, Gard, Aveyrcn, vendee, Orne,
Disc, Vosges, and Allier. each three the
District of Be'fort, the three departments
of Algeria, the Colonies of Martinique,
Guadeloupe, Reunion, and French Indies,
one each.
Third-A Senator must be forty years
old, a Frenchman, and in full procession
Of his civil aud politica. rights.
Fourth-The Senators of the departments
and colonies are to be chosen by an elect
oral college, consisting of the deputies, the
general councils and the councils of dis
tricts belonging to the department, and of
delegates elected by each municipal council
FRI ho ola Cf
The Senators are to be elected by an alb.
solute majority. and conformity where there
is more than one.
Fifth-The Senators elected by the As
sembly are to be elected by an absolute
majority of votes in that body.
Sixth-At the beginning Of the first ses-
sion the Senators will be divided into three
classes. each containing 100 Senators. 1t
will be decided by lot which class is to
retire at the end of three years, which at
the end of six years and which at the end
Of nine years.
Seventh-The Senate, Jointly with the
Chamber of Deputies, shall have the right
to initiate and frame laws. But financial
laws must be first originated and passed in
the Chamber of Deputies.
Eighth-The Senate may be constituted
a judicial court to try the President or the
Cabinet, or to investigate plots against the
State.
Ninth-The Senate shall be elected one
month previous to the day fixed by the
National Assembly for its dissolution. 1t
will enter Oh its duties and constitute it.
self on the day the National Assembly is
dissolved.
CLAUSE 2. The President Of the republic
hall be elected by the Senate and the
of Deputies, united in National
Assembly, and by majority Of votes. He
hall be elected for seven years, and may
)e reelected.
CLAUSE 8. He shall have the right of
legislation concurrently with the
wo chambers. He shall promulgate the
avs voted by the two chambers. He shall
AXE care that they are executed. He shall
ave the right Of pardon; but amnesties |
an be accorded only by law. He shall |
ommand the army and navy and appoint |
o all civil and military posts. Every act |
f the President must be countersigned by |
minister. He shall preside at national |
and the ambassadors of foreign |
overs must be accredited to him.
CLAUSE 4. As vacancies occur in the |
ouncil of State the President, in Cabinet |
ouncil, shall fill these vacancies. COun-
ilors thus appointed can only be removed |
he present councillors can only be super
sded in the manner prescribed by the law
May "a, 1872.
CLAUSE 5. The President, with the assent
the Senate, may dissolve the Chamber of |
equities al any time. In this event a new
ection is to be he held within three months.
CLAUSE 6. The Cabinet ministers shall be
,sponsible as body to the chambers for
le general policy of the government, and
dlvlduaily for their personal acts. The
resident shall be responsible only in case
high treason.
CLAUSE z. In case of the death, resigna-
on or removal of the President. the two
lambers shall unite and proceed imme-
ately to the choice of a new President
be executive power, in the meantime, shall
st with the Council of Ministers.
CLAUSE 8. The ch ambers have the right, |
ther simultaneously or at the instance of
e President, to declare that this constitu-
,n shall be revised. When each of the |
ambers shall have taken this resolution,
q two shall unite in National Assembly
this revision. An amendment to the
Institution can be carried only'by an abso-
te majority of the National Assembly.
1T until November 20. 1880, no revision of
g constitution shall sbe attempted, save
hen proposed by the President
CLAUsE 9. The seat Of The executive power
d Of the two chamber ak-ii be at Ver-
lles.