The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-26

In the French Assembly yesterday the bill
for the creation of Senate passed it first
reading by decisive vote. Hitherto the
parliamentary struggle in regard to the con-
stitutonal bills has been mainly over the
point of procedure not whether or no the
bills should be considered, but in what order
they should be taken up. But this was not, as
it might appear, mere point of detail it IN
volved the vital differences between the par
ties, and hence was point of principle. With
the republicans the endeavor was to have a
positive declaration of the Republic go first
to put that down as the corner stone of the
constitutional edifce it was proposed to con-
struct. Other parties, equally ready to make
a constitution, objected to making it in that
way, and were satisfied to accept the Septen-
nate without formal definitions, and construct
around that as primary postulate. These lat
ter have triumphed, and the Senate which it
is now proposed to make will therefore be not
the first institution of visionary machinery
all the rest of which is in chaos, but an addi-
ton to the machinery in actual operation.
The law for the organization of the Senate
was presented in the name of the Com mission
on the Constitutional Laws by M. Lefevre-
Pontalis. 1t provides that the body shall not
number more than three hundred members,
Of whom there shall be three classes-frst,
Senators by right; second, Senators named
by the decree of the President of the Repub-
lie, and third, Senators elected by the de-
partments and the colonies. The Senators
by right are marshals, admirals and cardinals.
judges of the courts Of Cessation and Claims,
and such members of the Institute as the
Institute itself shall designate. Senators
named by the President shall be to the num-
Der of one hundred and fifty, less the number
OF the Senators by right Elected Senators
shall be chosen by the departments and
colonies one for every four hundred thousand
years, but their terms shall be distributed in
such manner that there shall be Senatorial
elections for third of the number every
third year. ALI the Senator'S by right hold,
of course, for life, and those appointed are
also immovable. The powers of the Senate
will be fully defined in later law, in which
this body,s with Chamber Of Deputies,
to be organized, will. be treated as 'The
Congress-" but meantime 1t is declared
that the members shall receive no pay; that
the body shall have, equally with the other
chamber, the initiative Of all bills except
money bills; that it shall try impeachment
cases, and that its members shall be elected
and appointed one month before the adjourn
ment Of the present Assembly and shall meet
for their first session on the day of
that adjournment 1t will be seen that
this body is CROSS between the
British House of Lords and our Senate.
Half its members represent territorial and ad-
ministrative divisions of the nation, as our
Senators represent the States and the other
half will represent the conservative elements
of privilege and high station, but high sta
ton, it must be recognized, that has been
earned, not inherited. Certainly this is an
admirable feature. In the provision for its
first session appears an evident purpose to
employ this body as q parliamentary bridge
over that uncertain abyss which lies between
the dissolution of the present Assembly and
the meeting of another.