, 1875-02-25

11owerH and their mode OF tfan3fniason. 1He
tirut stcp was to vote TINT tho President Of
tho Republic 10 elected by tho ahsolnto mn
;ority Of the senaso and Chamber Of Dcpn-
lies united in National Assembly. They ntso
voted that the Ircsident Bl,atl ho elected for
seven years, nnd bo eligible to reelection.
,rhoy confer upon him, with the advice
md conscnt OF tho scnate, the powcr
to dissolve tho Chamber. Tho Mill
isters aro made conjointly responsible
to the Chamber for their policy md
personal aots, but the President Is rcnpon-
siblo only in caao Of high treason, tl,us avoft1.
lug tic uuheard.of acopl,n1ous syatem which
hns been suggested Ut Chicago. 10th CHAM
bcrs by separate voto, aro TO hnve tho power
to declare the necessity for revision Of tho
Constitution.
Tho provision for tl,e election Of tho Son.
ate, or Second Chamber, Inns been tho great
est hitch In tho constitutional project.
Franco In peculiarly aituated In this rogartl
1laving no King, tho Scnnto could not DO an-
pointed by tho right Of royalty, ~ in 1tnly.
Having no separate and quasi independent
Statos, tue Scuate could not be elected,
NJ by the states of Tho German Empire or tho
United statca OF America. Hayingno hereditary
nobility {primogcniture having been aboliah-
oil in 1908, and revived for brief period
only uudcr the Bonrbons), there would be no
House Of Lords, as in Great Britain. It WEB
therefore constant puz.lo how tho Second
Chamber should bu constituted so as to differ
essentially in character snl in form of cleo.
lion from tho Lower Chamber. The plan
adopted on Tuesday was tho ncares. nrproacf
to tho American sya.c,n that il possible in
Franco. Franco is divided into over ninety
Departments, eacl, Of which has Local
Locislatnro known aA the Councils-General,
corresponding somewhat to our Board Of
| Supervisors and Bonowhat to our Stato
Legislatures, having little moro power than
| tho former md n little lcsa than Lhc latter.
According to tho project now adopted, these
Departments, nlong with tho one or two col
onies loft to Frnncc, elect .25 members Of tho
Senate out of total Of 800 Mornbcrs
| There Ia proposition TIM. tho remain
| iug Ii members shall be elected by tho
Lower Chamber, but this does not seem to
hive been t,nally ncted upon. In caso they
were no chosen, they might be regarded as
elected by tho people ut large through their
chosen representatives. Tho Senators elected
by the Departments md Colonies nro to hold
niuo years aud thoro ars to lie three
classes, one-tlirl Of the entire number boing
elected every three yeara. Vacancies by
death or otherwise arc to be filed by the
Senate itself. Tho Scnnto is permitted,
equally with the Chamber Of Deputies, to
initiato laws, with tho exception Of inancinl
measures, which, must originate in tic
IIo,,se. It bocomos d High court for 1ho
trial of the President and his Ministers lpon
impeachment for tcason. Alltheso fcaturss,
1t will bo rcmnrked, aro modelled after,
though not exactly corresponding to, The
American system.
It now looks as though Trance will suc,
coe i in the establishment of constitutions
government, republican in form, and sufli
GENTLY original TO bo adapted to tho nature
of tho people. # it comes to thia, Franco
will have achieved n victory over itsek. Il
has heretofore, at loast ginoe tie revolution
Of 'o8, boen given to wild experiments il
government, ranging from the Commune t.
Despotism, from Socialism to Ultramontan
ism, from Rod Ropublicanism to Imporial
ism. Mover before have tho French peopl'
asserted sufficient self~control, and giyo1
sufficient defereneo to the experience
Of others, to establish m intelligent
popular government for themselves
II they auccoed now, thoy will ow
their greatest victory to their groatest te
tent for their success will DO tho direct 70
suit Of tho terrible shock suffered In thei
latest conflict with Germany. To use
common but expressive phrase, tho German
seom to have tnken tia conceit out Of thon'
Thoy appear to be willing, for the first tim
In their natural existence, to settle down
rational systom OF constitutional govo.1
1nent, such as tho experience of ages III
proved to bo the best adapted to intclligen
aud progressive people. We heartily hop
they uay attain it.