The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-22
The French senate.

laturc by choosing the first scventy-fivc
Senators from among It's own members
For some reason or other, il is generally
supposed that II Parliament of two cham
bers is the best kind Of apparatus FOR
making laws. This comes from the fact
that parliamentary institutions in general
have been borrowed from England, and
that England happened to have two cham
bers. Thar this was so was n sort Of his
torlcal accident, for Scotland had three
branches in its Legislature, while the
Swedish Diet consisted up to 1865 Of four
chambers; and in both cases the machine
ry worked about as well as the two Houses
have done in England.
The idea that an upper house of parlia-
mcnt has for its purpose simply TO check
the liberal tendency of a lower house is
absurd, for if the upper house really be-
gins To paralyzc the national will ms cx-
pressed by the lower house, that upper
| house cannot stand and must either yield
or break down under the pressure of pub
lie opinion. In federal republics, like our
own or the Swiss, and even in federal
monarchies like Germany rs at present
constituted, the upper house has quite
another and highly important m,au-
ing; 1t has TO defend the interests Of
the federation, ana the wisdom of the
fathers OF the American Constitution is
best shown by the fact that they granted
the American Senate special attributes and
did not limit its activity TO serving rs
muzzlc on the House Of Representatives.
They understood that serious popular
will cannot be checked by Il small body of
men. however wise and distinguished these
men may be.
In country. on the other hand which
is not a federation of States or national
itoS an upper chamber Is perfectly u.c-
less. and IN the ease OF people 80 cssen-
italy centralized as the French are, and
one to whom the capital of their country is
the Alpha and Omega Of legislative aud
all other wisdom, the creation Of the
senate becomes a mere absurd aping Of
English forms and practices. In fact the
French senate has moi even the reason
for existing which the thoroughly uuue-
cgssary and almost powerlcss House of
| Lords has FOR French aristOCHcy has No
political power and is not intended to be
represented in the Senate largo landed
estates do not exist in France and the
bishops have nothing to do with lcgisla-
ton. In this way the interests viii III may
| stu be brought a. arguments In favor Of
the existence of the House Ot Lords are
thoroughly unavailable in the case of the
| French senate.
The method 10y which the seats Of so
useless an institution are filed is not Of
= eat Importance. and tho way i'm which
| a,
three hundred Senators would not have
been worth Il commentary had it not
been for the fact that, while two hun
dred and twenty-five of them are TO be
returned by means of indirect Depart
| mental elections, sevent y-tve are TO be
chosen 10y the Assembly from its own
ranks Now in country where sound
political knowledge is so scarce and polti-
| cal passion runs 80 high, an arrangement
Of this sort means simply that seventy
five Of the best men of body which has
to frame the laws are to be picked out and
made members Of another thoroughly pas
sive body, whose only function Is to serve
a, an inpedimcnt in the way Of all nno-
walton and progress. The only result of
such an arrangement will be that the As
sembly, which Is the actual legislature,
will be composed Of inexperienced and
frequently stupid men; while the Senate,
deprived Of all initiative aud engaged in IL
work # mere criticism aud censorship,
will comprise the best intellects OF the
country.
That tins anticipation Of ours Is by no
means exaggerated IS clearly shown by
the list of the men whom the As, mhly
has selected from its own Eunbcis aud
condemned to a venerable inactivity The
best military men they have among them
are now Senators. The Generals ID AURELLU
DE P,LADINEs, Ci,sEY, CliANGARNfEr,
FREHAULT BliIor, CHARLTON, CHABRoN,
aud CIiiNZY, and the Admirals FOURI-
CLOS, JrAREZ, and PoTHUAN, will have
nothing more TO DO with the framing OF
French laws. Men like De LAvERGNE,
LABoULAYE, WoLowsKi, EltNEsT PICARD,
jules SIMON, LANFEEY the historian Of
NAPoLEoN L.. SCHEkER leditor-in-chicf OF
L. TcmIs, CREMrEUX probably the great
est lawyer France has, LIrrRE certainly
one OF the best inteilects she POSSESSES
lave all been deprived Of active Legislative
power. Archbishop DUPANLoCP, the only
member Of the superior French clergy who
mas ever shown remarkable talent or roaI
tenacity of purpose, is also condemned tc
slunbcr ON the benches of tho Senate.
The provincial elections viii probably
have the same result Two hundred ano
twenty-five 81 the best men are 10 be re
turned, AMI we do not think that, polit
cally speaking, there will be anything LEFT
, worth sending To the lower house. Mel
Ike THEIRS ana GAMBEI1A are sure {,
be elected in several departments, unless
they refuse 10 become Senators. Thal ami
able aud hehly gifteu nation viii, o.
. course, always possess an amazing number
8 OF men distinguished mail branches OF art
science, literature, and industry; hu
: these do not imply political wisdom
2 which means above everything else eX
. pcriencc and PLAIN common sense,
As far rs party politics 90, the election
r OF the Senators has been perfectly sur
prsing. An Assembly winch has through
out shown itself intensely auti-Rcpubii
! lean, has returned nfy-llve Republican
/ against twenty Monarchsls, of vatiou