New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-10-30
THE FRENCH NEN4TE.

Tn his recent spccch al GrcnObl1, GamOctta
predicted that under Democratic Miilcncc the
Senate would soon become citadel OF the
Republic, and c0ngra tulatcd the Liberals upon
having conquered with the very weapons
which had been forged against them. Certain
il is that when the present Constitution was
framed the leaders Of the rcaciionary factions
rapcicd that they had provided against the
remote contingency of \ Republican majority
IN the uppcr house. When the nrst RcIubli-
can Constitution was discussed in 1871, SiCycs
declared that there was lao use III having wv"
legislative chambers, for if they agreed, there
might rs well be one a. two, anu II ih"y DIS
agreed one or the other must be opposed
TO the will of the people. when the
sixteenth constitution was adopted III 800
the aim was to make the Senate permanent
stronghold OF the Conservatives by means OF
a protractrd term OF OHice-nInc NcaiS-ahu q
COMPLEX system of renewals by the restricted
suffrage Of the municipal councils. The Sen
ate. as then constituted, had three hundred
members, OF whom scycnty-hye were appointed
for life. while the remainder were returned by
the departments. The organization OF tie
Senatorial electorate was very complex. 1t
embraced in each department the deputies To
the lower chamber, members of the councils
general and of the councils Of arrondlssc-
mcnt and delegates from the cOmmuncs.
As a large majority OF the electors were
municipal delegates representing the most
conservative bodies in France, the NonHcI-
ISIS and BonapartIsts confidently expected 10
retain control of the Senate and to obstIuct
the policy Of the Republicans in the lower
chamber. What has been the result OF
the 22j members elected IN 1873, Onc-tbld
will retire this year. the second third in ISL
and the remainder in 1851 These classes
were drawn by lot, and it 80 happens that
tw0-thiyds Of those whose term will expire III
December are Conservatives. Light vacan-
cicS have been caused b. death. so that
cishty-thrcc Senators are to he chosen and
inasmuch as the Republicans now control
three ffths of the councils general they will
make large gains. The municipal delegates
are now being selected. the councils having
convened on Sunday last and the final elections
will take place early in January. The Rcpub-
hcans will undoubtedly he masters of the
Senate. Gambetta, indeed, predicts that they
will have majority of twenty. lnasmuch rs
the majority in the lower house is already
go, the triumph of French RepublicLnism
Will bc complete.
The most remarkable passage in Gambetta'S
speech at GrenOble was his declaration that
the Senate was absolutely necessary, and that
it had part to play in progressive Repub-
lie. In this respect he Is at variance with
SGyes and the Mountain as well as with
Louis Blanc and the Radicals of to-day.
The French Government Is a tumble Of
the English and American systems. There
is President and there Is Pre-
mcr, and by the precedent established last
year the Ministry must be IN accord with the
majority of the lower chamber. While the
Assembly virtually controls the choice OF the
Cabinet, it can itself be dissolved at any time
by the President, but not without the consent
of the Senate. President who could not
act independently OF his Cabinet and the
Legislature would bo a nero igurchcad, and
it il plain that such independence could
not be exercised under limitations without
d second chamber. a year ago, it Is
true, the President adopted rcactiOnary poll
icy with the concurrence OF the Senate and
in the future there may be coalitions between
the Conservatives and the Radicals; but on
the other hand, when both Chambers are con-
trolled by the Republicans, tine upper will
rcpres5 and correct the dangerous tendencies
Of tho lower house. The kepublicanisIn of
the Senate will be the ReDublicanism of the
middle classes and rural population. II will
be the Republcanlsm of the patriotic and
thrifty peasant prOprctOrs, who, under Prcsi-
dent Theirs, came forward with their savings
and paid so large a share of the enormous tine
which had been imposed by Germany. 1t will
be, as Gambetta says, the EcpubIicanism of
progressive Repubic-a RcpubIicanism that
may sometimes halt for breath, but will never
go backward.
LET Us SEE ABOCT THIT'