The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1893-06-08
FRENCH DEPUTIES.
Their Palace, Their Ceremonies, and Their
IdiOsYncrasies.

Importance for four years, those con-
tinual ministerial notifications of the
French cabinet appear strange, and
their effect is prejudicial to France
both as regards her domestic prosperity
and her international prestige. Under
the directory there were two legislative
bodies, the Five Hundred" and the
"Ancients." After holding their ses-
sions in various places-more or less
convenient-it was decided to give
them the Palais Bourbon, which had
been built in 1922, but never occupied.
They took possession of the building
in the year VII of the republic Q79S).
During the preceding year the necessary
improvements had been made to render
it suitable for the use to which it was
then devoted.
From that time, under the different
titles of palace Of the Council of the
Five Hundred" palace of the Legis-
lative Corps" and Chamber of Depu-
ties it has always remained conse-
Grated to the service of the peoples
representatives.
From time to time such improvements
as economy would permit were made,
but it was not until 1907, under Napo-
leon l., that the grand staircase, sur
mounted by the portal facing the Place
de la Concorde, familiar to all visitors
| to Paris, was constructed. Then it was,
also, that the colossal statues of JUS
tic and Prudence, Sully, Colbert, Hop
| ital and d Aguesseau were placed where
| they now stand. These statues, by the
| By, which look like marble are, in real
| ity. made of stone and covered with a
| coating of white glaze.
Under Napoleon |. the building was
at first called the palace of the Legis-
| lative Corps" and the deputies wore
| brilliant uniforms. This caused writer
of the time to say: 'He gave the Depu-
ties a brilliant costume, embroidered
with gold, and at the same time with
drew their right of free speech"
1t was in 1914 that the name was
| changed to that the building bears to-
| day, palace of the Chamber of Depu-
ties" or, as it is more generally called
now, Chamber of Deputies" But if
| the legislators of the year of grace 1898
| do not wear gold EN- embroidered uniforms,
there still remains in their ceremonies
a good deal of the pOmp and ceremony
which usually appertain to monarchies
1 The president of the chamber lives
in a mansion on the Quai d'Orsay, the
grounds of which join those surround
ing the chamber of deputies. Before
the opening of each sitting he is es-
corted through the long Sale des Pas
PerduS preserved for the use of mem
bers of parliament and Journalistic by
a detachment of infantry in command
of captain. The drums beat and the
procession is preceded by gorgeously
attired usher, who announces, Mon
sieur lie president" Other ushers-or
policemen in times of excitement-form
a double line to keep the passage clear.
Thus escorted, the president mounts
to his seat, high above the tribune from
which the members speak, and imme-
| diately there is a noise of members
scrambling to their seats, like school
boys afraid of being marked late. This
| part of the proceedings is about as I'M
dignified as the entrance Of the presi-
dent is imposing. After tapping his
desk with large paper knife, or, in
case of much noise, ringing a brass
bell, the president declares the sitting
open. and a relative silence is estab-
lished for moment. The formal bust
ness of reading the minutes of the last
sitting is gone through, and then the
discussion upon the question of the
day begins. When unimportant, every
body who is not engaged in letter writ
ing talks. When the subject before
l,o &c Of ,,tn r;l -,
tanned until somebody sets the example
of interrupting, or perhaps insulting
the speaker.
Then the scene is one which has often
been described by clever writer's and
artists, but which must be seen to be
appreciated. The ushers inside the
| chamber, who wear evening dress,
| white ties and swords, have frequently
to come between excited deputies, who,
| but for their intervention, would often
| come to blows.
| These ushers form, in reality, the
most conservative part of the assembl
for they, with few exceptions, grow
old in the service. They are almost as
familiar with the rules of the house as
the president himself. and they regard
| newly eleCGcu ulcmDerS very mucn as
an usher in a public school regards a
new boy. They know that every dep
uty drinks while speaking, and one of
them is specially told off to order from
the buffet the particular beverage with
which speaker is wont to moisten his
parched lips during heated debate.
1t is upon these occasions that the
French chamber treats the world to
some of those surprise (which no fell
low can understand" What is called
in France lie petit jeu des combinations
is played, and often government ma
jority of to-day is turned into a minor
ity tomorrow.
The fact is, that the majority of the
deputies are men who would be loath
to lose their pay of twenty-five francs
per day and the honors attached to the
post of representative of the people.
That is why the fear of dissolution
often induces them to give a ministry
a majority rather than provoke it's
overthrow and the crisis consequent
thereon. That is why, during all the
| ID, Nj