The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-05-20
FRENCH DEPUTIES.
Their Palace, Their Ceremonies, and THEFT
syncrasfcs.


tion is over there will be no change OF
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 or less
| convenient--it was decided to give
them the Palais Bourbon, which had
been built in 1Ta2, 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" 1T has always remained conse-
Grated to the service of the peoples
representatives.
| From time to time such improvements
MS 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 Concordc. familiar to all visitors
to Paris, was constructed. Then it was,
also, that the colossal statues of JUS
tic and Prudence. Suily, Colbert, rlIop-
ital and d Aguesseau were placed whore
they now stand. These statues, by the
s.ll l.
ity. made of stone and covered with
coating of white glaze.
Under Napoleon /. the building waa
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 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 il
the legislators of the year of grace 1898
donot wear gold embroidered uniforms,
, there still remains in their ceremonies
Il good deal of the pomp and ceremony
which usually appertain to monarchies.
&. The president of the chamber lives
, in u mansion on the Quai d'Orsay, the
f 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 DIES Pax
: Perdus Preserved for the use Of mem
bers of parliament and journalists b2
: Il detachment of infantry in command
of a captain. The drums beat and the
= procession is preceded by a gorgeously
attired usher. who announces. Mon
|. sieur lie president" Other ushers-op
, policemen in times of eXcitement-forr,
). a double line to keep the passage clear
n Thus escorted, the president mounts
O to his seat, high above the tribune from
q which the members speak, and imme
a diately there is a noise of members
v scrambling to their seats, like school
+. boys afraid of being marked late. Thi:
t part of the proceedings is about as un
" dignified rs the entrance of the presi
Is dent is imposing. After tapping hi
,. desk with a large paper knife, or, il
: case of much noise, ringing a bras
bell, the president declares the sitting
open, and relative silence is estab
lished for a moment. The formal bust
~ ness of reading the minutes of the las
sitting is gone through, and then TIN
s. discussion upon the question of th
" day begins. When unimportant, every
,s body who is not engaged in letter writ
"a ing talks. When the subject befor
o. the house is of interest, silence is main
=. tanned until somebody sets the eXampl
l.,f1 int MT l1lGl
. the speaker.
y Then the scene is one which has oftel
le been described by clever writer's an
t. artists. but which must be seen to b
.e appreciated. The ushers inside tn
q chamber. who wear evening dress
ia white ties and swords, have frequentl
as to come between excited deputies, who
- but for their intervention, would ofte
come to blows.
rs These ushers form, in reality, tt,
1T most conservative part of the assembly
is for they. with few exceptions, groS
is old in the service. They are almost q
familiar with the rules OF the house i,
If the president himself. and they regar
A. newly elected members very much {.
= an usher in public school regards
~ new boy. They know that every der
Us uty drinks while speaking. and one q
er them is specially told OFF to order fror
IB Jue DuucG I!lc purUiCttltiT beverage VIII
De which speaker is wont to moistcn hi
at parched lips during a heated debate.
,m 1t is upon these occasions that tn
lH French chamber treats the world t
y some of those surprises (which no fe
40 low can understand" What is calla
10 in France lie petit jeu des combinaison
'd is played, and often Il government ma
le jority of to-day is turned into minor
re ity Tomorrow.
MS The fact is. that the majority of til
es deputies are men who would be loaf
,a to lose their pay of twenty-five franc
AZ per day and the honors attached to tn
" post OF representative Of the people
In That is why the fear of dissolutio
n, often induces them to give II minist,,
C. ~ majority rather than provoke il
III overthrow and the crisis consequcn
of thereon. That is why, during all tn
IN Panama scandals, NJ Ribot, the prt
"a mier, and his predecessor, NJ. Loubc
~ had only toasll fora vote Of confidence.
" while threatening to resign in case
us was refused, to obtain it, very much a
g schoolmaster shows lot of unrul
n boys cane and obtains an effect tina
is reasoning would not produce.
va Two ministerial portfolios are espe,
';s tally coveted, those of the Interior an
Einance. For besides the importanc
te of the posts there is an ancient custo,
Is in connection with them. The da
es after the acceptance of the portfoli
er one of the grave, white-neckticd, SWORD
to bearing ushers calls upon each ministg