The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-05-08
FRENCH DEPUTIES.
SHElR PALACE, CEREMONIES AND
,DlOSYNCRASIES.
A History of the Chamber and the Build
ing In Which 1t Meets-Scenes In and
Around the Palace When the Chamber
Is In S~essiOn-TwO Salaries.

Is In S~essiOn-TwO Salaries.
To Americans. who know that after
the excitement of the presidential cleo
ton is over there will be no change of
Importance for four years, these contin-
ual 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 d.
rectorv there We're two legislative bodies
the Five Hundred and the '.Ancients."
After holding their sessions i'll various
places-more or less conveniently was
decided to give them the Palais Bourbon,
which had been built iii l1.a, but never
occupied. They took possession of the
building in the year VII of the republic
l19sl During the preceding year the
necessary Improvements had been made
TO render it suitable for tAe use to which
it was then eyote,i.
From that time, under the different
titles of Palace Of II Council Of the
Five Hundred" ''Palara Of the Legisla-
tive Corps" and Cha, Der of Deputies"
it has always remained consecrated to
the service of the Peoples representa-
tiyes.
From time 10 time such improvements
as economy would permit We're made.
but it was not until 1907, under Napo-
leon |. that the grand staircase, sur
mounted by the portal facing the Place
de la Concorde, familiar to ali visitors
TO Paris. was constructed. Then it was
also that the colossal statues of Justice
and Prudence, Sully, Colbert, L'Hopital
and D Aguesseau We're placed where they
now stand. These statues, by the bye.
which look like marble, are in reality
made Of stone and covered with a coat
ing of white glaze.
Under Napoleon | the building was at
first called the Palace of the Lesisla-
tive Corps" and the deputies wore bril-
liant uniforms. This caused a writer of
the time to say, He gave the deputies Ii
brilliant costume. embroidered with
gold. and at the same time withdrew
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
hun siidiiiDtI vi btputltS. Dab IL
the legislators of the year of grace 1893
do not wear gold embroidered uniforms
there still remains in their ceremonies ii
good deal Of the pomp and ceremony
which usually appertain to monarchies.
The president Of the chamber lives in
a mansion on the Quai d'Orsay, the
grounds Of which JOIN these surrounding
the chamber Of deputies. Before the
opening Of each sitting he is escorted
through the long Sale des Pas Perdus
Preserved for the use of members Of par
Lament and journalists by u detach-
ment Of infantry III command Of Il cap
tain. Tie drums beat, and the process
sion Is preceae. by Il gorgeously attirea
usher. who Monsieur lie
President"
Thus escorted, the president mounts
his fE9t, high above the tribune from
which tie members speak, and imnedi.
ately there j. ii tIeise If members scranl.
bling 10 their seats. like schoolbovs afraid
of being marked late. This part Of the
proceedings Is about a. u~ndigniIied as the
entrance Of the president is imposing
After tapping his desk with IA large paper
knife, or III case of much noise ringing
a brass bell, the president declares the
sitting open, and a relative silence is es-
tablished for a moment. The formal
business Of reading the minutes Of The
last sitting is gone through. and then the
discussion upon the question Of the day
begins. When unimportant, everybody
who is not engaged i'll letter writing
talks. When the question before the
house IS Of interest, silence Is maintained
until somebody sets the example # inter
rupting or perhaps insulting the speaker.
Then the scene is one which has often
been described by clever writers and art
lists, but which must be seen to he ar-
preciated. The ushers inside the cham
Der. who wear evening dress, white tles
and swords, have frequently 10 come be-
tween excited deputies. who, but for their
intervention, would often COME to blows.
These ushers form in reality the most
conservative part Of the assembly, III
they, with few exceptions, grow old IL
the service. They are almost as familiar
with the rules of the house as the presi-
dent himself. and they regard newly
elected members very much a. an usher
in a public school regards a new boy.
They know that every deputy drinks
while speaking, and one of them is espe-
cially told of TO order from the buffet
the particular beverage with which a
speaker is wont to moisten his parched
lips during a heated debate.
1t ia upon these occasions that the
French chamber treats the world 10
some Of those surprises which no fellow
can understand" What Is called il
France le petit jeu des c~oHbzEaispns +
PLAYED. and often d government major,
ity Of today Is turned into a minority 10,
morrow.
The fact l.. that tie majority Of thz
deputies are meu WHO would u loath Il
lose their p5y Of - fzaacs per DAY an
the honors aesached - the post Of rtlGt,
SENTATIVE - lie I4onle. That IL why tag