The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-05-18
FRENCH DEPUTIES.
Their Palace, Their Ceremonies. and Their
Idiosyncrasies.

| the excitement of the presidential cleo
| ton is over there will be no change OF
Importance for four years, those con
tiEual 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 (179s).
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 We're made,
| but it was not until 1907. under Napo1
leon l., that the grand staircase. SIR
mounted by the portal facing the Place
de la Concorde, familiar to all visitors
to Paris, was constructed. Thenit was,
also. that the colossal statues Of JUS
tic and Prudence. Sully, Colbert rHop-
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 causeda writer
Of the time to say: HE gave fine Depu-
ties a brilliant costume, embroidered
with gold. and at the same Lime 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 II is more generally called
now. Chamber of Deputies" But if
| the Legislators Of the year of grace 1898
do not wear gold embroidered uniforms,
there still remains in their ceremonies
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'0rSay. 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 DIES Pas
Perdus preserved for the use of MEM
beers Of parliament and Journalistic by
a detachment Of infantry in command
of a 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 imue-
1iately there is a noise of members
scramhling to their seats. like school
boys afraid of being marked late. This
part of the proceedings is about as I'M
dignifed as the entrance of the presi-
dent Is imposing. After tapping his
desk with a 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-
hShed 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
the house is Of interest. silence is main
tanned until somebody sets the example
Of interrupt;ng, or perhaps insulting
the speaker.
Then the scene is one which has often
been described by clever writers and
artists, hut 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 usbers form. in reality. the
mos, conservative par, of the assembly.
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 elected members very much as
an usher in a public school regards a
new boy. They know that every dep
uty drinks while spea king. and one of
them ! specially told off TO order from
the buffet the particular beverage with
which a speaker Is wont to moisten his
parched lips during heated debate
Il : upon these occasions that the
French chamber treats the world 10
some Of those surprises which no fell
Now can understand" What Is called
in France lie petit, jeu des combinaisons
Is played. ana often government ma
iority ~ to-day ! turned into minor
itv to-morrorw.
The fact :, that the majority of the
deputies are men who would be loath
70 lose their pay II twenty-five francs
per day and the honor> attached to the
post ~ representative Of the people.
That i why the fear % dissolution
often induces them to give a ministry
4 majority rather than provoke its
overthrow and the crisis consequent
thereon. Ina, ! why. during all the
H. 81