Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-30

J ! ! :
A~E W. y To hold Its gay col
MH ors from fluttering
UAl ~ too mirthfully In the
EgW~ breeze, q somber bow
WgX, Of crepe was tied
VIII about the half-furled
~, banner OF the repub-
lie which hung above
the door of the old mansion, whose very
drabness bore the expression of gloom,
while the servants within tiptoed about
in the darkness, as II mourning for mas
ter well known and beloved. / was brought
around through the little wooden gate. to
| the court within. and up the bare and mar
row stairway which leads to the office.
, where Ambassador Patenotre Is to be seen
| at his desk. Even on this day of anxiety.
| the ambassador, who bore the marks of
personal bereavement on his face. did not
lay aside the kind hospitality and unusual
politeness which he truly represents. but
stopped his work and submitted willingly
to an interview. We fell to talking Of the
methods of electing the French executive.
and to comparing the workings Of his gov
eminent with those Of ours.
The constitution under which the pres
ent republic Of France Is governed IL but
nineteen years old. After almost a century
, Of constant changes. which has seen that
country wavering between the rules of
kings. consul, emperors and presidents.
the present form of government, known as
the third republic. was founded, but not
until ninety-Eine years after the American
colonies made their first and last decision
against royalty. to which they have ever
remained steadfast As the ambassador
remarked. 1T seems best under laws which
do not provide a vice president, or deter
QnacfQ1 day haf fhA tar1
of the new president should continue for
seven years. rather than terminate at the
end of the time allotted to President Car
not"
All In the Assembly.
The long period which precedes presiden-
tial election day in the United States. with
all Its canvassing, conventions. and the
tumult and excitement Of the general cam
paign. II never felt among the common
people of France. who haven't even an in
direct vote for the executive. although, a.
was the case In the chamber Of deputies on
Tuesday, the excitement, which 10 % vast
ly distributed with us,is concentrated where
1t often has more fatal results The usual
methods. which would have been used In
electing NJ Carnot's successor, had the
martyred president been spared the full
length OF his term, would not have differed
from those employed on Wednesday, except
that the national assembly, composed al
ways OF the chamber Of deputies and the
senate. sitting jointly, would have met for
the purpose a month previous to the expira-
ton Of the term, leaving no space where
the ministry could exert its power Of rule.
The national assembly Is always required to
give an absolute majority. before the exec
otiSc Ii installed, ana since the absence
Of complicated ticket, tiIled with the
ianes * various other minor local author
tiles. delivers the voters from the consid-
GRAFTON Of too many qualifica lions. the re-
suit is usually proclaimed In q short time
after the voting begins.
Thus to define the relation borne by the
vote In national assembly to the exact
wishes OF tho people, the composition of
the two chambers Of parliament must be
analyzed. France Is divided into depart
into states. there being eighty-sevsn Of
them In all. The department In likewise
divided into ACCOMPLISHMENTS, correspond
ing to our counties. ard these are subdivid-
ed into cantohs. and the cantons into COM
munes aggregating altogether 3G2 arron-
easements, 2S6S cantCns and 5000 COM
munes. There are altogether 800 senators
in the chamber. IDS Of whom are elected
from the departments and colonies. and
seventy five by the national assembly itself
The French senator, to some exetnt, rep
resents his department according to popu-
latfon-thus the two largest departments
each send FIVE. six elect each four. twenty
nine each three. three each one and all
others two.
How Senators Are Chosen.
The French colonies and territories are
each represented by senator. whose duties
are similar to those Of our territorial dele
gate. except that the former is vested with
full rights. The members Of the senate are
not elected by the popular vote Of the de-
partments. colonies territories but are
chosen even more indirectly than our mem
bers Of the same chamber, ie., by electoral
colleges In each Of the specified portions
composed OF it's members in the chamber Of
deputies together witt its counseIors-gen-
eral (who form the legislature Of the de-
partment colony or territory. the coun-
selors OF the reimbursement. and delegates
elected by electors of the communes. II
this arrangement were In vogue in the
United States, we would have about Y per
cent Of our Senators elected at large by the
House Of Representatives and existing
Senate, combined Ia joint assembly. and the
others by electoral colleges. one i'm each
state. composed of the Representative Of
the state, acting with the state legislatures
and various minor county and township Of
ficials.
The government Of a department is con-
Quoted by a project. who is. together with
his cabinet (the council Of prefeerure). ap-
pointed by the president. 1t il also unds- a
general council elected by the vote Of the
people The project IL the general repre-
sentative Of the central government and
also conducts all affairs Of local Importance
He resides at the prefecture. In the seat Of
government, at which place, in Lyons, IL
will be remembered, the late president drew
his last breath. The reimbursement is pre-
sided over by a subprefect, appointed by the
president. and this officer Is assisted by an
elective council, to which each canton sends
q member. The commune IL the adninis-
trative unit. being a corporate body, pre-
sided over by mayor and his deputies,
who have double part. representing the
government as well as their own division.
The canton serves chiefly as a political dis
trict The senate, as In this country, Is q
perpetual body. retiring periodically by
thirds. but each member holds his seat for
nine years. making the change OCCUR at in
tervals of three sessions The chamber Of
deputies, corresponding to our House Of
Representatives, Is filled by universal suf-
frage. so the votes from that chamber for
the president come from the people, indi-
rectly. only by one step, as IL the case in
the election OF United States Senators, by
the state legislatures.
Powers Of the President.
The president Of France must be a ma
tive-born Freedman, forty years of age
five years older than the limit provided
for the executive in the Constitution of the
United States. whereas the members of the
French senate must have the same quail
fcations. net being allowed five years Of
membership to their own body before being
eligible to the executive chair. as 1t is with