The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-02-09
THE FRENCH CHAMBERS.
Powers Of the Minor Legislative body o.
the Nation.

the Nation.
The process of legislation in the
French chambers is very simple.
Each chamber may initiate legis-
lation upon any subject, except the
finances; and bill upon any sub
ject whatsoever must be passed in all
its parts by a majority vote in both
chambers in order to become law.
This is not only necessary, but it is also
sufficient, i. e., the president of the re-
public has no veto power upon the leg
islation of the chambers. The consti-
tuition provides period of thirty days
between the passage of the law by
the chambers and its necessary pro-
mitigation by the president of the re-
public, and reduces this period to three
days in case the chamber should vote
that PRONUNCIATION is urgent. Within
these respective periods the president
of the republic may demand of the
chambers a reconsideration of the
measure. and they are required by the
constitution to accord the request. II
they repass the measure by a majority
vote. the president must yield and pro-
mulgate the law.
The chambers can also initiate the
call of the national assembly for the
purpose of amending or revising the
constitution. The chief question which
has arisen in the exercise of this power
iswhether the chambers can limit the
action of the national assembly by
their agreement beforehand upon the
subjects in regard to which the consti-
tuition may be amended or revised. The
affirmative view of this question would
be security to the rights and powers
of the smaller body, the senate, since
the national assembly is composed of
the members of the two chambers in
joint assembly, but the more numerous
deputies have espoused with great una
nimity the negative view; and 1t must
be recognized that they have the logic
of the matter with them The national
assembly is the sovereign power in the
cons. /. ution and cannot be limited,
there fore. by branch of the govern
ment, or even by the whole govern
ment, in its action. The national as
sembly may consider any subject it will
when once it is organized. The cham
bers in Joint assembly also elect the
president of the republic-Prof. John
w. Burgess, LII D., in Chautauquan.
Black Pearls.
Black pearls used to be held as of
small value, comparatively speaking.
At the present day perfect black speci-
men commands much higher price
than the finest pink or white pearls
They were first made fashionable by
the Empress Eugene, wife of Napoleon
Ill. who possessed famous necklace
of them which fetched "a 900 at an auc-
ton after the overthrow of the imperial
dynasty. This did not include the
single great pearl forming the snap,
which was purchased by the Marquis
of Butte for el,O0a Mexico, Tahiti,
Fiji and the kingdom of Madura, to the
east Of Malabar, supply the markets of
the world with the best black pearls
One of the most curious pearls, from
many points of view, was that which
the traveller Tavernier sold to the ruler
of Persia, 200 yeas ago. for 100000 1t
Is still in the possession of the Shah of
Persia and is now supposed to be worth
at least el35. 600 The Persian monarch
has a square glass case among his BIZ
xarre collection of jewelry containing a
vast heap of most magnificent pearls,
four or Eve inches deep, into which one
!. can plunge the hand and spill them ~
cascadeA and handful& -Gentlemau'f
Naeusine,