New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-04
o..,,,c,. 1893 By ns Tribune A"oc'd''on.
Paris, January IS, 1S9


o..,rv that a description Of the Paris police
force Should '"" "
10 France;
,.,., Whole fragments Of the somewhat COM
..d organization and methods arc inherited
49,, various cpochs % the old regime. when the
,.os, Of the city reprcsscd disorder by the
,roons horse and foot. under his command while
ci,izens elected from each parish were supposed
% he commissioners for the maintenance of or
der. King Louis XIV. who centralized all power
IN his own person. modified the system by plac-
,ne both these divisions of the police service un-
der mis- oNn Lieutenant-Genera This office was
In turn suppressed after the taking Of the Bas-
fife: but even the Revolution did not think 1t
prudent to allow Paris to govern itself
The administration of the city has ever since
been confded to the Project Of the Department
OF the Seine. who IS equivalently Mayor but who
Is named by the National Government. The
police service comprising very much more shan
e understood by that name in English-speaking
countries is directed independently by specia.
Prefect II Police. who is also named by the Presi-
dent Of the Republic. His charge originally be-
ionsed 10 the general police Of the Republic.
which formed special Ministry: but this was
suppressed by Louis XVIII. and the entire SER
vice throughout France has been since attached
however does not reduce the Project Of the Paris
Police 70 the position of a Cabinet functionary.
second-As natural result of its history in the
mast. the Paris police has found large part of
Its employment in serving politically the Nation
al Government actually In power II guarded
Louis Philippe against conspiracies 1t prolonged
the Second Empire b. chronic 'provocation' Of
incidents that diverted public attention from the
causss az discomfort; and the Third Republic
would have Jared i'll at the time Of the Boulangist
agitation IL the police of the capital had not been
ready 10 the hand of Minister Constans. So late
az this week. on the night preceding the resig-
nation OF NJ Casimir Perier. the appearance OF
tho Prefect Of Police at the residence Of the Presi-
dent Of the Chamber Of Deputies started the milo
rrn,or Of a coup d'etat. The sorest complaint OF
the Municipal Council Of Paris is not that the
great city should never be allowed to govern H.
self II Is that the police force. which the city
is obliged to support should be made an ins'ru-
ment in the hands OF the general Government.
Third-The consequent subordination Of all mu-
nicinal machinery to the National Government
brings about complications which have their right
NJ existence and even their united action In TINS
highly centralized administration. For the most
part. their explanation would throw no light on
the police problems of other countries. Even the
political responsibility. remote in the case OF the
project ~ Police direct in that of the Min
lister Of the Interior. to the constantly changing
majority OF the Chamber Of Deputies. can scarce
ly have meaning where responsiveness are 81
differently divided.
Only the removal Of the appointment OF police
mr., from the influence Of local or ward politics
demands treatment from this head. The present
administration has accentuated this as vel! as
other tendencies 10 yet further Capitalization.
ONE-MAN POWER.
The Project OF the Paris Police. while having
certain responsibility to the Minister OF the lnte-
rior in the exercise Of his office. holds the once
Itself directly from the President OF the Repuohc.
Hence successive administrations may come ana
60 a, the changing will Of Parliament but to
oust him from his place influence must De
trough. 10 bear on the President himself. Now.
this IS a much more unusual and difficult matter
than the mere kicking Of Ministry out OF once
by a vote showing lack OF confidence
tn this comparative permanence in ONCE. the
prefect az Police adds a considerable independence
n, control over its exercise The Project Of the
Seine who is charged with the civil administra-
ton OF Paris and it's environs. Is named on the
same footing as himself b. the President ana cam
not interfere. BY an arrangement OF the last
few years the Project Of the Seine has taken
over from the police the supervision OF ROAD
works and sewers, the licensing OF shopkeepers
Ohere is no special license for mere Hquor-seh-
ing, the collection Of certain and the like
Rut even here what is called the 'concession'
or gran. for taking ones place in the business
life OF the city, be given only after consuita-
ton with the Project Of Police. No one may even
take boarders without his Cor herr record being
first looked up at Police Headquarters.
As 10 the two chief sets Of officers on the police
force II is true that the "commissares" are
named by the President. after being accepted oy
the Minister OF the Interior; and the Officers Of
peace" are named directly BY the Minister But
II is In the letter Of the law that the names of the
latter shall have first been proposed by the Pre-
feet OF Police: and the same holds good in prac-
tice for the former.
In all other appointments the Project OF Police
Is supreme subject only 10 certain rules OF the
service The hold which the Municipal Council
once had over the nomination and retention OF
common policemen has been quietly but enectual-
" cast off BY decree of July %, 1893. the Of
fee OF "chief of the municipal police Zone OF the
four great divisions OF the seryice) was hnahy
suppressed and replaced by director, named Dy
the Pfefec: o. Police himself and Immediately
under his orders At one time II was possible iof
the reports OF the "contr0le whose members
check of the actual doings Of the police FORCE 10
be stopped in the Office Of this chef municipal
VINO was naturally open to influence from the
city councillors. or other ward politicians. as we
should call them. But this Is now thing OF the
past.
To sum up on this first important point. the
one head and centre Of the Paris police force is
its Project
He is bound only by the National laws and
rules governing the police service. lie Is indie
pendent Of the other branches OF the civil admin
.stration and OF the judicial body. though his
functions may dovetail into theirs. Parliament
can touch him in the exercise OF his Office only by
new legislation II the Municipal Council re-
fuses to accept the accounts OF his financial
huds.. IN Lot formaIiiv left 10 the ctvs renre-