The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-05-01
LOYAL TO TIN PRENIER
The French Chamber of Deputies
Votes Confidence in M. Meline,
THE PRBMIBB5 PACIFIC POLICY.

The Government Ready to Acl,nowledre
the Right of Universal suffrage and the
Radicals aud Socialists wil Push That
Policy-Chamber AdIourns to May 20.
PARIS, May l.-At the opening of the
chamber Of deputies yesterday NJ. Meline.
the new premier, read a statement in which
the government recognizes the preponder.
ance of the chamber of deputies but af.
firms that it is impossible to govern with.
out the senate. NJ. Meline said that the
government desired to pursue pacific
policy and appeal to the good will of the
Republican majority for settlement of
urgent questions, as the best means of
preventing the spread of revolutionary
doctrines.
Continuing, the premier said that the
! government would not fail in its duty to
enforce respect for the laws and maintain
order. NJ. Meline concluded with adiur
ing parliament not to raise irritating cues
tions, in the interest of France which. he
asserted, thirsted for peace and tranquility.
In anticipation of the announcement of
! the ministerial program the galleries of
the chamber of deputies were crowded,
| and there was full attendance of mem
bers. Premier Meline's statement was
| greeted with applause by the Centrists
particularly in its denunciation of the So
| cialists.
NJ Goblet maintained that the cabinet
| had been chosen from outside of the Re-
publican Progressst majority. In the for
nation of a cabinet, he added, the cham.
Der of deputies and not the senate should
have been consulted. He expressed the
hope that the deputies would vote against
the government
M. Paul Deschanel spoke, urgently adj
vocating revision of the constitution.
NJ. Meline replied that it was impossible
for the ministry to discuss the question of
revision at this time, but that the matter
would come before the chamber of depu-
ties in due season. The premier then
asked the chamber for a vote of conf
dence. He declared that harmony be-
tween the chamber of deputies and the
senate is necessary to the proper conduct
of the government. At the same time, he
added, the government is ready to acknow-
ledge the right of universal suffrage The
governments program, NJ. Meline said,
was based upon the known wishes of the
country
NJ. Bourgeois, premier of the late cabi-
net, asked NJ. Meline if the direction of the
country's policy belonged to the chamber
of deputies or to the senate. The recent
attitude of the last named body, NJ. Bour
geois said, was in the nature of an attempt
to seize the direction of policy. The cham
ber of deputies, NJ Bourgeois asserted
should uphold it's vote of April %, affirm.
Ing the predominance of the representa-
tives of universal suffrage and the cham
ber's determination to pursue policy Of
democratic reform. NJ. Bourgeois con
cluded by saying:
'We stand ready for dissolution oi
parliament and for revision of the consti
tuition. 1t is the duty of the national as
sembly to define the powers of the chamber
of deputies and of the senate"
NJ. Meline asked why it was that NJ
Bourgeois demanded that the present gov
ernment undertake the revision of the
constitution when he had avoided thai
task himself The government, he said
would repudiate the policy as tending tt
dangerous agitation.
M Ricard, minister of justice in tn,
late cabinet, reintroduced his motion o
April 23, to which NJ. Bourgeois had jus
alluded and demanded urgency for it
which, on demand of Meline, was rejected
by a vote of 279 to 251. s, gN
Premier Meline then accepted motor
affirming the preponderance of universe
suffrage, and approving the government
statement. The first part of the motion
was adopted by unanimous vote. Tn,
second part was adopted by vote Of 30
to 1876. The motion as a whole was theI
adopted, the vote standing 200 to 256.
The chamber then adjourned unit
May 26, | t'9
! The Radical and Socialists minority me
after the sitting of the chambers and de
cided upon an active campaign agains
= the senate and IN favor Of universal suf
frane in every commune in che, country