The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-23
The Constitutional Crisis in France


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The Opportunists, who preponderate in
the French Senate and hold that a Min
istry Is as much accountable to that body
rs it is to the Chamber of Deputies, have ut
last mustered courage enough to act upon
their convictions, and have undertaken to
drive Premier BOURGEOIS from Office by the
simple process of Withholding supplies. By
"A vote of III to 80 they refused on Tuesday
to make the appropriation needed to main
tain the French troops in Madagascar until
a Ministry should be appointed which would
the Senate's confidence. Thus
driven to the wall, NJ. BOURGEOIS could do
nothing but resign. No successor has yet
been named, nor will one be until the Cham
Der Of Deputies, which has been
to meet to-day, has shown how 1t regards
the pretensions OF the Senate to coordinate
authority.
Obviously, 1t Is no ordinary Ministerial
Crisis, but n constitutional crisis likely to
have far-reaching consequences which the
action of the Senate has provoked. Should
the Chamber of Deputies assert that in the
circumstances 1t was the duty of NJ. BoUR-
GEols to resign, and should 1t proceed to
vote confidence In a Ministry known to be
acceptable TO the Senate. the crisis would
only be postponed, for although the explicit
provisions OF the present French Constltu-
ton would thus De declared binding In
theory, they would prove In the future' as
they have proved in the past, unworkablei in
practice. No man can serve two masters,
and no Ministry can long remain re-
sponsible to two Chambers' the composition
OF which may be, and usually Is, quite
different. In the popular branch OF the
French Legislature the Radicals have for
some time had a majority, but they form
only a weak minority IN the Senate; nor in
this respect Is their position likely to be
improved speedily. But although the OPP
ponents OF NJ. in the Chamber
would gladly see him overthrown, they
have probably too much esprit ne corps to
cooperate with the Senate at this Juncture.
Consequently, what we may expect to see
Is n deadlock IN the French legislative ma
chinery, the Senators maintaining that a
Ministry must be accountable to both
hambers while the Deputies insist that it
shall be accountable to their only.
In this contest the Senate undoubtedly
has on Its side the text or the organic law,
but the Chamber of Deputies can appeal to
custom and to common sense. The Consti-
tuition OF 1875 unquestionably does pre-
scribe that Ministers shall be accountable
to both branches Of the legislature; and
this dual responsibility is not the outcome
Of accident or ambiguity. but was delib-
erately contrived by the Monarchists who
dominated the Versailles assembly. They
took precautions, which they hoped would
prove effective, to give themselves I'M
shakable ascendancy In the Senate, so that
If they should ever lose control of the
Chamber of Deputies they might throw the
whole machinery Of republican government
out of gear. The plan failed, however, be
cause by the time GAMBETTA and his
friends were able to force Marshal MAC
MAHON to resign the Presidency, the
Monarchists in the Senate had be-
come too weak to play tho obstruc-
ZIONIST part arranged for them, From
that date, until the recent sharp collision
caused by the method Of investigating the
Southern Railway scandal, any serious fric-
ton between the W Chambers WAS averted,
either by compromise, or by eventual sub
mission on the Senate's part, or by n show
of Difference to its wishes through the inclu-
sion Of influential Senators in a Ministry.
Until Tuesday of this week it was generally
supposed that the Senate had once more
submitted to he thrust aside, and that thus