The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04
CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES
HOW THE FRENCH ASSEMBLY M
PRESSED AN ENGLISH VISITOR.
Animated Scene i'm which Five Mem
bers Talk at Once. and No One Lis
l. tens-Dupuy's Quiet Mastery.
8. w. steevens. in london Mail.

and the population of Paris, with loud cries
of "Yive PArmee" was flying for its life
before charging cuirassiers. To-day, on the
first appearance of NJ Dupuy's Ministry,
there was just one orderly trotting over the
bridge, and the place-under sky as leaden
as Londons, but how much clearer-was
blank of wood-paving and asphalt.
Across the bridge. in front Of the Palais
Bourbon, there loafed a crowd of perhaps
fifty people. The deputies arrived. A few
in their own carriages, many on foot, most
in cabs Eyeglasses, pointed boards, dark
Unmarked eyebrows, overcoats tightly but
toned over stomachs, they We're not unlike
other Frenchmen They looked, man for
man-dare / say it?-far more intelligent
than our own legislators. And yet-may
think it?-somehow the English NJ P. gives
an impression of solidity, of strength, and
perhaps of half-stupid rectitude also, which
you do not divine under the more attractive
outside of his French analogue.
Inside the door, in the lobby, were dozen
soldiers with fixed bayonets. Through the
crowd of deputies and journalists they cut
a path across the middle; that for the
presidert-the French speaker-to pass
through. Their officer fiourished his sword
CALAMITY as he rectiied the dressing of the
squad. Nobody likes soldiers better than
right-thinkng Englishman; yet it suggest
ed to the insular mind that after all. we
monarch-ridden Britons are perhaps as free
as the republican French.
Up a stone-fagged staircase. hang your
hat and stick to a peg in a corridor, press
a door and we are in the Palais Bourbon
the Chamber. Not in the very least like the
House of Commons. In shape it is more
like theater, only almost exact semi
circle The first impression was that it was
very dark-just as when you enter a thea
ter for a matinee. Then you saw that it is
built in a classical style. with marble pill
lars round the arc of the semi-circle. The
galleries run round it; beneath are the red
covered stalls. but they shelve downwards
in an amphitheater. A large fresco in the
place where the stage would be confirms the
impression of theater.
BRIGHTER THAN LONDON.
A wave of light broke suddenly through
the roof, breaking in through glass sky
lights, as in the House of Commons, only,
as you might have guessed in Paris, bright
er, cleaner, livelier. Then the eye fell on an
erection facing the amphitheater of benches
just under the picture. At first it looked
for all the world like the bridge of a steam
er. Ladders of narrow steps ran up to it on
either side with rails and mahogany tops
might have been a canvas screen. In front
of it was lower bridge, also with narrow
steps up to it and rail. You looked for a
charthouse behind, but found only d num-
Der Of seats and tables on a platform right
against the wall On either side of the GEN.
trail bridge were lower seats.
A moment showed what it all meant.
There was stir beneath US, two officials in
chains of office walked in solemnly, ana
after them the President slim figure i'll
dress clothes. He mounted the steps and
sat himself down behind the curtain that
was the presidential chair. The bridge be-
low it the tribune. On either side of
the President sat the tellers of votes. Be
hind, on the platform close to the wall, sat
gentleman with bald head and frock-
frock-coats That was the Erskine May
OF France, the expert in parliamentary pro-
cedure posted in reserve behind the presi-
dent, to come to his support in emergencies
With him at the table were his staff-the
clerks of the house, you might call them
the experts. presumably. OF the future.
The president seated himself, seized bell
at his right hand, and rang it. To the pro-
fame mind, alas! it suggested the huffman
of our childhood. 1t took little while to
bring the deputies to attention, but they
were filing in rapidly and up the gangways
10 their seats. A few caught the eye NJ.
Drumont the Scourge of Israel, with
black mass of long hair and hooked nose
and shiny eyebals close together; can il be
possible that the scourge of Israel is a jew?
NJ Millevoye, the hammer of Germany
Observation-Disclosures Fashoda-the hammer Of
England. very tall, straight, and slim, keen
nose and eyes, clean long mustache, small
beard. Others l saw as through a glass
NJ Delcasse, very small and bumped to-
gether-M. Peytral, the new finance minis
ter, bold, and with trick of passing his
nose over manuscripts that recalled Mr..
Goschen; NJ. Paul de Cassagnac, the fighter
the Bonapartist. but for all that one of the
few level-headed men in France. only a blur
to blind me. but blur with an air of dis
tinction. 1t seemed curious to see among
the ranks of frock-coats a priests bands
and gown and blue shaver chin.
AN UNHEEDED SPEAKER.
Gradually the murmuring Chamber stilled
itself. A gentleman in a light brown beard
and a light brown suit ascended the tribune
and began to speak did not hear what
he said nor did the chamber. The moment
he began wind of under-sound got up
and whirled all round the walls; every
deputy was talking to his neighbor. The
gentleman in light brown put his hands on
the rail before him and turned now right,
now left, in the most approved style of ora
tory then he turned his back to the MEM
bers. threw up his arms, and was apparent
~ on the point of flying up to the presi-
dent for justice. The President tapped the
desk in front of him with baton: nobody
took any notice and the gentleman in brown
got down.
Next came up NJ. Dupuy the premier, to
make statement. This was Il very diff
ferent affair The House stilled miraculous
~ Tight frock coat. substantial body,
square gray head and gray beard NJ.
Dupuy was the type of. an elderly gentle
who knew his business. He read his
statement with a clear voice and just elocu-
tion-nothing in the least theatrcal-and
walked solidly down TO his place. Where
anything pleased the deputies-as that the
Ministry n concentration of all that
was best of republicanism, that il was re-
solved to defend the army against the cam
paign of insult to which il was subjected,
that it was resolved TO put everybody in
his right place. and treat all parties exactly
as they should be treated-voices cried
''C'est vrai' or Tres ben" and honorable
members clapped their hands.
The next gentleman came from the extreme
left-8 Socialist He wore frOck coat. but
also vast head OF dropping hair and long
pointed beard. Once he was known to fame
as the Observation-Disclosures so young
that he had not yet done his military serv-
ice and torn asunder by the tyrannical de-
sire of the military authorities to make him
conform TO the law and his own duty to his
constituency. Now, of ripe years. he has
become--if may generalize in limited OBJ
servation--s bore. He began to discourse in
rhythmica voice that now reminded YOU
of the long speeches in Racine and now of a
child saying its lessons, all the time gestic-
uating easily, naturally but with the most
damnable monotony. His point appeared to
be. in particular, that he wanted to know
whether the government intended 10 pro-
coed against certain newspapers, and, in
general. that they ought to put them In the