The record-union., 1899-02-11
After a Rather Stormy but Unintsr-
esting Debate
The French Chamber Of Deputies Adopts
tho Trial Revision Bill.
The Premier CONFIDENT That De4
fore April tho Whole Dreyfua
Question Will Have Been Des
cided and Settled Forever.

PARIS, Feb. 1O.-There was much ex-
feitement in the Chamber OF Deputies
to-day, in anticipation of the considers
alton of the Governments revision billt
for which the Premier, M. Dupuy, had
asked urgency.
Immediately after the opening Of the
session M. Benault Morliere, the re-
porter of the committee having the re-
vision bill in charge said the commits
tee had rejected the measure, because
when one arrived at the creation OF
courts of expediency there was no furl
ther security for any one"
| Such proposals, the reporter added
always aroused Indignation, and ha
asked what could be the motive of the
bill, since the accusations brought by
M. Quesnay de Beaurepaire, the former
President of the civil section of the
Court of Cessation, admits the criminal
section of that body has been acknowl@
edged to be erroneous. +
M. Renaud-Morliere concluded by ast
serting that the adoption of the bill
would be a useless and dangerous
sign of weakness, also remarking that
to honor the army, it is not necessary
to dishonor the magistrature.
M. Millerand, Radical Socialist, made
lively speech, opposing the measures
on the grounds set forth in the open
letter to the Government, signed by a
score of Deputies and a, number Of
former Cabinet Ministers, who declared
their intention to uphold the supreme
principles of justice as above all ala
tack.
M. Millerand aroused an Immense
uproar by saying that the Republicans
h, \
the bill, and the present agitation to
know where their duty lay.
/ The Premier said that the Govern
ment was prepared to take the whole
responsibility for the measure The
could, therefore, vote for the measure
with perfect security The Government.
he pointed out, was neither the accom-
plice nor the dupe of the. adversaries
of revision of the Dreyfus trial, but
doubts had arisen, causing fears as to
whether the sentence of a section Of
the Court OF Cessation was authorita-
tive enough to satisfy and calm the
nation. The bill, he insisted, was
neither an emergency measure, revolu-
tionary nor dictatorial. 1t was an af-
fair which was provoking throughout
the world polemics which were lacer-
ating French hearts.
The revision bill was adopted by a
vote of 332 to 3O2.
Late this evening there was consid-
cradle ferment in the streets, caused
by the shoutings of the rival parties.
A crowd of anti-revisionists, on find
ing themselves unable to gain admis-
sion to meeting that was being adj
dressed by NJ Quesnay de Beaurepaire,
moved off and demonstrated at the
office of the Ministry of War; the Palais
Bourbon and the offices of the "Libre
Parole" where the demonstrations be-
came rather threatening and ended in
a scuff1e with the police, who made
numerous arrests. Strong police forces
are posted everywhere.
In his speech at the meeting, NJ
de Beaurepaire declared that unless
the Dreyfus scandal was brought to
an end it would entail either civil or
a foreign war. Very few, however, VIII
share this opinion. Nevertheless, the
Chamber OF Deputies is evidently in no
mood for another Ministerial crisis, and
it is even said that the open letter to
the Government by M. Brisson ana
other prominent Deputies yesterday
served to increase to-day the majority
in favor of the revision bill, several or
those who signed it being suspected of
aiming at office.
The debate in the Chamber proved
stormy but uninteresting. The mem-
bers who had signed the open letter
lost courage in face of the Premier's
threat to bring about a crisis, and re-
manned silent. M. Millerand's spirited
denunciation of the Government pro-
duced the noisiest protests. and during
his speech there was so much disorder
that the bell of the President of the
Chamber was ringing almost eontinu-
ously.
M. Dupuy's speech appealing to the
patriotism of Deputies gave him an
easy victory over a weak Champer-
He himself had only expected ma
ioirty of about fifty. M. Dupuy holds
optimistic opinions, and thinks that be-
fore April the whole Dreyfus question
will be decided and settled forever.