The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1903-04-25
An Example of "Thorouuh.

q 1T abolished, the Constitution @,
y SerVla. The act seems to have
&c caused no trouble either inside
IS or outside of that little kingdom,
the AuStrIanS, who are most in.
terested, being rather amused
Is than otherwise at the cleverness
a with which the act was accom-
S plished. 1t must not be SUD-
posed that Alexander suspended
tie Constitution because he had
any objection to it. On the con-
trary, 1T preserves his kingly
prerogatives, and is much to his
liking. 1t was only temporarily
IN his way, and he got rid of it
temporarily, and then restored
1T. If Stafford had attempted a
similar coup d'etat he would
probably have found Cromwell
and others in his way, but they
got across his path as it was.
The Constitution which Alexan-
der suspended provided for a
Senate of tifty-One members.
thirty of whom were appointed |
for life by the Crown, three held |
office ex-otficio, while eighteen
We're elected by the people. This
body was supplemented. by a
popular chamber elected on a
democratic franchise. Coun-
Gil OF State was elected from the
members of the Senate on the
nomination of the King. and this
body was invested with the most
important functions of State.
1t would seem that such
Constitution would be agreeable
to almost any King, and as a
matter Of fact Alexander did
not seem to have any serious I
objection to it, But for the {
moment he found it temporarily t
in his way, for he did not entire
~ approve Of some of the Sena- !.
tors and Councillors of State. ;
How was he to get rid of these I
life appOinteeS? The process f
was SIMPLE. He wiped out by a G
decree Constitution, institutions, !,
laws and the personnel of the +
at one stroke. Then I
came the process of reconstruct
ton, along the line of restoring t
everything as it was, minus the
men and measures of which the
sovereign did not approve. 1t
was very accommodating pro- d
gramme, and one which is bound o.
20 work admirably in any coun-
ny where the people will permit
t to work. But for certain Z
1ard-headed men in the way, the u
;ourtly Stafford would have q,
worked the process admirably w
n the interest of Charles I. The nj
'xcuse which the King gave for
lis action was that the Legisla-
ure had passed laws which Ne
would not WOrk-not an uncOm-
non thing for Legislatures of 50,
Their countries to do. He also an
eld that the Constitution had
the political passions of to
which, again, is not an he
Unprecedented thing for COnsti- -
utiOns to do where people have 49,,
OF grown accustomed to COnsti-
utiOns. But having abolished is
Ii forms Of government except bee
i'm self 1T IS necessary that an
Their government be recon
~ oSCSS, "111Sll 10 Ue LII
fected by putting into effect the
he Constitu ton and laws pre- ~ IT,
ading those abolished or sus- Br,
ended. The King thereupon anc
OpOintS new life Senators. it is Civ
} be presumed from among
lose politicians Of his own way w
thinking, and selects a new
)dy as Councillors of State. ..1
hen the suspended Constitu- tic
on is restored, and there are VIC
1T few details to be filled in. tor
he only thing that appears to ~ ~
} awkward is the selection Of 81,
e elective Senators, which the ito
institution does not provide for stl
lder the circumstances, but tel
is difficulty is got around by lie;
the appointive Sena- at
rs to handle this detail. ''in ac-
rdance with the spirit of the
institution. up
These is completeness about Cle
is arrangement which must FC