The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-28
French Chamber Approves Act
 of the Government
COMBES MAKESGREAT SPEECH
Says They Cannot Allow the Papacy to IntermeddIe In International Relations as In Former
 Years.

Years.
 Paris May 27.-After an exciting debate in which Premier Combes and Foreign Minister Delcasse set forth the action and purposes of the government towards the vatican, the chamber of deputies to- day by an overwhelming vote approved the course of the government in recall ing M Nisard, ambassador to the vati- can, and rejected all proposition of the extreme element for an immediate disso- lution of the relations between church and state.
 The vote approving the action of the government was 4S to s5. resolution proposed by M. Ferrette republican na- tionalist, inviting the government to ne gotiate with Pope Plus for separation of church and state was defeated by 507 to IS. A motion by NJ Allard, socialist, to break off all relations with the vatican and denounce the concordat was defeated 1 by 3s5 to 146.
 Premier Combes took the initiative In resisting all efforts to force the govern ment to extreme action and his request that all questions regarding the separa- ton of church and state go over until next January. has the effect of postpon- i ,ag separation beyond the present session Of parliament
 | M Ribot the minority leader, was among those voting in support of the government
 Great Crowds Present.
 The debate attracted unusual attention and great crowds were present, including Ambassador Porter and other members of the diplomatic corps.
 The principal speeches were those of Premier Combes and M. Delcasse. The premier asked the chamber to leave the debate to it's true significance. The holy see, he said. in document hurtful to l France had denounced to certain Euro pean powers the insult which it alleged the head of the French state had intict- 1 ed upon 1t by returning in the undisputed capital of his kingdom, the visit receiv- i ed from the King of Italy, and by refus- ing to admit the claim of the ultramon- tanes to prerogratives presented as un- 1 tenable The government had answered this document by immediately recalling 1 the ambassador to the vatican.
 This recall" said Premier Combes. signifies that we cannot allow the holy see to interpret the presence of our am bassador in Rome in sense favorable to l it's claims, or to make use of this pres ence to justify pretentions which we re- ject It also means that we will not al- low the papacy to intermeddle in inter- national relations, and that we intend to 1 have done once for all with the super | annuated fiction of temporal power, which disappeared thirty-four years ago.
 Must Maintain an Agent.
 we will not withdraw the whole staff accredited to the vatican, as we are | bound by the concordat to maintain at 1 the vatican an agent of our government l for the carrying on of business We can not suppress the embassy and the con l cordat by our own authorities, for that really belongs to the chambers.
 Some speakers urge us to denounce the | concordat without delay, but such a ser- ous step should be preceded by measures | guaranteeing the republican state against | the political risks which would be entailed by such radical change in it's legisla- | tion and habits'
 Premier Combes went on to say that | several schemes for ending the concordat were under consideration by the commit tee, and it only remained for the cham Der to have the question brought up for consideration immediately after the pas- sage of the budget next January.
 A deputy shouted after the holidays" which the premier answered by saying:
 'I am as anxious to finish as you"
 Seeing how the concordat is daily ob- served. or rather violated by the church. | continued the premier. some solution Is | necessary. We can no longer remain in this situation without bringing 1t to an | issue. When the discussion comes up will state the governments opinion. but for the moment I ask the chamber to confne it's resolution to the measure forming the subject of this debate"
 Retraced It's History, Foreign Minister Delcasse in his speech retraced the history of the question from the spring of 1903, when the papal nuncio | asked questions concerning the eventu- ality or President Loubet's visiting Rome, to when M Delcasse replied that he could not furnish the Information.
 | Coming to the immediate cause of tba rupture, he said that Parisian paper | published the text of the papal note as l addressed to other powers, which was | couched in terms of remonstrance which | the French government could not accept. | The governments duty was clear as soon | hS tHe dutnentlClty or the document had been proved. Three courses were open l grant the ambassador leave to recall him. or to suppress the embassy. The first seemed inadequate. the third was excess sive and so the government decided on the second.
 M. Nisard was instructed if he found the | note to be authentic, or If an explanation | regarding 1t should be refused that he was to quit Rome Immediately. The ann | bassador notified the foreign office that the papal secretary of state said he want | ed the question put in writing. and that he would answer 1t in writing
 Meanwhile, M. Delcasse, having obtained proof of the authenticity of the note, tele- graphed the am bassador that the secre- tary of states answer was evidently to a refusal of the desired explanation and. therefore. NJ. Nisard must consider him self recalled
 "The government did what the dignity of the country required. and with the necessary promptitude," said M. Dell case. and we have the right and the opinion of the whole world on our side.
 Watched With Great Interest.
 Rome. May 27.-The vatican authorities l followed closely the debate fin the French 1 chamber of deputies today on the rela-