The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-29
VICTORY FOR COMBES
CARRIES HIS BILL BY DECI-
 sIVE MAJORITY.
Measure for the Suspension of All Forms of Teaching by the Relig-
 ious Orders in Territory of France.

Paris, March 2S-By the decisive ma jority of S16 to 26s, the chamber of deputies tonight passed the government bill for the suppression of all forms of taaching by tn religious orders. This supplements and completes the work be- gun by the former premier, M. Waldeck- Rousseau, in 1901,
 The first law suppressed the unauthoriz- ed teaching orders which had for a long time cared on their vocation without legal sanction. The new law does not make any distinction between authorized congregations, but sweeps away the whole fabric of teaching by religious orders, thus in effect substituting the sys- tenn of State schools for schools hereto fore conducted by the orders
 Besides perfecting the educational sys- tenn, the passage of the bill is the achievement of the principal work under taken by Premier Combes, and 1t Is be- livede that the premier now will volunta- rily retire.
 The parliamentary battle over the bill was one of the severest which the Cham Der of deputies has seen in recent years. The minority failed to develop any seri- ous strength, but carried its obstruction to the point of fine art. and moreover, Premier Cohbes suffered severely by de- fections from his own side, such leaders as Georges Leygues (radical Republican, Minister of Public Instruction in the Waldeck- Rousseau cabinet) M. Alexandre Millerand (radical SocialisD and Joseph CaillauX (Republican) carrying amend ments which considerably modified the drastic character of the original measure. Premier Combes, however, maintained his majority on the main features of the bill and the closing vote was in the nature of a personal triumph for him.
 Todays sitting in the chamber was not marked by excitement as the last clause of the bill dealt with dry questions of detail upon which. 1t was impossible to raise a heated discussion and, the bat tie having been thoroughly fought out in previous sittings. the opposition con- tented itself with merely platonic pro tests before the landing of the final di- vision.
 The bill. which still has to pass the Senate, though no very serious opposition is anticipated to 1t there, forbids all teachings by religious orders in the ter r4tory of France proper and provides for the suppression within ten years of all orders actually holding an authorl- zation to teach. An amendment which was carried despite the wishes of Pre- mier Combes, renders the measure inap- pEcable to the colonies, but as the Pre- mier was careful to point out in the final debate this does not affect the power conferred upon the Government by the law of 1901. of closing such schools in the colonies by decree.
 The existing congregations are prohib- tied from recruiting new members and their novitiates are accordingly sup pressed at once with the exceptions of a few which are destined solely for tho purpose of training teachers for service in the colonies. These latter however. are forbidden to enroll minors. Severe penalties attach to any attempt to eYade these provisions.
 The property of the authorized congre- gations is to remain untouched until the closing of their last school, when ltqui- dator is to be appointed to wind up their affairs, pensioning the survivors and re- turning to the owners and donors be- quests which have been cOnditionally made. and applying any surplus to the purpose of secular education.