The sun., 1905-11-23

call FOR free entrance for all products
p, froms the islands, Amendment woulc
then bo possible if majority of the
r Congress should see fit to set selfshnes;
Il above Statesmanship.
: ~ -
The Approaching Presidential Elcc-
tion in France.
AAhShgh Pssadent T6osHr AaI am
d nounced that he will not be a candidate
c for reelection when in January the two
/ Chambers meet N -T6iHt session at Yer
saiIes, newspapers published in his
native town and supposed to reflect his
opinions asserts That he has changed
his mind. being desirous Of averting the
choice of NJ. DoUMER, who is favored by
the Radicals. Accordingto this journal
he would, if reelected resign the Presi-
dency in June SO that the new Chamber
of Deputies which will be returned in
the spring, may take part in the selec-
tion Of his successor. The alleged
change of purpose, though contradicted
bN the Temps seems to be credited by
other Paris newspapers, as for example
the PGtrie, the IHrqHsigCdnt and the
E'cidr The discussion directs attention
to some interesting differences between
the French and the American concep-
tions of the Presidential office
1t is well known that in the United
States President is elected for four
years and so far as the text of the Con-
stitution is concerned is reeligible in
definitely, but that there is no precedent
for q third term, In France under the
Constitution OF 1873, a President is
chosen For seven years, and is indefinitely
rceliglble; moreover, custom cannot be
said to have pronounced itself against
second term. President CREW was re-
| elected, and President CARNoT probably
would have been but for his assassina-
! tiOn. The American and French Chief
Magistrates differ profoundly in respect
of the mode of election. In the United
States the President is practically chosen
! directly by the people, Of the States,
the interpositon of Presidential Electors
having become nominal In the Third
French Republic the President is the
mere creature Of the Legislature as the
American President was under the Ar
tiCles of Confederation being selected
by the two Chambers in joint session,
which for this purpose and for the re-
vision 'of the Constitution is held not
in Paris, but at Versailles. As regards
salary also, there is marked difference.
Our President receives $4,000 a year
and the Use of the White House; the
French President, S2jO,OOO annually and |
the use of two palaces, that Of Fontaine-
bleau and the Elysde, both Of which, |
like the White House, are kept up at the |
expense of the State.
II we look at their respective functions |
we again find a striking dissimilaritv.
The French system of government, al
though ostensibly of the Presidential, is
really OF the Parliamentary type The
French President may exercise through |
his Ministers the right of initiative in
legislation, but he has no veto power
He can indeed, require the Chambers
TO reconsider bill, but this right has
never been exercised. With the consent
of the Senate he can dissolve the Chamber
of Deputies, but no recourse has been
made TO this power since President
MACMAHoNS unsuccessful attempt to
use it in ls77 as a means of getting "a
Chamber in sympathy with his views
Nominally, a Fsehch President has power
to pake treaties, but the Constitution
provides that treaties Of peace or COM,
merce, or those imposing financial
burden, or affecting the persons or prop
erty of French citizens in foreign co,n-
tries, or changing the national territory, !
must be ratified by the Chambers A
declaration Of war also requires their
consent, though as a matter of fact,
ta++tecc4 rn..r
onefpreteXt or anotier to- wage war in
Tunis and Tonquin without it.
The most important fact to bear in
mind is that whatever powers may be
ostensfbly vested in the Executive he
cannot exercise them personally, all his
acts, except the selection of a Premier,
needing to he countersigned by a Min
lister in order TO be valid The real
head, therefore, of the executive under
the French system is not the President
himself, but the Premier for the time
being, who, on his part, is responsible
10 the Chamber of Deputies. Theoret-
Ically, the Premier is not responsible to
the Senate, though this body compelled
NJ. BOURGEOIS to resign by bringing
about, a deadlock in legislation. 1t is 5
only in the interval between ;he resig-
nation of one Premier and the appoint
nent of another that French President ,
s at liberty to use his own discretion. !
Then he needs more tact and skill than $
commonly is required by an English +
sovereign, because the fall of a French t
1abinet is usually effected by tempo