The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-11
FACTS ABOUT COUNTRIES
FRANCE.


Area. 9o7O5l square miles; population.
IS. .s46.
France has colonies with an area Of
4.0sS,O7s square miles and a population Of
hs,42,OO0. French rule to a greater or
lesser degree, also extends over depen-
denotes having an area of 1851. O24 square
miles and population of 2S.7s0. 500.
The form of government has been repub-
lean since the overthrow of Napoleon
III ON September 4. 1870. It was confirmed
by a constitutional law ON February %,
and July 16, 1875. The legislative power
IS vested in the chamber of deputies and
the Senate and the executive in the Pres
ident of tho republic and the ministry
Seven years is the presidential term and
presidents are elected by a majority Of
votes OF the Senate and Chamber of Dep
uties, united in a national assembly Of
congress.
Members of the Chamber of Deputies
are elected for four years. by universal
suffrage Deputies must be citizens of
France, not under % years of age.
There are 5S4 members of the chamber
Of deputies and 800 senators.
The senatorial term of office is nine
years, and only citizens above forty years
of age are eligible
France pays her president a salary Of
$4,000 a year and $4,000 for his ex-
penses. Senators and deputies each get
$500 a year
Paris the capital has a population Of
z.714OSs and is the third largest city in
the world.
M. Falliere, the recently elected presi-
dent of France formerly was president OF
the senate.
Frances peace footing is $50, 42o soldiers
including both officers and men.
In naval strength France ranks second
only to Great Britain. She has four
teen first-class battleships: nineteen Sec
ond and third class battleships; seven
ccass defence ships; eight armored cruis-
ers; seven protected cruisers; forty-two
other cruisers; thirty-nine sea-going gun
boats: twenty river gun boats; forty-six
torpedo boat destroyers; 235 torpedo boats
20 other vessels. Officers, 1892; men, a.
800
julius Caesar is the first historian Of
France, which he called Gaul. He in
yaded the country 59-51 B. c., civilized it
by Roman force and Incorporated it into
the Roman empire. and by the fourth
century we find France or Gaul to be
Rome's most civilized province
In the fifth century the Franks wrested
the province away from Rome and under
their king. Clovis. they advanced towards
the Seine. and the Loire. and made their
capital frs at scissors. but later at
Paris. Thus the first dynasty of France
was founded by German tribe called the
Merwigs. and it IS known as the Merov-
ingian dynasty.
Tn 752 the Carlovingians, under Pepin
the Short. superseded the Merovingians
and Pepin's son. Charlemagne who
reigned from 76S to s14. raised the Frank
ish supremacy to it's zenith in western
Europe by consolidating the Germanic
states. In 500 Pope Gregory crowned him
king of Rome and emperor of the west.
Under Charlemagnes weak successor
feudal monarchy reduced the royal power
to nonentity. and when Hugh Capet,
Count of Paris and of Orleans was
crowned king by the feudal chiefs the
reign of the Franks ended Hugh Capet
Is considered the real founder of the
French monarchy.
In 1857 Louis the Fat reigned. and at
this period Henry of Anjou. who was
Duke of Normandy, suzerain lord of Brit
tsny. Count of Maine and Touraine. and
who by his marriage had further ac-
uuired the provinces of Poitou and Gas
cony. became king of England, as Henry
IT. and from then on sprang up a deep
enmity between the two nations. The
house of Nalois d32s), headed by Philippe
VI, next occupied the throne. This dyn-
asty ended with Charles VIII d4S3-9S) al
though it was represented under Louis
XII, who was of the Valois-Orleans fam
v The house of Bourbon, lead by Henry
" of Navarro, assembled the throne 1883
and its reign terminated in 1889 when the
states-general. which had not met since
1914, assembled at Versailles
Tn 1893 January 90 Louis XVI was sem
fenced to death and beheaded the day fol-
lowing. From then on until 1875 the reign
OF terror held sway and thousands of vic
Tins fell under the guillotine. A direc-
toire was formed to administer the gov
eminent and in November. 1899, three con-
sus were selected to rule the state and
Napoleon Bonaparte secured supreme
power as first consul.
BOnaparte was proclaimed emperor IN
1904 In 1914 he abdicated in favor of his
son and retired to Elba. May 3, 1914
Louis XVIII of the house of Bourbon
made his entry into Paris, but his reign
lasted only few months. In March, 1916,
Napoleon landed In France. and was pro-
claimed by the people. He was defeated
at Waterloo June IS, 1915, and banished to
ST. Helena. and a second restoration of
the Bourbons was made But their reign
finally was destroyed in 1870 by the cleo
ton of Louis Philippe. Duke of Orleans.
Upon his abdication in 1s4S a. republic
was proclaimed under a provisional gov
errment and Louis Napoleon was elected
president On December 2. 1851. he set
inside the constitution, and by the unani-
nous voice Of the people was made En-
peror Napoleon III. The disasters of the
franco Prussian war led to n third revo-
luton in September 1870 and on Septem-
Der of that year the republic of France
was finally established upon firm foun-
dation.
Tn summing up French history one emf
nent authority says: Two monarchies
one republic and a sham empire are the
spoiled samples of Frances work. but a