The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-13

would be vain. In France the ex-
5pected sometimes happens as we'll as
the unexpected. but nobody can now
confidently say what is or is not ex-
pected. The names of numerous
"eligibles" are mentioned, but there
are no presidential candidates as the
term is understood in the great sister
republic across the Atlantic.
M. Fallieros, the president of the
senate, Is looked upon as first favor
lite, partly by reason of his Office and
partly because he is known to be
sound. He has the advantages of ap-
proved experience and of a large de-
gree Of that valuable quality which
is somewhat indefinitely called avail
ability" Next in favor appear to be
M. Doumer, the president of the
chamber, and N. Leon Bourgeois, who
has held many important offices, in
cluding the premiership and the pres
idency Of the chamber of deputies.
Messrs. Sarrien. Brisson, Rouvier,
Deschanel, Bertoux, Dupuy and other
possibilities" are all well known to
the world as well as to France, and
1t Is believed that the choice of any
one of them would confirm the worlds
confidence in the stability of the re-
public.
The method of procedure in the
coming election will probably be of
as much interest to foreigners as the
question Of the presidency itself. The
hall Of the palace at Versailles in
which the national assembly will meet
Is an immense oblong room, galeried
at three sides, with an unpublished
glass ceiling. The hall is situated in
the southern, wing Of the palace, be-
tween the Swiss Pond and the Rue
Gambetta, and is furnished with 1884
gilt framed crimson silk upholstered
chairs for the senators and deputies.
The congress- will be opened at about
] O'clock In the afternoon by the pres
ident of the senate calling the as.
sembly to order. He will then, after
informing the assembly of the i'm
pending completion of the term of Of
flee of President Loubet, recite the
articles of the constitution empower
ing the assembled representatives to
elect his successor. The brisk busi-
ness of balloting then begins, the pre-
siding officer carefully suppressing all
attempts made by the electors to ad-
dress the assembly, and as each mem
ber's name Is called out he steps for
ward to deposit his vote in the ballot
box. 1t is not at all probable that an
election will result from the first bal
lot, for in the assembly of 1884 MEM
bers, 443 votes are necessary in order
to constitute the necessary majority.
AS soon as. the balloting Is finished
an adjournment Is taken to count the
votes. This usually, consumes about
half an hour. The assembly is then
called to. order again by the presiding
officer, who announces the numbers,
and If the requisite majority has been
obtained proclaims the chosen one
President Of the Republic.
When the assembly has been duly
closed the prime minister, members
.of the cabinet and other dignitaries,
all in full evening dress, adjourn to
the magnificent Salon Marengo, where
the successful candidate receives from:
the premier the notification of his
election. The President takes no oath
of Office, is not sworn in, and is not
,inaugurated in the American sense of
the word.
What are the powers Of the chief
executive of France? In brief, they
are as follows. He cannot veto legis-
lation, but may require the houses to
reconsider 1t. He has the legal power
to appoint and remove all public Of
fcials, including ambassadors and
cabinet ministers. He can adjourn
the chambers for any period of less
than month, can dissolve them after
they have sat five months, and, with
the consent of the senate, can dissolve
the chamber of deputies at any time.
But extensive as is the nominal au-
thority Of the president, his real au-
ithortty usually is extremely limited,
for gil Of his own acts and those Of
his appointees must virtually receive
the sanction OF the chamber Of depu-
ties, which in reality wields the SUI
preme power. 35s ri. 3s3s;.a ,. +, I.