Evening star., 1925-03-21
|HERR|OT IS UPHELD
| IN CHURCH DISPUTE
Deputies Vote Confidence In
Government Policy After
Riotous Session.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
PARIS, March 2l.-The French GOV
ernment's policy for maintaining in
tact the separation of church and
state and applying the secula rization
laws as passed by previous parIia-
ments, was indorsed by substantial
majority in the Chamber of Deputies
yestt rday at sitting filled with dis
order
Government supporters to the mum
Der of S21 voted confidence in the
government. Ninety-fv votes We're
recorded against the proposal. Most
of these votes were cast by moderate
Republicans of the Poineare and Mil
lerand schools. The members of the
right showed their disapproval of the
motion of confidence by abstaining
from voting.
The vote was taken after the
premier had made a stubborn defense
of his policy. During it he attacke ID
the recent manifesto of the French
cardinals and arch bishops. which pro-
tested against the governments ef
forts to make the non -denominational
laws effective in Alsace, and com
pared the christianity of bankers"
with the christianity of the .cata-
combs"
Deputy Heavily Punished.
The premiers denial OF any intent
TO prosecute Catholics was received
with jeers by the opposition, which
booed. hissed and otherwise inter-
rupted him. The marquis de la Fer
ronaye's repeated cries of .'retract"
finally brought upon the belligerent
deputy the most severe penalty that
can be mposed-censure and tenn
porary exclusion. The penalty had
not been imposed before in Is years
1t bars the marquis from the next 10
sittings, imposes a fine OF a months
pay and subjects him to arrest and
three days Imprisonment in the
chamber building IL he re-enters 1t
during the prescribed period,
The premier's speech was inter-
rupted at the outset by Abbe Le-
mire's admission that the manifesto
of the cardinals had troubled many
consciences in profoundly Catholic
communities" To this M Herriot re-
piled:
VIII Protect All seets.
We deeply respect all religious
convictions We will not allow any
injury to their liberty, which we have
to safeguard"
Then turning TO the opposition, the
premier said: These gentlemen are
grieved to hear me pronounce words
of tolerance"
The manifesto of the cardinals, as
serted NJ Herriot was not the err
ror of a moment or the work of one
or two prelates; 1t was the conclusion
of an entire campaign and Its appl-
cation was one of an entire doctrine
The premier said the French gov
ernment must protect solemnls
against the speech OF Pope Plus de-
livered February 10 of the present
year "reproaching the government Tor
following an ungenerous anu uh-
French policy"
But the turnult came when the
premier, reading the cardinals ex-
hertation to bring pressure to. bear
by bankers and captains of industry,
asked Where in this Is the teaching
of Jesus, who chased the money
changers out of the temple?'
THE laic school," the premier went
on when the outburst had ceased, is
not against religion. 1t Is designed
only to unite poor and rich children
who hitherto have been separated.
These words were greeted with
frantic applause from the majority
section of the chamber.
"Laieism," said the premier, does
not deny the collaboration which
Christianity has given civilization
Christianity in its forms of primitive
purity, when it was not the bankers
Christianity but that of the cata-
combs
Here bedlam broke loose and many
pairs of deputies in the aisles and in
the open space under the restrum
began slugging matches, in which,
however, blows seldom landed square
Is. During the melee Paul Painleve,
president of the chamber, put on his
ton hat and left the rostrun, thereby
suspending the sitting.