CLEMENCEAUTHE WRECKER

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1740, 3 May 1913, Page 9

CLEMENCEAUTHE WRECKER

FALL OF FRENOH CABINET. . PREMIER'S VAIN' DEFIANCE. Paris, Jtarcb 18. The Cabinet of Briand was defeated in the Senate to-day and has resigned. This is everywhere held to be the work of M. Clemenceau, the ox-Premier, known in France 'as the "wrecker of Cabinets." Ho wrecked his first Cabinet more than thirty yeaTS ago. The issue on which the Government was defeated was tho Electoral Reform Bill passed by tho Chamber last year under the aegis of the then Premier, M. Poinoaro, who on his election to the Presidency only a month -ago delegated his task to M. Briand. M. Clemenceau and his supporters believed that the Electoral Reform Bill, by j the manner in which it provides for the representation of minorities, ivould damage tho invests of their party, the Socialist-Radicals. Accordingly they intrigued against it. While M. Clemenceau was recognised as formidable, it was generally believed that if M. Briand,. supported % all the authority of the President, made the matter a question of confidence, the Ministry would succeed and remain ill power. But M. Clemenceau was stronger than was thought. When the Bill was discussed in the Sanato to-day an amendment was moved striking at tho whole principle of tho measure. M. Briand rose at once and declared that the Cabinet would resign if the amendment were adopted. None tire less the voting showed a majority of 33 for the amendment, and the Briand Cabinet instantly resigned. Thus President Poinoare, an old foe of M. Clemenceau, is confronted with the downfall of the Ministry which he himself brought into being and of whioh until bis election to the Presidency he was the head. M. Briantfi Dofiancs. In anticipation of this great personal duel, the Senate was besieged from an early hour by an increasing croivd. The Senators were present in full forc.e. In hia opening sentences tho Premier at once threw down the gauntlet. If the issue of the debate were adverse to the Government ho would resign. "I shall," he said, "go to the sacrifice with head eject and neck bared. Ido not want to be adorned with those garlands which at difficult moments are always offered me. I am complimented on my adaptability, my charm, and my cleverness. All that is nothing to do with the debate. When I took office tho gravest question before the country was that of electoral reform. If I had imagined that our efforts would have been in y n 'n>. I would not have accepted the Premiership. On the contrhry, I believed that we should be in a position to deliver the country from this nightmare. To cling to power humiliated, belittled, a remnant of a Ministry, to that I would never consent." M. Briand, on descending from the tribune, was loudly cheered. , M. Clemenceau followed. Confident in the forces behind him,/ he 6poke comparatively quietly. He declared that there soemed to be a wish' to abolish the very idea of the majority as "the final moral authority" in a democracy. , Tho vote, tho result of which is given above, was taken amid intenso excitement. After liis defeat by IGI votes to | 128, M. Briand left the Chamber with his | supporters—"Daily Mail."

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