THE VERSAILLES CONGRESS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1180, 10 October 1884, Page 3

THE VERSAILLES CONGRESS.

EXTGAOUI'I.\'AU\ SCENT,'?. The sitting of the Congress at Versailles on August 4 hj was characterised by much violence an I disor’er. First it Was evident that tho Extreme Parties had their feelings wound up to a pitch of great intensity, and thu result was that a aeries of pre'iininaiy storms, each more violent than the prece 'ing one, culminated in what hut for tho self t.ossession of M. Jules Furry would have been a bodily struggle he tavern himself and M, Amlrieiix, < nce Prefoot of Police and more recently French Ambassador at Madrid, as to who shoired retain po-new-l m "f the tribune, and m tho President M. Leroyor, suspending the si’tiug i y putting oo his hut and walking out of tho House. £■■ would perhaps he an ex-g -oration to ray that no street nlob could behave wore than the 31)9 senators and 509 deputies assembled together, and no mob could hyve made move noise or have shown less sense of dco >rum, less reaped for Presidential authority and for themselves. The President ot the National assembly. M. Lcroyer, took the ch-sir as th» clock struck 1. bnt such Were tho attractions of the Hotel des Reservoirs that tho House took a lo"g lime lo fid, and M. Leroyor con'd not stop the hum of conversation and declare the silting opened till halt past. He then read the Constitutional Bill, signed by M. Gr vy. ami countersigned M. Ferry And M. Pcuillee, Keeper of the Sea’s, Wtren ho said the sitting Was opened, the ■ Le iiimret M, Bafidry d’Anson exclaimed, V >n should rather say the comedy is b ginning ’’ M. Leroy or then nropos'd ■ that the Assembly should v< te ca }>!o& the reguli.tions of the last National Assembly ; This exoression prelueed great clamour. Afr.-r with difficulty restoring silence, "M. 1.0-oycr calme l the noise hy saying that anv Aiieudraeiits might he moved. M. An- rioux, the late Prefect of Police, ob-

ja'oted' that the reghlatrons ought to be distribute'-), otherwise they won d be voting in the dark. After a confused and tumultous discussion M. Andrieux's motion was re-j-spte i ‘ Then the regulations of 1871 wete a lopied, ail' to the ri ht of amend* itiw ll . A motion "of M. Sairett thit-all amendmants should lie referred to a committee was rejected by 520 to 23(1 Mont confused scenes followe-i, M. Leroycr said i “ It you want to exhaust the strength of your President you will succeed, but I cannot understand' so much emotion about simple modifications of the regulations ” He was evidently suffering and for a long while held a handkerchief to his month, A number exclime l> “ We want an open face, and no concealment.” To this the President retorted, ” That observation is unworthy of you.’’ The next division was mnoUCloser than the first one. Oily by 441 to 330 was a motion rejected that the regulations of ISjl should not be a 'opted so far as certain committees might He elected by a show of ban s with at discussion. ' This was inconsistent with the present reg ilanons of both the Senate and Cham Her. On a question whether M. Perry could make a motion before the Bureau was elec: e l, there were violent interruptions by. M. Andrieux an M. Uouville Mailleteu., For a long While M. Perry and M. Andrieuk occupied the tribune in an attitude defiant of each other, each denying the right of the other to. speak. M, beroyer put on his bat at last as a sign that the disorder Wat so : great that the sitting must be suspended. When it was resumed, the mechanical operation of drawing lots for the Bateaux was gone through. Then a senator, M. Testelin, moved that a committee of 30 members should be elected on the revision project by scmlin de fist; publicly at the tribune. Ai, Clemenoeau moved that the Committee should be elected in the Bureaux. Piiority was given to M. Testelin. whise motion was carried. A member observed as a crying «hj ona that a printed list of the Committee desired by the Government was already circulating in the lobbies. M. Cei-oyer said that if that was so be coul l not too strong'y blame the proceeding. M. Douvil.e Maillefeu asked if nob >dy stood anything to drink, and was : called to order. M. Clemencean then mide a speech. He protested against the proooedin;s, and declatod that the riahts of the minority wtio not respect'd, in attempt was ma le to ha e the Committee , elected immediately, but, on l-be motion of ' M. C ernenceau. it was put off till next day. On the resumption,of the de> ate on Almost 5, time Was again an excited discussion, though the prooeelings were not of so stormy a cll-vac'er ason the preceding day. -After several speeches the House proce-del to elect the Committee of 39 members on the Bill, and it was found, on considerable delay, that only five members above the required quorum had voted, and that there had been some 300 abstentions. The members electe I are nearly all more or less favourable to the racamre.