Our Paris Letter.

Manawatu Herald, 6 March 1894, Page 3

Our Paris Letter.

(krom oub own coreespondent.) .^ABts, Idth January. The practise of voting in the place of absent Deputies has been frequently condemned, not only in the ■ columns of the French Pres3, but also in the Chamber of Deputies itself. • Hitherto it has, however, not been deemed advisable to make any = reform in this respect. Nevertheless it seems an abuse, that a single Deputy should vote not only for himself, but for a number of absent colleagues who have had no opportunity ot forming an opinion on the questions before the Chamber. A Moderate Republican organ %is of opinion that a reform in this respect must take place. It says :— " The Chamber of Deputies, it will be recolleoted, rejected somewhat disdainfully, a proposition of M. Pierre Richard, tending to annul the votes of absent Deputies. To this proposition no other objection was advanced, save that it would, annoy Deputies to treat them like school boys. This objection is not. very convincing, and, sooner or later, the necessity for this reform "will become apparent. In 1891 M. Paul Deroulede proposed a resolution in the same sense as the one rejected the other day. On that occasion, the reporter, M. Guiliemefc, while recommending the maintenance of the order of things established- said : From every point of view the personal vote would be preferable to. the one now existing. We deplore the prolonged absence of Deputies who confide their bulletins de vote to obliging colleagues. There are sometimes Deputies who Ministers, • You see that I vote for sixteen Deputies, and therefore, I cannot be safely ignored." : , The recent Senatorial elections have passed off without the slightest excitement. The Reactionaries, hato lost eight seats, which have -been mostly won by . moderate Republicans. As for the Socialist candidates, they have not succeeded in winning Senatorial seats. The Senate now consists of 287 Moderate Republicans, 20 Radicals, and 48 Reactionaries. Restricted suffrage, therefore, has followed on the same lines as universal suffrage, and has returned an overwhelming majority of Moderate Republicans. M. Floquet, ex-President of the Chamber of Deputies, and M. Peytral, exMinister of Finance, have found seats in the Senate ; but the late M. Waddington, ex-Minister and exAmbassador to London who died suddenly a few days ago, has lost his seat. M. Pierre Blanc, the Dean of the Chambar of Deputies, opened on the 9th inst., the ordinary session with his usual written ovation laudatory of the Republic. There were very few Deputies present at the opening sitting, and which adjourned after M. Blanc had finished for "want of^a quorum. ? *hi'ter^M. Charles Dupins' was re-elected Peesident of the Chamber^^ Tlie^real business of the Lower House has not yet commenced,* and- there leems at> inclination to allow, the initiative to be taken by the Ministry. ;This is a hopeful sign, and strictly VA confirinity with Parliamentary. Government, in which tl?e Ministry, is presumed to lead and the majority to follow — and not the reverse, *as has been too frequently the case- in French Parliament. The Ministry has communicated its political pro* gramme to the Chamber, and it is for the Ministry to propose measures in order to realize that programme if possible. Public opinion has lately pronounced itself so strongly against the Ultra Radicals *md Socialists tbtt they will probably lie low tor a time. In the meantime the Ministry must take the initiative; In public business, and rally around it the enormous majority that is evidently disposed to follow- and sustain it.