THE FRENCH CHAMBER.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 191, 4 September 1888, Page 3

THE FRENCH CHAMBER.

EXCITING SCENE. GENERAL BOULANGER RESIGNS. Paris, July 12. In to-day’s sitting of the Chamber of Depu ties M. Laffbn, in the name of the Radical Left, brought forward a proposal for the immediate suppression ofjall religious congregations in France on the ground of the immoral acts with which the Brothers conducting the agricultural colony at Citeaux had been charged. ■ M. Laffbn demanded urgency for the motion. Mgr. Freppel, Bishop of Orleans, pointed out that the House should should await the decision of the court which would try the case. Moreover, isolated facts of this kind could not justify such a motion. The cases of teachers in secular schools who had been condemned for indecent assaults were more numerous than in those of schools under ecclesiastical control, and yet nobody demanded the closing of the secular schools. Several Radical speakers followed. M. de Cassagnac demanded the closing of the debate for decency’s sake.. The House, however, negatived his motion for the closure, whereupon a number of deputies of the PJght left the House. M. Floquet, the Premier, stated that the Government was giving serious consideration to the Citeaux case, and thought that M. Laffon’s motion could be referred, without a declaration of urgency, to the committee charged to examine the Bills dealing with the right of association. As, however, M. Laffbn insisted, the Premier did not oppose urgency, which was then voted by 264 against 219 votes. General Boulanger subsequently introduced a motion for the dissolution of the Chamber. He declared that dissolution was necessary for imperative reasons, and that a General Election should be held before the celebration of the centenary of 1789. “ The country,” continued the General, “ demands new institutions which will secure the Republic from the attacks of its adversaries. A powerless Chamber is falling into ruin and decay, and the country is trembling with emotion at always having presented to it as an enemy a citizen who only desires the welfare of the Republic The Monarchists are watching your agony. The country unanimously demands a revision." The speaker went on to declare that he did not doubt the patriotism of the Deputies was on a level with their sense of duty, but as for himself he performed his by demanding the following resolution : —“ The Chamber, convinced of the necessity of fresh elections, asks President Carnot to exercise the right to dissolve the Chamber conferred upon him by the constitution.” The General’s speech was frequently interrupted by protests from the Centre. M. Floquet, who next ascended the Tribune, said that the last speaker was in the habit of furnishing surprises. The Government had the right to ask the President of the Republic to dissolve the Chamber, but they had decided not to propose to M, Carnot the resolution asked for. After reproaching General Bou. langer with relying upon the support of the Right (a charge which was applauded by tho Left), the Premier continued: —" It is not for M. Boulanger, who is always absent from the Chamber, to judge of legislative labours and criticise this hard-working legislature, What has M. Boulanger done ?” General Boulanger called out—” I have made an appeal to the country.” M. Floquet replied-“ The country has answered you in the Charente." At this M. Gelebert des Seguins, the new Bonapartist deputy for the Charente 1 exclaimed. ’’The country unanimously pronounced with me for a revision of the Constitution.”

The Premier, continuing, said—“ We have, never recognised you as one of us, you, who have lingered in sacristies and in the antechambers of Princes.. We will celebrate our centenary in once more proclaiming the supremacy of the civil power which represents universal sufferage. The most moderate among us has rendered more service to the public than you can do her harm. You demand dissolution, and it is in your party that it exists. Your photographs come from the interior of. Germany.” At the conclusion of M. Floquet’s speech, which was much applauded on the Left, General Boulanger rose and said—•* The Premier’s speech is nothing more than the manifestation of a badly educated college usher. He in po way alluded to his general policy, but only made personal attacks, and I told him four times, amid the general uproar, that he had impudently lied.” After a scene of much excitement, the President said that before applying th* censure to General Boulanger he would allow him to speak. General Boulanger asked if the censure was to be applied to M. Floquet or to himself. M. Meline replied—“ It was M. Boulanger who first attacked the Chamber. The last words which he uttered necessitate the rigorous application of the rules of the House.”. ■

General Boulanger protested against a refliiae which, he said, did not repeat the liberty of tho Tribune, and he therefore resigned his so.it. The General then left, the House, followed by his partisans. The Left nevertheless claimed that th e censure should he appliedThe President said that C- dnera i Boulanger by leaving.the Chambs- had pasßed judgnient on

marzelle, of the Bight, reproached . with having shown partiality towards M. Floquet. (Uproar on the Left.) The censure against General Boulanger was then adopted, and the Chamber adjourned until Monday.