CONTEMPORARY
FRANCE

+

BY

GABRIEL HANOTAUX

TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH

With Portraits

VOL. III

(1874-1877)

NEW YORK

G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE

I. Relative Position of the Parties at the Fall of the First Broglie

Cabinet. Failure of the Goulard Combination.-Formation of the

Cissey-Fourtou Cabinet, 12th May, 1874.-The Bonapartist Party.--

Parliamentary Electorate, Municipal Electorate; First Reading of

the Bill.-Universal Suffrage.-Union of the Centres

II. The Bonapartist Danger.-The Lefts accept the Constituent

Power.-Second Reading of the Municipal Electorate Bill.-Con-

stitutional Proposals.-First Republican victory; Urgency voted

on the Casimir-Perier Proposal.-First Reading of the Municipal

Organisation Bill

III. The Comte de Chambord's Manifesto, 2nd July, 1874.-The

Lucien Brun Interpellation.-The Cissey Cabinet beaten.—

Message from the Marshal, 9th July, 1874

PAGE

16

IV. Ministerial Constitutional Programme.-Bill of the Committee of

Thirty.-The Casimir-Perier Motion Discussed and Rejected.—

Adjournment of the Constitutional Debate.-The State of Siege

Maintained. The Assembly adjourns from the 5th August to the

30th November, 1874

31

38

CHAPTER II

THE SEPTENNATE-FRANCE AND EUROPE

I. Practical Activity of the Assembly.-The Budget of 1875.--Various

Military Measures.-Great Public Works.-The Phylloxera.-

Social Questions and Parliamentary Inquiry on Labour.-The

Roussel Law on Child Protection.-Reform of the Baccalauréat

II. External Politics.-German Diplomacy in 1874.-The Ischl

Meetings.-The Kissingen Affair and the Ultramontane Question.

-The Decree of Cardinal Guibert.-Recall of the Orénoque.—-

Spanish Affairs.-A German Intervention Feared.-Difficulties

between Paris and Madrid.-The Alfonsist Restoration.--Rivalry

between Prince Gortschakoff and Prince Bismarck.-Eastern

Affairs. First outlines of a Franco-Russian Alliance.-Attitude of

Great Britain. The Suez Canal and the Egyptian Question.-The

56

Tonquin Affair.-Policy of the United States.-International

Arbitration. The Brussels Conference and International Law.-

International Sanitary Police .

III. Society in 1874.-Parliamentary Holidays.-The Marshal's

Journeys.-Parliamentary Bye-elections.-Departmental and Mu-

nicipal Elections.-Return of the Assembly.-Position of Parties.

-Presidential Message.-First Reading of the Law on Higher

Education. The Assembly Votes for a Parliamentary Inquiry on

Bonapartist Proceedings.

73

105

CHAPTER III

THE REPUBLIC FOUNDED

I. Preparations for the Debate on the Constitution.-The Committee

of Thirty takes the Initiative.-Conference at Élysée. Parlia-

mentary Session Resumed.--Message from the President (5th

January, 1875).—The Government demands Priority for the Senate

Bill. It is refused: Resignation of the Cabinet.-Provisional

arrangements

II. First Reading of the Bill for the Organisation of Public Powers.—

First Debate on the Bill for the Creation of a Senate

III. Second Debate on the Bill for the Organisation of Public

Powers. Sittings of the 28th, 29th, and 30th January.-Solemn

Debate on Clause I.-M. Laboulaye's Amendment.-M. Louis

Blanc intervenes.-The Laboulaye Amendment is rejected.—The

Wallon Amendment. -Negotiations of the Lavergne Group.-

M. Desjardins' Proposition is rejected.-The Wallon Amendment

is voted by a Majority of One.-Consequences of that Vote .

IV. Second Debate on the Public Powers Bill continued.-Dissolution

and the Revision of Constitutional Laws suggested.-The Seat of

Public Powers remains fixed at Versailles.-Second Debate on the

Senate Bill.-The Pascal Duprat Amendment voted.—Declarations

of the Committee of Thirty and of the Government.—Dissolution

demanded.—General confusion

V. The Right offers the Dictatorship to the Marshal.-The Duc de

Broglie refuses to form a Cabinet.-The Right against M. Buffet.—

The Lavergne Group intervenes between the Two Centres.-The

Marshal gives up the right to appoint Life Senators.-Agreement

concluded. The Senate Law and the Public Powers Law carried

124

133

143

163

177

CHAPTER IV

THE BUFFET CABINET AND THE 1875 SCARE

I. Parliamentary Inquiry into the Bonapartist Plot.-Bye-elections.-

The Cissey Cabinet resigns.-Formation of the Buffet Ministry.—