CHAMBRE INTROUVABLE (Fr. unfindable chamber; i.e., the chamber the like of which is not to be found again) was the name sarcastically given to that chamber of deputies in France which met after the second return of Louis XVIII. (July, 1815), and which, by its fanatical royalty, began to throw the country and society anew into com motion. The former chamber, which had shown much moderation, had been dissolved under the influence of the court party; and the ministry, led by Talleyrand, had done everything to procure for the ruling party at least a manageable chamber adapted for business. The number of the deputies was arbitrarily raised from 259 to 392; and to secure the victory of a complete restoration, all rushed forward who saw in the consti• tutional charter an encroachment on their privileges and pretensions. When it is con sidered, in addition, that the elections. at least in the departments of the south, took place under terror and the sanguinary outrages of a populace in a state of political and relig ious excitement, that the press was stifled, and the people deprived of all freedom of expression by the foreign armies, ultra-royalism could not fail to be completely triumph ant. When the ministers saw this startling result, they did not venture to open the session; they resigned, and gave place to the Richelieu ministry. Then broke out the most frightful excesses in the southern provinces. At the elections in Nimes (22d Aug.),
more than 100 persons were killed by the royalist bands. At last, on 7111 Oct., the king. opened the chamber, on which he enjoined quietness and moderation; and it appearea as if it did take this advice to heart for an instant. But when, in one of the first sit tings, Boyer d'Argenson asked for the intervention of the chamber in behalf of the Prot estants, who were being slaughtered in the south by the ultra-royalist bands, the speaker was called to order, and the chamber from that time ceased to observe any bounds or moderation. The fanatical legislation of this chamber inspired the ministers, the king, and especially the emperor Alexander, with so much aversion and apprehension, and also met so decidedly with the disapprobation of all peaceful and sincere friends of the throne, that the news of its dissolution, on 5th April, 1816, was received with universal rejoicing. The electoral law of 5th Feb., 1817, prevented the return of a similar cham ber; and it was not till by the inodificd electoral law of 1820 that ultra-royalism regained a predominating influence in parliament.. It is said that Louis XVIII. first used the epithet ehambre introuvable in an ironical sense, and that the majority of the chamber took it seriously as a compliment.