3rd head, containing ten articles.— De la Chambre des Pairs (Of the Cham ber of Peers).—This head provides for the assembling of this chamber simultaneously with the deputies, and renders every sit ting illegal (except when the chamber is exercising its judicial power) unless it is held during the session of the deputies. The nomination of the peers is vested in the king (the princes of the blood are peers by right of birth) ; their number is unlimited, and their dignity is for life only ; art. 23 of the " Charte," which related to the peerage, having been replaced by the law of 9th December, 1831, which abolished an hereditary peerage. This law is incorporated in the " Charte." It points out the class of persons from whom peers must be se lected ; and prohibits pensions being at tached to the dignity of a peer. The ordonnance of nomination must mention the services for which the honour is con ferred. The peers have no right of entry into the chamber under twenty-five years of age or of voting under thirty. The chancellor of France is president, or, in his absence, a peer nominated by the king. The sittings of the peers are pub lic. The chamber takes cognizance of offences against the state. A peer can only be arrested by the authority of the chamber, and is not amenable to any other tribunal than the chamber in criminal matters.
4th head, containing sixteen articles.— De la Chambre des _Deputes (Of the Cham ber of Deputies).—This head provides for the election of the deputies and the sit tings of the chamber. The electors must be not less than twenty-five years of age and the deputies not less than thirty, and each must possess whatever other qualifi cations the law requires.* (The law of 19th April, 1831, for regulating the elec toral franchise was passed in pursuance of a promise given in the Charte.) The deputies are elected for five years, and one-half of the deputies for each department must have their political domicile in it. The remaining heads refer to ministers and the administration of justice; but as the entire Charte has become a nullity by the extraordinary revolution of Febraary 1848, it is unne cessary to dwell further upon it. By the
new constitution promulgated November 4, 1848, the constitutional monarchy of Louis Philippe has been converted into a democratic republic, one and indivisi ble. Article I of the constitution de clares, that " in adopting this definitive form of government, the ends proposed are—a freer advance in the path of civilization, and more equitable distri bution of the burdens and advantages of society. Next follow declarations abolishing the punishment of death for political offences ; slavery cannot exist upon "any French territory ;" and con fiscation of property is abrogated.
By chap. 4, the legislative power is delegated to a single assembly of 950 members, including the representatives of Algeria and the French colonies All Frenchmen of the age of 21, enjoying their civil rights, are made electors, and all electors of the age of 25 are eligible to be representatives. The National Assembly is elected for three years, and one half the members and one more is necessary to the validity of any vote upon the laws. No project of a law, except in urgent cases, to be definitively decided upon till after three debates, at intervals of not less than five days.
By chap. 5, the executive power is de legated to a citizen, with the title of President of the Republic. He must be thirty years of age, be elected for four years, and not be eligible to be re-elected until after an interval of four years ; neither during the same period can the vice-president be chosen, nor any rela tive of the president to the sixth degree of affinity. The president is chosen by ballot by the election of the Assembly. He is empowered to dispose of the armed force, but not to command it in person. He cannot prorogue or dissolve the As sembly, or suspend in any way the con stitution or the laws. He may nego. tiate public treaties, but no treaty is definitive until approved by the Assem-• bly. He cannot cede territory, nor begin any war without the assent of the Assembly. The president's salary is 600,000 francs, with residence.