M. Gambetta will, we imagine, carry his revision of the
Senate. Among the hundred Senators who go out in January are M. Leon Say and two colleagues for the Seine-et-Oise. They have met their constituents, and have felt obliged to pledge themselves to the abolition of the Life Senatorships and a reduction of the Senatorial term. Both changes are democratic, and we have no doubt, though this is not men- tioned, that they have also agreed to the direct election of the communal delegates, instead of their nomination by the com- munal councils. This implies that the moderate Liberals in the Senate—the Whigs, in fact—have agreed to M. Gambetta's revision ; and if that is so, there can be no effective resistance. The submission is the more remarkable, because M. Leon Say declined office, and undoubtedly dislikes much of the pro- gramme which, when the Senate is revised, M. Gambetta will produce. It looks as if the constituencies were nearly unanimous in supporting the new departure, and the new man.
Previous page
