The Government of M. Combes has sustained what may prove
a serious defeat. The Assembly commenced a new Session on Tuesday, and it was expected that M. Brisson would be reappointed President of the Chamber without serious opposition. M. Doumer was, however, put forward as a candidate, the voting was by secret ballot, and M. Brisson was defeated by a majority of 25. This indicates that the more moderate section of the majority is irritated by recent Ministerial action, and may be the prelude to their open revolt. It is more probable, nevertheless, that when the votes are open the members of the " Bloc " will shrink from turning out M. Combes before he has produced his measure for the separation of Church and State. M. Doumer is an administrator of exceptional ability who governed Indo- China with great success, and he is believed, though originally a Radical, to have joined the Opposition, in whose counsels he has recently been prominent. The Presi- dent of the Chamber is in France much more of a political personage than our Speaker, and the blow will be severely felt, unless, indeed, the electors signify very decidedly that they intend M. Combes's Anti-Clerical plans to be discussed before the Dissolution. French Deputies rarely resist, or even evade, the serious wishes of their constituents.
Increase (+) or Decrease ( - ) in Dec., 1904, compared with
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