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Nevertheless, all the laws of taxes are to be first voted by the chamber of deputies.5

ART. 16. Every law is to be discussed and freely voted by the majority of each of the two chambers.

ART. 17. If a proposed law be rejected by one of the three powers, it cannot be brought forward again in the same session.6

ART. 18. The king alone sanctions and promulgates the laws.

ART. 19. The civil list is to be fixed for the duration of the reign of the legislative assembly after the accession of the king.

OF THE CHAMBER OF PEERS.

ART. 20. The chamber of peers is to form an essential portion of the legislative power.

5 Art. 15 is in the place of art. 16 and 17 of the old charter, which were thus:

Art. 16. The king proposes the law.

Art. 17. The proposition of the law is carried, at the pleasure of the king, to the chamber of peers or that of the deputies, except the law of taxes, which is to be directed to the chamber of deputies.

6 Art. 17 is substituted for articles 19, 20 and 21, suppressed as useless, after the preceding provisions. They were the following:

Art. 19. The chambers have the right to petition the king to propose a law on any subject whatever, and to indicate what seems to them proper the law ought to contain.

Art. 20. This request may be made by each of the chambers, but after having been discussed in secret committee; it is not to be sent to the other chamber, by that which proposes, until after the elapse of ten days.

Art. 21. If the proposition is adopted by the other chamber, it is to be laid before the king; if it is rejected, it cannot be presented again in the same session.

ART. 21. It is convoked by the king at the same time as the chamber of deputies. The session of one begins and ends at the same time as that of the other.

ART. 22. Any assembly of the chamber of peers, which should be held at a time which is not that of the session of the chamber of deputies, is illicit, and null of full right, except the only case in which it is assembled as a court of justice, and then it can only exercise judicial functions."

ART. 23. The nomination of the peers of France belongs to the king. Their number is unlimited; he can vary their dignities, and name them peers for life, or make them hereditary at his pleasure.

ART. 24. Peers can enter the chamber at twenty-five years of age, but have only a deliberative voice at the age of thirty years.

ART. 25. The chamber of peers is to be presided over by the chancellor of France; and in his absence, by a peer named by the king.

ART. 26. The princes of blood are to be peers by right of birth. They are to take their seats immediately behind the president.8

7 This is article 26 of the old charter, augmented by this provision, which was not in the former, and the words following have been suppressed; or that it should be ordained by the king.

8 Art. 30 of the old charter:

The members of the royal family and the princes of the blood, are peers by the right of birth; they sit immediately behind the president; but they have no deliberative voice before their twentyfifth year.

Art. 31, was thus:

The princes cannot take their seat in the chamber, but by order of the king, expressed for each session by a message, under penalty of rendering everything null which has been done in their presence. Suppressed.

ART. 27. The sittings of the chamber of peers are public as that of the chamber of deputies.

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ART. 28. The chamber of peers takes cognizance of high treason, and of attempts against the security of the state, which is to be defined by the law.

ART. 29. No peer can be arrested but by the authority of the chamber, or judged but by it in a criminal matter.

OF THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES.

ART. 30. The chamber of deputies will be composed of deputies elected by the electoral colleges; the organization of which is to be determined by law.10

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ART. 31. The deputies are to be elected for five years.1 ART. 32. No deputy can be admitted into the chamber till he has attained the age of thirty years, and if he does not possess the other conditions prescribed by the law.1o

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ART. 33. If, however, there should not be in the department fifty persons of the age specified paying the_amount of taxes fixed by law, their number shall be completed from the persons who pay the greatest amount of taxes under the amount fixed by law.13

9 All deliberations of the chamber of peers are secret. Art. 32 of the old charter.

10 Art. 36 was thus:

Every department shall have the same number of deputies which it has previously had.-Suppressed.

11 Art. 37 of the old charter :

The deputies shall be elected for five years, and in such a way that the chamber is renewed each year by a fifth.

12 Art. 38 of the old charter:

No deputy can be admitted into the chamber if he is not forty years old, and if he does not pay direct taxes of 1000 francs. 13 Article 39 of the old charter:

If, nevertheless, there should not be in the department fifty persons of the indicated age, paying at least 1000 francs, direct taxes,

ART. 34. No person can be an elector if he is under twentyfive years of age; and if he does not possess all the other conditions determined by the law.14

ART. 35. The presidents of the electoral colleges are elected by the electors.15

ART. 36. The half at least of the deputies are to be chosen from those who have their political residence in the depart

ments.

ART. 37. The president of the chamber of deputies is to be elected by the chamber itself at the opening of each session.16

ART. 38. The sittings of the chamber are to be public, but the request of five members will be sufficient that it forms itself into a secret committee.

ART. 39. The chamber divides itself into bureaux (committees) to discuss the projects of laws, which may have been presented from the king.17

their number will be completed by those who pay the highest taxes under 1000 francs; and these may be elected concurrently with the others.

14 Art. 40 of the old charter:

The electors who concur in electing the deputy, cannot have the right of suffrage, if they do not pay a direct tax of 300 francs; and if they are less than thirty years of age.

15 Art. 41 of the old charter :

The presidents of the electoral colleges shall be nominated by the king, and be, by right, members of the college.

16 Art. 43 of the old charter:

The president of the chamber of deputies is nominated by the king, from a list of five members, presented by the chamber.

17 In consequence of the initiative, art. 46 and 47 are suppressed, which were thus:

46. No amendment can be made to a law, if it has not been proposed or consented to by the king, and if it has not been sent back and discussed by the bureaux.

47. The chamber of deputies receives all propositions of taxes;

ART. 40. No tax can be established nor imposed, if it has not been consented to by the two chambers, and sanctioned by the king.

ART. 41. The land and house tax can only be voted for one year. The indirect taxes may be voted for many years. ART. 42. The king convokes every year the two chambers, he prorogues them, and may dissolve that of the deputies; but in this case he must convoke a new one within the period of three months.

ART. 43. No bodily restraint can be exercised against a member of the chamber during the session, nor for six weeks which precede or follow the session.

ART. 44. No member of the chamber can be, during the session, prosecuted or arrested in a criminal matter, except taken in the act, till after the chamber has permitted his

arrest.

ART. 45. Every petition to either of the chambers must be made in writing. The law interdicts its being carried in person to the bar.

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ART. 46. The ministers can be members of the chamber of peers or the chamber of deputies.

They have, moreover, their entrance into either chamber, and are entitled to be heard when they demand it.

ART. 47. The chamber of deputies has the right of impeaching the ministers, or of transferring them before the chamber of peers, which alone has the right to judge them.18

only after these have been consented to, they may be carried to the chamber of peers.

18 Article 56 of the old charter is suppressed; it ran thus: They cannot be accused except for treason or peculation. Particular laws will specify this kind of offences, and will determine how they are to be prosecuted.

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