rty was elected and to it was intrusted
the task of studying and reporting upon all of the numerous
constitutional laws that had been suggested. The majority of this
commission, monarchist by inclination, contented itself with
proposing, in January, 1875, a law providing simply for the
continuance of the existing "septennate." Only after earnest effort,
and by the narrow vote of 353 to 352, were the republican forces in
the Assembly able to carry an amendment, proposed by the deputy
Wallon, in which was made definite provision for the election of the
President of the Republic, and therefore, by reasonable inference, for
the perpetuity of the Republic itself.[458]

[Footnote 458: Anderson, Constitutions, 633.]

Before the year 1875 was far advanced the Assembly threw off its
lethargy and for the first time in its history addressed itself
systematically to the drafting of a national constitution. To this
course it was impelled by the propaganda of Gambetta and other
republican leaders, by fear on the part of the Legitimists and
Orleanists that the existing inchoate situation would lead to a
Bonapartist revival, and by a new _modus operandi_ which was cleverly
arranged between the republicans and the Orleanists. Convinced that an
Orleanist monarchy was, at least for a time, an impossibility, and
preferring a republic to any alternative which had been suggested, the
Orleanist members of the Assembly gave their support in sufficient
numbers to the programme of the republicans to render it at last
possible to work out for the nation a conservatively republican
constitutional system.

*330. Texts and General Nature.*--Of the organic laws which comprise the
constitution of France to-day five which date from 1875 are of
principal importance: (1) that of February 24, on the Organization of
the Senate; (2) that of February 25,--the most important of all,--on
the Organization of the Public Powers; (3) that of July 16, on the
Relations of the Public Powers; (4) that of August 3, on the Election
of Senators; and (5) that of November 30, on the Election of Deputies.
Collectively, these measures are sometimes referred to as the
"constitution of 1875." Other and later constitutional enactments of
considerable importance include (1) the law of July 22, 1879, relating
to the seat of the Executive Power and of the two Chambers at Paris;
(2) the law of December 9, 1884, amending existing organic laws on the
Organizati