nly
with monarchy. His dignity is safeguarded by special and effective
penalties for insult and libel. Like the President of the United
States, during his term of office he is exempt from the processes of
the ordinary courts; but, like his American counterpart, he may be
tried by the Senate, on articles of impeachment presented by the lower
legislative chamber. The President of the United States may be
impeached for "treason, bribery, and other high crimes and
misdemeanors"; the French President may be impeached for treason only.
On the other hand, whereas the penalty that may be imposed upon the
American President by the judgment of the Senate is confined to
removal from office and disqualification to hold office, the French
constitution fixes no limit to the penalty which may be visited upon a
President convicted of treason. So far as the law is concerned, he
might be condemned to death.

*334. Powers: Participation in Law-making.*--The President possesses
powers which are numerous and, on paper at least, formidable. A (p. 310)
first group pertains to the making of law. "The President of the
Republic," says the constitutional law of February 25, 1875, "shall
have the initiative of laws, concurrently with the members of the two
chambers. He shall promulgate the laws when they have been voted by
the two chambers; and he shall look after and secure their
execution."[465] The concurrent power of initiating legislation,
exercised through the Ministry, is something that is not possessed by
the American President, who can do no more than suggest and recommend
measures he deems desirable. The President of France, on the other
hand, possesses only a suspensive veto. He may remand a measure of
which he disapproves for fresh consideration by Parliament; but if it
is re-enacted, by even a simple majority, it is incumbent upon him to
promulgate it as law. If, however, the veto power is virtually
non-existent, the President possesses an important prerogative in the
right of issuing ordinances with the force of supplementary
legislation. These may be not merely executive orders in matters of
detail, such as are issued by the President of the United States, but
sweeping injunctions deemed essential to the enforcement of the laws
in general. The only limitation is that such ordinances must not
contravene the constitution or any enactment of the chambers. The
power is one which, rather curiously, rests upon no express
constitution