us of this tendency of the
Conservatives, and will not run the risk of
entrusting the Republic to them. When they are
discontented with the Republicans in power, they
vote for other Republicans. Thus, new Republican
groups are being ceaselessly formed, while the old
ones fall to pieces." C. Seignobos, The Political
Parties of France, in _International Monthly_,
Aug., 1901, 155. On the French parliamentary system
see Dupriez, Les Ministres, II., 345-357, 373-461;
E. Pierre, Principes du droit politique electoral
et parlementaire en France (Paris, 1893).]

*340. Interpellation.*--The precariousness of the position occupied by
French ministries is enhanced by the parliamentary device of
interpellation. As in Great Britain, every member of the two chambers
possesses the right at any time to put to an executive head a direct
question concerning any affair of state which, without impropriety,
may be made the subject of open discussion. A minister may not,
however, be questioned without his consent, and the incident
ordinarily passes without debate. In France, however, any member may
direct at a minister an interpellation, designed not to obtain
information, but to put the Government on the defensive and to
precipitate a debate which may end in the overthrow of the ministry on
some mere technicality or other matter in itself of but slight
importance. The interpellation is a challenge. It is made the special
order for a day fixed by the chamber, and it almost invariably results
in a vote of confidence, or want of confidence, in the ministers. As
employed in France, the interpellation lends itself too readily to the
ends of sheer factiousness to be adjudged a valuable feature of
parliamentary procedure.[472]

[Footnote 472: Dupriez, Les Ministres, II.,
432-461. L. Gozzi, L'Interpellation a l'assemblee
rationale (Marseilles, 1909); J. Poudra and E.
Pierre, Traite pratique de droit parlementaire, 8
vols. (Versailles, 1878-1880), VII., Chap. 4.]

III. PARLIAMENT: SENATE AND CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES (p. 315)

*341. The Bicameral System.*--With the dissolution of the States General
in 1789, France definitely abandon