ople elect deputies, city officers, justices of the peace, and
electors of the second degree; the latter, in their turn, elect in
the secondary meetings, district and department administrators, civil
arbitrators, criminal judges, judges of appeal and the eighty candidates
from amongst which the legislative body is to select its executive
council.--In the second place, all powers of whatever kind are never
conferred except for a very limited term: one year for deputies, for
electors of the second degree, for civil arbitrators, and for judges
of every kind and class. As to municipalities and also department and
district administrations, these are one-half renewable annually. Every
first of May the fountain-head of authority flows afresh, the people in
its primary assemblies, spontaneously formed, manifesting or changing at
will its staff of clerks.--In the third place, even when installed and
at work, the people may, if it pleases, become their collaborator:
means are provided for "deliberating" with its deputies. The latter,
on incidental questions, those of slight importance, on the ordinary
business of the year, may enact laws; but on matters of general,
considerable and permanent interest, they are simply to propose the
laws, while, especially as regards a declaration of war, the people
alone must decide. The people have a suspensive veto and, finally, a
definitive veto, which they may exercise when they please. To this end,
they may assemble in extraordinary session; one-fifth of the citizens
who have the right to vote suffice for their convocation. Once convoked,
the vote is determined by a Yes or a No on the act proposed by the
legislative body. If, at the expiration of forty days, one-tenth of the
primary assemblies in one-half of the departments vote No, there is
a suspensive veto. In that event all the primary assemblies of the
Republic must be convoked and if the majority still decides in the
negative, that is a definitive veto. The same formalities govern a
revision of the established constitution.--In all this, the plan of the
"Montagnards" is a further advance on that of the Girondins; never was
so insignificant a part assigned to the rulers nor so extensive a
part to the governed. The Jacobins profess a respect for the popular
initiative which amounts to a scruple.[1109] According to them the
sovereign people should be sovereign de facto, permanently, and without
interregnum, allowed to interfere in all serio