A large but not very lofty hall, with a platform on one side and tiers of seats and ses, upholstered in red and vaguely suggesting a theatre, on the other; in the centre of the platform a tribune crowned by a handsome table and chair; overhead, a skylight; below, long semi-circular rows of desks and benches; such is the old Parliamentary Chamberin the Palace at Versailles, wherein France's nearest equivalent to a coronation is carried out. 'There is no religious ceremony, no organ rolling its thunders through' the solemn aisles of an abbey, no gorgeous assemblage of prince sand peers, no procession through the streets of a rejoicing capital, no illuminating and no feasting; simply' a noisy, undignified thering of politicians. The people has willed it that when the Presideat resigns or dies, the two Houses of Parliament, meeting as one body under the name of National Assembly, shall immediate proceed to choose his successor. "When this choice is made, the President of the. Assembly simply walks into an adjoining room and presents the newly-elect with the signed minute recording the event. In half an hour the new President is on his way to take possession of his palace in the capital and the ceremony is finished. It is less impressive then an English Town Council' installing its Mayor. The President is not even asked to take an oath, but he knows he would be pulled up sharply enough if he transgressed his constitutional powers. Though a change of Presidents is a simple and expeditions operation, it sends the national temperature up several degrees in avery short time. The indisposition is all over before the extremities have had time, to feel it, but the local irritation is severe while it lasts.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.