Premier Paul Painlevé's new fiscal measure, intended to balance the French budget by "a levy on all forms of wealth," (TIME, Nov. 9 el seq.) was got through the Finance Committee of the Chamber last week and presented to the deputies en masse.
M. Painlevé boldly stated that the factional discord now disrupting French politics (TIME, Nov. 23 et ante) had prevented the bill from being anything more than a compromise measure, but added: "I have sought the advice of every party, and if in the end the bill was framed to meet the majority opinion, it was because the minority limited its advice to what the Government should not do. . . . The bill is not perfect. . . . It is a positive and creative measure. . . . Regardez-le bien! . . . Is it not the only really constructive attempt which has been made to deal with the present grave fiscal situation?"
But the Chamber did not heed M. Painlevé. For an entire week it seethed and bubbled with debate, the character of which was such that no less than 120 hopelessly conflicting amendments were offered and howled down by everyone not of the faction interested. At length M. Painlevé called for a tentative "vote of confidence" by offering a motion to close the general debate and begin debate upon the provisions of the bill in detail.
For an instant the deputies stopped gesticulating long enough to hold up their right hands and have them counted. Two hundred and ninety-four sweating palms were for M. Painlevé. Two hundred and fifty more or less clenched fists were against him. Once more the Radicals and Socialists had held together sufficiently to allow the Government to continue in office. Amid cheers and imprecations the debate upon the articles of the new scheme in detail got under way and threatened to continue ad lib.
It did not so continue, however. Before the Deputies had considered even half the bill in detail, it was obvious that an utter impasse had been reached. Despairing, M. Painlevé saw his measure go down by the slender margin of 275 to 278 when a vote was taken on the the much criticized Fifth Article, envisioning a virtual moratorium on the short-term Treasury bonds falling due next month (TIME, Nov. 23).
Swiftly the Premier collected the resignations of the members of his Cabinet, added his own thereto, drove straight to President Doumergue at the Elysée, and quit. For the second time within a fortnight France was without a Ministry (TIME, Nov. 9).
Cried M. Painlevé, as he stepped down from power: "Vive la Republique! But let her friends guard her well. There are many who would exploit her to the fullest in this critical hour."
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