In France, from 1875 to 1940, under the Third Republic, the Chamber of Deputies was the name of the legislative assembly elected by universal suffrage. When convened together with the Senate at Versailles, forming the National Assembly, it elected the President of the Republic.
The Chamber of Deputies was elected using a majority voting system for four-year terms, with the number of deputies ranging from 520 to over 600, depending on the legislature. There were 17 legislatures during this period. This era marked the establishment of republican parliamentary practices, characterized by lively debates led by prominent orators such as Léon Gambetta, Jules Ferry, Georges Clemenceau, and Jean Jaurès. Political parties and parliamentary groups were initially absent, with the first groups forming in the early 20th century. The diverse republican factions contributed to significant political fragmentation and recurring governmental instability.
Lawyers formed a significant portion of the Chamber's membership. In 1924, during the Cartel des gauches, the Chamber included 140 lawyers and nine law professors. In 1936, under the Popular Front, there were 110 lawyers and eight law professors.
A parliamentary indemnity was introduced during the Third Republic, building on a precedent set on 1 September 1789, when the Assembly voted for a daily allowance of 18 livres. This ensured that citizens of modest means could serve as representatives. By 1 January 1938, the annual indemnity was 82,500 francs, rooted in the classical Athenian principle of misthophoria, which compensated citizens for time spent in the Ecclesia.
The Chamber of Deputies was typically elected through a two-round majority system by arrondissement, with no candidate elimination between rounds. However, the voting system changed several times:
Of the 17 legislative elections under the Third Republic, 15 used a majority system, and two used a proportional system.
The Chamber of Deputies could censure the government through procedures like interpellation, based on the principle of ministerial responsibility in the 1875 Constitution. This was central to the parliamentary regime. The executive could counter with the right of dissolution over the lower house. After the 1877 MacMahon crisis, the dissolution power fell into disuse, allowing the Chamber to dominate the executive, leading to frequent government collapses and a power imbalance later termed "French-style parliamentarism" or "assembly regime."
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The final session of the Chamber of Deputies, presided over by ÃÂdouard Herriot, occurred on 9 July 1940. It was prorogued and adjourned by Philippe Pétain under Constitutional Act No. 3 on 11 July 1940.