Make France Great Again
Chapter 228: The Order Party’s Countermeasure

Chapter 228: Chapter 228: The Order Party’s Countermeasure

Leaving the Elysee Palace, Marcel Yale personally selected, trained, and deployed suitable personnel, planning to cultivate a pseudo-missionary proficient in Oriental Studies within half a year, who would then be sent with his team to Cyan Fruit to strive for France’s commercial interests.

As for Jerome Bonaparte, once he handed over his tasks, he once again entered a sage-like state.

Each day, apart from necessary social activities and departmental meetings, the remaining time was spent hunting and picnicking in the Bois de Boulogne.

His face showed no trace of anxiety despite his term nearing its end, exuding a leisurely and carefree demeanor.

During this period, the Minister of Education and the Minister of Religion, Pariou, appointed by Jerome Bonaparte, proposed the infamous "Falu Law" to the Legislative Assembly.

Though this law came nearly six months later than historically, it still made its appearance.

The law required the establishment of a "Public Education Committee," composed of the following members: the chair being the Minister of Education and Religion, four Catholic Archbishops or Bishops, one Protestant minister, one Augsburg Confession Church minister, one member of the Jewish Central Religious Affairs Committee, three Council of State members, three Supreme Court members, three Research Institute members, eight representatives appointed by the President of the Republic, and three representatives engaged in free education.

"The law recognizes two types of schools for primary and secondary education. Public schools, established and maintained by the city, province, or state; free schools established and maintained by private individuals or associations."

"All French citizens who are at least 25 years old may establish secondary schools. The necessary conditions: over five years of teaching certification, passing the secondary school graduation examination, and secondary school teacher qualification certification."

"Existing church secondary schools may continue to exist as long as they comply with national supervision. New church secondary schools may not be established without government approval."

"The public institutions of secondary education are public secondary schools and city secondary schools."

This law stipulated: "Children whose families cannot afford to pay will receive free elementary education."

"All French citizens who are at least 21 years old and possess the qualifications may conduct elementary education locally."

"The qualification certificate can be a teaching certification, passing a secondary school graduation examination, or a priesthood title recognized by the church." City primary school teachers should be appointed by the city council.

The freedom of education in the Republic was broken, and education was restricted by law and supervised by the state.

Although the vast majority of Republican faction members in the assembly tried to argue and strive to block the implementation, such voices were overwhelmingly rejected in the Order Party-controlled assembly.

The "National Newspaper" and the "People’s Daily" across the ocean called the "Falu Law" a gift from the President to the church.

The resident contributor to the "People’s Daily," Dr. Karl Marx, used sharp prose to point out that Jerome Bonaparte, although wearing the so-called "socialist" cloak, was essentially maintaining a traditional paternalistic style.

Parisians, accustomed to the constant release of one bill after another, remained indifferent to the establishment of the Falu Law, as long as it did not affect their fundamental interests, they would not resist.

As for what constitutes fundamental interests, it refers to prices and rental values in Paris, as well as unemployment issues.

These three aspects were precisely the key points that Jerome Bonaparte focused on preventing.

The Police Department, having purged a batch of pests, was more compliant with Jerome Bonaparte’s orders. Under relatively clean administrative police management, prices remained within a certain range of fluctuation, enabling the steady and positive development of the entire Paris.

Such a leisurely time lasted just over half a month before it came to an end, and the atmosphere in Paris became tense once more.

In late June, as the weather in Paris gradually warmed up, the constant insect chirps from dark alleyways in the suburbs added to the nighttime surroundings.

In such scorching days, the Legislative Assembly suddenly announced a matter that further agitated the Elysee Palace faction.

It was decided by the Legislative Assembly to establish a more rapid organization on the basis of the existing Legislative Assembly, akin to the previous Constitutional Committee within the Constitutional Assembly.

This news was unanimously agreed upon by the members of the Order Party (including members of the Elysee Palace faction) as the Legislative Committee was established as a Standing Committee of the assembly.

It was at this moment that something unexpected occurred. The Elysee Palace faction, having assisted the Orléans faction and the Orthodox faction in building the Legislative Committee, suddenly found that not a single member of the Elysee Palace faction was included in Thiers’ Legislative Committee member list.

Meanwhile, Thiers, with a regretful tone, conveyed to the members of the Elysee Palace faction that these lists were agreed upon unanimously within the Order Party.

It was not until that moment that the members of the Elysee Palace faction realized they had been excluded from the Order Party.

Prince Old Jerome approached Audion Barrot to inquire about the reason, and Barrot, stammering, indicated: "This was unanimously decided by the Orléans and Orthodox factions, they had no say in the matter."

This threw the Elysee Palace faction into a panic, prompting them to seek out Jerome Bonaparte at the Elysee Palace.

Having anticipated all this, Jerome Bonaparte remained unperturbed, as he had long expected Thiers to resort to underhanded tactics.

As one of the outstanding political figures of this era, Thiers was not the type to surrender easily; he would certainly utilize his own strengths to attack the weaknesses of the Elysee Palace faction.

However, Thiers did not expect that from the very beginning, Jerome Bonaparte was not planning to fight them in the parliament.

Fighting in a field where the enemy excels is a death wish. To find a reason to reprimand this group of inefficient legislators, Jerome Bonaparte allowed everything to happen.

A reception room in the Elysee Palace.

Members of the Bonaparte Faction gathered, sitting silently at a long dining table, watching Elysee Palace Leader Jerome Bonaparte. Not a single person spoke during this time.

"It’s messed up, isn’t it! You’ve messed up!" Jerome Bonaparte preemptively scolded, "Aren’t you all quite capable usually? How did you get outmaneuvered, with nearly a hundred members directly kicked out! If you’re not ashamed, I am!"

Jerome Bonaparte’s reprimand made some members, who believed the Standing Committee would benefit them, lower their heads.

No one present anticipated that Thiers would play such a trick as killing the donkey when the grinding is done.

Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte criticized the present members for quite a while.

Imperial Marshal Prince Old Jerome, holding a wooden cane, saw the timing was right, and quickly played the conciliator’s role to let Jerome Bonaparte announce the solution.

"Your Majesty, what should we do?" Prince Monfort also gave Jerome Bonaparte due respect with a formal title in a public setting.

"What else can we do? We can only take things one step at a time!" Jerome Bonaparte, of course, knew the solution, but he couldn’t share the method with them now.

Who knows if there are any informers among this group of members.

Later, Jerome Bonaparte eased his attitude and said, "I hope that from now on, you can use a bit of your brains and not always cause trouble!"

The present members could only obediently listen to Jerome Bonaparte’s reprimand and respond, "Pay attention next time."

After the meeting ended, Jerome Bonaparte retained Minister of Internal Affairs Ferdinand Barrow and the Attorney General Barroso.

"Mr. President, I... I really didn’t know about those things!" Minister of Internal Affairs Fernand Barrow explained to Jerome Bonaparte.

Currently, he was miserably set up by his brother Audion Barrot, and he was no longer hoping to continue his position as Minister of Internal Affairs.

Jerome Bonaparte, smiling, comforted Fernand Barrow, "Mr. Fernand, I believe in you! You were with us from the beginning. If we don’t trust you, who else can we trust!"

Upon hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s response, Minister of Internal Affairs Fernand Barrow breathed a sigh of relief and requested Jerome Bonaparte to relieve him of his duties as Minister of Internal Affairs.

"To be honest, I don’t really want to relieve you from your position as Minister of Internal Affairs!" Jerome Bonaparte showed a regretful expression, "However, you also know the current situation of this party. Keeping you as Minister is not saving you, but harming you!"

"I understand!" Fernand Barrow hurriedly nodded and said.

"Also... please convey this to your brother Mr. Barrow! I always welcome his joining us!" Based on the principle of uniting the majority, Jerome Bonaparte still extended an invitation to Audion Barrot.

"I will certainly convey it accurately to him! I sincerely apologize for the trouble he has caused you!" Fernand Barrow earnestly said to Jerome Bonaparte.

"It’s nothing!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head, "By the way, Mr. Fernand, I remember you’re a lawyer, right?"

"That’s right!" Fernand Barrow responded.

"Then are you interested in filling the role of Attorney General at the Supreme Court!" Jerome Bonaparte tentatively asked.

"Attorney General?" Fernand Barrow instinctively glanced at Barroso beside him, who is currently the Attorney General.

"I plan to switch your position with Barroso’s position!" Jerome Bonaparte explained his solution to Fernand Barrow and Barroso, "I wonder how you two feel about it!"

Fernand Barrow, who initially thought he might return to parliament, showed a joyful expression.

Although the position of Attorney General is a far cry from being Minister of Internal Affairs, it is still much better than a member of parliament who seemingly holds state power but only has the power to agree or oppose.

Upon hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s appointment, Barroso naturally didn’t have any objections; moving from Attorney General to Minister of Internal Affairs is a clear promotion.

The position of Minister of Internal Affairs also signifies the level of trust the President places in him.

Both Fernand Barrow and Barroso agreed to Jerome Bonaparte’s proposal. The remaining procedure was to have them write resignation letters to Jerome Bonaparte, after which Jerome Bonaparte would approve and then appoint them.