Amnesty

On Aug. 7, 1918, the Senate, sitting as a High Court of Justice, condemned Louis Malvy, onetime Minister of the Interior, to five years exile for "culpable negligence in the discharge of his duties."

On Apr. 23, 1920, the Senate, again sitting as a High Court of Justice, condemned onetime Premier Joseph Caillaux to three years' imprisonment, five years' exile from Paris, loss of civic rights for ten years on the charge of having "impeded prosecution of the War."

During the past week, the Senate, sitting as a legislative assembly without juridical power, passed the Amnesty Bill (TIME, July 21). A motion to include Louis Malvy within its terms was passed, after ex-Premier Poincare had expressed his belief in his innocence, by 195 votes to 62. A like motion to include Joseph Caillaux was passed by 176 votes to 104.

Louis Malvy, now a Communist Deputy, served his sentence of banishment to the full. All that the Senate has done for him, therefore, is to tear out a page in its black book.

Joseph Caillaux (TIME, June 2), however, was still serving his sentence and had not been to Paris since 1920 until special permission was given him to attend Anatole France's funeral, a month ago. He is thus restored to full citizenship and can now function actively in politics.