Sénatus-consulte

A sénatus-consulte (French translation of Latin: senatus consultum, lit.

Organic 'sénatus-consultes' modified the French Constitution and 'sénatus-consultes simples' ruled on its enaction.

After the French coup of 1851, Napoleon I's institutional architecture was reintroduced.

Executive power was retained by Napoleon III, who subordinated legislative power by dividing it between two chambers: The Sénat could pass sénatus-consultes, acts with the force of law, to adapt France's institutions and modify the French Constitution of 1852.

Initially used to found and reinforce the imperial and authoritarian character of the Second Empire, sénatus-consultes ended up helping the regime evolve into a 'liberal empire' from the 1860s onwards by giving more powers to the Parlement.

Raymond-Théodore Troplong , rapporteur of the sénatus-consulte of 7 November 1852, président of the Sénat from 1852 to 1869.
Eugène Rouher was a pillar of the authoritarian regime, but it was under his presidency of the Sénat (1869–70) that the regime transformed into a liberal empire.