I am skeptical of the claim that Franceville had universal suffrage. I have seen the source for the claim, a newspaper article, "Wee, Small Republics: A Few Examples of Popular Government," in the Hawaiian Gazette, Nov 1, 1895, p1. It states:
The people elect a president, who governs with the aid of an advisory council of eight members. The president, in addition to his administrative functions, exercises judicial powers, and there is no appeal from his decisions. Although no office can be held by colored citizens, universal suffrage prevails, without distinction of sex or color.
If there ever was a constitution, charter, or similar document, the best place to start a search would be in the archives of the Western Pacific High Commission, which are now located at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
The same article, "Wee, Small Republics," states: "France, which originally had control of the place, gave it, in 1879, a charter of independence, promising that no other power should be permitted to interfere with it." This appears to be a slightly distorted reference to the 1878 "Arrangement between Great Britain and France, respecting the Independence of the New Hebrides Group" (see http://www.vanuatu.usp.ac.fj/library/Online/Texts/New_Hebrides/archive.htm), which was not so much a charter of independence as a recognition of its neutral status, and an agreement on the part of both countries not to press territorial claims. Goustien (talk) 06:27, 24 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]
