In March 1880, Freycinet, President of the Council, sensitive to the energy of others, informed the Senate that if it set aside Article 7, the government would take tougher measures in another form. The Senate nevertheless rejected the article.
In response, the House, by a large majority, asked for the application of the laws relating to unauthorized congregations, and the president of the Council made sign by Grévy the two famous decrees of March 29, 1880.
In other words, for lack of being able to proceed by a law because of the senatorial opposition, one proceeded by act of the executive:the republican majority, not having been able to suppress the Jesuit colleges by the indirect way of a law on the higher education, decided to directly destroy the congregations themselves by the executive power.
Both decrees decided that the Society of Jesus should be dissolved and dispersed within three months; that the other congregations would have three months to apply for authorization; finally that all congregational educational establishments without authorization would be dissolved within six months.
The planned expulsions took place, not without great reluctance on the part of the judiciary; there were 200 resignations of members of the prosecution, not counting the resignations of officers, even police commissioners and police agents; 261 convents were closed, 5,643 monks expelled. Ferry had won the battle of the congregations - the first, not the last of the regime despite the Senate, despite Jules Simon.