POLITICAL MEASURES OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT. 169

diately, before the constitution was framed, or the government organized, bestowed his earnest attention to public affairs. He caused a decree to be passed in the council of five hundred, authorising the receivers general, to execute bonds for the amount of the direct taxes in their departments, payable in yearly instalments, and requiring them to pay one twentieth part in specie, to form a sinking fund for the reimbursement of the national debt, and the arrears of annuities, and ecclesiastical pensions were to be applied to the same object as they became extinct. Having caused these and other measures to be adopted, to ameliorate the condition of the finances, provide for the gradual liquidation of the national debts, and to restore public credit, which had long been extinct, he assembled the principal merchants and bankers of Paris, and laid before them the necessities of the government; attempted to raise their confidence in public credit by assuring them that a new order of things was established; that the reign of plunder, and the disregard of public faith was at an end. His exertions were so successful that the meeting, consisting of about seventy of the wealthiest men in Paris, unanimously voted a loan of ten millions of livres, and nominated a commission of seven to carry the plan into immediate execution.

As the organ of the supreme executive power, he made various arrangements as to the external relations of the republic. Talleyrand was retained in the situation he had held, at the head of foreign affairs; citizen Gronville was sent ambassador to Holland; Bourgoing to Denmark, and general Bournonville to the Court of Berlin.

The new constitution having been framed, was published at Paris, with great pomp, on the 14th of December; accompanied with an ordinance, directing all the different civil officers to open registers, to continue open fifteen days for the signatures of the citi zens, either accepting or non-accepting the consular constitutional charter.

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ANALYSIS OF THE NEW CONSTITUTION.

Roederer's analysis of this constitution is remarkable for its brevity and simplicity.

"He estimates the male inhabitants of age, and paying duties as a qualification to vote, at 5,000,000 citizen voters, who reduce themselves to 500,000 notables of communes; who reduce themselves to 50,000 notables of departments; who reduce themselves to 5000 notables of France; from whom are chosen 500 legislators, senate and tribunate; and also 80 conservators, 2 puisne consuls; and 1 grand consul; who choose 30 counsellors of state, and the ministers, ambassadors, commissioners, &c. The senate and the tribunate are not chosen by the five thousand notables of France, but out of that class. A body of eighty members, first constituted representatives of the nation, either by a competent election or by the acquiescence of the people, under the title of conservators, choose, first, all the members called to exercise the legislative power; and, secondly, the three chiefs of the executive power, (consuls,) the first of whom afterwards chooses the ministers and other agents of the government."

Much time was spent by the legislative bodies in settling matters of etiquette, to be observed under the new constitution, and providing for the exhibition of great parade and splendour at the first organization of the government under it. The consuls and conservative senate were to enter upon their functions on the 25th of December; the conservative senate, legisla tive body, and the tribune, were to be furnished with a guard of honour. The conservative senate had assigned them the palace of the Luxembourg; the consuls that of the Thuilleries; the legislative body was to occupy the palace of the council of five hundred, and the palais royale was assigned to the Tribune.

To increase the "pomp and circumstance" of official dignity, new dresses were ordered for the consular and legislative functionaries of the government. Open robes and close habits of national blue; of light blue, of black and of grey. Tri-coloured girdles; girdles of

MATTERS OF ETIQUETTE, &c.

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light blue and of red; some without fringe, others fringed with gold, others with silk, others worsted. Collars and sleeves embroidered, some with gold, others with silver. Hats, some with gold, others with silver tassels. A decree was passed, establishing from such materials as these, different uniform dresses, by which the dignity and rank of the different functionaries of the new government were to be characterised. Even the messengers, ushers and valets connected with the different departments of the government had their appropriate costume assigned them. Such were the notions of equality and republican simplicity, after the progress and improvements of ten years in the revolution.

A long discussion took place as to the oath to be taken under the new constitution; the result of which was more honourable. Considering the constitution as the elementary rule of action, and as prescribing the primary duties of all affairs of the government and as citizens, it was decreed that all public functionaries, the ministers of religion of every sect, and the instructors of youth, should make the following declaration, and that every other oath and affirmation should be abolished: I promise to be faithful to the constitution." This is the most simple and appropriate oath that can be prescribed.

Three days after the constitution was published, the troops were assembled in the Champ de Mars, and sworn to support the new government.

The Parisians, accustomed to change, and delighted with novelty, received the new constitution, and witnessed the splendour of the new government with complacency, but without any considerable excitement or interest; they read and talked, drank their coffee, and laughed as usual; reasoned but little, and thought less, but hoped every thing. Bonaparte was their idol, and they expected him to do great things for the happiness, honour and glory of the nation. They cracked their jokes upon the old directory, and indulged their humour in bon-mots and caricatures.

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PLEASANTRY OF THE PARISIANS, &c.

A couple of caricature prints adorned most of the parlours in Paris; one representing a Jew with the cos tume of the ex-directors and ex-legislators, crying "old clothes to sell, as good as new ;" the other also representing a Jew carrying an enormous load of constitutions and laws, bawling, "old constitutions and decrees to sell; very little used, and very cheap."

The following placard was posted up in the streets of Paris; the author of which, did not probably feel so much disposed to be merry at the progress which had been made in the science of liberty and equality, of which the nation had so long been in pursuit, and to secure which, they had made such immense sacrifi

Bonaparte having availed himself of the influence and cunning of Sieyes, in effecting a revolution which had thrown the whole executive power of the government into his own hands, and supposing that he might stand in the way of his ultimate objects, thought it best to dispose of him at the outset. The descendant of Levi was outwitted by the son of Mars; the wily priest by the crafty general, who was as well versed in the arts of hypocrisy and dissimulation, as the ex-priest, and possessed the additional advantages of his great military character, his influence with the soldiers, and a greater popularity with the people. Sieyes was prevailed on to decline the consulate. Cambaceres and Le Brun, were elected consuls with Bonaparte. The first, was at that time minister of justice; 'he was a member of the convention, and voted for the confinement and not for the death of the king; the latter was one of the members of the committee of ancients; he

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had formerly been secretary to the chancellor Maupeon, the most arbitrary and tyrannical of the ministers of Louis XV. He was considered a man of talents and industry.

The retirement of Sieyes, was a memorable event in the French revolution, as since its commencement he had acted a conspicuous part, and at most periods exercised great influence over the executive power, which was now suddenly lost altogether.

A few days after entering upon the duties of their office, the consular executive, sent a message to the Legislative bodies, recommending it to them to decree to Citizen Sieyes, a distinguished proof of national gratitude; who, they say, "having enlightened the people by his writings, and honoured the revolution by his disinterested virtues, refused in the first instance the first magistracy, and then only consented to accept in consequence of his sense of the danger by which it was surrounded." "The consuls of the republic" continued the message in conformity to the law of the 19th Brumaire, submit to you the necessary and formal proposition of decreeing to citizen Sieyes, as a pledge of national gratitude, the right of property to one of the domains at the disposal of the state.”

We will close this chapter with a brief notice of this extraordinary man.

Sieyes was born at Frejus in the year 1748, a town rendered famous from its being the place where Bonaparte landed on his return from Egypt and Elba. He was educated for the priesthood, and from the humble condition of a curate, he arose to be a vicar-general, a canon, chancellor of the church of Chartres, and finally to the important situation of counsellor commissary in Paris; an office of great dignity, and never given but to the superior clergy.

He was esteemed a learned civilian and canonist, and was a good belles-lettre, scholar; but his favourite studies were politics, metaphysics, and economics.He was a distinguished member of the economical