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XII.

tion into a display of its strength-such is England CHAP. herself while apparently passive and motionless, she silently caused the power to be put forth on an adequate occasion."

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1823.

108.

of 1824, and

strength of the Royal

The usual effects of success appeared in the result of the elections which took place for the renewal of the fifth The election of the Chamber in the autumn of 1823. Nearly all were in favour of the Royalists, who had now acquired ists. a decisive preponderance in the Chamber, sufficient to set at defiance the united strength of the Liberals and Centre. Several appointments were made at this time, all of extreme Royalists, indicating the acknowledged supremacy of that party in the legislature. M. de Villèle skilfully availed himself of this favourable state of affairs to contract a loan of 413,980,981 francs (£16,400,000) with the house of Rothschild & Co., which, in exchange for it, received an inscription on the Grand Livre for 23,114,000 francs yearly (£920,000); in other words, they took the stock created at 89.55 per cent. This advantageous loan-by far the most favourable for Government which had been made since the Restorationput the treasury entirely at ease, and enabled Government to clear off all the outstanding debts connected with the Spanish war. Encouraged by this eminently favourable state of the public mind, M. de Villèle resolved on a dissolution of the Chamber, which was done by an ordonnance on 24th December. The colleges of arron- Dec. 24. dissements were by the ordonnance appointed to meet on the 25th February, those of the departments on the 6th March. They met accordingly, and the result was entirely favourable to the Royalists. In Paris, the centre of the Liberal party, and where they had hitherto in general obtained all the twelve seats, they succeeded in returning only General Foy, M. Casimir Perier, and Benjamin Constant. So entire was the defeat of the Opposition, that over all France they succeeded, out of 434 elections, in gaining only fifteen seats

VOL. II.

2 z

XII.

1824.

1 Moniteur, March 6,

Hist. vii.

viii. 216,

222; Lam.

vii. 270, 274.

109.

which this

CHAP. in the colleges of arrondissements, and two in those of departments-in all, seventeen;-an astonishing result in a country so recently torn by popular passions, and indicating at once the great change in the composition of the legislature which the institution of the colleges of departments had made, and the overwhelming influence of military success on a people so essentially warlike in their disposition as the French. Such was the effect of these 1824; Ann. circumstances on the public funds, that notwithstanding 6,7; Cap. the great loan contracted for by Rothschild, and which was not yet fully paid into the treasury, the Five per Cents rose in the beginning of March to 104.80, an elevation which they had never even approached for half a century.1 To all appearance the Government of the Restoration Great effect was now established on the most solid of all bases on had on the Which a constitutional throne can rest, for an overwhelming majority in its favour had at last been obtained even in the popular branch of the legislature. Yet so closely are the seeds of evil interwoven with those of good in the complicated maze of human affairs, that out of this very favourable state of affairs arose the principal causes which in the end occasioned its fall. It induced a result-fatal in a free state-that of making Government consider themselves safe if they could command a majority in the Chamber of Deputies; a very natural opinion in men accustomed to look to its votes as determining the fate of administrations, and even of dynasties, but of all others the most dangerous, if the period arrives, as it must do in the course of time, when the public mind is strongly excited, and the popular representatives do not respond to its mutations. This tendency revealed itself in the very first measures of the new legislature. 2

future des

tinies of France.

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* Lam. vii. 276, 277; 220, 224;

Cap. viii.

Ann. Hist. vii. 8, 9.

The Chambers met on the 23d March, and the king's speech congratulated the country with reason on the eminently auspicious circumstances under which they were assembled. "The triumph of our arms," said the monarch, "which has secured so many guarantees for order, is due

XII.

1824.

110.

more Meeting of intro- bers, and

the Cham

measures

speech.

to the discipline and bravery of the French army, con- CHAP. ducted by my son with as much wisdom as valour." At these words, loud cries of "Vive le Roi! Vive le Duc d'Angoulême!" arose on all sides; but subjects likely to elicit difference of opinion were next duced. After stating the inconveniences which expe- announced rience had proved resulted from the annual election of a in the royal fifth of the Chamber, it announced an intention of intro- March 23. ducing a bill for extending the duration of the legislature to seven years, subject to the king's right of dissolution; and another for the purpose of "providing the means of repaying the holders of Government annuities, or converting their rights into a claim for sums annually, more in accordance with the present state of other transactions; an operation which cannot fail to have a beneficial influence on commerce and agriculture, and will enable Discours Government, when it is carried into effect, to diminish March 23, the public burdens, and close the last wounds of the Hist. vii. 8. Revolution." 1

1

du Roi,

1824; Ann.

111.

tenniality:

tions in

These words announced the two important measures of the session, which were immediately brought forward Law of sepby Government. So obvious were the advantages, at considerafirst sight at least, of the first, that the Cabinet were favour of unanimous on the subject. The sagacious and practical it. M. de Villèle, and the ardent and enthusiastic M. de Chateaubriand, alike gave it their cordial support. It was argued in support of this measure, "that the time had now arrived when it had become practicable to remove the great difficulty with which the Bourbons had had to contend since the Restoration. That difficulty was the want of a fixed majority in the Chamber of Deputies, upon which Government could rely for the support of their measures. The inevitable consequence of this was, that anything like a consistent system of government was impossible. The king was obliged to take his ministers at one time from the Liberal, at another from the Royalist side; a single vote might compel an

XII.

1824.

CHAP. entire change in the system of administration, both external and internal; one session might undo everything, how beneficial soever, which the preceding session had done. The effect of this was not only to deprive Government of anything like a fixed or consistent character, but to keep alive party ambition and the spirit of faction in the legislature, from the near prospect which was constantly afforded to either party of dispossessing their antagonists, and seating themselves in power. Add to this, that the annual renewal of a fifth of the Chamber kept the people in a continual ferment, and aggravated the evils of corruption and undue influence, by concentrating the whole efforts of parties annually on a fifth only of the entire electors. And as to the danger of the 1Ann. Hist. legislature ceasing to represent public opinion, that was vii. 88, 94; greater in appearance than reality, because, as the king had the power of dissolution, he could at any time give the people an opportunity of making any change on this which they might desire."1

Lam. vii.

276, 277;

Cap. viii. 265, 271.

112.

on the other

side.

Strong as these arguments were, and powerfully as Argument they spoke to a Government now, for the first time for ten years, in possession of a decided majority in the popular branch of the legislature, there were considerations on the other side, less pressing at the moment, but perhaps still more important in the end. "The change," it was answered, "proposes to repeal a vital part of the Charter, which expressly provides for the annual renewal of a fifth of the Chamber, and, contrary to the whole principles of representative government, goes to introduce an entire change into the constitution. The great, the lasting danger to be apprehended from the alteration is, that it tends to make the king independent of the popular voice, and may bring his legislature into such discredit with the nation as, in troubled times, may induce the most terrible convulsions, in pacific, totally destroying its utility. What is the use, where is the moral influence, of a legislature which is at variance with the

XII.

1823.

great body of the nation? A senate which is merely to CHAP. record the decrees of an emperor, in order to take from him their responsibility, may be a convenient appendage of despotism, but it is no part of the institutions of a free people. But the legislature, if elected for seven years certain, without any means of infusing into it, during that long period, any new blood, any fresh ideas, runs the most imminent hazard of degenerating into such an instrument of despotism. In vain are we told that the monarch may dissolve it, and thus bring in another more in harmony with the general opinion at the moment. What security have we that he will adopt this wise and temperate course? Is it not next to certain that he will do just the reverse? If the crown is at issue with the people upon some question which strongly interests both, is it probable that the Government will adopt the course of dissolving a legislature which is favourable to its views, and introducing one which is adverse to them? As well may you expect a general to disband his faithful guards, and raise a new body of defenders from the ranks of his enemies. And what is to be expected from such a blind reliance of the Crown on an immovable legislature, but such an accumulation of discontent and ill-Ann. Hist. vii. 171, humour in the nation, as cannot fail, on the first occa- 203; Mosion when the passions of the people are strongly excited, 30, 1823. to overturn the monarchy ?"1

niteur, May

Notwithstanding the strength of these arguments, the justice of which was so fatally verified by the event, the proposed bill, which fixed the duration of the Chamber at seven years, passed both branches of the legislature by large majorities, the numbers in the Deputies being vi. 104,203. 292 to 87, in the Peers 117 to 64.2

2 Ann. Hist.

reduction of

The next great measure of the session encountered a 113. more serious opposition, and was ultimately unsuccessful. Law for the The project of Government, which was brought forward interest of by the Finance Minister on 5th April, was to take ad- the national vantage of the present high rate of interest, to convert

debt.

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