to the prefent fyftem. No reference 
to the ancient form of electing re- 
prefentatives. for the different or- 
_ ders could of courfe be admitted or 
thought of. The regulations went 
in the firft inftance to the election 
of deputies in the primary affem- 
_ blies, who were again (as we have 
already feen) to proceed to the elec- 
_ tion of thofe deputies who were to 
_reprefent the nation in the aflembly. 
Though the right of election in the 
‘primary affemblies was laid open to 
“the citizens at large, yet fome {mali 
" qualification with ref{pect to property 
"was required to entitle them to vote; 
“and this qualification, flender though 
‘it was, afforded no {mall fatisfaQion 
“fo the friends of property and a go- 
Yernment by law, who fancied that 
h would from thence derive fome 
degree of fecurity. {ft was farther 
‘creed, that the men thus entitled 
9 vete in the primary aiemblies, 
ould have their names regiftered 
‘booxs kept for the purpofe, and 
ould be characterized under the 
ditinctive appellation of afive citi- 
eas. ‘The qualification of thofe 
Who were chofen electors: was re- 
quired to be fomewhat higher than 
at of the former; but the paying 
any attention at all to property, 
jowever {mall that might be, was 
deemed, on one fide, a confiderable 
‘Oint gained. On the other hand, 
Hic moft violent of the republican 
and levelling party were much out 
DF tumour and greatly diffatis- 
Gd at this decree; for they wanted 
throw the elections into the hands 
# the whole people without diftinc- 
and no. other difgualifications 
€0 Operate upon votes, than thofe 
Wing from infancy, idiosifm, or 
ibfolute infamy of character. 
Wotwithitanding all that had been 
faid of the alacrity with which the 
* 
. 
to 
HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
[1% 
provinces furrendered their peculiar 
rights and privileges, it now ap- 
peared that thefe accounts required 
to be received with all that caution 
and doubt, which was fo generally 
neceflary with refpeé to every thing 
that was given out or publifhed at 
this period. The cafe undoubtedly 
was, that as the deputies of the pri- 
vileged provinces were generally 
among the moft forward in framing 
or adopting all the political novel. 
ties of the prefent time, fo the 
made but little {cruple of facrificing 
the rights or privileges of their con 
fituents to their own peculiar doc- 
trines or defigns; and, that this 
conduct, not being at all relijhed by 
great numbers of people in. the 
country, their’ diffatisfaction occa- 
fioned thofe difficulties which the 
aflembly now experienced; and 
which were indeed {fo contiderable, 
that it feemed as if that body 
had been only commencing the bi- 
finefs. ‘Lhat the matter was deem- 
ed really ferious, appears from the 
democratical writers, who inform 
us, that the diflatisfa€tion upon this 
fubjec -in’ the provinces, aiforded 
the only ftrong ground of hope 
which the ariilocrates now poflef- 
fed ; ** for, finding themfelves unable 
to deftroy the kingdom, they had, 
however, the confolation left, that 
by this means they might be able to 
diftract her.” 
The divifion of power was too 
unequal to admit of any great con- 
te; nor do.we hear of any particu. 
lar act, done by, or imputed to the 
ariftocrates. The affembly, to ren- 
der evety thing novel, and to de- 
ftroy all veftiges of whatever pasied 
before their own reign, fucceeded 
in expunging the term ¢ Province,’ 
from the French vocabulary, They 
divided the kingdom into eighty- 
three 
