128] 
Bictance of power, fo juflly merit- 
ed, and, fo often nobly fuftained. 
‘This was in the cafe of one Favras, 
who, if we miftake not, was a mem- 
ber.of the national aflembly. . This 
man was charged with being con- 
- cerned in a plot for overthrowing 
the new conftitution, and for bring- 
ing about a counter-revolution. The 
-evidence againit him was fo weak 
_and defective, that it has been com- 
sared with that which has heretofore 
ie received, and brought fo much 
‘difgrace upon’ the courfe of legal 
juftice in our own country, in thofe 
unfortunate periods of its hiftory, 
when Titus Oates and fimilar vil- 
lains were allowed to flourifh,and fuch 
men as Jefferies were the difpenfers 
_of our laws. Favras was condemned 
and executed; and this unfortunace 
man was gencrally confidered as a 
_ victim deftined to be a peace-offer- 
ing to the Parifians; in the vain 
hope of reconciling them to the lofs 
_of thof others on whom their detire 
was much more ftrongly fixed. It 
was a curious circumftance, and 
“worthy of notice, that the condué 
of the chateiet, inftead of procuring 
the end propofed, was equally re- 
_ probated and condemned by both 
_ parties; and that that court was 
everwhelmed with fuch torrents of 
reproach coming from all quarters, 
as it had never before in the courfe 
"of its exiftence experienced. 
Convinced as they undoubtedly 
were of its juftnefs, the chatelet did 
_not fink under the weight of the re- 
proach; but feemed defirous of re- 
trieving their character by the vi- 
goar with which they profecuted the 
_ enquiry after the authors of the plot, 
murders, and intended maflacre of 
the 6th of O@ober;. being thofe 
- worthy citizens, who had. been re- 
preiented by the democratical wri- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1790. 
of their ations, they entered deep- 7 
“tution. 
enquiries ; until at length becoming 
nefs in rejecting 
ters as totally innocent of all crime, — 
and as acting purely in their own ~ 
defence. Not content, however, 
With this inftance of independence~ 
and {pi.tt, as if it were to afford a | 
demonilration that the love of juf-— 
tice was the only operative motive — 
ly and with the utmoff earneftnefs — 
into that, evidently, moft critical and “_ 
dangerous bufine/s, an enquiry into o 
the conduct, defigns and proceedings 
of the duke of Orleans, and of Mi- — 
rabeau, who acting apparently as his ~ 
inftrument, was in fact the framer ~ 
of every thing that fhewed genius — 
in his plans, and that went beyond 4s 
cunning in his. projects. It requir- ~ 
ed no infpiration, nor even much ~ 
fagacity, to have feen, that whether 
thefe enquiries came within the let- 
ter of their inftrutions or not, the 
could not at all accord with their fpi- 
rit and defign; and were widely dif- 
ferent from the purpofes to wah 
that court owed its temporary infti- 
They were, however, ad- 
mitted to proceed to a certain de- 
cent and confiderable length in their 
¥ 
too troublefome, bringing matters to 
light which there was no occafion 
fhould be publicly known, and the » 
prefervation of thofe appearances 
which operated to their inftitution 
being no longer neceflary, their 
powers were fuddenly withdrawn, 
their enquiries left unfinifhed, and 
the chatelet for ever laid by. This 
was foon followed by the total anni- 
hilation of that, and of all the other 
ancient courts of law and juftice in 
the kingdom. ‘ eagini: 
In the mean tie the king’s firm- 
e propoted vilit 
and coalition, was, through means 
or motives of which we are not in- 
formed, at length overcome. It is 
not 
