HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



12T 



»ince the revolution. The necessity 

 of preventini!; tlie discredit accruing 

 to the representative body from 

 theshamefulconductof its members, 

 was the motive assigned by Couthon 

 the mover of tliis decree, and 

 the intimate friend of Robespierre. 

 It ought, in justice to tliis latter, to 

 beack.no wk'dged, that if hepossessod 

 any quahty deserving the name of 

 virtue, it was disi:iterestedness. He 

 prided himsrif in the utter con^ 

 tempt of money, and of those wlio 

 laboured to enrich themselves ; and 

 had always an eye to their future 

 punishment whenever he disco- 

 vered their delinquency in this re- 

 spect, which he alwayg considered 

 it an unpardonable crime in a pub- 

 lic man. So vigorously was he 

 inclined to discourage the accumu- 

 lation of wealth, that he was used 

 to assert that 3000 livrcs was a suf- 

 ficient annual revenue for any man 

 in France. It was upon this in- 

 corruptibility of disposition in what- 

 ever related to pecuniary matters, 

 that Robespierre chiefly founded 

 his claims to popularity. The fame 

 of his integrity in those respects, 

 which is certainly a merit of the 

 first order in all who are in high 

 stations, had procured him the 

 warmest attachment of the inha- 

 bitants of Paris, and indeed of all 

 France. It was, in fact, very na- 

 tural for them to draw comparisons 

 between their present rulers and 

 past ; and when they recollected 

 the avarice and rapacity of formi r 

 ministers, and contrasted it with 

 the very limited allowance with 

 which a man was satisfied who held 

 the reins of empire in a state that 

 triumphed over all its enemies, and 

 struck the sovereigns of ]£urope 

 with terror, — well might they view 

 him with the admiration which im- 

 partiality must, acknowledge to have 



been due to him in this particular. 



After passing this severe decree^ 

 which w.is levelled at himself in 

 common with his fellow-members, 

 Robespierre now thought himself 

 at liberty to act with his usual se- 

 v;rity against the royal party. Coa- 

 f(;rmahly lo this determination, hfs 

 agerit in the convention, Couthon, 

 procured the passing of another de- 

 cree on the 16th of April, by which 

 a number of restrictions were laid 

 upon all individuals in any manner 

 connected with the enemies of the 

 n-pubhc. Ahcns that were subjects 

 to the powers at war with France, 

 and all ex-nobles, were enjoined to 

 leave Paris, under the severest pe- 

 nalties, and forbidden to reside in 

 fortified places and sea-ports, in 

 order to prevent them, either from 

 framing conspiracies, or joining with 

 conspirators. A variety of regula- 

 tions was made respecting the me- 

 thods of pioceeding against them, 

 on this occasion, by the two com- 

 mittees of public and general safety, 

 and the powers with which the^ 

 were to be invested for those pur- 

 poses. 



This decree contained also sev?- 

 ral ordinances for the better and 

 more speedy administration of jus- 

 tice in the civil courts. Tiiey were 

 ordered to decide upon all pending 

 suits within three months trom the 

 publications of this decree, under 

 the penalty of being deprived of 

 their functions, Thii order ex. 

 tended to ail future law-suits. The 

 passing of this act afforded preat 

 satisfaction to the public. The 

 length and tedious formalities at- 

 tending private litigations had long 

 rendered them a cause of the justest 

 complaint ; and though objections 

 might b- made to so short a term 

 as three months, tlie few cases rer 

 quiring more time, were not an ob- 



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