22] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



opened on the garden, and where 

 he had to encounter an opposition 

 of a far more serious nature than 

 what he had met with in the coun- 

 cil of elders. 



The process-verbal of their pre- 

 ceding meeting being read, 



Gaudin, having briefly repre- 

 sented the dangers which threatened 

 the country, from a rapid return to 

 the principles of monarchy on the 

 one hand, and the fury of dema- 

 gogues on the other, moved that a 

 committee of seven members should 

 be chosen, who should make a re- 

 port on the actual state of the na- 

 tion, and propose, at the same 

 time, such measui'es as they should 

 think necessary for the public in- 

 terest. These motions were se- 

 conded by several voices. But 

 forthwith a very general cry was 

 heard of the constitution ! the con- 

 stitution! the constitution or death! 

 No dictatorship ! down with the 

 dictators. We arc not afraid of 

 bayonets here, we are free. 



Lucien Buonaparte, the president 

 said, " I am too sensible of the dig- 

 nity of my office longer to suffer the 

 insolent menaces of some speakers. 

 I call them to order." 



Grand Maison. " Representa- 

 tives, France will doubtless behold 

 with astonisliment the council of 

 five hundred, in consequence of a 

 constitutional decree of the elders, 

 assembled in this place wltliout be- 

 ing made acquainted with the immi- 

 nent danger with which we are no 

 doubt threatened. A committee 

 has been moved for, to inquire 

 what is proper to be done. It 

 would be better to inquire into 

 what lias been done. I demand to 

 know the reasons of that decree 

 which brought us here. What are 

 the great dangers that menace the 



constitution ? I say the constitution. 

 For as to a republic, which all the 

 world may have in their mouths, 

 tlic question is, what sort of a re- 

 public is understood .'' Is it such a 

 republic as that of Venice .'' or of 

 the United States ? It is pretended 

 that a republic and liberty exist in 

 England ? Certes, it is not in order 

 to live undersuchagovemmentthat 

 we iiave, for the space of ten years, 

 lavished our fortunes, and made all 

 manner of sacrifices. I demand that 

 all the members of this council be 

 called on immediately to renew their 

 oath of fide]ity to the constitution. 

 I demand also that a message be 

 sent to the council of ancients re- 

 questing that they would send us a 

 detailed account of the vast conspi- 

 racy that was on the point of over- 

 turning the republic." Both these 

 motions were seconded by a num- 

 ber of voices, and with the cries 

 oi vivc laRcimblic! vivcla Constilu- 

 tion ! The message proposed to the 

 elders was agreed to. The motion 

 for renewing the fidelity was also 

 agreed to. This ceremony, which 

 took up two hours, was jierformed 

 by tlie moderate party, though they 

 were all of them by this time more 

 or less acquainted with the real ob- 

 ject of their translation to St. Cloud, 

 with the greatest *«H^/roi(/, as well 

 as by the Jacobins. When the 

 swearing was over, the secretary 

 read a letter from Bergoeug, a 

 member of tliat house, resign- 

 ing his function of a representa- 

 tive of the people. Two mes- 

 sages from the ciders informed the 

 council of five hundred of their 

 being constituted, and of their sus- 

 pending their deliberations till simi- 

 lar information should be received, 

 by the elders, from the council of 

 five hundred. A motion was next 



