24] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



bers for their conduct. The pre- 

 sident, Lucien Buonaparte, having, 

 at last, after many etlbrts obtained 

 a hearing, " admitted that the com- 

 motion that had taken place was 

 natural, and that the feelings of the 

 liouse, on the occasion of what had 

 just passed, were in unison with his 

 own. But, after all, it was natural 

 to suppose, that the general, in the 

 step he had taken, had no other ob- 

 ject in view, than to give an ac- 

 count of the state of affairs, or to 

 communicate sometliing or other 

 interesting to the public ; at any 

 rate, he did not think that any 

 member of that assembly should en- 

 tertain any suspicions." — Here one 

 member cried out, " Buonaparte 

 has this day sullied his glory :" ano- 

 ther, " Buonaparte has conducted 

 himself like a king :" a third, " I 

 demand that general Buonaparte 

 be called to our bar to give an ac- 

 count of his conduct." Lucien 

 Buonaparte now quitted the chair, 

 which was taken by Chazel. 



Degnesse allowed that the coun- 

 cil of ancients, in changing the re- 

 sidence of the legislature, had not 

 exceeded their powers ; but he de- 

 manded that they should be called 

 on to declare who were the heads 

 and the agents of the conspiracy, 

 forasmuch as it was necessary to 

 avert the dangers with which they 

 were threatened. Above all, it 

 was necessary to provide for their 

 own safety ; and for this end to 

 ascertain, in the first place, the 

 bounds to which their jurisdiction, 

 in matters of police, extended. — 

 These motions were seconded by a 

 great number of voices. 



Bertrand de Calvados observed, 

 that, " when the council of ancients 

 gave orders for the translation of 

 the legislature to that commune, 



they had exercised only a constitu- 

 tional privilege ; but that, in the 

 nominationofacommander-in-chief, 

 they had used an authority to which 

 they had no legal pretensions. He 

 moved that they should forthwith 

 decree, that Buonaparte was not 

 the general of the troops composing 

 their guard." This motion was 

 also supported by a great number of 

 voices. 



Talot conjured the council " to 

 recollect the stations in which they 

 were placed, to be united and vigi- 

 lant for the public safety. He was 

 persuaded that the council of an- 

 cients, in adopting so extraordinary 

 and hasty a measure, did not intend 

 that they should carry on their de- 

 liberations in a prison, and at the 

 point of bayonets. What ? the re- 

 presentatives of the French people 

 in a village surrounded by a military 

 force, and this not at their disposal? 

 Not that I fear the soldiers. They 

 have fought for liberty ; they are 

 our relations, our children. We 

 have ourselves carried arms in the 

 same cause. I cannot dread the re- 

 publican soldierwhose relations have 

 honoured rae with their suffrages, 

 and appointed me their representa- 

 tive in the national assembly ; but 

 this I declare, that yesterday the 

 constitution suffered violence. The 

 council of ancients had no right to 

 appoint a general ; Buonaparte had 

 no right to penetrate into our quar- 

 ter without orders, that is the truth : 

 as for you, you cannot long give 

 your free votes in your present posi- 

 tion. You ought to return to Paris. 

 Return thither clothed as you are in 

 your official robes. The citizens 

 and soldiers, assuming in an instant 

 a military attitude, will declare 

 themselves the defenders of their 

 country. I deraancl an immediate 



