HISTORY OF EUROPE. [59 



tuted it would be (inn and durable, 

 in order to secure the rights of the 

 citizens and the interests of the 

 state ; and, finally, that the go- 

 vernment was now fixed upon the 

 principles on which it had begun. 

 This constitution consisted princi- 

 pally in three consuls, or rather one, 

 called the chief consul with two 

 assessors, who had votes only in 

 matters of secondary importance ; 

 a conservative senate, and a legisla- 

 tive body divided into two parts, 

 tribunes and senators ; the tribunes 

 to reason or plead on any proposi- 

 tion, but not to vote ; the senators 

 to vote and decide silently, but 

 neither to argue nor even to declare 

 the grounds on which they gave 

 their opinion. 



The chief consul was to propose 

 Jaws, and make regulations for car- 

 rying them, when agreed to, into 

 execution. He was to appoint the 

 new councils of state, ministers, 

 ambassadors, agents, all officers of 

 the army and navy, judges, mem- 

 bers of local administrations, and 

 commissioners of the government to 

 different courts. He was to pro- 

 claim and enforce the law, and to 

 be allowed a yearly revenue of half 

 a million of livrcs, or 20,833/. 

 sterling. His two colleagues were 

 allowed one hundred and fifty thou- 

 sand livres each. The chief consul, 

 quitting his station, either on the 

 expiration of his functions, or in 

 consccpiencc of resignation, v»-as to 

 become a senator of immediate 

 right and necessity. No new laws 

 could be promulgated but when the 

 project should have been jiroposed 

 by the government, communicated 

 to the tribunate, and decreed by 

 the legislative body. And, in ev^ery 

 Stage of the discussion of these pro- 

 jects, government, that is, in fact, the 



first consul, whether with oi" with- 

 out the approbation of his two as- 

 sessors, might withdraw them, and 

 produce them anew in a modified 

 state. The first consul was to take 

 measures for the internal security 

 and external defence of the state. 

 He was to station the forces, mili- 

 tary and naval, and regulate the 

 manner of their being employed. 

 The national guard in activity was 

 also subject to his direction. He it 

 was in whom the power was vested 

 of maintaining political relations 

 abroad, managing negociations, 

 making preliminary stipulations, 

 causing, signing, and concluding all 

 treaties of peace, alliance, truce, 

 commerce, and other conventions. 

 Declarations of war and treaties 

 of peace, alliance and commerce, 

 were proposed, discussed, decreed, 

 and promulgated like laws : but 

 discussions on these subjects, whe- 

 ther in the tribunate, or legislative 

 body, were to take place only in a 

 secret committee, and when the 

 chief consul should desire it. The 

 first consul was to direct the re- 

 ceipts and expenses of the state, 

 agreeably to the annual law which 

 should determine the amount of 

 each. He was also to superintend 

 the coinage of money. One of the 

 ministers was especially intrusted 

 with the administration of the pub- 

 lic treasury. He was to secure the 

 receipts, to order the transfer of 

 sums, and the payments authorized 

 by law. But he could not make, 

 or cause to be made, any payment 

 except in virtue, first of a law, and 

 till the concurrence of funds, which 

 had been fixed for ;i distinct spe- 

 cies of expense : secondly, of a 

 decree of the government : thirdly, 

 of a warrant signed by a mi- 

 nister. 



