Vill Inaugural Address. 
been formerly subject, and to declare that he would, from 
henceforth, be governed by the Roman Code. (1) Many 
customs, also, peculiar to the victors, were continued after 
the conquest of Gaul. It had, particularly been their prac- 
tice to meet in council, at the close of every winter, upon 
the state of their respective nations ; and during the first and 
sccond Dynasties, several meetings of the Sovereign and of 
the Chiefs, in church and state, with the addition of the 
commons (from the reign of Charlemagne) were held, in the 
open air, annually in the month of March or May, and from 
thence denominated champs de mars, or champs de mai.(2) 
In these Assemblies, Laws were passed for the government 
of the Kingdom at large, and Canons established for the re- 
gulation of the Church—Taxes were imposed—Regencies 
«vere appointed, and the Sovereign elected until the Crown 
became hereditary, and then, the Successor was proclaimed, 
if his right to the Throne was not controverted, and, if it 
was, it was solemnly determined.(3) The question on each 
subject of discussion was generally propounded by the King, 
who. when it had been fully debated, pronounced the defi- 
nitive resolution. The result was then put into writing, 
the questions and resolutions which were passed upon them 
were reduced under distinct heads, called chapters, and to 
collections of several chapters was given the name of Ca- 
pitulars.(4) 
It is certain that a supreme jurisdiction over all persons, 
and all causes, was exercised by the Assemblies of the Champ 
de Mars, but the precise extent of that Jurisdiction, which 
was originally vested in the subordinate Courts of the Crown, 
or of the feudal Lords or Seigneurs, cannot now be deter- 
mined, 
(1) Robertson’s Charles Y. vol. Ist. p. 315, 
(2) Fleury, p. 39. : 
(3) Encyclopedia Method. de Jurisp. verbo “‘ Champ de Mars,” vol. 
1st. part 2d. p. 443, Robertson’s Charles V. vol. 1st. p, 167, 
(4) Fleury, p. 40. 
