GENOA GENTIAN. 



389 



tinued in office no longer than two years, after which 

 in- became a senator and procurator, and, at the ex- 

 piration of five years, was again eligible to the office 

 of chief magistrate. The doge was assisted in the 

 administration of the government by twelve gover- 

 nors and eight procurators (not counting such as had 

 previously held the office of dogej, who likewise 

 retained their office two years. They constituted the 

 privy council, who, with the doge, had charge of all 

 state affairs. The procurators had charge of the 

 public treasury and state revenue. The sovereignty 

 was possessed, in the first instance, by the great 

 council, composed of 300 members, among whom 

 were all the Genoese nobles, who had readied the 

 n ge of twenty-two years. Secondly, by the smaller 

 council, consisting of 100 members. Both had a 

 right to deliberate with the governors and procurators 

 upon laws, customs, levies, and taxes ; in which cases 

 the majority of votes decided. It belonged to the 

 smaller council to negotiate respecting war and peace, 

 and foreign alliances ; and the consent of four-fifths, 

 at least, of the members, was required for the pas- 

 sage of a law. The nobility were divided into two 

 classes the old and new. To the old belonged, 

 besides the families of Grimaldi, Fieschi, Doria, 

 Spinola, twenty-four others, who stood nearest them 

 in age, wealth, and consequence. The new nobility 

 comprised 437 families. The doge might be taken 

 from the old or new nobles, indiscriminately. 



By little and little, Genoa lost all her foreign pos- 

 sessions. Corsica, the last of all, revolted in 1730, 

 and was ceded, in 1768, to France. When the 

 neighbouring countries submitted to the French in 

 1797, the neutrality, which the republic had strictly 

 observed, did not save their fluctuating government 

 from ruin. Bonaparte gave them a new constitution, 

 formed upon the principles of the French representa- 

 tive system. Two years afterwards, a portion of the 

 Genoese territory fell into the hands of the Austrians ; 

 but the fate of Genoa was decided by the battle of 

 Marengo. A provisional government was establish- 

 ed, and, in 1802, it received a new constitution, as 

 the Ligurian republic. The doge was assisted by 

 twenty-nine senators, and a council of seventy-two 

 members, as representatives of the people, which 

 met annually, examined the government accounts, 

 and approved the laws proposed to them by the sen- 

 ate. The members of the council were elected by 

 three colleges, and consisted of 300 landed proprie- 

 tors, 200 merchants, and 100 men of the literary pro- 

 fessions. The republic also acquired some increase 

 of territory, and had, in 1804, a population exceed- 

 ing 600,000. Its naval force, which was so formida- 

 ble in the middle ages, now consists only of from four 

 to six galleys, and some armed barques. The land 

 force comprises two German regiments of government 

 guards, 3000 national troops, and 2000 militia. The 

 shipping trade was, in June, 1805, when the republic 

 was incorporated with the French empire, but the 

 shadow of its former greatness, and extended no fur- 

 ther than to Italy, the south of France, Spain, and 

 Portugal. 



Before the last wars in Europe, the Genoese sup- 

 plied a great part of Italy with eastern spices, which 

 were brought to them by the Dutch, with sugar and 

 coffee, partly from Lisbon, and partly from Marseilles, 

 and with fish and salt. Ships from Hamburg brought 

 Saxon linen and cloth. The carrying trade of Genoa 

 was of consequence, but the most important branch 

 of its business was its dealings in money and exchange. 

 Many of the European states, Spain particularly, 

 were debtors to the bank of Genoa, and to wealthy 

 individuals in the city. The bank was, in part, for 

 loans, and partly for deposit. It possessed some fine 

 territories, and its income was over ten millions of 



French livres. The administration of its concerns 

 was committed to eight directors, and it had jurisdic- 

 tion over its own officers. But the more frequently 

 the state sought relief from the bank, in its pressing 

 wants, so much the more did it decline in credit. 

 The republic had pledged various imposts for the 

 payment of the interest upon capital borrowed from 

 the bank, which were continually increased, if they 

 were not sufficient to pay it. At the union of Genoa 

 with the French empire, the bank was abolished, and 

 the rents of 3,400,000 Genoese lire, which they owed 

 to their creditors, were transferred to the account 

 books of France. 



Upon the overthrow of the French empire, the 

 British became possessed of their city ; and the 

 Genoese hoped the more confidently for the re estab- 

 lishment of their ancient commonwealth, as they had 

 received the assurance of the British commander, 

 Bentinck, in the name of his government, to this 

 effect. But the congress of Vienna, in 1815, 

 assigned Genoa, with its territories, to Sardinia, 

 stipulating that it should have a sort of representative 

 constitution. Accordingly, Genoa has its senate, and 

 its provincial council, which must be consulted in the 

 business of taxation. The high court at Genoa has 

 equal powers with that at Turin, Nizza, &c. ; the 

 university was retained ; St George's bank restored, 

 &c. The government is administered by a commis- 

 sion appointed for the purpose, which is divided into 

 three departments that of internal affairs, finance, 

 the military and marine. 



GENS D'ARMES ; the name originally given in 

 France to the whole body of armed men (gens armata), 

 but, after the introduction of standing armies, to a 

 body of heavy armed cavalry, which composed the 

 chief strength of the forces, and was provided with 

 helmets, cuirasses, pistols, horses protected with 

 armour, &c. After the time of Louis XIV., they had 

 only pistols, helmets, and swords. Part of them were 

 under the immediate orders of the king, part com- 

 posed the first body of the French cavalry. The 

 latter consisted of men of rank, and belonged to the 

 troops of the royal household. At the revolution, 

 this body was broken up. The name gens d'armes 

 has since been given to a corps, which succeeded the 

 former (marechaussee) , employed in the protection 

 of the streets. It was composed of infantry and 

 cavalry, and belonged to the military, but served 

 principally to enforce the police regulations. Under 

 Napoleon, it was a distinction to serve in this corps, 

 because only veterans were employed in it ; but the 

 members were hated in a high degree, because they 

 had to execute so many odious orders. When the 

 German nations rose against Napoleon, gens d'armes 

 were killed wherever they were found. The Bour- 

 bons retained this corps ; and they are said to have 

 behaved generally with great moderation ; yet the 

 people continued to hate them as the instruments of 

 tyranny. On one occasion, however, the massacre 

 of the rue St Denis, they seemed to take revenge 

 for all the insults they had suffered so long. This 

 hastened Villele's downfall. (See France, History 

 of.) August 16, 1830. a royal ordinance abolished 

 the gens d'armes, and established a new body called 

 the municipal guard of Paris, to consist of 1443 men, 

 under the direction of the prefect of police. 



GENTIAN ; a genus of plants, belonging to the 

 natural order gentianece, including about a hundred 

 species, many of them remarkable for the beauty of 

 their flowers, which are usually of different shades of 

 blue, but sometimes red, purple, yellow, or rose- 

 coloured. Most of the species inhabit the northern 

 regions of the globe, or the tops of the highest moun- 

 tains, particularly of the European Alps. The Andes 

 of South America and Mexico afford fifteen species. 



