POLITICS AT GENEVA 301 



cratic party had planned a massacre of the Syndics and the Swiss 

 troops. Several of its leaders, including Pierre Fatio, a lawyer of 

 patrician family and great eloquence, were arrested, condemned, 

 and executed. Thus ended the first of the series of revolutions 

 and counter-revolutions which were to mark the century. 



The years 1730-40 may serve as the next point in our summary 

 retrospect. Since the attempted revolution in 1707 had been 

 put down, the patrician oligarchy had further consolidated its 

 power. The Senate and Great Council by a series of ingenious 

 devices had secured to themselves in practice perpetuity of office, 

 the concentration in their own hands of all legislative, executive, 

 and judicial power, the appointment of the four Syndics, and the 

 control of the elections of their own members . The meetings of the 

 General Assembly had become merely formal and fallen largely into 

 disuse. It had to content itself with acting as a Court of Registra- 

 tion for the decrees and nominations of the Councils. 



In 1734 the growing discontent was again brought to a head by 

 increased taxation imposed to meet the cost of new fortifications. 

 Either side suspected the other of an intention to resort to violence. 

 Some blood was shed in street riots, but in the end a compromise 

 was arrived at. The British Resident in Switzerland, it is inter- 

 esting to find, addressed a very sensible and plain-spoken letter to 

 the Syndics and Councils, blaming their conduct and justifying 

 the bourgeoisie in calling in question their claim to the power of 

 imposing taxation. In the result the Assembly was convoked 

 and voted the taxes in question, while the officials who had been 

 concerned in preparing arms for use against the people were dis- 

 missed. But the truce proved a hollow one. The Senate con- 

 demned Micheli du Crest, an engineer, who on the ground of 

 expense had ventured to criticise and oppose their project of new 

 fortifications ; Micheli's adherents were prosecuted without any 

 regard for legal forms ; the populace rose in their defence ; street- 

 fighting ensued . The Councils by feasts and flattery sought to win 

 over the artisan population to take up arms on their side against 

 the middle-class burghers. In this dilemma recourse was again 

 had to the so-called Garantie, the old custom arising out of the need 

 Geneva had experienced in earlier times of protection from the 

 Dukes of Savoy. The King of France and the cantons of Berne 

 and Zurich were invited to exercise their right to intervene in 



