POLITICS AT GENEVA 305 



their ears that the Councils had resort to an active policy of 

 suppression. In 1763 the long -gathering storm broke out with 

 the condemnation of the Contrat Social and Emile and the ban- 

 ishment of their author. A band of burghers ' represented ' 

 that is, protested to the Senate against this 'condemnation' in 

 very strong terms. Their action seems to have been both 

 politically expedient and legally sound ; the main point they 

 urged was that, under an article of the Ecclesiastical Ordinances 

 of 1576, the author of any alleged attack on the Established 

 Religion could not be condemned unheard or without previous 

 admonishment. 1 The Senate firmly ' negatived ' that is, refused 

 to receive their protest . Public interest was aroused ; the contest 

 grew wordy, pamphlets flew about on all sides the Genevese were 

 always ready to rush to the printing-press. The Procureur 

 General Jean Robert Tronchin in an able tract, entitled 

 Lettres ecrites de la Campagne, stated in moderate terms and 

 with much use of historical parallels the case for the Government ; 

 Rousseau fulminated on the other side in the far more famous 

 Lettres ecrites de la Montague. The popular party, greatly 

 encouraged and incited by their eloquent supporter, became 

 turbulent. The Senate grew alarmed ; it first threatened to 

 resign, and then gave signs of a readiness to compromise. Voltaire, 

 who preferred to live among quiet neighbours, seems on this 

 occasion to have done his best, but in vain, to convert the tem- 

 porary truce into a more permanent arrangement. 



In the following year the quarrel was renewed. The Assembly 

 was obstinate in exercising the one power left it that of rejecting 

 the candidates for the magistracy nominated by the Councils. 

 The latter replied by throwing themselves into the hands of the 

 Mediating Powers. There were now three main matters in dispute 

 between them and the Assembly. The Councils claimed (1) 

 judicial powers, (2) the right to interpret the ancient laws, and 

 (3) to refuse to entertain any proposal or remonstrance of the 

 citizens. In the absence of any published code the effect of this 

 claim was to make the Councils practically supreme and omni- 



1 ' Art. 88. S'il y a quelqu'un qui dogmatise centre la doctrine res9ue qu'il 

 soit appele pour conferer avec luy : s'il se range, qu'on le supporte sans scandaie 

 ni difame : s'il est opiniatre qu'on 1'admoneste par quelques fois pour essayer 

 a le reduire : si on voit enfin qu'il soit metier de plus grande seventh qu'on lui 

 interdise la Sainte Gene et qu'on en avertisse le magistrat afin d'y pourvoir.' 



