140 MEMOIRS OF 



charity he examined our requests ; and what a new order 

 of things would have arisen at his bidding, had the Almigh- i 

 ty suffered him to continue amongst us!" 



M. Cuvier's elevation to the Chamber of Peers was but 

 a just tribute to his long and important services ; and he 

 took his place among his new colleagues with that calm 

 dignity which was not likely to be ruffled by any accession 

 of rank. It was wholly unsolicited, and. at the moment, 

 produced any thing but joy in himself or his family; for it 

 appeared likely to draw him still more into public life, at a 

 period when all around was stormy and uncertain. It is 

 well known how the Chamber of Peers felt it their duty, 

 for the preservation almost of their existence as a body, to 

 vote in the agitation question of inheritance ; * and. of 

 course, M. Cuvier acted according to his maxim of prefer- 

 ring the lesser evil, when evil was unavoidable ; but when 

 unshackled by such imperious circumstances, he defended 

 the University, and various questions of finance, in a man- 

 ner which showed how little he courted popularity. The 

 only work of his hands which remains in the archives of 

 this Chamber relates to corn laws, and was written in a very 

 few hours. But these few hours' reflection, on so arduous 

 and delicate a subject, sufficed him for the production of an 

 exact and extensive statement of the facts which rule these j 

 laws in France, of the facts which ought to rule them, of the j 

 legislation applied to them during a certain number of 

 years, and, lastly, the considerations which operated in fa- 

 vour of the measures proposed in the Chamber, and which 

 were finally adopted. 



A remarkable proof of the comprehensiveness of his legis- 

 lative talents occurred in this Chamber during his short 

 career there. A question, purely military, was discussed, 

 and so many arguments took place that the affair became 

 confused, and resisted all the efforts made to come loan ex- 

 planation. M. Cuvier rose, immediately set the whole in a 

 clear, strong point of view, so as to enable the desired ar- 

 rangements to take place; and this, not in consequence of 

 any deduction made from the reasoning of the moment, but 

 from a thorough knowledge cf the matter in all its bearings. 



* In case of continued opposition, the Chamber of Deputies threatened 

 to form themselves into a Constituent Assembly. 



