256 MEMOIRS OF 



such imperious circumstances, he defended the 

 University, and various questions of finance, in a 

 manner which showed how Uttle he courted po- 

 pularity. 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 state- 

 ment of the facts which rule these laws in 

 France, of the facts which ought to rule them, 

 of the legislation applied to them during a cer- 

 tain number of years, and, lastly, the consider- 

 ations which operated in favour of the measures 

 proposed in the Chamber, and which were finally 

 adopted. 



A remarkable proof of the comprehensiveness 

 of his legislative talents occurred in this Cham- 

 ber during his short career there. A question, 

 purely military, was discussed, and so many ar- 

 guments took place that the affair became con- 

 fused, and resisted all the efforts made to come 

 to an explanation. M. Cuvier rose, immediately 

 set the whole in a clear, strong point of view, so 

 as to enable the desired arrangements to take 

 place ; and this, not in consequence of any de- 



