FRANCE. 
S62 
bute which the nation pays to its own dignity, and to the 
neceflity it experiences of giving to you daily teftimonies 
of refpect and of attachment, which every day increafe. 
The French people do not pretend toeftablifh themfelves 
judges of the conftitutions of other dates ; they have 
no critical remarks to make ; no examples to follow ; ex¬ 
perience, in future, will become their guide. They have 
tailed, for ages, the advantages attached to hereditary 
power; they have made a fhort, but painful, trial of the 
contrary fyftem ; they return, by the effeCt of a free and 
maturedeliberation, toa path fuited to their genius. They 
make a free ule of their rights, to delegate to your impe¬ 
rial majefty a power which your interefls forbids you to 
exercile by yourfelf. They ftipnlate for future genera¬ 
tions ; and, by a folemn compact, entrufl to the offspring 
of your race, the happinefs of their poflerity. The latter 
will imitate your virtues, the former will inherit our love 
and our fidelity.” 
The emperor replied in the following terms : “ Every 
thing that can contribute to the good of the country is 
effentially connected with my happinefs. 1 accept the title 
which you think neceffary to the glory of the nation. I 
fubmit to the fanflion of the people the law of hereditary 
fuccellion. I hope France will never repent of having 
furrounded with honours my family. In all cafes my 
Tpirit will ceafe to be prefent with my poflerity, the day 
on which they (hall ceafe to delerve the love and confi¬ 
dence of the great nation.” 
The fenate then requefted an audience of her majefty 
the emprefs, and, on being admitted, the prefident ad- 
dreffed her as follows : 
“ Madam, -Wehave juftprefented toyourauguft fpoufe 
the decree w'hich confers on him the title of emperor, 
which efta-blilhes the government hereditary in his family, 
and aftociates future generations in the happinefs of the 
prefent race. A very agreeable duty remains to be per¬ 
formed by the fenate—that of offering to your imperial 
majefty the homage of its refpeCt, and anexpreftion of the 
gratitude of the French. Fame proclaims the good which 
you are conftantly doing ; it fays, that being always ac- 
ceflible to the unfortunate, yon employ your influence 
only to relieve diftrefs ; and that to the pleufure of oblig- 
ing, your majefty adds that amiable delicacy which ren¬ 
ders gratitude fweeter, and the kindnefs more valuable. 
This difpofition prefages, that the name of the emprefs 
Jofephine will be the fignal of confolation and hope ; 
and as the virtues of Napoleon will always ferve as an 
example to his fucceffors, to teach them the art of govern¬ 
ing nations; the living remembrance of your goodnefs, 
will teach their auguft conforts, that the care of drying 
up tears, is the mo ft effectual means of preferving an em¬ 
pire over all hearts.” 
The “ organic fenatus confultum” was then proclaim¬ 
ed by the emperor. It confifted of 151 articles, abrogat¬ 
ing the confular government, and forming a totally new 
conftitution, under a new epoch and dynafty in France. 
The EMPIRE, under NAPOLEON I. 
The firft exercife of the impeVial authority by Napo¬ 
leon, was the nomination of his highnefs prince Jofeph 
Bonaparte to the dignity of grand eleficr: his highnefs 
prince Louis Bonaparte to that of conjlable of France: con- 
ful Cambaceres to be arch-chancellor of the empire: conful 
Lebrun to be arck-treafurcr . Thefe perfons then took the 
prefcribe,d oaths, in prefence of the emperor. The arch¬ 
chancellor then prefented the minifters and the fecretary 
of ftate, who likewife took the oaths. The conftable 
prefented generals d’Avouft and Beffieres. General Mu¬ 
rat, governor of Paris, was alfo prefented ; and general 
Dun.c, who took the oaths, as goveriror of the imperial 
palace. 
It was likewife ordered that the French princes and 
princeffes fiiould be addrqifed by the title of their imperial 
highnejfes , and the lifters (is the emperor are of that num¬ 
ber. The great officers o» the empire received the tale 
of ferene highnefs ; and they, as well as the princes, are 
to be addreffed monfeigneur. The fecretary of ftate and 
the minifters fhall have the titles of their excellencies. The 
functionaries of the departments, and thofe who prefent 
petitions, are to addrefs them by the title of 'monfeigneur. 
The prefident of the fenate fhall have the title of excel¬ 
lency. And the marefchals of the empire, when addreffed 
in writing, are to have the title of monfeigneur. 
Power was given to Bonaparte, provided he have no 
male ifliie, to adopt an heir from amongft the children and 
grand children of his brothers, provided they have at¬ 
tained the age of eighteen years. On the failure of this 
limitation the imperial dignity is to devolve firft to Jofeph 
Bonaparte and his male iffue ; and, on failure of thofe, to 
Louis Bonaparte and his male iffue ; and finally, on failure 
of thofe branches, an emperor is to be nominated by the 
fenate. The members of the imperial family, in the or¬ 
der of inheritance, fhall bear the title of prince, and the 
eldeft fon of the emperor that of imperial prince. The 
education of thofe princes to be under the direction of 
the fenate, and they are prohibited from marrying without 
the confent of the emperor. Any marriage fo contracted 
incurs the privation of the right of inheritance, both of 
the individuals and their defcendants. The minority of 
a young emperor to ceafe at the age of eighteen. Until 
he arrives at that age, his functions (hail be adminiftered 
by a regent, the rules for whofe appointment are pre- 
fcribed, and his powers limited, from which office females 
are excluded. * 
On the 20th of May, the generals Bertbier, Murat, 
Moncey, Jourdan, Maflena, Augereau, Bernadotte, Soult, 
Brune, Lafnes, Mortier, Ney, d’Avouft, Bellieres, Kel- 
lerrnan, Lefevre, Perignon, and Serrurier., were promoted 
to the rank of marefchals of the empire. 
Bonaparte then notified his elevation to the bifnops of 
France ; and a circular letter was addrelfed to them, on 
the fame occafion, by cardinal Caprara, legate a latere, 
refident in France, which was thus : 
“ My Lord, —Napoleon Bonaparte having been ap¬ 
pointed emperor of the French, you are to make ufe of 
the following prayer :—‘ O Lord preferve our emperor 
Napoleon,’ inftead of that which was ordained by the 
concordat paffed between the holy apoftolic chair and the 
government.of France. Af er this the following prayer 
may be recited, as it has already been ufed in the imperial 
chapel : ‘ O God, the proteCtor of all kingdoms, and 
efpecially of‘the French empire, grant unto thy fei want, 
Napoleon, our emperor, that -he may know and further 
the wondersof thy power, to the end that he whom thou 
haft appointed our Sovereign, may be always powerful 
■^through thy grace.” 
On the 28th of May, this event was officially announc¬ 
ed by the French charge d’affaires to thediet of Ratifbon, 
Snd a fimilar notification was made to the-feveral foreign 
courts; and regulations for the coronation were laid down 
by an imperial decree, dated from the palace of St.»Cloud, 
July 9th. This ceremony was then appointed to take 
place in tfie month of November following (the 18th 
Brumaire), and the public functionaries from the feveral 
departments, together with detachmentsfrom the different 
military corps, were fumntoned to attend at Paris on the 
occalion. 
Whilft the French government was thus anxioufly en¬ 
gaged in making arrangements for placing the crown of 
France on the head of Bonaparte, the court of St. Peterfl 
burgh prefented, on the 26th of May, by M. Oubril, the 
Ruffian charge d’affaires at Paris, the following note:—. 
“ The underfigned has been otdered to declare, by his 
imperial majefty the emperor of all the Ruffias, that he 
cannot prolong his (lay at Paris, unlefs the following de¬ 
mands be complied with, ift, That conformably to the 
fourth and fifth articles of the fecret convention of the 
nth of October 1801, the French government fhall caufe 
its troops to evacuate the kingdom of Naples ; and, when 
that is done, that it fhall engage to refpeCt the neutrality 
of 
