honourable distinctions. In the last place, and it is no doubt the greatest of the miracles operated by your genius, that people, whose civil effervescence had rendered them impatient of every restraint, and hostile to every authority, were by your means made to cherish and respect a power which was exercised only for their glory and repose. -The French people do not pretend to establish themselves judges of the constitutions of other states; they have no critical remarks to make; no examples to follow; experience in future will become their guide. They have tasted for ages the advantages attached to hercditary power; they have made a short but painful trial of the contrary system; they return by the effect of free and mature deliberation to a path suited to their genius. They make a free use of their rights, to delegate to your imperial majesty a power which your interest forbids you to exercise by yourself. They stipulate for future generations, and by a solemn compact entrust to the offspring of your race, the happiness of their posterity. The latter will imitate your virtues, the former will inherit our love and our fidelity. Happy the nation which, after so much trouble and uncertainty, finds in its bosom a man worthy of appeasing the tempest of the passions, of conciliating all interests, and uniting all voices! Happy the prince who holds his power by the will, the confidence, and the affections of the citizens! If it be in the principles of our constitution, and already several examples of this kind have been given, to submit to the sanction of the people that part of the decree which concerns the establishment of an

hereditary government; the senate have thought that it ought to entreat your imperial majesty to consent that the organic dispositions should be immediately carried into execution; and that, for the glory as well as the happiness of the republic, Napoleon may be immediately proclaimed emperor of the French.

The emperor replied in the following terms:

"Every thing that can contribute to the good of the country is essentially connected with my happiness. I accept the title which you think necessary to the glory of the nation. I submit to the sanction of the people the law of hereditary succession. I hope France will never repent of its having surrounded with honours my family. In all cases my spirit will cease to be present with my posterity, the day on which it shall cease to deserve the love and confidence of the great nation."

The senate being then admitted to an audience of her majesty the empress, the consul Cambaceres, the president, said:

Madam, We have just presented to your august spouse the decree which confers on him the title of emperor, which establishes the government hereditary in his family, and associates future generations in the happiness of the present race.

A very agreeable duty remains to be performed by the senate-that of offering to your imperial majesty the homage of its respect, and an expression of the gratitude of the French.-Yes, madam, fame proclaims the good which you are con tinually doing; it says, that being always accessible to the unfortunate, you employ your influence with the chief of the state only to relieve distress, and that to the pleasure of

obliging,

obliging, your majesty adds that amiable delicacy which renders gratitude sweeter and the kindness more valuable. This disposition presages, that the name of the empress Josephina will be the signal of consolation and of hope, and as the virtues of Napoleon will always serve as an example to his successors, to teach them the art of governing nations; the living remembrance of your goodness, will teach their august consorts that the care of drying up tears, is the most effectual means of preserving an empire over all hearts. The senate thinks itself happy in the opportunity of being the first to salute you empress, and he who has the honour of being its organ, takes the liberty to hope that you will deign to reckon him among the number of your most faithful servants.

The organic senatus consultum was then proclaimed by the emperor. His imperial majesty nominated to the dignity of grand elector, his imperial highness, prince Joseph Buonaparte; to that of constable, his imperial highness, prince Louis Buonaparte; to that of arch-chancellor of the empire, the consul Cambaccres; and to that of archtreasurer, the consul Lebrun.—— The arch-chancellor of the empire, the arch-treasurer, and constable, took the oaths in the presence of the emperor. The arch-chancellor of the empire presented the ministers and secretary of state, who took the oaths before the emperor.-The constable then presented generals d'Avoust and Bessieres, as well as general Murat, governor of Paris. The arch-chancellor of the empire presented also general Duroc, governor of the imperial palace, who took the oath.-His imperial

majesty then addressed to consuls Cambaceres and Lebrun the following letter:

Citizen consul Cambaceres.Your title is about to be changed; but your functions and my confidence remain the same. In the high dignity of arch-chancellor, with which you are going to be invested, you will manifest, as you have done in that of consul, the wisdom of your counsels and those distinguished talents which have given you so important a share in all the good that I can have done.I have nothing therefore to request of you but the continuation of the same sentiments for the state and for me.

Done at the Palace of St. Cloud, 28 Floreal, Year 12, (May 18, 1804).

Napoleon.

On the 20th of May the following decree was made by the emperor:

Napoleon, emperor of the French, decrees the following generals to be marshals of the empire:-Berthier, Murat, Monceau, Jourdan, Massena, Augereau, Bernadotte, Soult, Brune, Launes, Mortier, Ney, Davoust, Bessieres.-The title of marshals of the empire to be given to the following senators: Kellerman, Lefevre, Perignon, Serrurier.

(Signed) Napoleon. Done at St. Cloud, &c. &c. &c.

The French princes and princesses are to be addressed by the title of their imperial highnesses; and the sisters of the emperor are to enjoy the same dignity. The great officers of the empire are to receive the title of their serene highnesses, and they, as well as the princes, are to be addressed, monseigneur. The high offices of the empire are to

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wear the same dress as that of consuls; but they are to appear in a particular costume upon great occasions. The secretary of state has the rank of a minister; and all the ministers will have the title of their excellencies. The functionaries of the departments, and all those who present petitions, are to address them by the title of monseigneur. The president of the senate will receive the title of his excellency. The marshals of the empire are to be called monsieur le marshal; and when spoken to, or addressed in writing, they are to have the title of monseigneur.

Organic Senatus Consultum, extracted from the Register of the Conservative Senate. Floreal, Year 12.-May 18, 1804.

shall be administered in the name of the emperor by officers whom he shall appoint.-2. Napoleon Buo-. naparte, now first consul of the republic, shall be emperor of the French.

Title II.-Of Hereditament.

The imperial dignity is hereditary, in a direct, natural, and legitimate descent of Napoleon Buonaparte, from male to male, in order of primogeniture, and to the perpetual exclusion of females and their descent.-4. Napoleon Buonaparte may adopt the children or grandchildren of his brothers, provided they have attained the age of eighteen years complete, and that he himself have no male heirs at the time of adoption. His adopted sons enter into the line of his direct descent. If he have any male children posterior to adoption, his adopted sons can succeed only after the natural and legitimate descendants. Adoption is interdicted to the successors of Napoleon Buonaparte, and to their descendants.-5. Failing a natural or legitimate heir, or adopted heir of Napoleon Buonaparte, the imperial dignity shall devolve to and be conferred on Joseph Buonaparte and his natural and legitimate descendants, in the order of primoge niture, to the perpetual exclusion of females and their descendants. 6. Failing Joseph -6. Buonaparte and his male descendants, the imperial dignity shall devolve to and be conferred on Louis Buonaparte and his natural and legitimate descendants, in the order of primogeniture, from male to male, and to the perpetual exclusion of females and their descendants.-7. Failing a natural and legitimate heir, or adopted heir of Napoleon Buonaparte, failing a natural or legitimate

The conservative senate, assembled to the number of members prescribed by the 90th article of the constitution, have seen the project of the senatus consultum drawn up according to the 57th article of the organic senatus consultum, dated Thermidor 16, year 10, and after having heard, on the motives of the said project, the orators of the government, and the report of its special commission, nominated in the sitting of the 6th of this month, and having deliberated on the adoption of it, to the number of offices prescribed by the 56th article of the organic senatus consultum, of the 16th of Thermidor, year 10, decrees as follows:

Title I.

heir of Joseph Buonaparte and his male descendants, of Louis Buona parte and his male descendants, an organic senatus consultum, proposed to the senate by the titularies of the great dignitaries of the empire, and submitted to the acceptance of the people, shall nominate the emperor, and regulate in his family the order of hereditament, from male to male, to the perpetual exclusion of females and of their descendants.-8. Until the moment of the election of the new emperor, the affairs of the state shall be governed by the ministers, who shall form in council the government, and who shall deliberate by a majority of voices. The secretary of state shall keep a journal of the deliberations.

Title III.-Of the Imperial Family. 9. The members of the imperial family in the order of hereditament shall bear the title of French princes. The eldest son of the emperor shall be styled imperial prince.-10. The mode of education for the French princes shall be regulated by a senatus consultum.-11. They are members of the senate and of the council of state, when they have attained to their eighteenth year.-12. They cannot marry without the consent of the emperor. The marriage of a French prince without the consent of the emperor, incurs the privation of all right of inheritance both for the individual who has contracted it, and for his descendants. -13. The acts which attest the birth, the marriages, and deaths of members of the imperial family, shall be transmitted, by order from the emperor, to the senate, who shall order them to be inscribed in their journals, and deposited among their archives.-14. Napoleon Buo

naparte shall establish, by statutes to which his successors are bound to conform, 1st, The duties of the individuals of both sexes, who are members of the imperial family to wards the emperor; 2d, An organization of the imperial palace, conformably to the dignity of the throne, and the grandeur of the nation.-15. The civil list remains regulated in the same manner as it was by the 1st and 4th articles of the decree of May 26, 1791.--The princes Joseph and Louis Buona. parte, and, in future, the younger natural and legitimate sons of the emperor, shall be treated agreeably to the article 1, 10, 11, 12, and 13 of the decree of December 21, 1790. The emperor may fix the jointure of the empress, and refer it to the civil list. His successors can introduce no change in the dispositions made in this respect.-16. The em peror shall visit the departments: imperial palaces shall therefore be established in the four principal points of the empire. These palaces shall be fixed, and their dependencies established by a law.

Title IV. Of the Regency.

17. The emperor is a minor till the age of eighteen years complete; during his minority there shall be a regent of the empire.-18. The regent must be at least twenty-five years of age, complete; females are excluded from the regency.-19. The emperor chooses the regent from among the French princes who have attained to the age prescribed by the preceding article; and failing them, from among the titularies of the great dignities of the empire. -20. Failing designation on the part of the emperor, the regency shall devolve to the prince nearest in degree in the order of inheritance,

who

who has attained to 25 years complete.-21. In cases where the emperor has not chosen the regent, if none of the French princes have attained to the age of 25 years complete, the senate shall choose the regent from the titularies of the great dignities of the empire.-22. When, on account of the minority of a prince called to the regency in the order of inheritance, it has been conferred on a more distant relation, or on one of the titularies of the great dignities of the empire, the regent who has entered on the exercise of his functions, shall continue them till the majority of the emperor.-23. No organic senatus consultum can be passed during the regency, nor before the end of the third year after the majority.24. The regent shall exercise, till the majority of the emperor, all the attributes of the imperial dignity: he cannot, however, nominate to the grand dignities of the empire, nor to the places of the great officers which may be vacant during the regency, or which may be come vacant during the minority, nor use the prerogative reserved for the emperor of raising citizens to the rank of senator. He cannot dismiss either the grand judge or the secretary of state.-25. He is not personally responsible for the acts of his administration.-26. All acts of the regency are in the name of the emperor under age.-27. The regent can propose no project of a law or senatus consultum, and can adopt no regulation of public administration, until he has consulted the council of regency, composed of the titularies of the great dignities of the empire. He cannot declare war or sign treaties of peace, alliance, or commerce, until after deliberation in the council of regency:

the members of which in this case only have a deliberative voice. The decision shall be by a majority of voices, and if there be an equality that of the regent shall determine it. The minister of foreign relations shall have a seat in the council of regency, when the council deliberates on affairs relating to his department. The grand judge, minister of justice, may be called to it by order of the regent. The secretary of State shall keep a journal of the deliberations.-28. The regency can confer no right on the person of the minor emperor.-29. The salary of the regent is fixed at a fourth amount of the civil list.-30. The care of the minor emperor entrusted to his mother, and, failing her, to the princess chosen for that purpose by the predecessor of the minor emperor. Failing the mother of the minor emperor, a prince chosen by the senate shall entrust the care of the minor emperor to one of the titularies of the great dignities of the empire. Neither the regent, nor his descendant being females, can be chosen to take charge of the minor emperor.-31. In case Napoleon Buonaparte shall use the faculty conferred on him by the 4th article of title 2, the act of adoption shall be performed in the presence of the titularies of the grand dignities of the empire; shall be received by the secretary of state, and immediately transmitted to the senate to be inscribed in the journals, and deposited among the archives; when the emperor nominates either a regent for the minority, or a prince to take charge of the minor emperor, the same formalities are to be observed; the act of nomination, either of a regent for the minority, or a princess to take charge of the minor empe

ror,