Part 21 (1/2)

[Footnote 1: During the old _regime_, the theatres were under the control of the _Gentils-hommes de la chambre_, but at the establishment of the directorial government, they were placed in the power of the Minister of the Interior, in whose department they have since continued. Of late, however, it is a.s.serted, that they are each to be under the direction of a Prefect of the Palace.]

[Footnote 2: Independently of the boxes reserved for the officers of the staff of the city of Paris, and those at the head of the police, who have individually free admission to all the _spectacles_ on producing their ivory ticket, there is also a box at each theatre appropriated to the Minister of Public Instruction.]

LETTER XXII.

_Paris, November 23, 1801._

Yesterday being the day appointed for the opening of the session of the Legislative Body, I was invited by a member to accompany him thither, in order to witness their proceedings. No one can be admitted without a ticket; and by the last const.i.tution it is decreed, that not more than two hundred strangers are to be present at the sittings. The gallery allotted for the accommodation of the public, is small, even in proportion to that number, and, in general, extremely crowded. My friend, aware of this circ.u.mstance, did me the favour to introduce me into the body of the hall, where I was seated very conveniently, both for seeing and hearing, near the _tribune_, to the left of the President.

This hall was built for the Council of Five Hundred, on the site of the grand apartments of the _Palais Bourbon_. Since the accession of the consular government, it has been appropriated to the sittings of the Legislative Body, on which account the palace has taken their name, and over the princ.i.p.al entrance is inscribed, in embossed characters of gilt bronze:

PALAIS DU CORPS LeGISLATIF.

The palace stands on the south bank of the Seine, facing the _Pont de la Concorde_. It was begun, in 1722, for Louise-Francoise de Bourbon, a legitimated daughter of Lewis XIV. GIRARDINI, an Italian architect, planned the original building, the construction of which was afterwards superintended by La.s.sURANCE and GABRIEL. The Prince de Conde having acquired it by purchase, he caused it to be considerably augmented and embellished, at different times, under the direction of BARRAU, CARPENTIER and BeLISARD.

Had the _Pont de la Concorde_ subsisted previously to the erection of the _Palais Bourbon_, the princ.i.p.al entrance would, probably, have been placed towards the river; but it faces the north, and is preceded by a paltry square, now called _Place du Corps Legislatif_.

In the centre of a peristyle, of the Corinthian order, is the grand gateway, crowned by a sort of triumphal arch, which is connected, by a double colonnade, to two handsome pavilions. The lateral buildings of the outer court, which is two hundred and eighty feet in length, are decorated with the same order, and a second court of two hundred and forty feet, includes part of the original palace, which is constructed in the Italian style.

The princ.i.p.al entrances to the right and left lead to two halls; the one dedicated to _Peace_; the other, to _Victory_. On the one side, is a communication to the apartments of the old palace; on the other, are two s.p.a.cious rooms. The room to the left, inscribed to _Liberty_, is intended for pet.i.tioners, &c.; that to the right, inscribed to _Equality_, is appropriated to conferences. Between the halls of Liberty and Equality, is the hall of the sittings of the Legislative Body.

The form of this hall is semicircular; the benches, rising gradually one above the other, as in a Roman amphitheatre, are provided with backs, and well adapted both for ease and convenience. They are intersected by pa.s.sages, which afford to the members the facility of reaching or quitting their places, without disturbance or confusion.

Every seat is distinguished by a number, so that a deputy can never be at a loss to find his place. In the centre, is an elevated rostrum, with a seat for the President, directly under which is the _tribune_, also elevated, for the orator addressing the a.s.sembly. The tribune is decorated by a bas-relief, in white marble, representing France writing her const.i.tution, and Fame proclaiming it. The table for the four secretaries is placed facing the tribune, beneath which the _huissiers_ take their station. The desk and seat of the President, formed of solid mahogany, are ornamented with _or moulu_.

The folding doors, which open into the hall, to the right and left of the President's chair, are also of solid mahogany, embellished in the same manner. Their frames are of white marble, richly sculptured.

Independently of these doors, there are others, serving as a communication to the upper-seats, by means of two elegant stone stair-cases.

In six niches, three on each side of the tribune, are so many statues of Greek and Roman legislators. On the right, are Lycurgus, Solon, and Demosthenes: on the left, Brutus, Cato, and Cicero. The inside of the hall is in stucco, and the upper part is decorated by a colonnade of the Ionic order. The light proceeds from a cupola, glazed in the centre, and the remainder of which is divided into small compartments, each ornamented by an emblematical figure. The floor is paved with marble, also in compartments, embellished with allegorical attributes.

Having made you acquainted with the hall of the sittings, I think it may not be uninteresting to give you an account of the forms observed in opening the session.

When I arrived, with my friend, at the Palace of the Legislative Body, most of the members were already a.s.sembled in the apartments of their library. At noon, they thence repaired to the hall, preceded by the _huissiers_, messengers of state, and secretaries.

The opening of the session was announced by the report of artillery.

The oldest member, in point of years, took the President's chair, provisionally.

The four youngest members of the a.s.sembly were called to the table to discharge the office of secretaries, also provisionally.

The provisional President then declared, that the members of the Legislative Body were a.s.sembled by virtue of Article x.x.xIII of the const.i.tution, for the session of the year X; that, being provisionally organized, the sitting was opened; and that their names were going to be called over, for the purpose of ascertaining the number of members present, and for forming definitive arrangements, by the nomination of a president and four secretaries.

The names were then called over alphabetically, and, after they were all gone through, they were recalled.

This ceremony being terminated, four committees, each composed of four members, whose names were drawn by lot by the President, proceeded, in presence of the a.s.sembly, to scrutinize the ballot.

It thence resulted, that the number of members present was two hundred and twenty-eight;

That Citizen DUPUIS was elected President by a majority of votes;