. In the footsteps of Napoleon, his life and its famous scenes. fore his frown. The hateful law of hos-tages was repealed and he went in person to throw open theprison doors of the temple. Imprisoned or banished priests,who had taken the republican oath, received the freedom ofthe country. The national securities rose from twelve totwenty francs in five days. The masses and the classes alike welcomed the, advanceagent of prosperity. The banks trustingly opened theirstrong boxes to him, and an individual citizen came forwardwith a loan of $100,000 to a government that had lacked themoney to pay
. In the footsteps of Napoleon, his life and its famous scenes. fore his frown. The hateful law of hos-tages was repealed and he went in person to throw open theprison doors of the temple. Imprisoned or banished priests,who had taken the republican oath, received the freedom ofthe country. The national securities rose from twelve totwenty francs in five days. The masses and the classes alike welcomed the, advanceagent of prosperity. The banks trustingly opened theirstrong boxes to him, and an individual citizen came forwardwith a loan of $100,000 to a government that had lacked themoney to pay the expenses of a courier to its army in Italy. In a month there was a new constitution, which providedthat Napoleon should be First Consul for ten years, with fullexecutive power and a salary of $100,000 a year. The Secondand Third Consuls were left almost as powerless as the Vice-president of the United States, and were retained only to dis-guise the one-man despotism. The people continued in pos-session of manhood suffrage, but were removed as far as pos-. In the Saddle, by Bellange RULER OF FRANCE 115 sible from the control of the government. The 5,000,000men of voting age in the country were to choose 500,000 per-sons, who in turn, were to choose 50,000 and finally they wereto choose 5000. From these 5000 notablfes, all the offices wereto be filled. There were to be a council, a senate, a tribunate, and alegislature. The Consuls were to appoint the council anda majority of senators, after which these latter were them-selves to complete the composition of the senate, which,finally, was to choose from the notables the members of thetribunate and the legislature. No one was to be directlyelected by the people. The council, presided over by the First Consul, was topropose all laws to the tribunate, where they were to be de-bated and then referred to the legislature—a deaf anddumb assembly—^which was to adopt or reject the proposalsin silence, after which the laws were to
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectnapoleo, bookyear1915
