Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 3Jefferson, Thomas
History
Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 3
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
My last to you was of July the 22nd. Since that, I have received yours
of May the 27th, June 13th and 30th. The tranquillity of the city has
not been disturbed since my last. Dissensions between the French and
Swiss guards occasioned some private combats, in which five or six were
killed. These dissensions are made up. The want of bread for some days
past has greatly endangered the peace of the city. Some get a little,
some none at all. The poor are the best served, because they besiege
perpetually the doors of the bakers. Notwithstanding this distress, and
the palpable impotence of the city administration to furnish bread to
the city, it was not till yesterday, that general leave was given to the
bakers to go into the country and buy flour for themselves, as they can.
This will soon relieve us, because the wheat harvest is well advanced.’
Never was there a country where the practice of governing too much, had
taken deeper root and done more mischief. Their declaration of rights
is finished. If printed in time, I will enclose a copy with this. It is
doubtful whether they will now take up the finance or the constitution
first. The distress for money endangers every thing. No taxes are paid,
and no money can be borrowed. Mr. Necker was yesterday to give in a
memoir to the Assembly, on this subject. I think they will give him
leave to put into execution any plan he pleases, so as to debarrass
themselves of this, and take up that of the constitution. No plan is
yet reported; but the leading members (with some small difference of
opinion) have in contemplation the following. The executive power in
a hereditary King, with a negative on laws, and power to dissolve the
legislature; to be considerably restrained in the making of
treaties, and limited in his expenses. The legislative in a House of
Representatives. They propose a Senate also, chosen on the plan of our
federal Senate, by the Provincial Assemblies, but to be for life, of
a certain age, (they talk of forty years), and certain wealth (four or
five hundred guineas a year), but to have no other power as to laws
but to remonstrate against them to the representatives, who will
then determine their fate by a simple majority. This you will readily
perceive is a mere council of revision, like that of New York, which,
in order to be something, must form an alliance with the King, to avail
themselves of his veto. The alliance will be useful to both, and to the
nation. The representatives to be chosen every two or three years.
The judiciary system is less prepared than any other part of the plan;
however, they will abolish the parliaments, and establish an order of
judges and justices, general and provincial, a good deal like ours, with
trial by jury in criminal cases certainly, perhaps also in civil. The
provinces will have Assemblies for their provincial government, and the
cities a municipal body for municipal government, all founded on
the basis of popular election.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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