[Footnote 1: During the old _régime_, 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 asserted, 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 constitution 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 circumstance, 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 principal entrance is inscribed, in embossed characters of gilt bronze: PALAIS DU CORPS LÉGISLATIF. The palace stands on the south bank of the Seine, facing the _Pont de la Concorde_. It was begun, in 1722, for Louise-Françoise de Bourbon, a legitimated daughter of Lewis XIV. GIRARDINI, an Italian architect, planned the original building, the construction of which was afterwards superintended by LASSURANCE and GABRIEL. The Prince de Condé having acquired it by purchase, he caused it to be considerably augmented and embellished, at different times, under the direction of BARRAU, CARPENTIER and BÉLISARD. Had the _Pont de la Concorde_ subsisted previously to the erection of the _Palais Bourbon_, the principal 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 Législatif_.