It appears, from a memorial laid before the _Contrôleur-Général_ in 1781, by the _Intendant_ of the _Généralité_ of Paris, that it was one of the customs of that _Généralité_ that the parishes should have two syndics--the one elected by the inhabitants in an Assembly presided over by the _Subdélégué_, the other chosen by the _Intendant_, and considered the overseer of the former. A quarrel took place between the two syndics in the parish of Rueil, the elected syndic not choosing to obey the chosen syndic. The _Intendant_, by means of M. de Breteuil, had the elected syndic put into the prison of La Force for a fortnight; he was arrested, then dismissed from his post, and another was put in his place. Thereupon the Parliament, upon the requisition of the imprisoned syndic, commenced proceedings at law, the issue of which I have not been able to find, but during which it declared that the imprisonment of the plaintiff and the nullification of his election could only be considered as _arbitrary and despotic acts_. The judicial authorities, it seems, were then sometimes rather hard in the mouth. Note (L.)--Page 103, line 30. So far from being the case that the enlightened and wealthy classes were oppressed and enslaved under the _ancien régime_, it may be said, on the contrary, that all, including the _bourgeoisie_, were frequently far too free to do all they liked; since the Royal authority did not dare to prevent members of these classes from constantly creating themselves an exceptional position, to the detriment of the people; and almost always considered it necessary to sacrifice the latter to them, in order to obtain their good will, or put a stop to their ill humour. It may be said that, in the eighteenth century, a Frenchman belonging to these classes could more easily resist the Government, and force it to use conciliatory measures with him, than an Englishman of the same position in life could have done at that time. The authorities often considered themselves obliged to use towards such a man a far more temporising and timid policy than the English Government would ever have thought itself bound to employ towards an English subject in the same category--so wrong is it to confound independence with liberty. Nothing is less independent than a free citizen. Note (LI.)--Page 103, line 37. REASON THAT FREQUENTLY OBLIGED THE ABSOLUTE GOVERNMENT IN THE ANCIENT STATE OF SOCIETY TO RESTRAIN ITSELF.