Footnote 26: It was the Duke of Vicenza, who first conceived the idea of conferring the peerage on great land-holders, and distinguished merchants. He was not of opinion, that the peerage should be hereditary, and that the choice of peers should be left exclusively to the crown. He would have wished, that men of great landed property, manufacturers, merchants of the first rank, the men of letters, civilians, and lawyers, who had acquired a great name, should be allowed to propose a list of candidates, out of which the Emperor should be at liberty to choose a certain number of peers.[Back to Main Text.]
Footnote 27: Lucien Bonaparte had not been acknowledged as a prince of the imperial family by the ancient statutes. Consequently he might be considered, as not making a part of the chamber of peers by right.[Back to Main Text.]
Footnote 28: This opinion did not prevent the Emperor from doing justice to the courage and patriotism, which M. Lanjuinais had displayed on some trying occasions.[Back to Main Text.]
Footnote 29: A celebrated counsel, who defended Marshal Ney, and the three generous liberators of M. Delavalette, Wilson, Bruce, and Hutchinson.[Back to Main Text.]
Footnote 30: Since minister of finance to the king.[Back to Main Text.]
Footnote 31: MM. Dupin and Roi, who appeared to him the heads of the party of insurgents.[Back to Main Text.]
Footnote 32: She was attacked and taken near the island of Ischia, on the 30th of April.[Back to Main Text.]
Footnote 33: This is a remarkable sentence; as it expresses a sound principle: events have shown, how little the French deserve the name of a great nation. Tr.[Back to Main Text.]
Footnote 34: Ministers without any ostensible office, for their conduct in which they would be responsible. We have had members somewhat similar in our privy council. Tr.[Back to Main Text.]
Footnote 35: The members of the French chambers do not speak in their places, but from a pulpit erected for the purpose. Tr.[Back to Main Text.]