Thomson. mates the man of birth to honourable achieve- Dr. Wm. ments; the hope of distinction, the plebian to distinguished actions: the convulsions incident to democracy are controuled; and the fabric of government, on which depends all that gives comfort, elegance, and dignity to life, is consolidated and strengthened. Instead, therefore, of wholly subverting monarchy, it becomes us to co-operate with the gracious will of Providence, the only solid basis of moral obligation:-it becomes us to cherish a spirit of reverence of the laws among the people, and to temperate the authority of kings by knowledge, by sentiments, by manners, and by the gradual introduction of counter-checks in the exercise of government. Some people are so zealous in the work of political alteration, that they make no account of the present generation, but are intent solely on the convenience and comfort of posterity. I do not, with the honest Irishman, ask, What good ever posterity did to us ?-but this I say, that we see only a short way into futurity. Evils, as well as blessings, await posterity that we little think of. Let us chiefly mind the matters that are immediately before us. Let us encounter the labour and the danger of removing present and pressing calamities. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. I am not an enemy to political reformation: God forbid! But all political reforms should be progressive and gradual. And it is surprising in how short a time the steady and comprehensive Thomson. Dr. Wm. hensive eye of political prudence accomplishes her designs, by watching and improving situations, occasions, and conjunctures. The city of London contains many dirty closes and lanes; but it also contains many noble streets and squares, though it be not built according to any regular plan of architecture. A wise government will gradually assimilate this great metropolis to some such form by taking advantage of the decay of streets, the falling in of houses, and accidental fires; but will be very cautious of adopting any scheme that might overturn its fairest fabrics, or involve a general conflagration. This, one would imagine, is nothing more than COMMON SENSE!! And now, my dear and most respected friend, I shall, in a very few words, apply all that I have been driving at in this political effusion. Mr. Burke (though he errs perhaps on the safer side) pays too much respect to established institutions; Mr. Paine far too little; and even our friend, Mr. Mackintosh, not enough to satisfy you or myself. Upon these points we are agreed. But, in my opinion, though not entirely in yours, the exact medium has been hit upon by M. de Calonne; whose advice, if his countrymen had followed, or would yet follow, with such additions and qualifications as moderate men would approve, they would not, with the example of the English Constitution before their eyes, prefer a two-footed stool to a tripod. END OF THE SECOND VOLUME. P. Stuart, Printer, No. 47, Holywell Street, Strand, London. INDE X. [A fingle i. refers to the first volume, two ii. refer to the fecond volume.] A. ADHESION, address of, its object, i. America, Revolution of, its influence on the public mind of France, i. Annulment, Court of, its office, i. Appeal, Judges of, their functions, i. Aristocracy, natural, defined, ii. its political character, ii. its principles applied to the conftitution Page 45 82 650 640 443 480 481 conduct, i. Articles, nineteen conftitutional ones added to the declaration of the Rights of Man, i. Artois, Count of, his reception by the Parliament of Paris, i. 575 90 Affembly, National, its conftitution, cha-Į 1, 60, 281, 314 racter, &c. i. } its compofition and functions, i. 320, 327, 494 its representative character compared with that of the British Parliament, i. Municipal, its compofition and func tions, i. of Notables, i. 615 354 619 44 Affemblies Affemblies, Popular, confidered, i. Page 345, 428 609 of the Departments, their compofition and functions, i. of the Districts, their compofition, &c. i. 612 Popular, their division, i. Primary, their compofition, &c. i. B. 606 Bailliages, the conduct of, in 1789, described, ii. Bafis, of Territory, confidered, i. of Population, i. of Contribution, i. Bafes, of Legislation, the three compared, i. 451 331 333 335 342 521 Bed of Justice, held by the King at Versailles, i. 89 of France, ii. British Conftitution, described, &c. ii. compared with the new Conftitution British Laws, the imperfection of them, i. Bureaus, of Peace and Reconciliation, described, i. 645 47°, 492-614 493 658 C. Establishments, fee Ecclefiaftical Systems. Citizens, Active, defined, i. of Paris, their conduct on the 5th and 6th Civic Education, described, ii. 171 I-39, 68, 92-98 602 603 191 3 Clergy Clergy, of France, the diffolution of their corporate capacity confidered, i. their character, i. inadequately represented in the National As- Page 22, 70 25 289 34 35 examin- 1, 45, 89 taxed previous to the Revolution, ii. their offer of contribution, ii. the new arrangement of them Clergy, an elective, confidered, ii. Commerce, Judges of, their duties, i. 54, 98 649 428 Confifcation, of Church Property, examined, .7,28,33 Conflitution, of Great Britain, its friends and ene- 51 mies compared, ii. defcribed, ii. 460 47°, 492-614 compared with the new Conftitution of France, ii. 493 Conflitution (the new) of France, investigated &c. Criminal Tribunal, its compofition and power, i. 652 D. 48 245, 352 Dauphiné, the States of, their conduct, &c. i. Declaration, of the Rights of Man, ii. critical obferva-} 119, 248, 293, 385, 402 |