a
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and their boundaries settled as they had been in 1570; but it was not till 1754. that
Charles Emmanuel the Thi rd, of Sardinia, entirely acknowledged the total independence
of the republic, and definitively fixed its limits, by making several changes for that,
purpose.
A peace so for tunately accomplished, and which to all appearance opened a dawn of
happiness and tranquillity to the Genevese, most unexpectedly turned out the veiy
reverse; for from this epoch may be dated the internal commotions which have so
cruelly desolated this little republic, from the commencement of the present century until
1782, at which time they in some measure wer e terminated by the intervention of three
neighbouring and powerful nations, viz. France, Sardinia, and Switzerland, who sent
troops to restore tranquillity:—this was achieved by replacing at the head of the government,
or in the great and little councils, the magistrates who had been excluded or
banished by that class %vho called themselves Representatives, aided by the Nalifs (so
called from being the children of foreigners born at Geneva, but excluded from holding
places under the Genevese government).
"Without attempting to give a history of various events, which, from having been an
ocular witness to many of them, I am fully enabled to do, I shall confine myself to barely
noticing the famous or grand contest, which broke out about that time,—a contest occasioned
by the compilation of a code, considered as militating against the principles of
their constitution, by the edict of 1768,—a point on which the represenlalives and nalifs,
t h e two parties who then divided the city, were continually at variance, and which led
each to have recourse to arms in support of their respective opinions.
T h e former being by far the weaker, but assured, from their opulence, of the support
and infiuence of the French ministry, engaged them, jointly with those of the other
two powers, to march a large body of troops to their assistance. The representatives,
however, in spite of their vast appearance of resistance for the defence of the city,
quietly opened their gates to the allied troops, who thus entered without obstacle. In
this manner were the Genevese reduced to accept of the mediation of foreign powers,
submit to their magistrates, and be calmly disarmed, with strict injunctions against
assembling as they were wont to do, or even attempting to speak on affairs of government.
Being by these regulations deprived of their clubs and meetings, the magistrates
found it advisable to al low the establishing of publ i c cofFee-houscs, for the accommodarion
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of the inhabitants, rendering however the proprietor, or keeper of the house, responsible
for any disturbances or revolutionary discourses which might occur under his roof; and
a t the same time forbidding any person to remain in the same after ten o'clock. Every
person, likewise, was liable to be conveyed to the guard-house, who was seen after that
hour in the streets without a light.
D u r i n g my stay at Geneva, the allied troops, aided by the magistrates of the city,
and the three plenipotentiaries, were in the act of forming a code of laws, which was
presented, on the 4th of November, 1782, to the councils or colleges at that time assembled,
who accepted it, on the allies becoming guarantees for its execution.
This new code, instead of being entirely democratic, was a kind of partial aristocracy,
inasmuch as the executive power and public administration were to reside in, or
b e confined to, four councils:—1st, To that of Twenty-five, called the Senate, oi Petit
Conseil, to whom belonged tlxe exercise of the haute police, acting as supreme in all
polirical, (Economical, criminal, and civil causes. 2dly, The Council of Sucty, who were
property a deputation or commission only from the Council of Two Hundred, who seldom
assembled, unless in cases of great importance. 3dly, That of Two Hundred and
Fifty, or the Great Council. These judged, en dernier ressort, all matters of inferior
police, civil causes of importance respecting the taxes, the expendi ture of publ i c money,
& c , ; in some respects not very unlike the English House of Commons: And, 4thly,
T h e Military Council, consisting of one syndic, elected annually, one colonel, one lieutenant
colonel, a major, one auditor, and six members, taken from the Two Hundred
and Fifty, or Grand Council, who remained invested with authority for six years. To
tliis council was given the entire inspection of the garrison (containing one foreign regiment,
at that time created), including the superintendance of the fortifications, outworks,
arsenals, and military stores, as also the internal and external police of the
republic.
I n order to be eligible to either of these councils, it was necessary to be a citizen of
five and twenty years of age. What I mean by citizens, were those whose parents or
relatives already enjoyed the right of bourgeoisie, the better to distinguish them from the
l a t t e r , who, though excluded from filling any public functions in the Genevese government,
were yet held in greater consideration, and had more privileges than the nalifs,
who were not allowed a seat in the General Assembly^ whereas the bourgeois had a right
to assist at the general election.