The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-09-12

The htuation of France, with refpeSt to the
administration of iuftice, has been totally chang
ed by the revolution. The civil and criminal
code has been greatly reformed and ameliora-
ted. In cafes OF ,neton and .,tum the tribunals
are no longer venal. 1t is believed that they are
much inferior to thofe of England and America !;
but vaitly hyperion to thofe of the old govern
ment. There is now but one man i'm France
who has the power of committng murder with
+; impunity ; and this is Bonaparte: and in doing
this, under the plea of public necefity, he is ob-
ged to refort to the FORMS of law, which, altho'
It rs bitter mockery TO the perfecuted indivi-
dual, evinces that the emperor of the French,
IN the zenith of his power, is compelled to pay
that outward refpeSt to the laws of the country
which his predecelfors of the Bourbon race diff
dained. 1t isa great point gained to the natl
on, to poiefsa code of equitable laws, even if
/ theie laws are imperfect and occalionaly abu-
| led. General regulations, in their nature, cam
! not defend to the detail of cruelty which the
! caprces or individuals are wont to exercife.
| The murder of the Duke d'Enghein, although
| no man is lefs diipofed than mylelf to palliate
fuch atrocious conduct, ought no more to be
conhdered as proof of the corrupt adininiftra-
tlon of juitce in France, than that of Jonathan
Robbins ihould decide upon the excellence of
our criminal code. The luxurious victim makes
the cafe more hriking, rs it refpeets him, but
the life of the brave tar was flcrifce equally
great, in the eye of ftri6 iuitce. Both cafes on
~ prove that where governments interfere with
the preicri5ed courfe of national jurisprudence,
courts are too apt to be compliant. 1t is pro-
bable that where the government is not concern
ed, the administration of iuttice is better in
France than in any other country, England and
the United States excepted. II is true that we
hear OF IMPROVEMENTS and executions by the
mnifters Of Bonaparte but never at the inftance
OF individuals; we never hear of the avowed
faie OF blank warrants of perpetual inprifon-
nent, under the name of IettreJ de caebet. The
Count de Charolois, and M. de Bauffremont,
who were TO fond of bunting 6e0Iants, have va
nifhed, with the execrable inttutions which
authorized fuch horrors. 1t would feem there
fore that in the administration OF iuftice, the re-
voiieio2 has produced important and aufpcious
changes Immediately beneficial to the French
nation, and remotely to mankind; fnce every
improvement in the condition of people,
whole language and influence are 70 fashionable
and extenfve, 2ay De coniidered as reaching
every corne- Zine giopv.
Eifik1ly, the fyfem of finance under the old
didthe new government. Under the old 60
yernment, three fourths of the territory of France
! independent ofthe feudal bondage, under which
the whole of it was held, belonged either to the
! king, the nobility or the clergy. The royal do
mains, as well as the eftates of the nobility and
clergy, were exempt from taxes. The burden
of thefe fell entirely upon the peaantry, who
were leaft able to bear it. 1t follows, therefore
that all the taxes of the old government, were
levied upon quarter of the property of the
nation which property was parcelled out, in
dlminutive and fcdnty proportions among TWEEN
ty millions of meagre, fqualid bondfinen that
the remaining three fourths, in the hands of the
king, the nobility and the clergy, contributed
nothing to the revenue while this very revenue,
&c wrupg from the hard hands of peaants'' by
every fpecies of iadire9ion, was fquandered by
thoiev very privileged orders which had not paid
a sous towards it.
Now the Emperor of the French has no do
mains /; no hereditary nobility, or dignitaries of
the church, are proprietors of the foil for the
royal domains, the efates of the emigrant no.
bles, and mott OF the lands of the church, were
confifcated and fold during the revolution /;
and this fale is fanetioned, by the fame in
ftrument, which has made Bonaparte EN-
peror. There is now, therefore, in France,
no part of the territory privileged from
contributing its portion of the revenue
Taxes are levied in proportion to the ability of
thoie who have to pay them. And although
there is undeniably very fhameful mifapplca-
tion Of the inmenfe fums which France pays to
Bonaparte; yet the mode of levying the taxes,
as well as the perfons and property upon whom
they fall, is infinitely more equitable than under
the ancient regime. This may be confidered as
French people have derived from the revolution
The mild or opprefive mode of collecting the
revenues of country, diftinctly marks the ma
ture of the government. In Turkey, the taxes
are levied with the fcimetar and the muiket.
Under the old government of France, they were
tarned ont +; that is, the wants of the court be-
ing afcertained, in order to come at the amount
by more fummary procefs, than was requ-
fife by the tedious forms of collecting it from 70
many individuals, the farmers general kindly
ftept in between the people and the king, and
advanced the fun, to the latter they were then
invefted with the power of indemnifying them
felves among the peafantry, by every fpecies of
oppreffion and impofition which avarice and Gu
pidity can invent. The ingenuity of man can
fcarcely devife more odous and cruel method
of collecting the revenues OF country, than
that pra6tifed in France, under the Bourbon
race. 1t appears, therefore, that upon this very
important point, (the mode in which public
contributions are levied upon the people, the
French have been relieved from innumerable in
eQualities and oppreiIions.
Sixfbiy, and lafly, the feudal fyfem.-Am-
pie, elegant and correct hiftories of the feudal
fytem, may be found in Hume, Robertfon and
Gibbon and condepfed account of its intro
duetion into England, its abufes, and its aboli-
fiOn. during the reign of Charles III. nv Black-