To the latter part of this proposal the First Consul offered a well-judged refusal.  To consult the people on the restoration of monarchy would, as yet, have been as inopportune as it was superfluous.  After gaining complete power, Bonaparte could be well assured as to the establishment of an hereditary claim.  The former and less offensive part of the proposal was therefore submitted to the people; and to it there could be only one issue amidst the prosperity brought by the peace, and the surveillance exercised by the prefects and the grateful clergy now brought back by the Concordat.  The Consulate for Life was voted by the enormous majority of more than 3,500,000 affirmative votes against 8,374 negatives.  But among these dissentients were many honoured names:  among military men Carnot, Drouot, Mouton, and Bernard opposed the innovation; and Lafayette made the public statement that he could not vote for such a magistracy unless political liberty were guaranteed.  A senatus consultum of August 1st forthwith proclaimed Napoleon Bonaparte Consul for Life and ordered the erection of a Statue of Peace, holding in one hand the victor’s laurel and in the other the senatorial decree.

On the following day Napoleon—­for henceforth he generally used his Christian name like other monarchs—­presented to the Council of State a project of an organic law, which virtually amounted to a new constitution.  The mere fact of its presentation at so early a date suffices to prove how completely he had prepared for the recent change and how thoroughly assured he was of success.  This important measure was hurried through the Senate, and, without being submitted to the Tribunate or Corps Legislatif, still less to the people, for whose sanction he had recently affected so much concern—­was declared to be the fundamental law of the State.

The fifth constitution of revolutionary France may be thus described.  It began by altering the methods of election.  In place of Sieyes’ lists of notabilities, Bonaparte proposed a simpler plan.  The adult citizens of each canton were thenceforth to meet, for electoral purposes, in primary assemblies, to name two candidates for the office of juge de paix (i.e., magistrate) and town councillor, and to choose the members of the “electoral colleges” for the arrondissement and for the Department.  In the latter case only the 600 most wealthy men of the Department were eligible.  An official or aristocratic tinge was to be imparted to these electoral colleges by the infusion of members selected by the First Consul from the members of the Legion of Honour.  Fixity of opinion was also assured by members holding office for life; and, as they were elected in the midst of the enthusiasm aroused by the Peace of Amiens, they were decidedly Bonapartist.