to the creditors of the State is possible every
moment. These form a great mass in the city as well as country, and
among the lower class of people too, who have been used to carry their
little savings of their service into the public funds, upon life rents
of five, ten, twenty guineas a year, and many of whom have no other
dependence for daily subsistence. A prodigious number of servants are
now also thrown out of employ by domestic reforms, rendered necessary
by the late events. Add to this the want of bread, which is extreme.
For several days past, a considerable proportion of the people have been
without bread altogether; for though the new harvest is begun, there is
neither water nor wind to grind the grain. For some days past the people
have besieged the doors of the bakers, scrambled with one another for
bread, collected in squads all over the city, and need only some slight
incident to lead them to excesses which may end in, nobody can tell
what. The danger from the want of bread, however, which is the most
imminent, will certainly lessen in a few days. What turn that may take
which arises from the want of money, is difficult to be foreseen. Mr.
Necker is totally without influence in the National Assembly, and is, I
believe, not satisfied with this want of importance. That Assembly has
just finished their bill of rights. The question will then be, whether
to take up first the constitution or the business of finance.

No plan of a constitution has been yet given in. But I can state to
you the outlines of what the leading members have in contemplation.
The executive power in a hereditary King, with power of dissolving
the legislature and a negative on their laws; his authority in forming
treaties to be greatly restrained. The legislative to be a single House
of Representatives, chosen for two or three years. They propose a body
whom they call a Senate, to be chosen by the Provincial Assemblies, as
our federal Senate is, but with no power of negativing or amending
laws; they may only remonstrate on them to the representatives, who will
decide by a simple majority the ultimate event of the law. This body
will therefore be a mere council of revision. It is proposed that they
shall be of a certain age and property, and be for life. They may
make them also their court of impeachment. They will suppress the
parliaments, and establish a system of judicature somewhat like that of
England, with trial by jury in criminal ca