LETTER CLIV

London, December 30, O. S. 1751

My dear friend:  The parliaments are the courts of justice of France, and are what our courts of justice in Westminster-Hall are here.  They used anciently to follow the court, and administer justice in presence of the King.  Philip le Bel first fixed it at Paris, by an edict of 1302.  It consisted then of but one chambre, which was called ’la Chambre des Prelats’, most of the members being ecclesiastics; but the multiplicity of business made it by degrees necessary to create several other chambres.  It consists now of seven chambres: 

‘La Grande Chambre’, which is the highest court of justice, and to which appeals lie from the others.

‘Les cinq Chambres des Enquetes’, which are like our Common Pleas, and Court of Exchequer.

‘La Tournelle’, which is the court for criminal justice, and answers to our Old Bailey and King’s Bench.

There are in all twelve parliaments in France:  1.  Paris 2.  Toulouse 3.  Grenoble 4.  Bourdeaux 5.  Dijon 6.  Rouen 7.  Aix en Provence 8.  Rennes en Bretagne 9.  Pau en Navarre 10.  Metz 11.  Dole en Franche Comte 12.  Douay

There are three ‘Conseils Souverains’, which may almost be called parliaments; they are those of: 

Perpignan Arras Alsace

For further particulars of the French parliaments, read ’Bernard de la Rochefavin des Parlemens de France’, and other authors, who have treated that subject constitutionally.  But what will be still better, converse upon it with people of sense and knowledge, who will inform you of the particular objects of the several chambres, and the businesses of the respective members, as, ‘les Presidens, les Presidens a Mortier’ (these last so called from their black velvet caps laced with gold), ’les Maitres tres des Requetes, les Greffiers, le Procureur General, les Avocats Generaux, les Conseillers’, etc.  The great point in dispute is concerning the powers of the parliament of Paris in matters of state, and relatively to the Crown.  They pretend to the powers of the States-General of France when they used to be assembled (which, I think, they have not been since the reign of Lewis the Thirteenth, in the year 1615).  The Crown denies those pretensions, and considers them only as courts of justice.  Mezeray seems to be on the side of the parliament in this question, which is very well worth your inquiry.  But, be that as it will, the parliament of Paris is certainly a very respectable body, and much regarded by the whole kingdom.  The edicts of the Crown, especially those for levying money on the subjects, ought to be registered in parliament; I do not say to have their effect, for the Crown would take good care of that; but to have a decent appearance, and to procure a willing acquiescence in the nation.  And the Crown itself, absolute as it is, does not