titude of the Old Royalist
Faction.--Formation, and Composition of a New Royalist
Party.--Struggle of Classes under the cloak of Parties.--Provisional
Laws.--Bill of Amnesty.--The Centre becomes the Government Party, and
the Right, the Opposition.--Questions upon the connection between
the State and the Church.--State of the Government beyond the
Chambers.--Insufficiency of its Resistance to the spirit of
Re-action.--The Duke of Feltri and General Bernard.--Trial of
Marshal Ney.--Controversy between M. de Vitrolles and Me.--Closing
of the Session.--Modifications in the Cabinet.--M. Laine Minister of
the Interior.--I leave the Ministry of Justice and enter the State
Council as Master of Requests.--The Cabinet enters into Contests with
the Right-hand Party.--M. Decazes.--Position of MM. Royer-Collard and
De Serre.--Opposition of M. de Chateaubriand.--The Country declares
against the Chamber of Deputies.--Efforts of M. Decazes to bring
about a Dissolution.--The King determines on it.--Decree of the 5th
of September, 1816. 97

CHAPTER V.

GOVERNMENT OF THE CENTRE.

1816-1821.

Composition of the New Chamber of Deputies.--The Cabinet in a
Majority.--Elements of that Majority, the Centre properly so
called, and the Doctrinarians.--True character of the
Centre.--True character of the Doctrinarians, and real cause of
their Influence.--M. de la Bourdonnaye and M. Royer-Collard at the
Opening of the Session.--Attitude of the Doctrinarians in the
Debate on the Exceptional Laws.--Electoral Law of February
5th, 1817.--The part I took on that occasion.--Of the Actual
and Political Position of the Middle Classes.--Marshal Gouvion
St. Cyr, and his Bill for recruiting the Army, of the 10th
of March, 1818.--Bill respecting the Press, of 1819, and
M. de Serre.--Preparatory Discussion of these Bills in the State
Council.--General Administration of the Country.--Modification of
the Cabinet from 1816 to 1820.--Imperfections of the Constitutional
System.--Errors of Individuals.--Dissensions between the Cabinet and
the Doctrinarians.--The Duke de Richelieu negotiates, at
Aix-la-Chapelle, the entire Retreat of Foreign Troops from
France.--His Situation and Character.--He attacks the Bill on
Elections.--His Fall.--Cabinet of M. Decazes.--His
Political Weakness, notwithstan