OnthegroundofPrincipleitwascontendedthatGovernmenthadnotarighttoalteritself,andthatifthepracticewasonceadmitteditwouldgrowintoaprincipleandbemadeaprecedentforanyfuturealterationstheGovernmentmightwishtoestablish:thattherightofalteringtheGovernmentwasanationalright,andnotarightofGovernment。AndonthegroundofformitwascontendedthattheCourPlenierewasnothingmorethanalargerCabinet。
ThethenDukedelaRochefoucault,Luxembourg,DeNoailles,andmanyothers,refusedtoacceptthenomination,andstrenuouslyopposedthewholeplan。WhentheedictforestablishingthisnewcourtwassenttotheParliamentstobeunregisteredandputintoexecution,theyresistedalso。TheParliamentofParisnotonlyrefused,butdeniedtheauthority;andthecontestreneweditselfbetweentheParliamentandtheCabinetmorestronglythanever。
WhiletheParliamentweresittingindebateonthissubject,theMinistryorderedaregimentofsoldierstosurroundtheHouseandformablockade。
Thememberssentoutforbedsandprovisions,andlivedasinabesiegedcitadel:andasthishadnoeffect,thecommandingofficerwasorderedtoentertheParliamentHouseandseizethem,whichhedid,andsomeoftheprincipalmemberswereshutupindifferentprisons。AboutthesametimeadeputationofpersonsarrivedfromtheprovinceofBrittanytoremonstrateagainsttheestablishmentoftheCourPleniere,andthosethearchbishopsenttotheBastille。Butthespiritofthenationwasnottobeovercome,anditwassofullysensibleofthestronggroundithadtaken—thatofwithholdingtaxes—thatitcontenteditselfwithkeepingupasortofquietresistance,whicheffectuallyoverthrewalltheplansatthattimeformedagainstit。TheprojectoftheCourPlenierewasatlastobligedtobegivenup,andthePrimeMinisternotlongafterwardsfolloweditsfate,andM。Neckarwasrecalledintooffice。
TheattempttoestablishtheCourPlenierehadaneffectuponthenationwhichitselfdidnotperceive。Itwasasortofnewformofgovernmentthatinsensiblyservedtoputtheoldoneoutofsightandtounhingeitfromthesuperstitiousauthorityofantiquity。ItwasGovernmentdethroningGovernment;andtheoldone,byattemptingtomakeanewone,madeachasm。