But of what Senate are you speaking?
Is it the Senate whose duty it was to deliberate on the description of sauce with which the Emperor should eat his turbot?
Is it the Senate of which Napoleon thus spoke on April 5, 1814: "A sign was an order for the Senate, and it always did more than was required of it ?" Is it the Senate of which Napoleon said in 1805: "The poltroons were afraid of displeasing me ?"[1] Is it the Senate which drew from Tiberius almost the same exclamation: "The base wretches! greater slaves than we require them to be!" Is it the Senate which caused Charles XII to say: "Send my boot to Stockholm."-- "For what purpose, Sire ?" demanded his minister.--"To preside over the Senate," was the reply.
[1] Thibaudeau.

_History of the Consulate and the Empire._ But let us not trifle.

This year they are eighty; they will be one hundred and fifty next year.

They monopolise to themselves, in full plenitude, fourteen articles of the Constitution, from Article 19 to Article 33.

They are "guardians of the public liberties;" their functions are gratuitous by Article 22; consequently, they have from fifteen to thirty thousand francs per annum.