Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/102

64 light oppoition he had met with, procured a law to be paed, that all the members of the grand council hould hold their places for life, and tranmit them to their poterity, and that their elections by the people's electors hould ceae. This etablihment of an hereditary legilative nobility, no doubt hocked the citizens in general, but chiefly thoe of ancient families, who were not at that moment members of the grand council; to ilence thee, the mot powerful of them were received into the grand council, and others were promied that they hould be admitted at a future time. Commerce and wars oon turned the attention of the ret of the people from all thought about the los of their privileges. Some few, however, ome time alter formed a plan, not to convene the people in a body, and new-model the contitution, but to aainate the doge and council all together. The plot, which was carried on by the plebeians, was discovered, and the chiefs executed. Another originated amongt the nobles, ome of them of the grand council, who being of very ancient families, could not bear to ee o many citizens raied to a level with themelves, and others of the mot ditinguihed of thee, who were not of the grand council, and had not been received afterwards according to promie. This produced a kirmih in the city, but ome of the conpiring nobles were killed, the ret routed, and many executed, but it was thought prudent to admit everal of the mot ditinguihied families. Thee two conpiracies produced a council of ten, upon which were afterwards engrafted the tate inquiition.

Great care is taken in Venice, to balance one court againt another, and render their powers mutual checks to each other. The college called the