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: