266 COXSIDRANT CONSTABLE lished Phantasia (1837), a collection of Flem- ish poems and legends; Avonstunde ("Even- ing Hours, 1839"), and several other graceful sketches of Flemish manners ; Geschiedenis van Belgian, an illustrated history gathered from old chronicles (1845); and a number of novels, partly historical, among which may be men- tioned Hugo van Craenhoeve (1845), Lambrecht Hemmans (1846), Jakob van Artevelde (1849), Baes Gansendonch (1850), De arme Edelman and De blinde Rosa (1851), De Boerenlcryg (1853), Elodwig en Clotildis (1854), De Flag der Dorpen (1855), Batavia (1858), Simon Tur- chi and Aurelien (1859), Het yzeren Graf (1860), Bella Stock (1861), Moederliefde (1862), and De Kerelsvan Vlaenderen (1871). He pub- lished his memoirs in the Revue Contemporaine in 1858. CONSIDERANT, Victor, a French socialist, born at Salins, near Besan9on, Oct. 12, 1808. He was educated in the polytechnic school in Paris, entered the army, and rose to the rank of captain of engineers. In 1831, having adopted the social theory of ( Fourier, he re- signed his commission in order to devote him- self to its advocacy. In 1832 he was engaged in an unsuccessful attempt to realize that the- ory at Conde-sur-Vesgre, about 40 m. from Paris, the funds being furnished by a wealthy Englishman. He was associated with Fourier in editing the organ of their school, and on his death in 1837 was recognized as the head of the societary school, as the body of his disci- ples called themselves, and became the chief editor of the Phalange, a monthly review, and of the Democratic pacifique, a daily newspaper which they established in 1845. During this period he wrote and published several books, of which the most important is the Destinee sociale (3 vols., 1834-'44). On the outbreak of the revolution of February, 1848, he ad- hered to the republican party, and was chosen to the constituent assembly from the depart- ment of Loiret. In 1849 he was elected to the legislative assembly from the city of Paris; but taking part on June 13 in the public demonstration, headed by Ledru-Rollin, in be- half of the Roman republic, he was compelled to withdraw to Belgium, where he published La derniere guerre et la paix definitive de V Europe (1850), and La solution, ou le gou- vernement direct du peuple (1851). In 1853 he visited the United States, and selected a site in Texas for a socialistic colony. Returning to Europe in 1854, he was arrested in Brussels on a charge of conspiracy, but was soon set at liberty. A company was then organized in Paris to establish the colony in Texas, and the settlement was named Reunion, but the so- cialistic attempt failed. Considerant, becom- ing naturalized as an American, remained in Texas till 1869, when he returned to France. CONSIDERATION, in law. See CONTKACT. CONSISTORY, in the Roman Catholic church, the college of cardinals, assembled in session. There are three kinds of consistories : the pub- lic, secret, and semi-secret. The first is held with great pomp and ceremony, the pope pre- siding in full pontificals. None but cardinals are present at the deliberations of the second. Consistorial advocates are lawyers admitted to plead on matters treated of in the consistory, e. g., the canonization of saints ; and they en- joy many privileges and emoluments. In Eng- lish law, the court held by each bishop for the trial and disposal of all ecclesiastical causes arising in his diocese is called a consistory. In some of the reformed churches the consis- tory is an ecclesiastical tribunal, corresponding to a church session in the Dutch church, and in others to a presbytery. CONSOLS, a term denoting a considerable portion of the debts of Great Britain, known as the three per cent, consolidated annuities. The government has borrowed money at dif- ferent periods upon special conditions, gen- erally the payment of an annuity of so much per cent, on the sum borrowed, and sometimes by lotteries, as in 1747, in which the prizes were funded in perpetual annuities. Owing to the confusion arising from the variety of the stocks thus created, parliament in 1757 passed an act consolidating these annuities into one fund, to be kept in one account in the bank of England, bearing 3 per cent, interest. From time to time some additions have been made to the consols, and some diminution has been effected by the operation of the sinking fund and by the application of surplus revenue ; but they are redeemable only at the option of the government. They constitute a transferable stock in which there is daily speculation, and the varying price is taken as an index of the value of other public securities. CONSPIRACY, in criminal law, a combination by two or more persons to dp an unlawful act, or to do something not in itself unlawful by criminal or unlawful means. Many things not punishable when done or contemplated by a sin- gle individual, become so when several confed- erate for the purpose ; as in case of a combina- tion to destroy one's reputation by slander, to cheat by false warranties, &c. To render the offence complete, it is not necessary that the purpose should be accomplished, or even that any overt act be done in pursuance of the con- spiracy ; the offence consisting in the unlawful agreement, and not in the acts which follow it. CONSTABLE (Fr. connetdble, from Lat. comes stdbuli, count of the stable, or master of the horse), a title of office borrowed from Byzantine and old French usage. The constable of France was an officer of the highest rank under the king, having the chief command of the army, the cognizance of military offences, and the au- thority to regulate all matters of chivalry, such as tilts, tournaments, &c. The office was sup- pressed by Louis XIII., but revived by Napo- leon, and again suppressed at the restoration. In England the office of lord high constable is as old as the conquest, and was hereditary, with powers and duties corresponding to those
