Page:The Constitutions and Other Select Documents Illustrative of the History of France, 1789-1907, Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged.pdf/261

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Constitution of the Year III
231

period of two days, in order to proceed according to the laws.

146. The Directory appoints the generals-in-chief; it cannot choose them from among the blood or marriage relations of its members within the degrees expressed in article 139.

147. It supervises and secures the execution of the laws in the administrations and tribunals by commissioners of its appointment.

148. It appoints, from outside of its own body, the ministers and dismisses them when it thinks expedient.

It cannot choose those under the age of thirty years, nor from among the blood or marriage relations of its members within the degrees set forth in article 139.

149. The ministers correspond directly with the authorities who are subordinate to them.

150. The legislative body determines the prerogatives and the number of the ministers.

This number is from six at the least to eight at the most.

151. The ministers do not form a council.

152. The ministers are individually responsible for the non-execution of the laws as well as for the non-execution of the orders of the Directory.

153. The Directory appoints the receiver of direct taxes of each department.

154. It appoints the superintendents in chief for the administrations of the indirect taxes and for the administration of the national lands.

155. All the public functionaries in the French colonies, except the departments of the islands of France and Réunion, shall be appointed by the Directory until the peace.

156. The legislative body can authorise the Directory to send into any of the French colonies, according to the need of the case, one or several special agents appointed by it for a limited time.

The special agents shall exercise the same functions as the Directory and shall be subordinate to it.

157. No member of the Directory can leave the soil of the Republic until two years after the cessation of his functions.

158. He is required during that interval to furnish to the legislative body proofs of his residence.

Article 112 and the following to article 123 inclusive, rel-