A _senatus consultum_ of August 1st forthwith proclaimed Napoleon Bonaparte Consul for Life and ordered the erection of a Statue of Peace, holding in one hand the victor's laurel and in the other the senatorial decree.
On the following day Napoleon--for henceforth he generally used his Christian name like other monarchs--presented to the Council of State a project of an organic law, which virtually amounted to a new constitution.

The mere fact of its presentation at so early a date suffices to prove how completely he had prepared for the recent change and how thoroughly assured he was of success.

This important measure was hurried through the Senate, and, without being submitted to the Tribunate or _Corps Legislatif_, still less to the people, for whose sanction he had recently affected so much concern--was declared to be the fundamental law of the State.
The fifth constitution of revolutionary France may be thus described.
It began by altering the methods of election.

In place of Sieyes' lists of notabilities, Bonaparte proposed a simpler plan.

The adult citizens of each canton were thenceforth to meet, for electoral purposes, in primary assemblies, to name two candidates for the office of _juge de paix_ (i.e., magistrate) and town councillor, and to choose the members of the "electoral colleges" for the _arrondissement_ and for the Department.