Star. — London, England, 1814-07-27 00:00:00

. NORWAY: The following are the principal Articles of the new Constitotion of the Kingdom of Norway : " Art. 1. The Government is hereditary in the male line• Females are excluded. " 2. The religion is the Lutheran. Monks and Jesuits are not tolerated, and are forbidden to enter the kingdom. " S. The King possesses the supreme power. His title is, by the Grace of GOD, and according to the Constitution, King of Norway. " 4. The King's person is sacred ; he can neither be accused nor censured. 'All responsibility is in his Council. " 10. The King is of age at twenty; and on assuming the Go • vernmtnt, he Is to take the following oath : I promise and swear that I will govern the kingdom of Norway according to the Con stitution and Laws; so help me Goa and his Holy Word.' '• 13 Ihe King is always to reside within the Norwegian territory. " 14. The King is not to accept of another Crown or Govern ment without the :Assent of the Great Council. " 17. The King can issue and annul Decrees regarding Cus toms and Police. _ _ _ " YO. The King may pardon offenders. " 24. The Members of the Council, and all Civil and Mili tary Officers may be discharged by the King after receiving the Opinion of the Council. " 25. The King has the command of the Army and Navy. No foreign troops are to encroach on the territory, excepting for spe cial purposes. " 26. I he King is to declare war and to conclude peace. " 28. The Council is to be chosen from Norwegian Burghers not under 30 years of age The Council is to consiA of 5 Mem bers. A father and son, or two brothers, are not to be Members at the same time. " S 2. Every Member of the Council is in duty bound to give his opinion to the King. If a Member *consider the Resolution of the King opposed to the Constitution, he must register his .opinion with the minutes of the Council. . " 36. The Heir-Apparent, if the Son of the King, is to have the title of Crown Prince of oNtway. The other Children are only Princes and Princes,es. • ‘• 37. The lieir-Apparent at the age of eighteen, is to take his seat at the Council. _ _ " 38. No Prince of the blood can leave the kingdom or marry, or serve a foreign Sovereign, without the King's permission. " 48. Should the Heir-Apparent be absent when the King dies, be must within six months return to Norway, or lose his right of succession. " 41. If the Heir-Apparent be not of age, the Queen Dowa ger (if any), together with the Council; is to administer affairs. " 42. The pe,ple themselves are to make laws at the GreatAs !lee Court, which is divided into two pasts, the one judicial, the other economical, &c. " 50. The &leathers must be Norwegian Burghers, and of 25 years of age. " 53. The right of bting a Member is lost if the individual have been sentenced to the House of Cerrrction, or to any infamous punishment. Also, if he go into foreign service without consent of Government ; and, again, if naturalized in a foreign State. " 57. In the principal towns an Elector is chosen by every class of 50 Inhabitants. These Electors may choose from their own body, or Item any other distinctions entitled to become Mem bers, one quarter of their own Members to become Members of the Great Assize Court. " 62. The Members and Officers of the Council of State, and the Officers arid Pet-Isamu:re of the Court, cannot be chosen Re. presentative. in the Creai Assize Court, " 65 Every Representative is to be paid his travelling expences to and from the Court, and for his maintenance while there. " 66. During such time they are free front arrest, nor can they be tried for any opinions delivered in the , Court. " 68. 'I he Great Assize Court is to be opened in the month of February, every third year, in the capital of the kingJem. " 69. In extraordinary cases the King may conveue the Great Asir- Court. • " 78. No Assize Court can be held unless two-thirds of the Biember. he. pres,tit. " 7s This Great Assize Court Is instituted, I. To make and 4naill Lawi; to levy lases, Duties, and other Impcsts, which are not to *mar longer than from one Assize Court to another. .u. 'tor ,;be loans cm the credit (Attie state. 3. To superintend the Treasury. 4. To' provide Ways and Means. 5. To stipulate the -Revenue ei the ring Royal Family, which must not arise from intded property. 6.1 o inspect thl.Minutes of the Councils. 7. To szarunit Tteaties with other powers. S. To call any and every Perion kelpie them, the Royal gamily escepted; the Princes bidding.any Offices are nor, however,egcepted. 9 To revise Lists of Pensions. &a. 10. Te appoint Public Accountants, and to print • the results of their Inquiries. 11. To Naturalise foreigners. 77. When adscision be come to, it is to be transmitted by a deputat on fs.r the Royal Assent. " 78. It the King sain the same, it biomes a laW; Knot,Jt is to be retailed with the message, that the King cannot, at pre sent, agree to it. .• co. 'rite Great Assize Court is not io be assembled for more than three mouths without the King's permission.- " SS. *1 he Assize Court is to be held with open doors, and hs • Acts aie to be published, unless it be deeded by a majority other wise. " 88. Any accused person may object to one third part of the individuals by whom he is tried in the High Court. " 91. From the sentence of the High Court there is no appeal. " 92. No one can be a Member of the High Court before he . 111 30 years of age. • "' 93. 'None but Norwegian Burghers and persons of the Lu tberan religion can serve in Offices of State. "94. A new Cute of Laws shall be issued as soon as possible, and in the mean time, the Laws hitherto existing continue in force, if not opposed to tke constitution of the State. " 96. No person can be sen'enced but according to law, or be •puni,hed without being adjudged guilty.' Tortures are wholly prohibited. " M. The Press is free. No one can be punished for any writing w hatever, finless he intentionally himself, or by others, cause at y over tact against the laws, religious and moral, or un til., he al ply tiny false or dishonourable accusation. Perfect li b4r.y 0: sket di and writing is admitted on the measures of Go vernment. " 10A. Patrimonial estates are unalienable. The law of pri mogeniture is preserved. " I to. When the General Diet of the Land has approved of thij Constitution, it shall become the fundamental law of the litingd4m. If experience should justify any change, the proposi tion moat be made to the Great Assize Coact t, and by that Court determined; but under any circumstances the fandarnental law is not to be altered, it must only be modified." [Signed by upwards of WO principal persons, denominated the Representatives of Norway.] The fcllnwing is the Address from the Represen tatives of the Norwegian People, respecting the trans. lerecce of the Crown to the Prince Regent of Norway: ~ We, the undersigned, representing the Kingdom of Nor.. way, do hereby publicly make known, " That according to the wish of the people, and appreciating the sacrifices made by his Royal Highness (ef the Crown of Dee smirk, Luchie. of Holstein, &e..) we Lave, employing the powea with which we are entrusted, agreed to frame a law for the Kingdom of Morway, in such a manner as to the best of et r judgment will be the most fit and proper for the Kingdom. We have, to that end, endeavoured to separate the Sovereign power in such a way. that the Legisletive Authority may be placed in the hands of the people, and tile Ezecudve in those of the King ...After having thus established tbi fundamental law, it Is our sacred euty to ebuse a King, who, by Us wise and powerful G over nment, shall protect the - Mon archy, and maintain Its 110• pour and happiness.. - Is • • 41 It could not be destothl with the Norwegian people whom they should se l e ct Awsbis pre-enti Station; confidence, love, and gr Wendt, fit Mir eyes and our ea. upon your Rhyal ifigh= nets. you havened to uS in a moment of distress and danger.— You theinglit and sad solely for the tood.of our country. You bound up your fate 111111 our own, and in Tout high office of Re-- gent of the 'Kingdom; lrbt have &Mtn army& regard for the rights of the 0(44 as feet* glory of thtaltrave halo. We are lure that we have fulfilled the desks of 'Nervieglais when we to • you ourtUra le presestieg to yob the we hems e trait it toll/ meet *WI * and tarplade. the Crown oeuter , free =Aix OM 'di Mem*, ke. " 7th hisy s ?Meant sad Sauter/. All . . • vat/ . ... ME FRENCII PUDOI7I CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES. His Majesty's Ministers were announced. Baron Louis, Mons. Ferrand, •nd the Abbe de Montesquiou were introduced. Their Excellencies took the seats which had been reserved for them. The President then invited the Minister of Finance to mount the Tribune. Baron Louts spoke as follows : Gentlemen—We are commanded by the King to present to you in his name the state of the Finances of his kingdom, to propose to you to regulate by a law the proportion of the receipts and expences of 1814, to provide for the service of 1815, and to as-' sign certain means and periods anterior to the Ist of April, 1814. The relative proportion of the Ways and Means would have been easily ascertained, after the uniform results of several years of peace. The experience of the past would, in such a case, have been a sufficient criterion to judge of the future.— This test is at present wanting, and•it has been ne cessary to recur to other documents, which might enable us to form as correct an opinion as possible of our future situation. Your attention will first be di rected to the service of the year 1814. You all know under what dreadful auspices the year began. This unprecedented period offers a Contrast of unlimited aad prodigal expenses, with a stagnation of means. —During the first quarter, the receipts have not amounted to a fourth of the expenses ; and the arrear anterior to the Ist April is for this single quarter up wards of 230,000,000 livres. The regulations ordered by his Majesty, have in the second quarter reduced the expenses near one half. The receipts, on the contrary, have increased to double their former amount, so that the disproportion between the expenditure and the evenue has been reduced to less than a third. . . The same increase of the receipts on the one hand, and diminution of the expenses on the other, will no doubt continue during the two last quarters of the year. The receipts of the third will, it is presumed, fall short of the expenses only one-eighth. From those of the last quarter, • which will be sufficiently regular to form the basis of the Budget of 1815, an excess of one-fifth has been calculated upon in the receipts, which will be applied to the service of the preceding quarters. The expenses ordinary and extraordinary of the State had risen in the lit ginning of the year to a proportion, which would have required for its continuance no less a sum than - 1,245,800,000 The re'auction of our terrAory, and the princi ples of internal ecottotny, have reduced the necessary expenses of the year to - - 827,415,000 Digerence between the expenses of the late and of the present Government - - 418,385,000 The sum of 827,115,000 francs,. is that at which we mean to fix the Budget of the expenses of 1814. —This general calculation includes the sum of 331,275,u00 francs, as the amount of the expenses incurred in the first three months. of the year. It is this last sum, added to the probable expenses of the other nine months, which swells the Budget of the expenses of 1811 to a greater arncunt than the re sources of the year will be able to meet. In the next place it is necessary to point nut the Ways and Means by-which it is proposed to meet the expenses of the year. ibis day appoint IC fundamental law your approbation,' I , til Open yoa by 1164.1.44,7 t The direct Taxes are the.principal branch of - - Revenue, and have been valued at - - 491,266,C00 '1 be Duties of Registration, and the Revenues of Lands- and Forests - - - 111,715,C00 Ibe indirect 'lazes hair been calculated gene rally at about - - - 86,590,000 The Littery, Pet Office, Salt Doles, Naviga- . • tint 'lolls, pith a Nast of 4,000,000 fr. to be furnislitAl by the city ut Pais - - • ' £1,519,000 Total - 52extue,oto The amount of the expenses being .827,415,000, there remains a deficit of 307,415,000. _ _ _ We proceed to the Budget of the year 1815, which opens under very different auspices from, those of 1814. Peace and order begin to make their influence felt, the proportions between the receipts and the ex penses are better ascertained, the operations of Go vernment are more easy, provident and efficacious : the public mind is re-assured and fortified. But it is not possible immediately to forget the misfortunes of war, nor to suspend the efforts which are necessary to efface its traces. The calculation of the expenses of the year 1815 has been confined within the strict limits of necessity. It amounts to 547,700,000 l'o which it is proposed to add for occasional and accidental expenses - - - - 70,300,000 Total - - 618,000000 These tributes have for their object the Paying with punctuality the rents and inscribed pensions of not leaving without reward the military, who have' so worthily supported the renown of our arms, or the functionaries who have served with zeal and probity —to insure every where the administration of justice —to maintain in all part,. of the kingdom a Police, which shall protect every one—to proceed with acti vity in public works, conducive to general utility— to administer to the wants of public worship and public education—to aid the hospitals and the dis tressed communes—to support an army worthy of France and of her glory—to keep up a marine suit able to our continental position and commercial re lations —to provide without parsimony or prodigality for the wants of the general administration—to award encouragements to the sciences, to arts, and to in dustry—and lastly, to facilitate the execution, of all the arrangements which have for their object the increase or the consolidation of the welfare of the State. The budget of expenses for 1815 being 618,000,000, the following are the means we propose, Gentlemen, to make up the budget of receipts: . D;rect contributions 340,000,000 (A diminution, compared with that of 1811, 01 80,000). Domains and Woods Posts Lottery, Salt, Duties on Navigation, ' . ant Casual Receipts Total 488,000,000 It II proposed to rake by Indirect Tuea 'io,ool woo Total 618000,090 The customs, after twenty-two years of war, offer nothing to be relied upon, but they may nevertheless 'be rendered the means of favouring our industry. The King was extremely anxious to abolish the droll; mail, aware of the oppressions that resulted from thence to his subjects, but in the state in which his Majesty has food France, widsilw isamease ar• 'rears of pay due to the army, to preserve to the I State resources proportioned to the necessity of re pairing great evils and satisfying sacred obligations, his Majesty has' directed us to seek other means to place these duties, but - which evils necessarily re quire time. From the accumulation of expenditure beyond there. ceipts there has resulted a deficiency of 1,808,000,000 francs. There are, however, the means from various causes of extinguishing of this amount, 549,000,000 francs, leaving a deficiency of 759,000,000, for which we must provide. For this purpose it is proposed to alienate a proportion of the forests and the commer cial property, and to grant inscriptions in the 5 per cent. consols to those who prefer this kind of security. In the mean time to grant to the creditors obligations on the public Treasury, payable in three years,.and bearing an interest of 8 per cent. ; the proprietors,of these obligations to have the option of converting them into stock in the 5 per cent. consols. We were anxious to occupy ourselves midi the establishment of a Sinking Fund, had not all our re sources been wanted to meet the urgency of the ar rears. The good effects of a Sinking Fund, well managed and persevered in, are proved by the com parison of the vigour of the credit of England, and the weakness of ours. The credit of England re mains invulnerable, in the midst of all the shocks it has experienced, in spite of the increase of its debt.— The credit of France languishes under the same cir cumstances, notwithstanding the diminution of its embarrassments. It is fidelity to engagements which has produced amongst our neighbours a phenomenon so different to that offered by us. We regret being unable to throw into the administration of our finances, at the present moment, a similar germ of proPperity, but the want of all the resources to meet the ordiiiiary expenditure, renders it impossible ; we hope, how ever, that in the year 1316 it will be possible to allot surplus of the Revenue for the purpose of founding a Sinking Funi. [Then follows a Proje of a law for carrying into effect the arrangements proposed in the Budget]. The whole was ordered to be printed. PfiRLIZNENTART PROCEEDINGS. lIOUSE OF LORDS, JULY 26. Juegment was given in the case of Jackson so. Saunders.—De cree of the Court below affirmed. The Thanies Navigation Bill, Westminster Improvement Bill, and others, were read a third time and passed. '1 he London Port Improvement Bill was reported. Lord SUAFTEFRIIRY, Lord LAUDERDALE, Earl 5-rarittore and Lord HOLLAND, presented A variety of Petitions against the Slave 1 rack.--Laid on the 'Fable. GLOUCESTER GAOL. Earl STANHOPE presented a Petition from a person confined in Gloucester Gaol, stating, that he had entered into a recognizance for the appearance, at the Quarter Sessions, of a person who was em ployed as a soldier or seaman, and who was after wards taken prisoner by the French. The recogni: zance, on his non-appearance, became forfeited, and so the petitioner was imprisoned. This was a most unjust thing, that the recognizance should be put in force under such circumstances. The man's name was Perry, ono of those who kad peitioned against the abuses in this Gaol, so that he had been exposed to a double oppression. He left it to the Noble Lord opposite (Liverpool), to take the proper steps as to this business; and moved that the Petition do he on the Table. Lord LIVERPOOL said, that if the statement was true, the man might have been discharged at the quarter sessians ; but he should make enquiry as to the circumstances. Lord REDESDALE—This was the debt of the Crown; but how ? liccause it was a debt to public justice. Earl STANHOPE—If the statement was correct, it was nut a debt due to public justice, but to public injustit e. Lord REDESDALE—He hacl made enquiries as to the statement of the Noble Earl respecting this Gloucester Gaol; and he understcx.d from Sir Geo. Paul, who was not now so much concerned with it as formerly, but who concurred with every one who knew any thing of this gaol, that no place could be better regulated. The Magistrates had made . the proper enquiries in consequence of what had been thrown out respecting it in that House, and found that the compiaints were without foundation. There must be some restraint on the prisoners within the gaol, so as to prevent attempts to escape. The She riff was answerable for their safe custody, and the gaoler was answerable to the Sheriff ; and without great caution, escapes might take place to a ruinous extent. From all the information he had been able to collect, the charges against the Sheriff were totally unfounded. Nu one in his situation was more re spectable or more respected ; and he understood that he had been in attendance during some of the state ments, and was sorry that an investigation had not taken place, as he was sure he could clear himself from every imputation that had been cast upon him. Lord S'fANHOPE.—This was a most extraordi nary speech of,the Noble and Learned Lord. There was no question before the House about these mat ters. They had nothing to do with the present Pe tition. Lord REDESDALE.—The Noble Lord cer tainly introduced the subject, and used what, in any other place, he should have called a very strong ex pression, about the management of this gaol. The Noble Lord did not seem to be aware of all that fell from him, and things did often fall from him that imperiously demanded an answer. Nothing could be more mischievous then throwing unfounded impu tations on men who were really respectable. Lord STANHOPE.—They would soon have evidence at the Bar as to that point. What did the Noble and Learned Lord say to the Secretary of State, who had written a letter to check this practice of opening and stopping letters ? The Noble and Learned Lord would not say that such a practice was Lord REDESDAI.E.—He not only said that it might be legal, but that it might be necessary in certain cases. Lord MORTON.--Where was the evidence on which the Noble Lord founded the allegation of op pression ? Lord STANHOPE.—The Petitioner had stated that he was oppressed j but all must agree that thry ought to inquire first and decide afterwards.—( f/ear, beer, from Lord Redesdale). The Petition was laid on the Table. SIEVE PROCESS. Lord STANHOPE had another Petition to pre. sent. It related to imprisonment on Mesne Process, and was from a foreigner, a native of Bremen, who had settled with his creditors for his debts, according to the laws of his own country. One of the creditors followed him to this county, and had him arrested for one of the debts which had been so settled, and he 'had remained in prison for a considerabie time. He now petitioned 'that strangers might be protected against such oppressive conduct. The LORD CHANCELLOR said, that if the statement in the Petiti,n were correct, the man might at any time have applied to a Judge, and he would have been discharged instantly. • Lord STANHOPE was glad to hear that there was.so much justice in the Noble and Learned Lord', address. But still this showed the inconvenience of the departure from the ancient practice of communi. eating the (,•rounds and causes of the arrest and de. tention, for the creditor might perle ips have alledged another debt subsequently contracted. Why did. they suffer the law in these important po:nts, to be so obscure? Ile moved that the Petitian do lie on the Table. Lord MORTON moved that it be riected, for it prayed no relief, or only prayed a raid - which the petitioner clearly did not want. Lord HOLLAND (who had at that moment come in) thought that the petition ought to be re. ceived. While foreigners were here, they were sob. jvct to the laws of this country, and ought to be per mitted to re! ition for reiivf wren they were aggrieved. Lord RE I) ESDA L —"Die Noble Lori was not present when the petition .s stated. The rtitinner, on his own chewing, did not want relief. What pro. ceeding could there be on this petition ? It their Lord ships were to receive petitions from all persons - on all . subjects, on which no proceeding could be found ed, ,they wutild soon have no time to attend to any thing else. Lord LIVER POOL.—The petition was for rdicf in a case where it was clear, horn the Petition itself, that none was wanted. The question was put, that the petition be received, and negatived. DELAYS IN CHANCERY. Lord STANHOPE had another Petition to pre. sent on the subject of delays in Chancery. It was from the widow of one Reid, an army tailor, in Par liament -street, who had left her, by his win, a third of his property, amounting to about £lO,OOO. The matter became the subject of a Chancery suit, which had been about five years depending; in consequence of which, she had no proper account of her legacy, and had suffered other severe losses—had been three times in prison for debt, Ac. The Petition prayed relief. He did not. by any means, say that. any blame was imputable to the Noble and Learned Lord who presided in that Court ; but he understood it to be the practice to set clown about twelve causes for hearing at once—in consequence of which, the parties did not know when their causes were to come on, and were under the necessity of being .ong in attendance, with their Counsel, at great trouble and expense. Their Lordships would never tolerate that twelve important matters, on each of which long debates were expected, should be appoio. ted in that House for the same night ; and why was this done with respect to causes in Chancery? Hay. ing brought it to the notice of the Noble and Learned Lord,.he hoped it would be collected. The LORD CHANCELLOR said, that, in jus. tice io Mrs. Reid and to the S licitor in the cause, he should order inquiry to be made into the circum. stances. But it alien happened, that persons wets taught to believe that they had great interests under wills, when perhaps they nad received every shilling that was due to them. There were circumstances, which, from the acts of the testator or the parties, tendered delays unavoidable. There was a cause now in Chancery, in which it was impossible to come ;o a decisi , m, until a great number of questions had been decided in Scotland, upon leases granted by the Lestator or bankrupt, on an estate is that country. 1 1 Lord Thurlow, who was not more expeditious than lothers, had said, when he (Eldon) had received the seals, that those who 'complained most of delays in Chancery were exactly those who in their own causes had been the occasion of the greatest delays. The proper inquiries would, however, be made. Atter a few words from Lord STANHOPE, the Petition was laid on the Table. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER and others from the Commons brought up a number of bills, Which were read a first time.—Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. A new writ was ordered for the borough of Devedt?y, in the room of M. P. Andrews, Esq. deceased. The CHANCELLOR et the EXCHEQUER brought in a bill to amend and explain the several acts regarding spiritual persons holding Farms ; which was read a first and second time, and or. dered to be committed. A person from the Tax Office presented a statement of the ex pence of the salaries of auks and other officer., under the Land Tax Redemption Act. The Post Horse Farming Bill (some clauses being added by way of rider) was read a 9d tune and passed. THANKS TO GENERAL OFFICERS. The SPEAKER addressed Major-General Fine, (who had a little before taken the oaths and his seat) in the following terms: " Major-General FANS-It has been your fortune to bear a conspicuous part in the earliest and latest actions of the Peninsular war ; and having now closed your services upon the Continent by reconducting the whole British cavalry through France, you have this day to receive our thanks for your exertions in the great and decisive battle of Orthes. In that battle the enemy, formidably cc llected, and strongly posted on ground of its own choke, nevertheless when as sailed on all sides by the valour of the Allies, was compelled to seek fot safety in retreat. But the con queror had resolved that their defeat should be also their destruction ; and the gallant commander, whose name has since been ennobled by his Sovereign for his exploits at Almaraz, presing hard' upon the enemy's retiring march, the British cavalry under your command bore down upon his broken battahonss and completed the victory. " Distinguished long since by deeds achieved in Portugal and Spain, you have now obtained •resii trophies won by your sword in Fr ince. Three times already you have claimed and received our t..uik; we have thanked you for your gailantry.in the days of Roleia and Viniierit, in the glorious stand at CO. runna, and in the hard-fought field of Talavera and do now also ; in the name and by the cominatal I