The National Register. — London, England, 1815-12-31 00:00:00

i $4,," In this letter the Cardinal says, the Pope Hatters himself, that the Government of Great Britain would by no means exact from the Catholics any other oath but such as, whilst it gives to the Government itself a still surer pledge of the fidelity of, the Catholics, may, at the same time, neither clash in the least with the principles of the Catholic religion, nor cast any affront upon the same most holy religion of Christ ; and in case the aforesaid emancipation be enacted, his Holiness will permit them to take either one of the following forms of oath which the Government shall think most advisable. . 4 The first is as follows : " I swear and promise, upon the Holy Evangelists, obedience and fidelity to his Royal Majesty George 111. ; I also promise that I will not hold any communication, be privy to any plot, nor keep any suspicious connexion, either at home or abroad, to iminre the public peace ; and if it shall come to my knowledge that any thing is projecting, either in my diocese or elsewhere, to the prejudice of the State , I will , reveal the same to Government." " The second runs thus : " I swear and promisa that I will continue faithful and entirely subject and obedient to his Royal Majesty George 111 ;_ and that * I will not, in any wise, disturb the peace and tranquility of this realm, nor give ally aid or assistance to any Power who either directly or indirectly may be an enemy to his Majesty and the present Go vernment of England." " The Third " I swear and promise obedience and trite fidelity to our most beloved Lord George M. whom I will, with all my might, defend against all conspiracies, assaults, or attempts whatsoever, against his Person, Crown and dignity ; and if it shall come to my know ledge, that any such are forming against him, I will reveal the same to his aforesaid Majesty. Moreover, I also faithfully swear and promise that I will, with all my might, preserve, support, and defend the succession of the Crown in the family of his Majesty, against any persons whatsoever, within or without the realm, who may boast or pretend a right to the Crown thereof." ESCAPE OF LAVALETTE. • Lavalette escaped from prison on the 20th inst. the night be fore orders were expected for his execution. A Private Cor respondent communicates the following details : " hladame de Lavalette's health has been, as you know, very seriously imprired by her late sufferings. For several weeks past, in order to avoid the movement of her carriage,, she has used a sedan chair. She has been accustomed to be carried in this vehicle into the prison, when it is constantly deposited in the passage of the under turnkey's room ; thence passing through a door, the yard and corridor lead to the prisoner's apartments. At four yesterday afternoon Madame de, Lavalette arrived as usual with a bonnet ala Francaise and a large veil, accompanied by her daughter, a young lady 11 years old. She was assisted lip stairs, and .dined with her husband. About half-past five lA. de Lavalette, arrayed in her clothes, taking his daughter by the arm, and supported by one of the turnkeys, slowly descend ed to t he chair. No uncommon circumstance occurring to excite suspicion, he passed before a!1 the Inspectors and Guar dians of that horrible abode, and, at the unbarring of the last gate, was restored to the fresh air, to his friends and libel tv. In the mean time Mad. de Lavalette, who had thrown over her the large cloak of her husband, was seated, breathless, in his arm chair, with a book in her hand, and the candle burning be hind her on a table. At half-past six a gaoler entering the room, spoke to her, but met with no reply ; he repeated the question, and astonished at the continued silence, he approach ed nearer to the lady, when, with a smile succeeded by strong convulsions, she exclaimed—"ll est parti "—You may imagine the contusion. The Prefect of Police was acquainted with the event at a quarter before seven ; estafettes were dispatched in every direction, and the barriers closed. It was at first ru snourenhe Ministers themselves had concurred in his evasion; that an English Gentleman had conducted him away in his car riage, which was waiting at the end of the street for him ; that one of the turnkeys had tied with him, &c. The first of these reports is absurd, the others I am neither able to confirm nor contradict. "'the Police traced the chair two streets distant ; there, it ap pears, M.. de Lavalette alighted and stepped into the carriage * DPP. 81, that was in !ca' ess f . lt. Clitljtl.tliuell Ile ..,(0 Bavaria, where lis i nimate friend and relation the Prince Beauharnois will receive him with open arms, and the influence of that distinguished character is so great with the King, that should he reach his territories, there can be little doubt of his future safety. This well-conducted plan was executed with peculiar felicity, and at the decisive moment ; for M. Barbe Marbois. after several invitations, was reluctantly obliged to send yesterday evening to his Majesty's Attorney-General the papers which er-dicio passed through his hands from the Cour de Cassation. It is said he has in some degree committed him self by keeping those important documents full t%O days longer than the law authorises, in his possession. The Attorney-Ge neral most have done his duty immediately, and Lavalette would have been to-night a headless trunk. " Madame de Lavalette slept in prison. You would with difficulty conceive the interest she has every where inspired." The French papers give the following account, which agrees nearly with the above : Paters, Dec. 22.—Some persons have been astonished, and have perhaps even complained of the slowness of a famous cause, which has just been decided with the most awful solem nity. This slowness arose from the rigorous observance of all the forms of legal authority, from which it was judged the less proper to deviate, the more celebrated the criminal was, and the more evident the crime. The same regularity, the same attention to forms, had been shewn in the trial of M. Lavalette. There were no delays but those of justice and the law. The pronunciation of the sentence was transmitted on Mon day to the keeper of the gaol, who received, at the same time, the demaad of a delay (sursis.) The following day this demand was presented to his Majesty. There could not t hen be any result, any turn given to this ne cessar♦ and legal delay, till yesterday, the very day on which the prisoner absconded from justice or from cleaency. The following are some details or the escap. of M. Lavalette„ which we can answer for as being exact. Yesterday, at half past three o'clock, Madame Lavalette, ac companied as usual by her daughter, of 12 years of age, and by a female attendant, entered the Conciergerie to dine with her husband. At seven, the daughter and her femme de chambre shewed themselves at the grate to leave the prison, both sup porting a person who seemed to he Madame Lavalette. This person, dressed in the same clothes as Madame Lavalette wore when she entered the Conciergerie, was wrapped up in a fur cloak, the head covered with a hat, and a handkerchief before the eyes. All the officers of the prison were present. Accus tomed to see these three women leave the prison every evening, perhaps also moved by pity for the misfortune and bad health of Madame Lavalette, they neglected to assure themselves or, the identity of her person. Three minutes afterwards, the gaoler went into the prisoner's room. How was lie surprised to find there the wife instead of the husband. i" Ah, Madame !" said he, as she has declared herself, ,‘ what have you done: you have ruined me !" She conjures him not to make any noise, fearing lest her husband should be overtaken if he is pursued, she holds the gaoler fast by the arm, and tears the sleeve of his coat. The gaoler in despair runs to the Gre;', informs the keeper of the prison of what has happened, and calls to them to hasten in all directions to seek the prisoner. They direct their course several different ways. Two of them meet upon the Pont Neuf the same sedan chair in which Madame Lavalette used to come • to the prison, and in which she came yesterday. They imme diately stop it, but the prisoner had already quitted it. As soon-as the escape of Lavalette was known, orders were given to shut the barriers, and they remained shut this morning at 7 o'clock. Numerous researches have been made in Paris, and expresses have been sent to all parts of the kingdom, to dill* tribute every where the description of the prisoner's person. Immediately after the news of his escape, the Minister and the Prefect of - the Police repaired to the Conciergerie; his Ex cellency interrogated all the officers of the prison. He ordered the gaoler and a turnkey to be arrested. The first semis to THE NATIONAL REGISTER.