The National Register. — London, England, 1815-07-16 00:00:00

UTX 16. The representittive system ; Free assent to levies of men and taxes; The responsibility of ministers; The irrevocability of the sales of national property, whatever its origin ; The inviolability of property, the abolition of tythes, of the old and new hereditary nobility and of tendality; The abolition of all confiscation of goods; I.:tit:re oblivion of political opinions and votes given up to Ibis time; The institution of the Legion of Honour. The compensation due to officers and soldiers; The aid doe to tacir widows anti children; The institution of juri;.s The ii revocability of judges • The payment of the national debt ; 'ie Government which shall not guarantee all these, will only have au ephemeral existence. and will not secure the peace of France and Europe. Should the basis laid down in this decla- ration be disregarded or violated, the representatives of the Frenrh people acquitting themselves this day of a sacred duty, protest l•efore hand in the face of the whole world, against violence and usurpation. They confide the maintenance of the principles which they proclaim to all good Frenchmen, to all generous hearts, to all enlightened minds, to all men jealous of their liberty, in tine, to future generations. (Signed) LANJUIS ATg, President. DUNIOLA RD, BEDOCK, Secretaries. (LEMON', of Diaubc)i HELLO, PROCLAMATION OF THE COMMISSION OF GOVERN- AII:NT To THE FRENCH. FuFacttmEN,—ln the difficult circumstances when the reins of the State were confided to us, it was not in our power to master the eNirse of events, ant) to remove all dangers ; but it became our duty to defend the interests of the people and of the army, equally compromised in the manse of a Prince, abandoned by fortune and the national will, It became our duty to preserve to the country the precious remains of those brave legions whose courage is superior to reverses, and who have been the victims of a devoted. ness which the country pow claims. It became our duty to guarantee the capital from the horrors of siege, and the chances of a battle, to maintain the public tranquillity in the midst of the tumult and agitations of war, to support the hopes of the friends ot• liberty, in the witlAt of the fears and inqulctinles of a suspici • ens fore-sight ; above all it became our duty to stop the useless effii sion of blood : it was necessary to choose an assured national ex• istence, or to run the risk of exposing the country and its citi zens to a general subversion, which would have lel•t neitber hope nor futurity. None of the means of defence which time and our resources allowed, nothing that the service cf the camps and of the city required was neglected. While the pacification of the West was finishing. Plenipotentiaries repaired to the Allied Powers, and all the documents of their negotiation have been laid before your representatives. The fate of the capital is settled by a con vention. Its inhabitants, whose firmness, courage, and perseverance are above all praise, form its guard. The declarations of the Sove reign; of Europe should inspire too much confidence, their pro mises have been too solemn, to excite a fear that our liberties and our dearest interests can be sacrificed to victory. In a word we shall receive guarantees which will prevent those alternate and temporary triumphs of factions that have agitated us for five and twenty years, which will terminate our revolution, and confound in a common proleMion all the parties to which it has given birth, mai all those which it Ito combatted. The gnarant.•es which hitherto have only existed in our courage, we shall find in our laws, cur constitution, and in our representative system ; for whatever may be the intelligence, the personal qualities of the monarch, they are not sufficient to pia the people out of the reach of the oppression of power, the prejndiecs of pride. the injustice of courts, and the ambition of courtiers. Frenchmen, peace is necessary to your commerce, to your arts, to the amelioratiop of your mantle's, to the development of your remaining resources ; be united, and you reach the end of your miseries. The repose of Europe is insepa rable from your's. Europe is interested in your tranquillity, and your happiness, (Signed) The Duke of OTRANTO, President. Next day, the Gth, after some resolutions had been €;€c4 to tespect;ng, the pay of tht. 7J.).111,•., M. Depot _ _ ~.,.~ THE NATIONAL REGISTER. spoke as follows :—" When in your memorable sitting of yesterday, you solemnly proclaimed your political grin- ciples, it was not merely your intention to give the na tion a new pledge of fidelity--you wished to make known at the same time your sentiments to the Allied Sove reigns, and the high confidence which you entertain in their justice and magnanimity. Thet will hear your language with a noble interest, for it is worthy of them and of the nation whom you represent. They have more than once announced their wish to respect the indepen dence of the French people. It would be insulting them to fear that they wish to impose on us a Government by force of arms, or to favour a party who might attempt to prevent the wishes of the nation, and to substitute the ac clamations of a. few individuals to the free expression of the gener4l wish. It appears to me neee'ssary, therefore, in order that your declaration should produce all the effects which you have a right to expect from it, that it be carried to the Allied Monarchs by a Deputation chosen from yourselves. The French people will see in this solemn proceeding a new proof of your patriotic so, licitude. The High Powers will also find the most strik, ing testimony of your unbounded confidence in their de? claration." The proposition was unanimously supported and adopt: ed, and ordered to be printed ; after which, the House proceeded to consider the project of a new Constitution when M. Manuel, in name of the Committee, submitted the following report Men (said he) are not a sufficient guarantee for States, a durable security can alone be found in Institutions. For twenty-five years France has been the victim of factions and despotism; lestitn. lions alone she must set* an asylum agaiust the disorders and the abuses to which she has been a prey. To rally themselves tinder a Constitution, has, for a people, the double advantage of attaching them to a fixed point, and giving a strength to them of which their enemies may be in awe. History informS us that by the mere force of their institutions, nations in antiquity were enabled to give laws at the very moment when they weie vantetislit d. The twenty-five years which we have passed are twenty-tive ages of ex perience. nut the labonrs of your Committee were foil of diffi culty, from the number of opposite principles, and of different in. terests to conciliate. We have nut aimed at au imaginary perfee tjon: Utopia has given rise to too many errors. We are destined to give laws not to an untreated world, but to France, snch as it is, in its vast social reports. The mode of Government must offer by guarantees and mutual concessions a just equilibiiiim bt t weep the popular power and that of the Monarch, nothing could be eata blished were we not to consult the public opinion and ;he general spirit which is diffused, Those who give laws to a people, that they may be durable, ought to follow to a certain point the movement and the inclination of that opinion. This has been proved by experience. A sage combination in public transactions, and a reciprocal guarantee between the people and the Monarch, are the safeguards of liberty and stability ; for it one power pre ponderates, it caa only be obtained by a revolution. Fortunately we have profited by our experience; our enthusiasm is calmed, and social reason is unfortunately seated at present on number less ruins; this reason demands mutual sacrifices; on this ba-is the present system rests. The for:n of Government could not be doubtful. A Republic might seduce elevated souls; but it does not suit a great people in the present state cf nor SOCit tics. A Constitutional Monarchy was alone fit for France, and wr pi pose it to you. The division of the legislative pow Cr into two Chambers, has united every opinion : lint shall three he an upper Chamber ? A Chamber of Peers? Shall the Veers be for lite? Shall they be here ditary? Some conciliatory watts have been prliosed rnir wisdom wi:l decide respecting . them. However. the Committee isof opinion that a hereditary peerage, both ter the nits res Cie people and the Monarch, is the institution w h ic h prea ii;* the greatest number of obstacles in the way of the abuse power. The suppression of the ancient anti modern Noblesse iea appear ed necessary. and such was your opinion in yosir sitooa ur ye-ter day. The. Monarchy, however, requires tins sort of institution, and the diffienlty is perhaps resolved in the institution of the vet:r age, 4 31.2C'.. - IVb of irsilcge cunci:ivvd in such a niauasr the • 451