The National Register. — London, England, 1815-04-30 00:00:00

271 THE NATIONAL defection pernicious to the interests o the Confederacy ? and would not the French armies be once more able to choose their field of action, instead of being reduced to defend their own wasted country? It is wrong, therefore, to fancy that we enter upon this contest either with a full prospect of success, or even with a certainty of carrying it ell. in France. The struggle, we repeat, will be tremen dous, and may be extensive in its sweep. It will bring into question the political existence of all those who will epgage in it, for the conqueror, whoever he be, will not allow the subdued to start again and threaten his future Kenrity. If it surpasses in bloodshed and devastation all tie.' sanguinary and destructive contests which we have i i itlierto witnessed, whether it ultintately causes regene rated Europe to rise in the majesty of freedom, or re places and rivets the chains of slavery on her hands, it will at least yield this negative good fo mankind ) the long re pose of exhaustion. A Flanders mail arrived on Sunday night, which brings full c,nfirmation of the commencement of hostilities in Italy, and of B battle between "the Neapolitans and Aus trians, in which the latter claim the advantage, and assert they made 5/00 prisoners. It was the Austrian General Who was opposed to Murat. , The official buillctin, published by the Austrians, says, that he had orders to retreat on the approach of the Neapolitans. however, on arriving at I'anaro, it stated —" that he thought it not becoming the honour of the Austrian arms to contintre his retreat , without fighting." The action took place on the 4t* inst. -on the peat road leaning to Modena; it was merely with the advance of Mnrat's army, and the arrival of the main hods' of the enemy, induced the Austrian General to con tinue, his retreat. He arrived at Carpe on the sth; but no notice is taken of his subsequent movements. The Aus t, j a i ) Commander in Chief in Italy, Field Marshal Frimont, ha. noticed the affair in a General Order to the troops, in which he accuses Murat of violating the Law of Nations, in having commenced hostilities without a previous Decla claration of War. The Ilasnhsergh Correspondent, received by the above 'Mail, contiins an animated Proclamation, signed at Vienna on the 7th, by the King of Prussia. It commences by call ing his subjects to alms, to combat for the freedom of the country. It mentions that a perfidious conspiracy has brought hack to France the man who for ten years together brought down upon the world unutterable misery, who, in defiance of his abdication, which lie declared voluntary, was Dow at the head of perjured soldiers, whose desire to render war eternal, again threatens the repose of Europe. The Proclamation observes, that France itself wants the aid of the Prussians. The Decree of September the 3d, 1 8 14, is s...ed at Berlin, for the general arming of the people, is or dered to be executed throughout ell the Prussian dominions. The King promi.es to lead his armies into the field, and to share their dangers as he did in the memorable campaigns of 1 I :3 avid 18 14. The . Princess of 'Vales arrived on the 26th of March at C.enoa. Her Royal Highness was saluted by the guns of all !lie ships in the port, and those on the ramparts. Lord Bentinck and the Sardinian Governor, Count des Geneis, soon after wards uaited upon the Princess. Her lloyal Highness had not left Genoa on the Sd of April. A new 74 gun ship, called the Defence, was launched at Chdtlhuo, on Tuesday.. FRENCH PAPERS. ACT ADDITIONAL TO THE CONSTITUTIONS OF THE EMPIRE.. Napoleon, by the grace of God and the Constitutions, Emperor of the French, to all present and to come greeting. Since we were called, fifteen years ago. to the government of the State by the wishes of France, we endeavoured, at various times, to improve the constitutional forms, according to the wants and desire. • of the nation, and profiting by the lessons of experience. The con stitutions of the empire were thus formed of a series of acts which were sanctioned by the acceptance of the people. It was then our object to organise a grand federative European system, which we had adopted as conformable to the spirit of the age, and favourable to the progress of civilization, In order to attain its completion and to give it all the extent and stability of which it was suseepti- • ble, we postponed the establishment of many internal institutions, more particularly destined to protect the liberty of the citizens. Henceforward our only object is to increase the prosperity of France, by the confirmation of public liberty. Hence results the necessity of various important modifications of the constitutions, the senatus•consulta, and other acts which govern this empire. Fur these causes, wishing, on the one baud, to retain of the past what was good and salutary, and on the other, to render the constitutions of our empire in every thing conformable to the national wishes and wants as well as to the state of peace which we desire to maintain with Europe, we have resolved to propo;:e to the people a belies of arrangements tending to modify and improve its Constitutional Acts ; to strengthen the rights of citizens by every guarantee, to give the representative system its whole extension, to invest the in termediate bodies with the desirable respectability and power- to nr•e word, to combine the highest degree of political liberty and iu di vidual security, with the force and centralization necessar) for causing the independence of the French people to be i•espectt d by •orciguers, and to the dignity of our crown. In consequence, the fiillow ing articles, forming an act supplementary to the constitutions of the empire, shall be submitted to the free and solemn acceptance) of all citizens throughout the whole extent of France REGISTER. APRIL3O • • 104EIGN INTELLIGENCE. TITLE I. Article 1. The constitutions of the empire, particularly the con stitutional act of the ‘2‘.2il Frimaire, year 8, the Senates Consulta of the 14 and 16 Thermidor, year 10, and of the '2B Floreal, year 1-2, shall be modified by the arrangements which follow. All other or. ratigements arc confirmed and maintained. V. The Legislative Power is exercised by the Emperor and two Chambers. 3. The first Chamber, called the Chamber of Peers, is hereditary. 4. The Emperor appoints its Members, who are irrevocable, they and their male descendants, from one eldest ,on to another. The number of Peers is unlimited. Adoption does not transmit to hini who is its object, the dignity of the Peerage. Peers take their scats at twenty-one years of age, but have no deliberative voice till twen ty five. 5. The Arch-Chancellor of the Empire is President of the Cham ber of Peers, or in certain cases a Member of the Chamber special ly designated by the Emperor. 6. The Members of the Imperial Family, in hereditary order, are Peers of right. They take their seats at 18 years of age, but have no deliberative voice till 21. 7. The second Chamber, called that of Representatives, is elected by ti►e people. 8. members are 629 in number. They must be 25 years old at least. 0. The ir, President is appointed by the Chamber, at the epeiiing of the first Session. He retains his functions till the renewal of the Chamber. His nomination is submitted to the approbation of the Emperor. 10. This Chamber verifies the powers of its Members, and pro nounces on the of contested elections. 11. Its Memhers receive fur travelling expenses, and during the Session, the pay decreed by the Constituent Assembly. 1?. They are indefinitely re.eligible. 13. 'Elie Chamber of Representatives is of right wholly renewed every five years. 14. No Member of either Chamber can be arrested, except in fia grante &Veto, nor prosecuted in any criminal or correctional maltyr during a Session, but in virtue of a resolution of the Chamber of which he forms a parr. 15. None can be arrested or detained for debt, from the date sof Convocation, nor for fort, dap after the Session.