The Statesman. — London, England, 1821-12-18 00:00:00

~~ :~. .1 ~. i . ~ .: .i,. rs, ..*; :4 " 4 1 F r E l ' . "'i , ..: t. l t : .- *.i .: ' ..i`.. • t , 1. • i ri R NEIP FRRNCII MINISTRY. , The great and sudden Change thathas taken r in the administration . of France has naturally excite much surprise and specialities. To assist enquiry into its character and probable remake. we lay before our readers snch information as we can collect A s pect in, the several persons who compose inisy. his is the more expedient because, as a popular morn ing paper observes, the new Ministers. but with two exceptions, are little known in this . country. Tints much, however, is pretty generally known that they are ttl of the Royalist party. M. de says the paper referred to, who , from hie superior talents, is considered the leader of tbe new Cabinet, was, with his friend Corbin*, a Mem ber of the Ministry just dissolved : but neither he nor bin friend took any decisive part in the measures of the Administration: they were, in fact, only nominally Ministers, not being instructed with any distinct fitac tient', but had been taken into the Cabinet from a no tion that their junction would have conciliated the • Royalist party, of which they bad been the leaders. Like all half measures, however, this coalition impair ed instead of strengthening the power of the late Mi nisters : for MM. Villele and Corbiere were considered to he de-crtere from their party. which, under a -new leader, showed itself more hostile than ever to the Go vernment; and the situation of the two friends, not niThstanding their acknowledged talents, begrime in significant and almost ridiculous, as they held Co places either of power or dignity. It bas long been seen that they would take the first opportunity of emancipating themselves from a situation so degrading to men of talent ; and they hare at length succeeded in acquiring that importance in the State, to which none will disallow their claim on the score of know ledge and ability. U. Peyronnet, the new Keeper of the Seals. is a lawyer. and was lately Procureur-General. in which capacity be conducted, last summer, the state-trial in the Chamber of Peers. The Viscount Montmorency, the new Secretary for Foreign Affairs, was formerly a Deputy to the States- General, and io that capacity was one of the most vio lent of the revolutionary party ; but soon became dis gusted with the projects of his brother reformers, and withdrew to Switzerland, where he had the honour of the intimate friendship of Madame de Steel : the death of his brother on the scaffold about this time threw a gloom over his character, which has never been en tirely dissipated, and till lately he has passed his days almost entirely in secln.ion. Bonaparte banished him in 1811, but afterwards recalled him, taking care, however, to have him closely watched. He seized the earliest opportunity of joining the Bourbons ; and on their restoration became a member of the House of Peers, where, for the last three years, he has distin guished himself by a strenuous opposition to the 51i sisters. In 1818 he delivered a speech against the proposed law of censorship, though he declared him self a friend of severe measures for the repression of the liceutions character of the French Periodical press, which. however, he thought offended rather by its im moral and irreligious, than by its political excesses. He was one of the minority, which voted that the cen sorship should continue hut for one year. He has ever professed himself a steady friend to the Charter. He belongs to one of the oldest families in France: he is about 52 years of age. The Duke de Belluno, the new War Minister, is better known to the English reader by the name of Marshal Victor : he is one of Bonaparte's Marshals, and was the principal General nnder Joseph Bonaparte at the battle of Talavera. He was, however, one of the earliest of the Marshals who adhered to Louis XVIII. after the first abdication of Napoleon, and kept his fidelity unimpeached dnring the hundred days : he has therefore been considered with parti cular favour at Court, and has been trusted on several important occasions. Last year be was employed to repress the insurrectionary spirit which, during the first successes of the Italian revolution, manifested it s.lf so unequivocstly in the southern departments of France. Ile completely succeeded in his difficult mis sion, and without any measure of exit &ordinary rigour. He is celebrated for intrepidity. which is united with great mildness of disposition : but upon the whole is considered rather a man of inflexible honour. than of extraordinary talent. , The Marquess de Clermont-Tonnere, the new Mi nister of Marine. is a man of practical knowledge, and of considerable ability ; be was the Chairman of the Committee of Peers which was appointed to examine the propriety of abolishing the droit d'asobaine ; and it was chiefly owing to his elaborate inquiry and earnest recommendation that the odious and unjust law was abolished. He belongs to an old and noble family. M. Lauriston, the new Minister of the Household, is a descendant of the famous Mississippi Law : he was distinguished under Buopaparte, both as a general and a diplomatist ; but ever since the first abdication of his old master:fie - has remained faithful to the cense of the Bourbons, though he has been almost invariably hostile to the King's Ministers. llc is reckoned n n:an of talent, but of an impatient and violent tvmperament. One anecdoteis told of him that redounds to his honour. lie was intrusted by Bonaparte with several impor tant functions, about the time of the murder of the Duke d'Engbien ; and soon after that event, in a con versation with Caulincoart. who had been engaged in that disgusting act of violence. be exclaimed, " The First Consul knew me too well to propose so disgrace ful a task to me." He then proceeded to reproach Caulincoart in language so severe as to provoke a challenge, which was readily accepted ; but Bona parte, in order to prevent the duel, sent him away from the metropolis. 1 Of Messrs. Villele and Corbiere we have already s p o ken. It may be sufficient to add, that the former, who bas accepted the department of Finance Minister, ban already distinguished himself repeatedly on finan cial questions; and thatthe latter (the new Minister of the Interior) is a lawyer who, when in opposition, made a !weeds; speech in favour of the institntior. Trial by Jury. Aouther morning paper, less distinguished than the preceding for its political character, presents us with a munch less favourable character of the several Minis ters. Speaking of them as a body, it says, It is the meet purely Ultra-Royal Ministry that France has heti sines the restoration of the Bourbons. These who know soy Wog of the pond's, of that kiegdees L 'THE STKT will ant, are think *hi lity. Oug °ie". dare six asonthe.. / . Ns eishall ..- the order in which their appointments are anaoun.- .by Royal Ordoeswanoe- in the *emitter of Saturday. The first, M. Peyronnet—who figures as Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, a leading department is Pruett administretioa—is wholly unknown to the public of Europe, and bet little eves to that of France. He was an advocate at the French Bar. but undietio gaisbed before his being recently appointed by the Ministry to the functions of_ a latie Officer, or public prosecutor. He is a Depsty.,. but we have never ob served his name among those who take a eloare in the debates. The probability ie r that be is the mere beans towns of M. de Serre, who had used kill utmost ens deavours to nuke the late Ministry ester into the views and principles' of the Ultra party. But the Duke de Richelieu, whether from sagacity or holed sion, could not be induced to go that length. 111. De Serre will probably join his friends, after the decorum of a few days' Ministerial mourning. The. second is Viscount Mootmoreocy, Peer of France, a men of ir reproachable life, with little mucky, bearing an il lustrious name, of which be has an exaggerated 'sense; wedded to the abuses, the prejudices, and also gte the glories of the French monarchytbefore the Re volution, and known on the stage of politics only by ,his extravagant zeal in *ippon of that proposition of 'M. Barthelemy in the Chamber of Peers which, theeek. years ago, threw France into a ferment. The third isthe Duke of Belluco (Mashal Victor), as Minister of..Wai,' Military men, both in France and oot of it, rate hinit perhaps the eery lowest among the Revolutionary Ge nerals. He has, however, one merit. which hu made his fortune with the Ultras. In the campaign of 1814, he was charged by Bonaparte, in a Bulled* —and in oo very measured terms—with having com mitted a gross and fatal error during the battle' fought, as well as we recollect. at Areis-sstr-Aube.— He was the first General, and very nataraily, who pub? licly stigmatised his military character. The fourth is M. Corhiere. as Minister of the Interior, who for some short time formed pact of the late Ministry with M. De Villele. But both retired from the Council of State, upon finding that the Duke of Richelieu did not march quick enough towards counter-revolution. He is an Ultra of the most unqualified opinions—iboth political and religious. Whist in the department of public instruction (or education,) he gave s greal alarm to the Protestants of France, by qtrestioning the right of Protestant pupils in the University to have religious last:Actors of their Cotnnounion, as part of the establishment. The question, however.. was determined against him. There is no country in which the Protestant religion has a firmer hold' than France, because the enlightened and liberal, even of those who are not of that communion identify it with the free exercise dilution reason as well as with political liberty. The fifth is the Marquess Clermoat Tonnerre, Peer of France. He is. like M. De Mont morency, of an illustrious family, was several years an emigrant, and has hardly a recommendation for the of fice of Minister of Marine beyond his high rank and his absolute principles. We do not know (but witarerioclined to think) that he is the Marquess de elermoaklion nerve, who distinguished himself at the begianink of the Revolution, and is described in one of the re markable publications of that day, .e &abutted, active, ingenious in his discourse, conciliating in his temper, exhibiting himself in a very inter esting point of view, and defending his order (the Nobles) with more eagerness than true perception of their interests." Since the restoration be has made slew Ultra speeches in the Chamber of Peers, and has figured in uniform, as Aid-de-Camp to the Marshal Commandant of the Guard, during the periodical re views, or inspections of a few battalions of the garrison of Paris in the Court of the Tuilleries. The sixth and last is M. De Villele, whose name is tu!strably well known from his activity in the Chamber of Deputies. He is the constituted leader of the Ultra-Royalists. and in high favour with the Angonlenie party. lie was wholly unconnected with the Revolution, and passed a great part of that period in the French colonies. A French colonial education naturally made him a peril sin of absolute power ; and, accordingly, one of the few publications, if not the only one, of his, which has attracted notice, was a pamphlet, in 1815, in which he treated the French Charter as little less than a de mocratic usurpation forced upon the Sovereign, which the latter was at liberty to revoke or modify according to his good pleasure and hie power. A sketch of his character is given in the last work of M. iinizot.— There be is described as a person, the scale of whose ambition far exceeds the stature of his mind, the cha racter of which is described to be littleness. This list is not complete ; it will be observed that there is. no nomination to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. M. De Villas is, no doubt, the actual head of the Administration. Our Ultra of The Nem Times may be well expested to exult on the change. The following are the.ternm in which he expresses himself on the occasion :—The event which we alone predicted in opposition to aft our cotemporaries, has at length taken place.-4 Royalist Ministry has been formed in France' The Ordinance announcing the new appointments appeared in the Moniteer of Saturday. The effective Premier (having the Finances for his particular department) is M. De Villele, the celebrated leader (of the Royalists in the Chamberof Deputies. He is as ably seconded in the Cabinet. as he used to be in the legislature, by M. Corbiere, now Minister of the interior. The tried fidelity of Marshal Victor, Duke De Bellune, is recom pensed by his nomination to the War Ministry. Vim. Mathieu De Montmorency, well known for his speeches in the Chamber of Peers, takes the port-folio of Fo reign Affairs. The. Marquess de Clermont—Tenure, also a Peer of France, is Minister of Marine. , 111. Peyronuet, a distinguished lawyer, succeeds U. De Serre as Garde-des-sceaux and Minister of Justice; and the Marquess De Laurirton, a Peer of France, re tains his situation as Minister of the King's House- I hold. of. caltatatt *at kiwi' MI Rep Mi. The Newcastle (Vice-Admiral Colpoys) and Ba. lette. from Unlike : Vigo (Rear-Adininsl Brown) and Shearwater, from St. Helena ; Owen Glendower and Staub from Sonth America; Revolationnaiee and Ranchers', from the Mediterranean ; Ontario and Raleigh. from Jamaica, are daily expected to arrive at Portsmouth. The Tartar frigate. Captain Stark la to relieve the Tribune on the Leeward Island station. :E ./CiLif THIS DtY pr women. ..,0"..•. 237 I India Sto ti • .. e tip. adi ...;. 74111 f Ditto Do 7 418 s. pea. $,. 11. Of Chs....•: SouthBo4 8 . z .......... sk porCent BM I flonth Sea Old Ann. 4 per Carts Nail Bt. Rill tel. NUM in. pa. par & per Cents. Navy..... ...... --—StlOl. par. Is. its. pm • 3 per Cant - • --....—' Matti Is is pm. Long Ann .1914-16 I ;Delia for ditto. tap. It per Cent Irish 6 car Cent Lott. Tickets.. • ....?kl. ISs. MUM 'WATS! AT LIDNIMPWIIIIIMINII re-uoaaew. Moraine 402. after A.—grepiai 11 rein. after 10. WITS " Till ataittilniane -t 21111111111111SX is INC011111 0 011•TBD STAIMMLII." LONDON: TURSIDAT ■MINING, DZCEMSI 18, 1821. PROJECT OF LAW AGAINSIEniz PRESS WITH- DRAWN. Late last night was received by express the Paris journals of Sunday, the contents of which are still move important than those of the preceding day. Al most the first act of the new Ministry has been to wftlidraw the obnoxious project of law on the press, introduced by their predecessors. M. de la Bourdon air, M. Delalot, and other Royalists, have declared it at they will oppose any law that fixes a censorship e The pre**. The following are extracts from the journals:— CHAMBER OF DEPUTIZO. DEC. 13. M half-past one the sitting commenced : the Chamber was vsty full, bet no Minister appeared. It was observed that the centre was very this. The business of the day began by M. Desire making 'a report relative to the election of M. Durand, whom •the Committee had returned as duly elected. In the midst of a debate on this subject, a noise was heard in one of the lobbies, and immediately the State Messen gers and Ushers made their appearance before the new Ministers, who were introduced in a body, and with the •used ceremony. Messieurs de Villele and Corbiere, in ministerial costume, entered first, and took their seats; next came the Duke of &Hutto, in the uniform of a Marshal of France; and Viscount de Montmorency, in - the slressof a Peer; AI. de Peyronnet, in that of a De_ puty. his Excellency not having yet assumed the robes of Keeper of the Seals. The Marquess de Clerutont Tonnerre was absent. This novelty interrupted the proceedings of the Cham i►er for some time. The discussion then continued; the result of which was the admission of M. Durand, the pro position for such admission being supported by the r whole of the left side, a part of the centre, and a great number of the Deputies on the right. A part of the right opposed it. $. After some routine business, the Reporter of one of the Committees moved, that a petition should be laid before the President of the Council of Ministers. lipoel which several voices on the right (acclaimed, "Is therSetill a Pl'esldent of the Council r To which several voices or lie right replied—" No ; there is no louget such a functionary." (Considerable noise.) M. de Floirat made a report on the petition of the widow Lesurque, whose husband was executed in 1796, though his innocence had since been solemnly recog nised. The report was ordered to be printed. The order of the day in immediate succession was the report of M. de Vaublanc, on the law project relative to the censorship of the journals. The reporter had been in readiness from the beginning of the sitting, and M. de St. Aulaire and several members of the left seemed already disposed to inscribe their names in support of the presumed conclusions of the Committee; but in the course of the debate, and after the arrival of the Minis ters, it was spread about that the report would not be made. This rumour had already gained credit, when the President announced that the Keeper of the Seals was about to speak.—(A great sensation in the Chamber and then a profound silence.) AI. de Peyronnet, Keeper of the Seals, then spoke as follows:—" Gentlemen, the King having ordered us to prepare immediately a new law project as to the regula tion go police) of the journals, has also commanded us to lay before the Chamber the following ordinance." — (An almost universal movement of satisfaction.) "Louis, Ea.—The project of law relative to the con tinuation of the law of March 31, 1820, and of July 26, 1621, is withdraws. " Our Keeper of the Seals is intrusted with the mar lion of this ordinance. " Dated Dee. lb, 1821. (Signed) •, LOUIS." The reading of this document was followed with strong marks of approbation from the right side, and with in tiquivocal spaptossa of impatience on the left. MM. Demarsais, Sheltie, Se.c.—" By whom is this or dinance countersigned 2" M. de Peyronnet (u he was descending from the tribune) answered coldly—" By the Keeper of the ''Seals."—(New signs of impatience.) Several voices—" Which ?" Voices on the Kight—u There are not two Keepers of the Seals." Voices from the Centre—" What! have you not read the t" M. de tlerardin" This Keeper of the Seals surely has a name."—(Violent marks of disapprobation from the right and the centre.) In the midst of this confusion, M. de Peyronnet re amed his seat with an air of great indifference. The President, after formally recognising the ordi- ' mime just presented, stated that he had received the fol.' lowing letter : " M. President,—Being called to the Ministry since our appointment to be Members of the Committee on the Budget, we think it our duty to request von to desire the Committees who chose us to proceed to a new election. (Rigaed) "De VII LELE sad CORRIERE." M. de Umardia.—" These geatlemeu ought also to give in their resignation of their functions of Vioe-Pre adepts of the Chamber." The President them invited the first and fourth cow witless to choose Illellaben instead of MM. Valets and Corbiere. ;,.! .1;&*1 .% 1 t i 1 \ 4... , k ~ i 1 i, Tiler. larsniFfises fattbk beaus. re her. it broke up without any day being fixed f or a m 'text nweting.—Notice of the day of meeting is to b e sent to the houses of Deputies. The ifooiteur of .Sunday contains Royal Ordinances, announcing the following promotions :—. - • " The Count de Serre, the Marquis of Latour•li w bourg, Count Simeon, Baron Portal, to be 3nalit ers State and Members of the Privy Conneil.—The me de Latour•Manbourg to be Governor of the Count Simeon, Baron Portal, and 3f. Roy, are elide Peers.—Uount Portalis and Baron Moonier are een t 4 to the drdinary duties of the Council of State, aed at , tached to the Committee of Legislation." KITRACT OP' A LUTTIIR, DATED PARIS, Dec. 16 " This morning great changes were expected t o it. pear in the different branches of Administration, Th e Prefect of Police at Paris, the Director of the Pin k the Director of the Cestoms, the Director of p o n ce. the Director of Registrations, will all be eliee ge t These changes will be followed by the appoiatelee t4 Dew Prefects in many of the departments. A aup s r Ministry in France infers *much more extensive cheep in all the departments of authority than in &glee& From the centralization of power at Paris, s sho c k. in tbe Cabinet is felt through all the grad a ti ons of office down to the Mayor of a village. Di rectors; Receivers-General, Prefects, Pelice•ageats, lee. are s ys subject to the impulse." The Preach Mail due to day has brought all the Paris Journals to Sunday. None of the accotnts fn. the continent through these channels are of much is. portance, except those from Spain, and they are of ia. terest only in so far as they contradict the reports of agitation in the metropolis. The scants from Madrid are to the 4th inst. The Cortes have passed a lair prohibiting the importation of foreign coals. The Kitig has sanctioned the decree prohibiting the dm. Istion of French coins. The sums of money sent is Centa by the inhabitants of Algesiras, together with 're , 4 anal r Ku" e (spit K au al Ain /14 s PI Is ellor r trieJ is beii' ites IS owe I 1 WW I a res rd fro' las ll her to lifl chess .1 $t ie brl orda lb. i he Ci I. A State 1 / 2 and 300 thousand real: forwarded by Government lave quieted the fears of the troops, who were very votary on account of the penury to which they were rethned. The di%cipline of the soldiers is very good. Murk, the chief of a faction, has been arrested at Amite:, with 17 others, among whom was discovered a meek of the order of St. Francis. rbe et COWIE ers Ibsen excel 11 &pp pawn The inhabitants of Barcelona, it is said, are relished to poll down their citadel, which was built upwards of a century since. This fortification, whit!' has, at various periods, contained within its walls the snug rout vktiws of despotism, has become more odious since the brave General Leavy and his complies' were immured is it. Without it, Spain would hare been free three years ago. It is asserted, that the heirs of those persons who were dispossessed of their property, consisting of more than 600 homes. for the construction of the citadel, and aviation-reset baled nified, have determined to re-claim the grossi from the Government. By the report of the Roseti of Health at Barcelona, it appears, that on the Nth sit., there were, in the city, only 15 sick of the yellow fever, and 18 convalescents. In Port St. Mary's, there were 52 new cases; in Xeres, 27; and in 'Aril fig At Barcelona, however, we find, from the fol lowing extract of a letter, dated Nov. 30, in one of the French papers, that the virus had again been called into activity. 4 ' As I had foreseen, the meetiage which took place on Sunday last in the churches of this city only served to aliment the badly extingsiskil mischief. A great number of persons have died will# these three days ; and if the magistrates are not cal' ful, the evil will be perpetuated amongst us." Commercial letters from Constantinople, dated Not. 10, announce the return of the Turkish Beet to Be Dardanelles in a most deplorable condition. They had with them some miserable Greek transport sleep, which they had taken at Galaxidi. The runner* disasters which have befallen the Ottoman Beet didn their late cruise have exasperated the Hassidism's beyond measure, and there is every reason to helices that some fresh massacres will soon take place. The price of the French Fund s last week basket anticipated in our columns. The Five per Geste. which on Friday closed at 871. Sc., instead of sustain 'ry, rose in the cours e of Saturda y to 87f. 60c. ing any depression on the . nomination of the new 3k' and %lit Uttr exi his ealig Rut 1 II wil Ithe r id 1 the De c e for ?ling -Sri ry, The accounts by the Frankfort papers, whin nava , been received to the 10 th instant, are easier of a warlike character. The insertion disci se articles' the following, from a foreign penal, is the off" s l Gazette of St. Petersburg, is a circumstance that will not escape observation : Sr. PaTenennau, Nor. 20 . — T he Coati &saki this City has inserted the follo win g article, Mho fru . a Foreign Journal:—" It is affirmed. that th e sa g a ' giations between Russia and the Porte have takes es tinfwvonrable turn; but the Foreign Ambasaadhet C ons tantinople do their utmost to remove the r ficulties. The Divan bad at first acceded to tbe eva cuation of Moldavia and W allachia, bat sethlealf changed its wind. The Ottoman troops in than winces, which were on the point of retiring behind et the Danube, not only rem ain in their position% h are to receive considerable reinforcements. It mom that the Tarim resolved on war, no longe estmatt r respect any thing; and being com p elled to adopt measures, treat as enemies all those who are set 1 11 ' homeless. The Bullish alone have found favour nitb the Sultan The promise of the King of Prussia to give Mg States a suitable Constitotion, which bad bees sa d leanly Wade aid so fadhly evaded, he at lege, 14 i SIN 1111 OM I PIV I Ito)