The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-08-29 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARtIAMENT.

IP-- HOUSE OF LORDS—Teuasaao, Auousr 211.
Between ene and two o'clock, the Lord Chan•
cellar came down to the House, and, shortly afte,r.
his Grace the Archbishop of Canterhury and Earl
:,Spencer attended. Lordships then took their
seats in their robes, as
His
_aesty's Commis-
sioners, on the Bench in front of the Throne, and
the Deputy thher of the Black Rod was sent to
order the attendance of the Commons, who (repre-
sented on this occasion by Mr. Lee, and the princi-
pal Clerks and Officer of the House) forthwith
appeared at the Bar.
kiis Majesty's Commission, authorising the Peers
therein mentioned, or any three of them, to declare
and notify his Royal Assent respelling the further
prorogation of Parliament, being then read by the
proper Officer, the LORD CHANCELLOIt ad-
dressed the Assembly as follows
Ms Lords and Gratleiners,
" By virtue of His Majesty's Commission, under the Great
Real, to as and ether Lords daretted, and now read, we do, in
ottedimme to Hlis Majesty's commands, hereby declare and
mitify His Majesty's royal will and pleasure, that this Parlia-
ment be farther prorogued until Thursday, the 9th day of Oc-
'' labor seat end this Parliament ateordingly stands prorogued
tasty( the said Illieday of Weber
The COMMON; then withdrew, and their Lord-
ships retired.
STATE OF FRANCE,

BY M. GENTZ.
The treacherous scythe of equality swept away all
the rich variety of tbe local institutions of ancient
France ; all the rights and privileges of the provia-
ces, their customs, their usages, their statutes, their
civil and criminal forms, the assemblies of their
Of states, their independent foundations and public,
bliahments, their diatiott properties, their inr
snediate influence and credit ; nay, their very limits
and tbeir names. The present Regent of that cone-'
S
s try extends his terrific sceptre over an immeasurable
rplain, without one bill er dale, without one ram-
part, or the smallest obstacle, to arrest or to cheek
his cateer. From the centre of his uniform Empire,
with an Almighty Cabinet, a Minister that trembles
i at his nod, a well-regulated financial machine, an
omnipotent and omniscient police, an army wholly
elevated to his will, and abundance of prefeels and
sub.prefees, he governs a nation of thirty millions,
as easily, as securely, and as despotically, as in the
flourishing times of the Ottoman Empire, the Grand
Sivior ruled from the seraglio, by means of his
Pachas and his Ages, his vast possessions in Eurore
and Asia. The Constitutions of the Empire, as they
ate termed, exhibit not one solitary, feeble attempt,
to limit this monstrous Despotism; nay more, they
have, to ail intents and purposes, dwindled away to
a nameless shadow.
It is not only the constitutions and the rights of
individual provinces and cities that have been de.
strayed ; not a vestige is new to be found of the
, • slats produced by the consideration, the influence,
and the co-operation of the two superior classes
upon the ancient form of Government ; nor even of
the personal power, the personal influence and im-
portance
101
property, of distinguished families, or of uncom-
mon merit, once formed around the state a kind of
collateral power in different points of the kingdom.
Bishops and priests, paid, in general wretchedly
paid, Windt) obedient to the Government, excluded
from all participation in temporal concerns, have
stepped into the places of those powerful heads of
the richly-endowed Galilean Church. The French
Nobility, with all their titles and their dignities, with
all their splendour and their wealth, have disap-
peared 1 all that remain of the ancient families,
have either sold themselves unconditionally to the
new Sovereign, or are buried in remote provinces,
or are living in retirement and obscurity, on the•
wretched relics of their former fortunes. A large,
perhaps the largest portion of the great landed pro-
prietors, consists of new possessors, who shudder at
the mere idea of an essential change in the govern-
ment; and would not fail to adore the Sovereign,
were he even a Phalaris, a Nero, or a Thamas Kuli
Khan. The consideration, the renown, or the in-
fluence of no single individual over the minds of
men, can be placed in competition with that which
1 . he possesses.
Before the commencement of the military period,
during ten horrible years, a certain perfeCtion in
1 madness, a certain virtuososbip in guilt, was the
1 exclusive medium in France, to attain power and
distinetion. Since the army obtained the superi-
•i corky, the renown and the good fortune of a single
'i vietorious General has swallowed up the claims of
all the others ; all that shone within his sphere is
annihilated, proscribel, and exiled. Considered in
this pant of view, as well a; in the former, modern
France resembles a bare and desolated tract, from
the surface of which rises but one single tree, but
one single all-powerful arm, but one single name.
In spite of this despotic power, there exists in
this, as in every ether country in Europe, such a
thing as public opinion; but, on the one hand, from
a peculiar cause, which is deeply rooted in the pre-
sent state of France, it is thoroughly devoted to the
government ; and, on the other, such regulations
have been adopted, that its voice is totally

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