The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-08-25 00:00:00

THE FRENCH CENSORSHIP.

We hare received the Second Edition of M. de Chateaubriand's
pamphlet. entitled, " La Censure que l'on vient d'etablir en vertu
de ('Article de la 10l dtt 17 Mars, 11t22." We learn that 5,000
copies of the first edition were sold in three hours, although the'
Censorship prevented the brochure from being advertised in the
' Journals. • The Censorship," says M. Chateaubriand, in his
Preface, " would not allow this brochure to be announced in the
Journals, although the title certainly contains nothing rsd.tious.
Is there anything in it against the King or the haw ? Does the
title state whether the author is for or against the Censorship?
What instinct in the Censors ! What marvellous sagacity ! But
I shall say no more ; my name is printed in the title-page of the
brochure. Is it possible to believe that we art under the Alinistry
Of Messrs. Corbiere and De Villele?"
In the Preface to the Second Edition. 31. de Chatesubtiand al-
Iludes to the rapid sale of the first, which he says was sold in less
time than it was written, notwithstanding the Censors would not
let it be advertised, and the post refused to transmit copies to the
departments, as usual. " This," he observes. " says nothing in
favour of the work, but it strews how far public opinion le in fa-
j tour of the tribunals, and with what ardour it demands the fiber-
, ties of the public, in opposition to the present Ministerial system."
We yesterday gave some curious anecdotes respecting the French
Censorship, but these are nothing to those which 31. de Chateau-
briand', pamphlet supplies. Among the articles struck out of the
! Journal des Debate of last Teesday. the 17th, was, Ist, A second
1 article taking a retrospective view of the business of the last Session
of the Chamber of Deputies; 2d, The advertisement of M. Cho-
teatibriand's pamphlet ; 3dly, Some lines on the sensibility of the
IDuc d'Orlecns, on hearing that his son, the Duc de Chartres, bad
obtained a prize !
Against the Coortitationne! the Censors were still more severe,
. anti that Journal was even precluded from mentioning the Due
d'Angouleme as engaged in a cause much more honourable to hu-
manity than leading a French army in Spain to restore Ferdi.
nand VII. to his absolute authority. Indeed 51. de Chateaubriand
says, the thing seemed so improbable, that he could not believe it
was suppressed until he saw the article. It was merely a notice
!sent from the Due d'Argoulenie, inviting the Members of the
' Royal Society for Prison Discipline to meet his Royal Highness at
a Sitting of the Society on Thursday ; accompanied by a few re-
' marks of the Editor. expressing a wish that all the abuses ‘:hich exist
in the prisons. and give so much pain to the true friends of ha-
j monks, and religion, could be made known to his Royal Highness;
that he might be well informed on a subject so worthy of his bee-
licence and humanity.
j Well may M. de Chateaubriand ask if there is anything in such
• an article that mold excite the wrath of the Censure, those " ra.
guest., de piresee." as he terms them. lie continues—" It is,
, , then, no longer permitted to spec': of humanity nor of religion ;
1
, and thus the name of a Prince, the restorer of our army—a name,
that Europe respects, and France has inscribed among the great
actions (Ades) of her glory—is blotted out by some obscure Cen. '
sirs in a pollee office. It is true that the Prince, though a Chris-
,
mtian, Is suspected of being attached to the Charter. It is true that'
all parties in Slain have found their only shelter in his sword ;
that he has inculcated concord in the midst of divisions ; that he
j has repressed the ramEings of liberty, as well as the vagaries of
arbitrary power ; that lee is opposed to re-aetior.s and vengeance ;
j that he has not suffered proscreptions to dishonour his army, and
j that the piles of the Inquisition have given way to the altars raised
Ito his victories.
! In the pamphlet, M. de Chateauhriand commences by alluding
i to • speech he made in the Chamber of Peers on the 13th March,
12Z, in which, in replying to a previous speaker, he said, " A
1 Noble Baron anticipates that France will be Invaded, and all our
• , liberties destroyed by Spain. As to the invasion of France and the
'1 loss of our public liberties. one thing shall console me, that these
events shall never take place while I and my colleagues are 311-
i! nistera. The Noble Baron, who possesses so much talent and such
generous sentiments, will pardon this assertion." These words,
and the establishment of the censorship, 51. de Chatesubriand says,
i explain why he is no longer Minister, and the cause of the treat-
ment he has experienced tiro his colleagues ; but he says he will
I leave persons, and speak only of France.
" I need not repeat," lie says, " what I havesaid a hundred times
in the tribune,and what I have printed a hundred times in toy works,
that there can be no representative government without the liberty
' of the press. With the censorship of the journals, the constitutional
monarchy will become either more weak or more violent than abso-
' lute monarchy. It is a weak or unruly machine, which interrupts
by the complexity of its wheels, or breaks by the force of its
, I motion." - . . _ . .. . .

The Ex-31inister then proceeds to notice the fourth article in the
law of the lith of .March, 11122. which provides for the revival of
the Censorship, and contends that according to the spirit of that
law, no event or circumstance has occurred to justify its revival.
The article says, " If in the interval of the Sessions of the Cham-
bers, serious circumstances should render ineffectual for the mo.
meet, the measures of guarantee and repression established, the
Censorship may be again put in force." " I demand," says M. de
thateaubriansi, " if the case provided foe by the law has occurred ?
Are foreign armies at our gates ? Is there any conspiracy in the in-
terior? Is the throne menaced? Has one of our beloved Princes
fallen under the dagger of • new Lorre,? So—happily not. What,
then, has happened? Why, the Minister has committed some
faults : he has lost a majority In the Chamberof Peers ;he is de-
tected before the tribunals of shameful negociations, in order to
purchase opinions—he has dissipated the advants,qcous results of
the expedition in Spain ; that he has separated front the Royalists;
in one word, that he appears incapable of his offices. These are the
serious circumstances which compel us to violate the fundumental
liberty of institutions which we owe to the wisdom of the King. if
the circumstances are serious he bas made them so, and it is against
himself that he has established the Censorship."
31. de Chatesubriand then proceeds to an crposi of the eireum.
stances which have led to the revival of the Censorship, against
which he ably contends ; be speaks with great bitterness against
his rival, 31. de Viliele, thomM not by name, and contends that
the country is endangered by die measures he pursues. In coaclu-
shut, be sera. •, The remedy is easy if the malady is taken in time ;
if it is suffered to go on, it becomes incurable. I cannot develope
all my thoughts in this little pamphlet, the rapid work of a few
hours, which I publish in a hurry on account of the importance of
the subject. It is hard for me, that am so far advanced in my career,'
to re-engage in struggles which have consumed my life ; but, a Peer
of France anti a Magistrate, I cannot see public liberty perish. I
could not see the tribunals attacked without raising tiny voice, with.
out giving my support, feeble as it may be, to the institutiotis that
were endangered. That the throne of our wise Monarch may re:.
main unassailable—that France may be free and happy, is my
prayer--and as to my own destiny, let it be as (led pleases."
31. de Chateaubriaturs preface to the second edition is dated on
Friday. We are informed that he leaves Paris on Wednesday. for
Switzerland, but retails, in three weeks. Parties are at the highest
pitch of mutual exasperation.

It was reported in the City yesterday, that the King of
France was dangerously ill, and that the news had de-
pressed the French rentes on Saturday. This is not true,
and we arc enabled to state, on the best authority, that the
King of France was on Saturday in better health than he
bad been for some timc.—Star.

The Eloile of Sunday contains an article, announcing
that the opinion of the Departmental Councils in France
will be collected on the subject of the law for the reduction
of the Routes, which was passed by the Deputies, and re-
jected by the Peers. The Departmental Councils, being
generally composed of landed proprietors and of persons
under the control of the Ministers, will, it Is no doubt- cal-
culated, give an opinion favourable to the proposed reduc-
tion.

The Monikers mentions the surprise of Tarifa by a party
of Spanish Constitutionalists, and says, that the troops sent
against them from Cadiz consizted of a battalion of in-
fantry, and a squadron of cavalry, and that the Diane and
Pomone frigates had sailed from Cadiz to support the at-
tack, and to prevent the Patriots from escaping.
The insurrection in the South of Spain, which we alluded
to some days ago, on the faith of letters from Gibraltar, is,
confirmed b_y the French papers.
Mr. Iluriado, the Columbian Minister, left town yester-
day morning for Paris, accompanied by his family. We
understand his departure is connected with the circum-
stance we mentioned, some time since, of an invitation
from the French Goverment to proceed to Paris, for the
purpose of receiving from him communications relative to
the state of Colombia.—E eening paper.
A rumour has very generally prevailed during the last
day or two, of advices having been received from M trid,
stating, that Don Francisco, the trother of the King of
Spin, is about to proceed to South America, but to what
part is not onentioned. Mexico will probably be his sit s-
tination, if there be any truth in the report, of which,
however, we know nothing, more than the fact that such
intelligence has certainly &en transmitted from Madrid.
The King of Spain is at Sacedon, in a house of six
rooms, living in Ices state than an English squire, and
taking no other enjoyment than his aegar, and a visit to a
little theatre which has been erected for him by a strolling
company. Ile is so fond of this recreation, that if any
thing occurs to interrupt the performances, he imposes
silence hitalself.--Seolsman.

nA commercial house in Newry has received a letter frern
I St. Petersburg!), dated July 7, of which the following is an
extract. It contains some particulars of the visit of Alex-
ander on board the French frigate, and ►tats s an insult
offered to the English flag by the French Naval Com-
mander, which the Autocrat, our late ally, witnessed:—
" We arc likely to have had work hcre by sonic French
frigates; they have an Englishman on board in irons,
whom they took out of the cook-house and abused very
much. This is not all : the Emperor was going on board
rote of the frigates, and the French rascals spread an
English ensign, or Union jack, for hint to walk on. As
soon as he saw it, he made his boats pull off, and would
not on hoard. I ant afraid it will end with bad work if
our frigates arrive 1a fore they sail, which I hope they may."
There is much reason to doubt the cerrectneas of this
statment.

GEI?M'AN P.IPERS.

Frankfort Papas to the Istit instant reached our one
yesterday. The following are extracts:—

PLTrassunctr, A tc.3.
From the liith June to the 16th July. there arrived at ('roastadt
233 merchantmen, of •hich 163 were English.

BERLIN.Auo.I3.

The negotiations of the Court of St. Petenburgh with the prin-
' cipal Powers of %Ventura Europe, continue to be carried on with un-
abated activity. Another Russian Cabinet Messenger !LIS just
passed through, on his way from Patis to St. Petersburgh.

I‘II*NICH. AuG.ll.

Great attention was excited here by a Pastoral Letter, issued
by the Archbishop, under the date of the 9th of June, this year.
against the prevalent want of zeal in the exerci:e of religion, and
the increasing licentiousness of morals: the letter concludes with
a notice, that according to directions which have already been sent
to all the French priests of the diocese, those parishioners who shall
be guilty of illicit intercourse with the other sex, both the seducer
and the sedneed, shall not only be held to a more frequent use of the
religious means of salvation, according to a certain gradation,
but, on the first offence, be reproved in presence of the parents;
on the second, in that of some respectable members of the congre-
gation ; and, on the third, before the whole congregation ; but, on
the fourth, be exeleded foes time from the congregation. This pas.
tool letter has given occasion to a Royal declaration, which, after
reongnising the salutary views that may have actuated the Arch-
bishop, disapproves the promulgation of this letter, without the
Royal consent ; r:eclares null and reid the regulations threatening
punishmerr for repeated misdemeanours in the commerce of the
sexes, from consideration of the numerous difficulties in the execu-
tion, the consequences that would ensue, endangering the honour
and tranquillity of families, as well as the respect due to the cler-
gy themselves, and because they evidently exceed the limits of the
spiritual authority. The Magistrates are directed in general to em-
ploy all proper and legal means in their jurisdiction, in order, with
the active co-operation of the clergy, to check the progress of ha-
morality, and gradually to restore a better state of things ; but, at
the same time, to keep strictly within the bounds of their autho-
rity, vigilantly to seeto the maintenance of the rights of the Royal
Supremacy, and preserve the subjects agairst any threatened to-
frlngemnnt, since' though the Church may be assured of the most
powerful AU pportfrani his 3lajesty in all los efforts for the promo-
tion of good morals, his Majesty never could allow objects in them-
selves the most laudable to be pursued with the violation of the
legal forms of the State, and that the limits fixed to the spiritual
power be in any marmot' exceeded.
An edict has been homed. forbidding the students of the kingdom
of Bavaria to study in any University, except that of Erlangen. his
Majesty having taken such measures, that Protestant divines shall
have all necessary instruction in that University.