The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-13 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

PAWS.

Lenox ova coaarsromorwel
Pa a's, OcT. 10.
Those persons who had persuaded themselves that the Go- '
vernment would take a change ileciikally favourable on the
accession of CJIAIII3.I X., and be administered on sound
constitutional principles, begin to manifest their ilisa!)-
',ointment ; they perceive that their sanguine anticipa-
tions arc not likely to be realized, and they express their
dissatisfaction very generally. The Act of Amnesty for
political offences (delfts politiques), which so many &milli a
are awaiting with the deepest anxiety, is now deferred till
after the interment of Louts XVIII., who is still lying
in state at St. Denis; it is, indeed, greatly doubted by
many, whether it will be passed at all so long as M. Dr Pr y-
RON NIT remains Minister of Justice. No one more de-
lights than be does to carry prerogative to its most capri-
cious excess; his character, repulsive by nature, is hrtita-
Bred by habit. An event has just occurred which affords
but too strong a proof of this.
Lieutenant Barna, a retired French officer, was made
prisoner, in Doti, at the battle of !ices, in Spain, and con-
demned to be shot, by a court-martial held a few months
ago at PIMPIGN• N. lieappealul to the Carr! of Cessation
against this sentence. The form of military proceedings
permitted that this judgment should be submitted to a
Coiincil of revision, which accordingly took place, and this
council annulled the sentence, and referred the case to an-
other council of war. Lieutenant BRIDE was this time
more fortunate: this a cord court-martial pronounced
judgment of acquittal. Having already passed a year in
prison, he now rejoiced in the hope that his anxiety and
sufferings were at an end, and that he should return to the
bosom of his disconsolate family. But M. or PET KOK NET
did not lose sight‘of him. A certain technicality in •the
course of the proceedings hail, it cans, been omitted by
Lieutenant Bator : he had not
.hrtoolly withdrawn his
appeal to the Court of Cassati9n, though he had evidently
done so in fact, since he had no necessity to avail himself
of his application to it, the Conseil de Revision having re-
versed the sentence of the first court-martial, and the
second having acquitted him. The appeal to this Court of
Cassation being thus superseded, it was, in the eye of
equity and common sense, withdrawn, but not so in
the eye of the law, or of M. DE PIMIONNYT. It was
enough that Lieutenant llama hail omitted to testify,
ns lm law required, his intuition to desist from his appeal.
It was no excuse for this unhappy man that he did not
know that such a formality was imperative, and that, his
Advocate being unfortunately absent from Paris, he had
lost the benefit of his legal assistance.
M. or PF.Y RON N ill the fulness of that demoniac
spirit which marks bit character, seized on this omission,
and took advantage of it to destroy him. Ile immediately
sent an order to the I',ocarrur des Poi, of the Court of
Appeals (Cour (le ('issation), to report officially the fact
of Lieut. Ilatnes having lodged an appeal; this done,
the Court then proceeded to determine upon his appeal,
and, having no presumed knowledge of any subsequent
proceedings, dismissed it. It is necessary here to observe,
that, according to the larva of France, an application to the
('our de Ctusution auspends all the subsequent acts er
proceialings of any ulterior jurisdiction thus, the ap-
peal of Lieutenant Bator not having been previ-

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curly withdrawn, the revisionary decree, which reversed hie
condemnation, and the judgment of the second Court-mar-'
tial, which acquitted hint, became null and void, and, the
Cour de Caaratims having dismissed his appeal, the judg-
ment of the fir..t Court-martial stand] confirmed; and the
unfortunate Lieutenant, although twice argrittcd, is at this
liniment a close prisoner, with a sentence of death banging
' over him, and his family are in a state of wretchedness not
to be dent ibed

('an an arnars4 for political offences be expected, while
M. nE PF ymosw Er is in office? Is a reign, marked in its
outset by the continuance of such ■ character as this in
favour and power, likely to be a reign of comfort and con-
fidence? noes it give promise to France of a reign of
peace, and equity, and justice? No; France, within the
last thirty years, has suffered much, but I fear her deepest
morrows arc not past.