The National Register.
London, England, 1818-05-10 00:00:00

;atonal( Ittoitittr+

Our on titut tort any 3Litilni.

SUNDAY, MAY 10, ISIB.

one answer. In our opinion, the measure can scarcely
fail to he productive of incessant jarring and rancor-
ous animosities. Ko much far its expediency. As
to the justice of the mcesuic we can say still
less zn fi,eur of that than of its exnediercy. it
she..i.l net be forgotten that whether er. iantitunt of a
parish be retsd at i5l. or at t.CI., he contributes, if he
be rated fairly, in proportion to his means: he is as
much interested in whatever may affect his little pro-
' perty, or the advantage of the parish wherein he Las fixed
his home, as his more opulent neighbour, and has un-
questionably eery right to as strong a voice in all
those measures of which 1w must in crennion with his
neighbours feel the operation. We feel convinced we
are here speaking the sentiments of the rnajelity of our
countryieen, bet it may, perhaps, be said again in fa-
vour of those :manures we have been so ceodenining,
that the seperior attainments, the more profound and
polished educetion et the more opulent class, better
qualify them to judge and decide on questions of public
utility, than those men who have not had the same
advantages. In admitting this reason in part, wo must
however, observe, that these questions which are likely
to form a subject of discussion et `✓cztry Meetings, are
generally in their statue and in their bearing, so sim-
ple as to fall within the compass of the most ordinary
minds, and as connected with many circumstances with
which the tradesman or firmer has more opportunities
of becoming acquainted than the gentleman ; these
questions appear more properly the business of the for-
mer than of the latter. In short, we regret and deprecate
the measure in question, as a species of aristocracy utter-
ly inconsistent with the spirit of our Institutions and at
open variance with popular opinion. Could we persuade
ourselves that it were calculated to achieve its alleged
object we should sill be of the same opinion as to the
justtice and fairness of the measure, but we mach fear
that in it the violation of long established cus-
tom and popular feeling. will only tend to encrease those
evils which on a false principle of expediency such ex-
tracrdinary a proceeding is intended to remove.

The afEtit of Fualdes goes on still slowly. In the
24th Sitting, a complaint was tnade that threats had
been held out against some of the witnesses fur the pro-
secution, who were encouraged by the Magistrates to
disregard them, and told that they were protected by
them and the laws. Bax has made another voluntrry
deposition, in which he says, that Yeneo
Bessieres, Veynac, Louis Bastidc, and Rene, a tobacco-
dealer, endeavoured in eMn to iteince him, by the
promise of 1200 francs, to join them, the day before
that on which M. Funldes was murdered, in robbing
the house of M. de France. The next day Bax sa.v
the persons above named, with Bastide, Grensont,
Jausion, Bancal, Colard, the woman Bancal, and two
ether females, whom he did not know, in Bmical's
house, surrounding M Fualdes, who was seated on a
chair. After maktng their victim sign 12 or 14 papers,
nhich Jausion put in his pocket-book, Bastide told him
ho must 'lie, on which he exclaimed, " What 1 can I
believe I shall find my relations and friends among; the
nooll,cr of assassins?" The only reply &stick made
was to seize him, and with the assistance of the others.
to extend him on a table. The unfortunate man then
begged for time to reconcile himself to God : to which
the inhuman ruffian replied, " Go along, you will
ruccmciie yourself to the Devil." Tha depoeitlon then
described the strtrAlling of M. Inaldes, the overturn-
ing of the table, his being seiJed again, nm:l ultimately
put to death; the discovery of Madame Manson in the
closet, in man's apparel ; and her being saved from tau:
brutal vengeance of Bastille, by Jatrion and 131 x.—
Instead of heir', confounded and ovcrwhchned at the
reading of the horrid details of his own cruelty, liastide
smiled at the moot frightful passages respecting the
inurdct • Jausion, on the e,mtrary, exhibited ne.-vms
writhings. Madalue Manson confirmed Faso:
_ _

test

molly, that two men ssvetl her life. She Irad t!..uught
that Bantu' was one of them; but it tuiqht have hutra
Bax. I3astide administered the oath to her over the
dead body,