The Sun.
London, England, 1825-12-09 00:00:00

THE LONDON JOURNALS.

DAILY
Mr.tracts from the Morning Papers, Dec. 9, 1825.

[THE PUBLIC LEDGER.]
The French Papers contain another instance
of the illiberal Spirit of the Austrian Government,
which seems to be running a course with that of
Spain, to see which of them shall bring despotism
into greater disrepute. One of the last efforts
which the former has made to render its princi-
ples odious to all men, who are not absolutely
knaves or idiots, is an order to prevent the pub-
lication of the Memoirs of the Prince de Line,
which has been found amongst his other manu-
scripts. The Prince, who was one of the most
gallant, amiable, and accomplished men of his
time, was from birth as well as from principle, a
friend to the class to' which he belonged, though
he was from good taste, as well as from good
sense, an enemy to all extravagant pretensions on
the part of the privileged orders. He was at the
some time the delight and ornament of every
Court where he resided for any length of time ;
but he wasa man of wit, and it was directed, both
in his conversation and writings, in detecting
gross prejudices and acknowledged abuses. But
still he was not a Liberal, in the modern accepta-
tion of the word ; and, least of all, a pro-
fessed reformer. When the Austrian Govern-
ment trembles at the idea of the sentiments of
such,a man seeing the light, we may conceive the
sort of notions it would impart to the world. If
its power were equal to its will, the whole race
of publishers and printers would be declared in-
famous, and all the works that have been publish-
ed in France and England for the last thirty
years, would be burned, with scarcely an excep-
tion, by the hands of the common hangman. How-
ever its faculty of executing is far inferior to that
of wishing ; and we trust the distinction will be
soon more marked. It appears, both from the
French and Brussels Papers, that the Hungarian
Diet is not to be intimidated so easily as the
Emperor Francis flattered himself ; and instead
of suspending its investigation of abuses, as it was
imperiously required to do, it has taken cognizance
of this arrogant requisition. The result of a six
flays' debate upon this important subject, is a re-
solution, adopted almost unanimously, to address
a second representation to his Imperial Majesty,
to the same effect as the first, and in which a re-
dress of abuses is insisted upon, previously to the
granting of supplies. Where this spirit will stop
it is difficult to say ; whilst to arrest it, by dis-
solving the Assembly, would be a stretch of
power so offensive, that it would alienate the
whole Hungarian nation. That the refractory
Members are mostly Nobles, does not depreciate
the value of their opposition ; for, under despotic
Governments, reform almost always originates in
the ranks of the nobility.

[MORNING POST.]
French Papers to the 7th inst. and the Etoi/d
of Wednesday reached us last night by express.
The funds continued slowly to recover, though
a report had gained ground upon 'Change at
Paris, calculated to depress them, for it stated
that the Cashier of a celebrated foreign House
had disappeared, leaving behind him a small de-
ficit of only 2,400,000 francs! There is intelli-
gence from Rome in these Papers to the 25th ult.
The health of the Pope was then much improved,
though he had not yet taken a public airing. He
had just issued an edict, one part of which, little
as we are generally disposed to recommend any
imitation of his Holiness, we think might be ad-
vantageously adopted. The object of this edict
35 to reduce the land-tax one-fourth ; but this
reduction is not to extend to the property of
individuals living in foreign countries who are to
pay the whole until they return to reside on their
own estates. If there be munificence in this re-'
mission oltaxation, there is both policy and pa-
triotism in the manner in which it •is modified.
Whilst Carbonari Chiefs have been executed at
Rome, the King of Naples, who, it is true,
placed himself openly at the head of the Car-
bOnari during the late revolution, and can there-
fore hardly punish at one time .what he encourag-
ed at another, has been mitigating the sen-
tences inflicted upon great numbers of patriots.
who had long lingered in the expectation of
death. In some cases this punishment had been
commuted into banishment for life, in others into
different periods of confinement. In doing so,
the I\flonarch, we are told, " resolved to make
use of the fairest prerogative of the Crown, that
of saving the lives of persons condemned by laws
which were, perhaps, too severe."

[THE TIMES.]
By French Papers of Tuesday, which arrived
last night, we observe that the explosion of po-
pular feeling which took place at the funeral of
General Foy, and the constitutional character of
the late decisions pronounced by the Cour Royale,
hive inspired the Ultra and Jesuitical party with
alarm for their antiquated prejudices, and the li-
beral public, with confidence in the preservation
of their civil and religious rights. " The revo-
lution approaches," says the Quotidienne ;
" let us wrap ourselves in our mantles." " The
" liberty of the press," answers the Contitution-
nel, " is for ever established, and patriotism is
" not smothered in the bosom of peace." So far
as catv be judged of the stability of public order,
from the indications of national feeling arid the
language of political writers, France had never
so little reason to apprehend revolutionary move-
ments as at the present moment, when she may
be said to have obtained a judicial confirmation
9f one of the most important articles of her Char-
ter. dissatisfaction with a Ministry, or ridicule
9( a faction, cannot now be confounded with
Jacobin conspiracies, nor excite to acts of rebel-
lion. The creditors of the State may safely be
allowed to grutnble at attempts to reduce their
annuities, so long as the people do not complain
of the oppression of taxes, or the want of em-
ployment ; and institutions, degrading to the re.
ligiOn of the State, though honoured, by Court
patronage, may be innocently exposed, so long as
the Court is spared and religion respected. Par-
ties no longer dispute about questions affecting