The Sun.
London, England, 1825-06-03 00:00:00

[MORNING CHRONICLE.]

The conduct of Committees on Frivate Bills ,
was again canvassed in the House last night. The
subject was introduced by Mr. S. Whitbread,
who stated that the Westminster Oil Gas Com-
pany Bill, after a long and laborious inquiry in a
Committee, had been got rid of by a number of
persons, most of whom were interested in the Coal
Gas Companies, and not one of whom had attended
for a single hour during the progress of the in-
quiry, coming on the last day and voting against
the Bill. Mr. T. Wilson, Mr. W. Smith, Mr.
Tremayne, Mr. Calcraft, and Mr. Sykes, all
agreed that some reform in the manner in
which private business was conducted in Com-
mittees was absolutely necessary. Mr. Little-
' ton expressed his astonishment " that any
individual, sho had the slightest pretension
to the character of a Gentleman or a man of
common honesty, could venture to conduct ,
himself in the manner in which a number of
the Committee bad acted." And Mr. J. P. Grant
thought it remarkable, 44 that though there must
be a great number of Members in the House who
were on the Committee, and who now heard
their conduct reprobated in no very flattering
terms, not one of them had ventured to give
any contradiction to the statement of the Ho-
nourable Member for Middlesex." This is al-
together a very pretty expose. It would be
curious to ascertain at what expence of coal
gas shares these members were purchased.—
If we could ascertain this, by dividing the
shares by the Members holding them, we might
discover the average price of an Honourable
Member's virtue for an hour, for the opera-
tion of repairing to the Committee and voting
could not last much longer. IT the system re-1
main unchanged, it might not be amiss to devise
some expedient to save unnecessary trouble to
parties who have need of each other. Various
expedients have been resorted to in different
countries for facilitating social intercourse. In
this country we are not behind our neighbours.
Witnesses in Westminster Hall had their mark;
in the neighbourhood of Chancery-lane those ob-
liging gentlemen who were ready to swear as bail
to any amount, have their sign. We say nothing of
those more palpable markets in the Lobbies of
the Theatres. Why should not the men who are
ready for Committee work hang out their sign
as well as their neighbours? Voting without
hearing any part of the inquiry is easiest done ;
but it is probable that, to save appearances, it
will hereafter be deemed expedient that one or
more of the sittings should be attended. For
this, of course, an additional price is but fair. If
all who are procured were to enter the Com-
mittee at one time previous to the day of voting,
it might excite alarm in the other party ; and to
obviate this difficulty, they might take their
turns of attendance, two or three only at a time.

[NEW TIMES.]
Onr Paris Correspondent gives us the chit-
chat of that capital on the topics of chief interest
there—the Coronation, its balls, and its ban-
quets; but we grieve to find how little interest is
felt there on the main and important point to
which the Coronation itself should be made subsi-
diary—we mean the loyal attachment of a people
to their Sovereign. Somehow or other, the un-
bounded popularity which the King of France
enjoyed on his accession to the Throne has been
suffered to• evaporate into indifference or
less amiable feelings. How does this happen
Charles X. is not less amiable or less gracious,
than the Count D'Artois. lie has done no per-
sonal act which betrays the slightest asperity or
love of arbitrary power. Aluch, no doubt, is
to be ascribed to the native fickleness of the
Parisians. Buonaparte knew them well, and cha-
racterised them well, in his caustic manner, when
he was told in 1814 that they had pulled down
his statue from the column in the Place Vendome.
What have they put up in its place ? asked he. A
white flag,was the reply. " Pooh, Pooh !"said he"it
should have been a weathercock."lndependentlyof
Parisian levity, however, there have been causes
over which, perhaps, Charles X. had no controul,
that have conduced to this change in popular
feeling : nay, he has perhaps suffered in some
respects by acting from the most laudable
motives. Genuine liberality made him relax
the restraints on the press, and thus give free
course to endless attacks on his Government,
which recoiled upon himself. Sound views of
Finance prescribed the reduction of the Rentcs
but that transaction rendered thousands hos-
tile to the Ministers, and, consequently, chilled
the warmth of their loyalty to the Monarch.
Justice itself dictated an indemnity to the emit
grants; but the people who had,. directly or in-
directly, to pay that indemnity, were not over
pleased to be made just per force. Finally, the
piety of the King made him, perhaps, too prompt
to listen to some persons who Were, or pre-
tended to be, actuated by religion. Our Cor-
respondent notices the prominent piety of Mari.
shat Soult, who was not always known fot
religious zeal while, on the other hand.,
the genuine orthodoxy of M. de Rochefoucaalt
has been carried to an extreme bordering on the
ridiculous. The old spirit of infidelity, which

armed itself so strongly with wit and sarcasm, is
not dead in France, nor indeed does it sleep. It
seizes upon these points of absurdity, and uses
them to weaken the reverence of the people for

their Sovereign. It cannot be denied that the law
against sacrilege, and the absurd Legend of the
recovery of the Sainte Ampoulle, are things
unsuitable to the predominant feelings and sen-
timents of the present age : and the mixing up
the King's name with these circumstances, causes
a part of the discredit attaching to them, to re-
flect back upon his Majesty. Such are the causes
which appear to us to have contributed to pro-
duce the too evident diminution in the popularity
of Charles X. and we mention the fact with re-
gret ; for we believe him to be a Ptince of the
mildest dispositions, preserving a grateful re-
membrance of the hospitality shewn to him in
England, anxious to promote the best interests
of France, and a sincere friend to the general
peace and tranquillity of Europe.