The Sun.
London, England, 1831-09-19 00:00:00

rants of his couriers, furnished with a passport signed
bs himseri, has been obliged to have it signed also
by the Ambassador at Berlin, and has been detained,
under various pretences, nearly two months. I wilt
ask him if it be true that the Polish Legation had
beers recommended by the French Government, by
the English Ministry, and by the French Ambass
srlor, to use moderation and not to risk a general
battle, because events which might produce ne inter-
vention in favour of Poland could Rot be delayed
more than two months, and that then Poland might.
be again reckoned one of the great European fami-
lies ? These two months have pawed, and yet I
have not learned that any thing has been done to
redeem this promise. I cite -.his fact, because it is
a homage due to the wiadom and good faith of the
Polish Government and of the Generalissimo, who
probably have trusted to these promises and ex.-
ercised the moderation that was recommended to
thers.—(Hear, hear.)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs—l am not called
upon to answer any questions to-day.
General Lafayette—lf the facts I have advanced
are not correct, you may say so at once.
M. Guizot conceived that the whole discussion
should either take place to-day, or be postponed till
Monday. He understood that the Chamber had
decided that it should be put off till Monday, and
therefore he moved either that the whole subject
should be gone into immediately, or that the Cham-
ber should proceed to the order of the day.
The President announced that the next strbject
on the order of the day was the di-cession of the
proposition of M. Boissy d'Anglas.
General Lamarque said that the amendment• of
the committee had so completely changed the ori-
ginal proposition, that they formed an entire new
one. Thus it rejected the grades conferred. Louis
XVIII. had during the Hundred Days made 1,700
or 1,800 promotions. These were not contested.
They were made by virtue of the tight divine, and
upon this principle Louis XVIII., though at Mitten
or Ghent, was still the incontestable proprietor of
France. The ordinances that suppressed the grades
of the hundred Days were illegal, even under
the restoration. It was by virtue of the said ordinance
that the brave Mouton Davernet, the youthful Labe-
doyer, and the intrepid Marshal Ney, whom it was
much more easy to assassinate than conquer, were
shot. Would the Chamber admit these ordinances as
well as the promotions at Mittau ? Ile could never
believe that a French Chamber would do this, for
all France had branded with indignation such dis-
graceful acts. Gentlemen, continued the Hon, tiie.
neral, we have just received disastrous intelligence
from Poland. Surely if the Autocrat of Russia is
triumphant, he will never acknowledge the promo-
tions conferred by the Polish National Govern-
tnent ; but when Poland reappears amongst the na-
tions, can you believe that she will refuse to reward
her defenders—can you believe that she will refuse
to ricknoe ledge the value of the blood shed under
the walls of W'arsaw ?—(Cheers.) I wish not to
give birth to evil auguries, but may not the storms
that are lowering over other countries be driven to-
wards us by the winds on the north ? Gentlemen,
do not then discourage our brave soldiers. This is
not the moment.—( Hear.) I shall vote for main-
tainittg the first article of M. Boissy d'Anglas.
M. Caminade insisted upon the preservation of
article 1, which established the grades conferred by
Napoleon.
Jaubert, Committee's Reporter, opposed tile
article; as the vote of an administrative measure
would be an attack upon the Royal prerogative. It
would also be an encrouchment Qn the rights of ex-
isting officers.
M. Gamier de Bumilly supported the motion.—
lie was anxious that justice should be done to every
one. Now that Warsaw had fallen, the Chamber
should, by a striking example, declare that it would
never abandon the cause of the country and liberty.
M. Rouille de Fontaine declared it his opinion
theta law for bestowing grades, and decorations was a
shameful infringement of the Royal prerogative. He
would defend the privileges of the Chamber, if they
were attacked, and for this reason be would defend
with energy the prerogatives of the Crown. Gentle-
men, among those who received decorations during
the Hundred Days, there are some who have been
more than once in the hands of justice Would you
confirm their decorations by a law ?—(Violent mut-
Inure.) But there is one way of reconciling things,
and getting rid of the difficulties—it is, instead of
enacting a law, to send up an address to die King, in
which the Chamber might express the interest it felt
in those who had obtained decorations and grades
during the Hundred Days.
M. de Tracey totally dissented from the opinion
that the motion involved a violation of the Royal
prerogative. As to its adoption spreading discou-
ragement in the new army, he (M. de Tracy) knew
no distinction of new and old army, for all would do
their duty if the country were attacked.
General Bugeaud proposed the following amend-
ment :—" The retired pay of the grade acquired
during the Hundred Days shall be reckoned to the
military men promoted during the Hundred Days,
if they did not resmre the said grade when they
quitted the service."
The Minister of War acquiesced in this amend-
ment, because he viewed it merely as a financial
question which depended upon the Chamber. if
(added the Minister) the old soldiers were to enter
the army again, they would not set an example of
military virtues, for they would find these virtues
already flourishing. These virtues are innate in the
French army,. These military men would meet with
brave men thinking; with themselves; but they could
not return into the ranks without throwing into dis-
order a multitude of acquired rights. As a Minister,
Gentlemen, it is my duty to represent to you that
the Bill in discussion would violate the rights of the
Crown, and the Chamber cannot force grades upon
the Government. This would he an encroachment
of attributions that would form a precedent. In a
fortnight another encroachment would be demanded ;
and from precedent to precedent, from encroachment
to encroachment, it would happen in the end that all
the nominations would be made by the Chamber.
I persist in urging the rejection of the article.
M. Odillon Barrot replied, that if the scruples of
the illustrious Marshal were well founded, they
could not be removed by General Bugeaud's amend-
ment, for here also there was a question of grades.
It was not cositemplated to put into active service
or to cause any one to enter into the ranks of the
army ; it was not in contemplation to bestow grades,
for these had already been bestowed by the Emperor
in the field of battle. Of these the possessor could not
be deprived, for they were an inviolable property.
The Chamber, therefore was not called upon to
create, but merely to acknowledge. As to the pertur-
bation that would be spread in the new army, there
was no one in the army that was not interested in
grades being declared an inviolable property.
The Keeper of the Seals argued against the bill,
upon the ground that if military men were restored
to their rank, the same measure ought to be ex-
tended to magistrates and other public functionaries
who were dismissed from their offices in 1815.
M. Cabet considered that the rejection of the mo-
tion would produce an unfavourable effect in Europe.
At the last review, it would be recollected, people,
troops, and National Guards, all shouted " Vive la
Pologne !" and now we have just learned that War-
saw has fallen. Under such serious circumstances,
will you contest the price of the blood of some old
soldiers ? Could you tell Europe that you will not
reward the services of Waterloo? Ah I gentlemen,
when our independence is threatened—at a moment
when the Autocrat of the north, perhaps, is about to
turn against us the forces which Poland has stopped
for six months, let us not set a pernicious example
of ingratitude, but teach the army that we reward

good services.l.
.-- General Bugeaud urged the adoption of his
/Amendment as a useful mezzo lerminc; adding, ~ 1
~,,,- -will not say the Nvordi in French
l( juste milieu),
that I may not make you laugh.—(Laughter.)
(
' General Bertrand, after having treated the financial
question, trited that, from his situation, he had corn-
, „rounientions.. mii:ll a,.-inultitude of old soldiers, whose
,:;...----