The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-11 00:00:00

I have been brigaded by the Lord Lieutenant into a
l battalion, and Captain Bellairs, Captain of the Wy-
mondham Corps, has been appointed adjutant.
This appointment renders the command of the
Wymondham Company vacant.
The accounts of the Harwich Artillery Corps
just presented show a satisfactory balance in hand.
Prizes for the best shots, both with carbines and
artillery, are promised by Mr. E. Garland, and it
is proposed to provide a target for carbine practice.
The Colchester town council has granted the use
of the town•hall to the Volunteers of that town for
evening drill, and tie Government authorities have
also granted the corps a piece of ground near the
camp for drill purposes.
The Howdenshire Rifle Volunteers had a shoot-
ing contest a few lays ago at Saltmarshe, for the
sum of £5, raised 'oy subscriptions, and offered in
prizes of £2 10s., £1 10s., and £1 to the three
marksmen who oltained the greatest number of
points. The targe: was erected in a large field,
belonging to Majo7Saltmarshe, adjoining the river
Ouse, the bank of which served as a butt. Twenty-
one riflemen competed, each of whom fired five
rounds, at 150 yards, and five at 200 yards. The
three highest scorers were Messrs. Clayburn,
Young, and Clayton, who tied. On shooting off,
Clayburn stood flr3t, Clayton second, and Young
third.

TILE BONAPARTE-PATE.RSON TRIAL.

The Bonaparte-Paterson cause was again resumed
on Friday before the civil tribunal of the Seise.
The Court sat at 11 o'clock. The hall was not as
well filled as on the preceding Friday, when every-
body who could pracure a ticket hastened to hear
the statement of the eloquent Berryer, the advo-
cate of Madame Elizabeth Paterson, and her son
Jerome Bonaparte, When the President of the
Court and the other judges had taken their seats
M. Merveilleux-Duvignaux, the substitute of the
Imperial attorney, rose. He commenced by stating
that the struggle and its emotions had now ceased.
Eight days had passed over and somewhat cooled
the effects of the ardent words then uttered, and
it was now the duty of the public officer to pro-
nounce with a calm voice the language of the law.
Never did he better appreciate what he might be
permitted to call the special dignity of his mission
in a civil proceeding. He would not occupy him-
self with the parties in the cause, nor with the
consequences which the judgment of the Court
might produce. The respective advocates in the
cause having fully stated the facts, it remained for
the public officer to give his opinion with impar-
tiality and as simply as possible as to which side
the law is. Under the title of a demand for an
account and a division of property-M. Bonaparte
and Madame Paterson raise the greatest of all
State questions. They produce a certificate of mar-
riage to which a nullity is pleaded by the opposite
party. The Imperial attorney's substitute then
proceeded to examine the validity of the documents
produced by Prince Napoleon to prove the
nullity of the marriage. With respect to the sena-
tus consulte prohibiting the marriage of a French
prince without the sanction of the Emperor Napo-
leon, he did not think it applied to Jerome Bona-
parte, inasmuch as he was not a prince at the
period of his marriage. The second article of the
Code Napoleon, moreover, enacts that it is to be
applied only to future marriages. To the great
surprise of the audience, M. Duvignaux declared
that the Imperial decrees of the 11th and 30th
Ventose, dissolving the marriage, were unconsti-
tutional. The latter violated at the same time the
rule of the Constitution of the year 10, which only
gave the Executive power the right of assuring the
execution of the laws; and the 14th Article of the
Benatus-consulte of the year 12, which gave to the
Emperor the privilege of regulating the future
duties of the Imperial family ; and, in fine, it vio-
lated the grand principle of the division of powers,
the judicial authorities alone having a right to
pronounce judgment on the civil position of citi-
zens. " But I will not," added the public officer,
" In any manner advance on the burning ground
of the appreciation of constitutional law and of the
Imperial power. I make these observations to
explain why, perhaps, the Government hesitated to
publish that decree."
He added that he attached no importance to the
circumstance on which one of the counsel relied—
that the word projet was endorsed on the draught
of the decree. The explanations given by the
learned director of the Imperial archives proved
that several other draughts were so endorsed ; that
the projet became a decree when it received the
Imperial signature, and this draught bears the
date signed by the Imperial hand; and that the
word projet was defaced. But a fact of considera-
ble importance is, that this document remained
locked up in the archives even after it was signed,
and was never published. No trace could since be
discovered of any publication or notification what-
soever made to those to whom the decree was ad-
dressed. It is to be remarked, moreover, that this
decree regulated not only a matter of private inte-
rest, but it decided a point of public order—the
validity of a marriage. Moreover, it contained not
only a decision applicable to parties whose mar-
riage it annulled, but injunctions were made in it
to public functionaries—a penalty was announced
against those violating it. The nation ought to
have been apprised of it, and it was not. The
reason is— and that is the essential point—it was
not intended that the decree should ever be en-
forced. M. Duvignaux then read the correspond-
ence between the first Napoleon, the Pope, the
Archchancellor, and Prince Jerome, and he drew
the conclusion that none of the acts executed by
the Sovereign had annulled the marriage. Then,
with respect to nullity according to the civil law,
two infractions had been committed—the marriage
was contracted without the consent of the mother of

Jerome and there was default of publication in
France. He could not insist on the want of consent
on the part of the mother as constituting a clandes-
tine marriage. No decision of the judicial authori-
ties had ever been pronounced on it, and it is now
buried in a double tomb. The real question remains
—ls the marriage null for want of publication in
France ? That question, so often discussed, has
been decided in the affirmative, particularly by a
decree of the 6th of March, 1837, which deserves
notice. The following is the text :

" Inasmuch as the 170th article, by providing that
a marriage contracted in a foreign country is valid
if it have been preceded by the prescribed publica-
tion, and the notification to the fathers and mothers,
has by the same terms declared that any marriage
contracted without the accomplishment of these
formalities is null ; inasmuch as the article 170
cannot be interpreted with respect to marriages con-
tracted in a foreign country by the rules of the
same code relative to marriages celebrated in France
—That if the latter may be declared valid when
there is neither publication nor notice to the parents
it is because the law finds its sanction in the penal-
ties pronounced against the civil officers, while with
respect to marriages contracted in a foreign coun-
try the law has no other means of giving a sanction
to its prescriptions than by declaring the marriage
invalid. That if it were otherwise it would be suf-
ficient for Frenchmen to pass into a foreign country
in order to emancipate their marriage from all the
conditions imposed on it by the French laws."
The Imperial attorney's substitute does not be-

lieve that so absolute-a system ought to be adopted.
He founds his opinion, among other reasons, on the
discussion on the subject in the Council of State
when M. Tronchet reminded the Council that the
formality of publication is founded on the principle
that it is better to prevent a ♦icious marriage than
to annul it after it is contracted. This opinion of
M. Trouchet indicates implicitly that publication

is merely a measure of precaution. The Imperial

substitute then arrived at the two sentence; pro-
nounced on the same question by the council of the

Imperial family, the first dated the 4th of July,
1856, and the second dated the sth of July, 1860,

both of which decided against the claims of Madame

Paterson and the MM. Bonaparte. " The entire

affair is. definitively judged," concluded M. Du-

vignaux,—

"Such, gentlemen, in my opinion, is the real
knot of the affair, and that would have rendered
my argument on the other parts of the case unneces-
sary, but that the fact of the cause having been
already judged may appear doubtful to you; and,
moreover, because the slightest shade should not be
cast on such a law suit. Your independence has
been alluded to in eloquent language. But is it
meant to say that the elevated position of one of the

parties would give a certain merit to your impar-
tiality? You will rather have to defend yourselves
against the instinctive sympathy inspired by the
cause of a female—a forgotten idol—a son and a
grandson without reproach, who demand not an
inheritance in presence of a mute will, but the
honour of their blood and of their name."

The Court adjourned its judgment for eight
days.

CARDINAL ANTONELLI, PAINTED BY

A .R0111A1V:

The Nazione of Florence has published some
striking articles by an eminent Roman on Cardinal
Antonelli. The following is the first of the series,
to which we shall probably recur :
For twelve years there has been much talk in
Europe, and out of Europe, of a man who directed
the policy of Rome, and who was called Cardinal
Antonelii. Various judgments have been formed
of him, some exalting him as a great statesman,
some running him down as an immoral and foolish
man. At the present moment it will not be with-
out use if we present our readers with the portrait
of this singular Minister, who without meriting
reputation by any title has managed to gain it,
though little resembling that of Erostratus.
Who was James Antonelli, and by what merits
has he come to wear the Cardinal's purple, and sit
in the seat not only of first Minister, but of a
Minister despotic and omnipotent ? It is needless
to say that if the Antonelli family of Sonnino had
any trees, they were not genealogical ones, but such
as bandits use to hang honest travellers who.display
a repugnance to be robbed on the highway. How-
ever, the father of the present cardinal, considering
that in Rome an ecclesiastic might attain even the
papacy, resolved to make little James a priest, and
launch him in the eternal city. At Sonnino they
do not talk much of stars, for there the inspirations
of the poets are little known ; still the father
trusted that in Rome some star would shine on his
son, and he was right. How, indeed, could any
star guide him to a glorious destiny in Sonnino,
where the highest step in the hierarchy was parish
priest, and where also were the head-quarters of a
celebrated highwayman, too closely connected with
his family by consanguinity.* The abbe, then,
rolled himself from Sonnino to Rome, and began
his career, with or without the help of God. The
humility of his birth had accustomed him to make
profound reverences—and these never do harm.
An anatomical leanness, a pallid, emaciated coun-
tenance, in which nature had displayed little
bounty, t gained a certain compassion, and made
the impression that as a priest he might serve for a
model of penitence—a sort of saint clothed in sack-
, cloth, and fed with fasting.
Having won the good will and patronage of cer-
tain cardinals and prelates, little by little he
managed to obtain the government of a province.
He had studied little, indeed, very little. He was
advised to trust in the Lord for success, and he
started for Viterbo with or without God's blessing.
But it seems that he had a programme in his
pocket, in which was written that any Roman
prelate could win the purple by persecuting real
liberals, imagining liberals when the supply failed,
having a certain number condemned to death, and
finding out or inventing conspiracies and conspira-
tors. Monsignore said to himself, spero bene ; and
his fortune seemed made. He did find that in
Viterbo some young men occasionally met in secret
to talk of politics and liberty; his countenance
smiled with ferocious joy at this grand discovery ; he
had them watched, surprised them in conversation,
handed them over to the political tribunal, and ob-
tained a sentence of death against five of them. On
the instant Monsignore Antonelli's fame became
prodigious, and his prospects were placed beyond
doubt t the Court of Rome said, " Behold one of
my pillars !"
He kept advancint higher and higher until he
reached the most important grade in the Roman
court, that of treasurer, being the successor of
' Cardinal Tosti, whose administration was immoral
and prodigal. The treasurer is prelate of floechetto,
which is a technical word of the monsignorial
court, and which "materially" means that he and
his horses may wear green tassels, but " juridically"
that he has a right to the dignity of a cardinal.
When, upon having attained such an elevation, he
received the usual official and non-official visits, a
Roman prince, whom we cannot for good reasons
name here, wished to pay him a congratulatory
visit. We shall merely say that the Antonelli
family had conferred upon that of the visitor rural
administrative offices in the vast possessions pos-
sessed by the princely houses of Rome. This
prince having been questioned after the visit (per-
fectly spontaneous on his part), as to what bearing
had been assumed by the new treasurer, replied :
—" He appears to be more astounded than myself
at the rank to which they have raised him; it
seems to me that he does not yet believe it him-
self!'

The secular abuses and the disorder reigning in
all the Pontifical States are the cause, more than
anything else, why the person holding the office
of treasurer gathers golden fruits for himself.
Hence the reason why Cardinal Tosti wished and
obtained leave to retain that office, which he did
for many years after being made a cardinal ; hence
every Minister of Papal finance tries to obtain what
Cardinal Tosti obtained so diametrically for the
public. Pius IX. found the prelate Antonelli a
treasurer. The necessity and custom of renewals
among other things were the reason why the
governor of Rome and the treasurer were invested
with red hats in the first batch of promotions made
by the Pope; but Antonelli, now a oardinal, did
not retain the management of the finances.
The new cardinal was young, had become bold
and enterprising. A master in dissimulation, he
knew how to put the best face on whatever hap-
pened, and in view of the new times be set up for
a liberal, applauding the Pope and all his acts ; he
began to frequent great society, to converse with
patriots, and make believe that he hated the
Austrians more than an Italian democrat did. The
acts committed by the prelate in the provinces were
not remembered, and the people had hopes in this
man ! Elected president of the Council of State
his name was not received with repugnance ; and
when after the statute was enlarged he was ap-
pointed President of the Council of Ministers, with
Rccchi, Pasolini, Minghetti, and others, the hopes
of the Romans increased; so much so that, whether
rightly or wrongly, he obtained the reputation of
being a good administrator.
Shortly before this period he had come to an un-
derstanding with the Austrian minister to labour
with united forces at the ruin of the Italian move-
ment. For the moment he was unable to control
events ; it was requisite to guide them dexterously,
to create and give birth to opportunities. It was
a hard and laborious task, but there was no uncer-
tainty about his future conduct. Therefore the
cardinal, with a cynicism worthy of the time of
Sejanuloand Tiberius, presided at the councils of
the deceived ministers; in the discussions he made
no difficulties in agreeing with the most liberal pro-
positions ; he contended for the inviolability of the
statute. . . Then a little later, dexterously,
and with a malice eclipsing that of the Cardinal
Cresar Borgia himself, he terrified the conscience
of the Popo, and caused threats to be held out to
him of a speedily approaching religious schism, thus
paralyzing the efforts of all the good, who would
fain have led the Pope into a very different path
from the one traced out by the Cardinal of Sonnino.
When the war with Austria broke out he wrote the
encyclical letter of April 29 against Italy, and to
Farini that celebrated letter in which he protested
his Italian sentiments ; he contrived to get the en-
cyclical letter itself published in the official journal,
thus treating with contempt the Minister of the
Interior, in whose province that journal lay ; he
concealed from the Pope the secret meaning
of that act, and caused him to declare to the
ministers that he should have the encyclical
letter toned down and corrected to the form
desired by the public, and he rendered it impos-
sible for the Pope himself to show to the ministers,
who demanded it, the text of the supposed cor-
rection while still in proof. Having thus made
himself the secret author of a treason that pro-
duced a commotion, he assumed the garb of a St.
Louis, and presented himself to the Council of
Ministers, deplored the fatuity of the Pope, pro-
tested about the inviolability of the statute, and as
constitutional Prime Minister first ratified the act
with which he and his colleagues tendered their
resignations.

But the bargain struck with Austria would have
come to nought if the Pope, so weak in mind, so
changeable, could have fallen into other hands ;
nor could the names of Mamiani and Fabri, who
were rising into notice, reassure the workers of such
iniquities. Cardinal Antonelli called into existence
an office wholly new to the Roman Court, that of
" governor of the sacred palaces," with which he
felt sure of remaining for ever by the side of the
Pope, and of virtually governing him. There was
not a suite of apartments in the Quirinal good
enough for a cardinal ! A mere trifle ths.t! The
cardinal was satisfied with certain rude chambers,
barely habitable; then he suddenly procured for
himself (naturally enough) more coinfortablo quar-
ters. From that day to this the real pope has been
the Cardinal of Sonnino. The patriots who directed
public affairs at Rome after the Minister Antonelli,
did all in their power to keep the pontiff to the
mark, to gain him over to the Italian cause.
Mamiani and Fabbri fell, despairing of success.

* Gasparoni.
t The celebrated writer has been for some years absent
from Rome. The oardinal now, though spare, is far from
being pitiful or rueful to look upon.