The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-29 00:00:00

'FRANCE.
CHAMBER OF DEPUTES, JAN. 25.
M. Guizot (who was in possession of the tribune when
the post left) in his reply to M. Odillon Barrot, denied
that any threats had been made by the British Cabinet,
and observed that the French Government had not, con-
sequently, been influenced by fear in its determination.
The gravity of the situation, he said, revealed itself by
degrees, and by certain symptoms, which M. de Jareat
remarked and communicated to his Government.
Those symptoms and facts did not modify the ideas
which the Government originally entertained, or change
its resolution. "There must always exist between Eng-
land and France," said M. Guizot, " courtesy, regard
good proceedings, mutual advantages, and concession.
Any other conduct would be shameful, and sooner or
later fatal. When I hear men say that those sentiments
are not reciprocal, after what has passed
during; four years, and particularly during the
last six months, I think I am dreaming, foi
I can hardly conceive that facts should be so perverted
or badly understood. I could, if I wished, lay before
your eyes the relative situations of France and Eng
land, and all the facts relating thereto in all the points et
the globe, and you would see that everywhere the ad-
vantages and concessions are reciprocal between the two
countries ; you would see that wherever we had any ob-
ject to carry our policy, so far from losing ground,• in
consequence of our intimacy with Great Britain, bac
rather gained. French influenas in Spain, in Africa, in
the East, in Greece, in Italy, everywhere in short, has
increased." M. Guizot then contended that that mutual
good feeling was particularly manifest in the affair of
Otaheite. When France had accepted the protectorate
of that archipelago, in which the English Government
indirectly predominated through its missionaries, tradi
tions, and the habits of the country during the last fore%
years, that Government had viewed that measure with
displeasure; nevertheless it had acted loyally, sensibly,
it had not contested the right of France, it had even
accepted the protectorate, and sent instructions to
that effect to its agents, and on that occaeior.
the good feeling, the acts of cimplaisance and conces•
sion, were not on the side of France. M. Guizot admitted
that in the case of the occupation of Otaheite, France had
responded to that friendly disposition of England. "We
considered," he said, " that the absolute sovereignty
would not be advantageous to us, that it would modify
the character of our establishment, that it would remit!!
.the complications which it was likely to produce between
us and England more difficult and delicate. We refused
the absolute sovereignty, and we acted wisely; for, al-
low me to remind you, that the temporary protectorate
had endured for a space of fourteen months, with diffi-
culties and embarrassments, but without any serious
event, without any insurrection, or any appeal to mate-
rial force. Scarcely. however, had the absolute sove-
reignty been proclaimed than sedition and revolt per-
vaded the island. In this second act of the affair I con-
fess it was the French Cabinet who evinced regard to-
wards England; but it will be admitted, on the other
hand, that in the first two acts of the affair there was at
least reciprocity. I now come to the third act—the
explosion of the civil war and the expulsion of Mr.
Pritchard. Two facts have been overlooked—first at
the moment when Mr. Pritchard was expelled he had
been recaled by his Government ; he had been removed
from Otaheite and sent elsewhere. England had taken
into consideration our remonstrances on the inconve-
nience of continuing Mr. Pritchard at Otaheite ; she had
given us satisfaction by recaling him. When Mr.
Pritchard was expelled, he demanded that an inquiry be
instituted into the facts with which he was charged ; he
asked to be tried, and repeated that request after his
return to England. lie maintained, wrongfully, I believe,
that he was a stranger to the explosion of the civil war
and to the revolt ; he contends that it would have been
impossible to convict him, had he been tried, for want of
proof. Our agents at Otaheite did not deem it expe-
dient to adopt such a course. I approve their conduct. I
regard their conviction respecting the intrigues of Mr:
Pritchard and the danger of his presence as well founded;
the trial would have been difficult and dangerous, and per-
haps productive of no result." M.Guizot then described the
effect created in Fngland by the expulsion of Mr. Prit-
chard. "We wished," he said, " togive time to the agitation
to subside ; we assumed a passive and expectant attitude,
persuaded, as we were, that this result would be attained
when the truth should become known. We were
strongly urged. Nothing was officially demanded from
us, we were in nowise threatened. No Government in
Europe. whether friendly or indifferent, would presume
to address in any shape, directly or indirectly, any
menaces to the King's Government. We did not require
to be told that the situation was serious. We knew that
a solution should be given to it ; that France should take
a decision, and say something on what had occurred at
Otaheite, otherwise serious events would be the con-
sequence. After a month's delay, we made known to
the English Government our opinion and resolution.
We maintained that our agents had the right to expel
Mr. Pritchard, and that they bad acted properly in ex-
pelling him. We then added, as I myself stated to our
agent from the beginning, that we regretted and
disapproved certain proceedings and circumstances
in his conduit. I persist at present more strongly
than ever in that opinion, after what has been said at
this tribune. I greatly apprehend that the sentiments
delivered in this hall may cause a confusion in the minds
of our agents scattered ell over the globe, and impress
them with a false idea of their situation and duties. We
think that the proceedings to which I alluded, and which
a brave officer, full of devotedness for his country, con-
ceived he could resort to at a moment of danger, might
have been dispensed with, that they were unnecessary,
and that he had a sufficient force at his disposal to have
acted otherwise. Such was our opinion, and we gave it
without hesitation ; we thought, that at the very moment
alien we firmly asserted our right and the exe-cise of
that right, we should tell the truth respecting accessory
faults ; we thought that the continuance of our good
relations with a friendly Government was well worth the
admission of those errors of an agent of the King. We ac-
cordingly told the truth, and disapproved his conduct." M.
Guizot next justified the promise of an imdemnity to Mr.
Pritchard, not on account of his expulsion, but because the
proceedings which the Government had blamed might
have produced the injury and sufferings of which he
complained. "We did not admit," he added, " the
truth of the facts on his own assertion. We promised
to give him an indemnity if his claim were well founded.;
the facts will be verified on the spot by the English and
French admirals, and if those facts be such as Mr.
Pritchard describes them, the arbitrators will fix the
amount of the indemnity." M. Guizot again observed,
that the situation in which the Government had found
itself, during the
.whole transaction, had been extremely
serious, having been placed between the alternative of a
compromise or a rupture. " The compromise, of which
the Chamber knows the conditions," he said, " appeared
to us as equitable and proper. The English Go-
vernment was of the same opinion, and, strange
to say, it is at this very moment accused of the
same errors and faults with which we have been re-
preached. As fur us, we do not regret what we
have done ; we did not hesitate, nor should we hesitate
to-day, if it was to du over again. lam convinced that
on the other side of the channel Sir Robert Peel and
Lord Aberdeen will have the same thoughts and hold the
same language that I do, and that they will not either
regret what they have done. lam convinced that the
two Governments—and I will say the two countries—
will congratulate themselves on such a compromise having
averted such a rupture." In concluding, M. Guizot de-
clared that the policy pursued during the last four years
had been good and honest, useful to the country, con-
ducive to its interests, and morally great ; that, in order
to succeed, it required the frank and firm support of the
great powers of the State, and that if that support failed
completely, or was nut sufficiently firm to enable the
Ministry to continue that policy with success, he and his
colleagues would cease to charge themselvea with it.
M. Dufaure followed M. Guizot, and after examining
at some length and condemning the conduct of the
Ministry in the Otaheite affair, thus concluded :--" It
you acquiesce in the approbation which the Committee
claims in behalf of the Ministry you will add an evil to
an evil ; to the act of the Ministry you will add your
own act, the act of the organs of the pepular sentiments
of this country. You will declare to the garrison of
Otaheite that the indemnity granted to Pritchard was
not only accorded by the Government, but that the
Chamber of Deputies has accorded it a second time."
The discussion having been closed, on the amendment
of M. Malleville, the President put it to the vote. Thf
result of the first trial was proclaimed doubtful by the
secretaries. It was rejected, however, at the second, but
by so imperceptible a majority that many pronounced
the amendment to have been carried. The assembly
then adjourned, amidst the greatest agitation.

A correspondent is desirous of calling the attention
of the Post office authorities to the great inconvenience
experienced by merchants in the heart of the City for
want of early intelligi.nce at the Lombard-street office of
the arrival of foreign mails, when such arrivals take place
after the morning delivery of letters. On Saturday, he
states that inquirers could not hear at three o'clock
whether the flamburgh mail had arrived or not, although
at two o'clock it was announced at St. Martin's-le-Grand
that it had. This certainly is an evil ; the communica-
tion might be made from the chief office to that in Lom-
bard-street in ten minutes after the arrival of tl.e mail
posted at the latter place in the usual way.—Tines.
DEATH OF CLAUD ALEXANDER, OF BALLOCII-
MYLE.—Our readers will regret to learn the sudden and
unexpected demi'e of this respected gentleman at Bal
loehmyle, on Tuesday last. We have heard 1,
we know not with what degree of accuracy, that the de-
ceased will be succeeded in his estates of Ballochmyle by
his younger brother, W. M. Alexander, Esq., of South-
bar, who, we. have been variously informed, either has
it in his option to choose betwixt retaining Southbar and
accepting Ballochmyle ; or is absolutely bound to relin-
quish Southbar to his next younger brother, in order to
take up the vacant entail. Mr. W. M. Alexander, it is
well known, has laid out a very great deal of time and
expense in the improvement of the Southbar estate ; the
extent being indeed inconceivable to any one unac-
quainted with that gentleman's taste and talent for agri-
cultural impr ivement. So that unless the Ballochmyle
'property i 3 vastly superior, the latter alternative would
be a hardship probably not contemplated in the original
entail.—Kilmarnock Journal.

CITY NoN•FanEmEN.—A number of actions have
fy;zl). .
A been commenced by the City Corporation t
g againstinthseecveirt):a.l
?17‘
frSNN .-= . wholesale houses, fur penalties for trading;
. , '7l Those actions have been brought in the Lord Mayor s
- • Court, where the City authorities are lodges;
•appeal• Court whence
there is an to an obsoleteheld in St. Mar-
:- tin's-le-Grand; and thence to the House of Lords. The
claim of the City is grounded on charters granted in
the reign of Edward 111., and it is said that those char-
ters only extended to retail trading, and that their
validity is very questionable. Arrangements have been
made between Mr. Charles Pearson, the City solicitor,
and Messrs. Maples and Stevens, the solicitors to the
associated non-freemen, for bringing the questions to a,
speedy decision, and in as fair a manner as possible, and
the next courts in February or April are expected t, le
cccupied with the subject.

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