The Sun.
London, England, 1826-02-23 00:00:00

[TII T151E9.]

Nothing at present seems to engage the 'atten-
tion of the French journalists so much •as the'
proposed change in the law of succession to pro-
perty. By the existing law, as most of our
readers know, a Frenchman is restricted in the
disposal of his property either by gift or legacy ;
and if ho dies intestate, his estate, whether in
land or moveables, is equally divided among
his children. If he has only one child, he may
dispose, by gift or legacy, of the half of his
estate to any third party : if he has two, he may 1
dispose of a third part; and if he has more than
two, his power of willing away extends only
to a fourth part. When he has used this
power over a part of his property, the law
steps in and divides the remainder equally among
his children, without any regard to their sex or
primogeeiture : if he has no personal preferences,
and leaves his estate to the disposal of the law,
the whole of it is divided in the same manner.—
No entail is allowed, the law declaring that the
proprietor who transfers his possessions to ano-
ther by gift or legacy Ices no farther power over
them, end therefore cannot direct them into the
hands of a third party. Nearly the same regu-
lations are prescribed for the division of property
among ascendants in the direct line, where there
are no children. Since the return of the Bour-
bons, as the peerage was rendered hereditary, a
power was given up of creating a hereditary
estate for the support of its dignity. The law
proposed to be introduced in' the present session
goes to alter the existing code respecting the sue-
cession to property,and to egtublisti certain privi-
leges in favour of primogenitpre ; but what its
particular provisions and arrangements are, we
do not yet know. If we are to take the voice of
the journals, and the decliirations of opposition
pamphlets, as speaking the sense of the nation,
the great body of the French people are against
the proposed change. Several petitions-against it
are already published ; and the well known ad-
vocate Dupin has written a very popular work,
exposing its apprehended mischiefs. That time
la w, as it exists at present, has a tendency to
create a very minute division of property, is evi-
dent from the facts which we mentioned yester-
d4. It,rs supporters admit the fact, and point to
the improved condition of the country as its colt-
quence. But whether a law which has hitherto
been beneficial during a short existence, may be
considered as free from ell danger in its subse-
quent operation, may admit of dispute. A qiiarter
of a century is scureely sufficient for estimating
fully the effects of such a system ; and if its
operation should he to produce a still further
division of landed property, it might he the
occasion of greater evils than it has yet re-,
medied. On the other hand, it appears to us
almost self-evident, that, by' the provisions
which we have mentioned; above, a Wan has too
little power over the destination of Lis' own
property.
•,_ .

[NEW TINIEs.I

Nothing took place last in the House of

Lords, except the presenting of a few petitions.
In the Commons, it will be seen that Mr. Cal.l
craft gave notice that itorwould, at a future day,
move for an issue of Exchequer Bills to. ECHVV,
the present distress among the commercial classes.
Strong as are the objections which have already
been stated in Parliament against such a measure,
we cannot, say that it is unfit to he again bionglit
under the deliberate view of the Legislature. 1‘ e
do till6t,hoWeVer that when it is taken up, it will
be in a tone and spirit extremely different fron►
those displayed in it Morning Print of yesterday.
'flint paper is notorious for treating the subject of
commercial distress with a heartless levity. On

the present occasion it seems to think that by
taunting and ridiculing the Miniatera it call pie-1
vent them from giving a cool and dispassionate
consideration to the difficulties of the case. If
they adhere firmly to their original views, they
are 64 sturdy, theorists ;" if they adapt their
measures to any great and important change of
circumstances, they spew " imbecility in action I"
The most monstrous, however, of all the absur-
dities of this absurd. Journalist is his clamour for
‘4 lower prices !" At a moment when most of
our commodities are ruinously low in price, and
when foreign, speculators are enabled to buy our

tnanufactures here so low as to miders.,llos in
their own markets—at such a time it is that
we are told, " the only rational and upright
remedy is to lower the prices." "By all means,
Gentlemen, let the thing go out ; pelt
,the specu.
!kora with Bank notes--keep up prices." 'such
is the vulgar irony of a writer, who can OM'
matter for merriment in the embarrassments of

merchants and manufacturers, and in the suffer-1
logs which those embarrassments necessarily en-
tail on thousands of mnnufacturing labourers !
The South American Treaties' Bill was rend a
second time, and ordered to be committed this
day. The Exchequer Bills' Bill was also rend
a second time, and ordered to be wail a
third time to-day. Sir 12.. Inglis express-
ed his regret, that sufficient care had not
been taken in the Commercial Treaties to provide
for the free exercise of the Protestant religion in
Catholic countriecheciur— " s. The Chancellor of the E x-
I agree with the Honourable Mem-
ber most heartily in wishing for the most ex»
tenaive freedom to Protestnnis in Catholic
countries, and I hope that the Ifonourable Mem-
ber will think of extending his views on. the

subject or toleration to Catholics in Protestant
countries."

[MORNING HERALD.]
It is singular how many petitions have of late
been presented against the buying and selling of
black men. This shews the feeling of the people,
especially the Quakers and Methodists, for they
have been at the bottom of this petitioning. It
is, however, lamentable to think that, at present,
such petitioning is useless. For neither France)
the United States, nor Spain, Portugal, or the
.Brazils, will agree to the abolition of slavery, and
therefore our Government cannot, if it would,
carry into effect the views of those petitioning.

We do not agree with Mr. Hume that 30,000
seamen and 6,000,0001. a year for the Navy are
too much, Considering the British territories in
every quarter of the world, and the strides that
France and the United States, and the Northern
Powers are making in their Navies, we are of
opinion that 30,000 men are not too many. Sooner
than reduce the Navy, we would rather see the
interest of the Debt reduced.--(lbid.)

We were glad that Mr. Hobbouse, in bringing
forward the petition of Mr. Bernard Ross re-
opecting one of the Companies► gave the Company
the name of Scheme. Take these Companies in
general—that is, ninety-nine out of one hundred,
they are nothing but Schemes to pick people's poc.
kets. A year ago, when all were mad after those
Schemes, we were the first to warn people of them,
and we first gave them the name of Scheme—
and we no sooner applied that word to them than
they begun to full in price, and ever since they
have been falling, till ut length we believe no
one will purchase them at all. To these schemes,
and to the system of the Stock Exchange, may
most of the late ruin and the self-destruction in
high and medium life be attributed.—(Mid.)

lnni'rts►t PRESS.
The French gapers are filled with tlisserta-
tions on the proposed change in the laws of inhe-
ritance in that country. No alteration of greater
importance has been attempted in the French
Constitution ShICP the period of the revolution,
none is more likely to excite opposition, and none,
if carried into effect, could produce more im-
portant consequences. It is not a law to alter
some particular relation, some individual or
limited interest. It is one which overturns the
whole system upon which the possession of pro-
perty is now founded. It strikes at the very
basis of that system which has so long subsisted
in France. These Papers contain different re-
ports relative to the affairs of the North. Long
accounts are given in them of the funeral of the
Emperor Alexander. An Address of the mers
chants of St. Petersburgh to the Empress, and
a Rescript bestowing the dignity of a Count
of the Empire on Orloff, for his conduct in
the late transactions, are also contnined in
our extracts. The fact of Nesselrode's re-ap-
pointment as Minister by the Emperor Nicholas
is expected to give considerable embarrassment
to Metternich, who has learned to dread his abi.
lities. It is reported in the Salons of Paris that
Nicholas has written an autograph letter to the
King of England, and, if the report have any
truth in it, the Emperor seems very anxious at
least to save appearances, and to make a virtue of
necessity, in those ambitious designs which he is
supposed to have formed against Turkey. A sin-
gular account is given in the Quotidienne of the
result of the inquiries into the late conspiracy at
St. Petersburgh, which is said to have existed in
the campaign which terminates}- in the Peace of
Tilsit, and to hove been discovered to Alexander
by Buottuparte.

rTIIE PUBLIC LEDGER.I
The French Papers have some curious specula

Bons on the policy of England, particularly as it
relates to Russia and Turkey. They have sent
Lord Strangford up the Mediterranean on some
diplomatic voyage of discovery, though his Lord-
ship lies been for those two tuguths past at St.
Petersburg!). But the view they take of the
Dui«. of Wellington's mission to the Russian
capital leaves the former speculation, ridiculous
as it is, at an immeasurable distance. Jp the
tir4t place, they surround his Grace with the lbst

pprt of o►►r diplomatists, though they are chiefly
young Noblemen,of respectable talents no doubt,
though, as to any experience in diplomacy, they
have still to acquire it. That the mission of his
Grace is not one of mere ceremony, we readily
atimit ; and that one of its objects may be to
retain Russia in her present pacific policy, is
highly probable. If this be part of his in-
structions, it will be attended with less dif-
acuity' titan is commonly itnagined, as the Rus-
sian Government is too much hampered at
home to think seriously of involving itself in
fresh difficulties. Moreover, its financial cir-
cumstonces oppose an almost insuperable bar to
its indulging in ambitious projects ; and war
would only inflame the dangerous spirit, which
is said to pervade the army. At the same time
should hostilities take an unsuccessful turn, the
consequences Might beratel to the present dynasty,
particularly as those Powers, that are now most
closely allied with the Russian Court, would,
in'order to restrain its ambition, add fuel to the
flame. Besides, Russia is so vulnerable on the
side of Poland, that only a necessity, to which
every thing else must yield, would probably in-
duce her to expose herself to the risk, which
would threaten her in that quarter in the event
of hostilities.

[THE RErItESENTATIVE.I
It is with reluctance that we animadvert upon
the language held by nny of our contemporary
Journals ; but that of the Times of Wednesday,
on the present state of commercial affairs, as weii
in the leading articles, as in the report on the
state of the money-market, is, in our opinion, so
calculated to do mischief at the present moment,
and betrays such recklessness of consequences,
that we cannot suffer any time to elapse without
all attempt at refutation. In regard to the amend-
ment of the resolution respecting the further
issue of small notes, the Times assumes that the
extension of the pefiod for the Bank of England

Issue to the 10th October, is a mere deception,
and that the issue will-again open in February,
1827. This, we must confess, to us appears
to be the merest assumption, unsupported
by any probabilityf as far as the language or
measures of administration are concerned, and
really resting upon no other possible ground
but an anticipated conviction of the impossi-
bility of doing without a circulation in notes of
small denomination. Now the Times has uni-
formly combated the necessity of such a circula-
tion ; has laboured to prove the expediency and
facility of such a circulation being immediately
withdrawn ; and yet the utter defeat of the mea-
sure is prognosticated from a partial issue of Bank
of England notes for a period of ten months.—
The next point is, assistance to the mercantile inte-
rests, under the pressure of their present (Men!-
ties.—And here again it is intimated that Liver-
pool will ask and obtain from the President
of the Board of Trade, as its Representative,
what the City of London has been unable to
obtain from the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer. This again is mere assumption, and not
the most fair supposition. Our own opinion is,
that an observation of the greater diffusion of the
mercantile distress, than may have at first ap-
peared, would fully justify the Government iu
extending their accommodation and assistance
to the utmost limit that considerations of sound
policy will permit. In such a course there is
neither deception nor departure from sound prin-
ciple--no ground for dispair ; but, on the con-
trary, an abundant cause of practical consolation.
The very knowledge that such is the prevalent
feeling, will do much to prevent the dangers
apprehended on the coming sales of March,when,
not the prophecies of soothsayers or journalists,
but the pecuniary engagements- of our merchants,
are to be fulfilled.

OLD BAILEY.