The Sun.
London, England, 1816-10-08 00:00:00

LI .f),EitTy .1)1:i . TIM" PRESS.

• •
13tiO4SMS, SEPT. the Sittinz of the
&con 1 CHouber of the States-General of the
24,:k GENnectEN delivered a, speech on the
plan of law relatingtothe almoses:Of the 'l.iberty
of the Press, in which the following passages
were 'Hooked
States, like individuals," said the orator,
have mutual r,rhts and ditties', in their treatiese
they promise justice and amity reciproCally ; OKI
most not theretore. injure and a'Juse one another
and by necessary consequence, they ought to re-
press and chastise the acts of their,subjects which'
May he contrary to the rights of nations. The
constitutioo and the poblic law of a people form
tit first and most essential of its rights. That is
is Matter wbielm concerns it exelusively ; and the.
cannot interfere directly sNit b the sOeint
'compact of a nation, whether to form or to de-
Stroy it, without prejudice, however, to the mi-
., limited liberty of evemv literary masm to discuss, as
lie deems proper, the principles and qnestions of
universal pnblic law, or the law of nations. The
dignity and respectability of a King and Royal.
arc the maiusin log and firmest support, of
a Monaruhy. It miatin.diy follows flout these
principles, that foreil,;miers, whoever they may be,.
ore not to fake upon themselves to assail the pub-
lie law of is Maiplt., to preteml that its Govern-
ment is not legally constituted, to outrage or abuse
Its chief. What reason refutes, what equity con-
deinns. the law may prohibit,
'' ?"'o man might ti) be opstraged or hurt in
"hi fvelimo.with impunity, still less a sovereign
Prince, invested with the representative charac-
te,k of it peo:de whose head he is constitoted. Stich
aliect the people tbeiuselves, who would
•jivstifiel its demanding reparation for them.
in: dispute the legit [Macy of the power which a
reigning Prince exercises, is to interfere with the
public Of the nation itself ; but to criticise
the o,(loliiiiStl.ttive Nets of 3 Prince' who governs
his slates, i.:: not a thing.prolfibitednor,bad ip
Gust, by giving' men tomderstanding, lilts
4.o6:nate:l the exercise (it it. Ile Msy, there.
fore, deliver his opinions on the acts of other
mcn, even kings, .:1111 their'; but there are
lint utis %'cithin which men should Confine the ex'-
erci!te of their natural faculties, and it is these
Mounds of which the law prohibits the overleap-
ing, by eriticisiog the administrative acts of Princes
In otrensive or abuive language."
Cendebien concludes as follows :—" Print-
ing and bookselliug are branches of our industry
sit I of, our
,commerce, They shotild, conirihnte
to spor information, and-to the pm ot;,ee...ss Of ritir
I-Most,'on the other hanth'itsk, there-
fore, simall'our printers be punkheil for publisbing
OR edition of a boak compoSed, and printed mibioad,
because the Work .may 'contain same passage
which a foreign -Prince May deem 'injurious to 'his
personal character, '-or the acts Of his adminlstre7.
tion ? The pa'ilic law Of every nation is fdtinded
mare or less on the maxims and pribdples. of Ind-.
versal law : is it therefore to be said that Our
Wiiters are not to ptildi,ll works on that science,
tior ourprev.cs to print them, without :OtAttgpc-
postid tti preiseatitimms excited by Governments'
whose particular.constitusion may not harmoniie
with the anthdr's theory.? Shall it be fotbidden
to reprint the anitrat Social of 3. J. 4ousseatt,
because it contains maxima not entirely conformn-
able tattle principle of the legit imacytif dynasties?
These considerations; which I frankly deliver, oc-
casion considerable perplexity to my mind, which
the intelligence, of my colleagues and more ample
discassion may perhaps remove.''
littussets, Ocx. 3.—The speech of M. D'ol-
- against the Restriction of the Press is nmiw,
pnblished, and fills one whole number of the Ga..-
zelte General of the Netherlands.
" -People always invoke," says he, the
sons' of -experience,. and yet they must be of little
avail if we already forgo that the slavery of time
pros has jest' -;:lestroked before ohr eyes the
RbOtit p'OvvetiOl empire that ever existed. If when
tare Sesutte told daunt parte that his war with
Spain Wl3 nett when after the dis.asters
in Russia everysPretecl wrote,. Siv, your mea-
stores :are jost,antl Wise, you are.itivineible, the.
inelemency.of ,the-.seatmons alone caused your re
verses, which France is eagerto repair if the-
press :had :been free lie might have learned the
truth ; some honest man might Lowe _said to him,
tither 'avowing :hill work or iluonaparte,
your Senate and.ours are either matting game. of
you, or our fools,-two will lead yOu to your ruin.'
before was wholly.. intoxicated by amhitiou
and flavcry he had sense enough -to judge wpll of
good 'advice, and to profit, by• But &attest lie
made it` impossible for him toTeceive any; by CO-.
slaving the press, 'both at home, and in the na-
tions tinder Iris influence. Napoleon ended, like
laias by being the only person. In his king,
whiy was a doliv to tit e-manisfact oiers of pro-
logues, of Operas„ and,inscriPtions_on obelisks."