The Sun.
London, England, 1827-03-05 00:00:00

FRANCE-THE PRESS.

(From the Dublin Patriot. )
The debate, upon the project of restricting the Press,
in the Chamber of Deputies, at Paris, will be read with
peculiar interest and instruction by all whose prejudices do
not blind them as to real facts and inevitable deductions.
The first observation which arises from the proposed
law of restriction, and the perusal of the speeches in resist-
ance to it, is the spirit of despotism which evidently per-
vades the Court, and the spirit of liberty which per-
vades the people—those elements of popular resistance
alluded to by Mr. Canning as existing on the Continent,
denied by many of our contemporaries, but which the
spirit manifested in the Chamber of Deputies, evidently re-
frecting that of the people, proves to have an extensive
possession of the French mind, and accounts for the
fact of France wishing to avoid a war which would
unlock the springs of discontent, and excite into
activity a spirit, which even now is suppressed with
difficulty. It is curious that some of our cotemporaries,
who were most ready to impress that England was vulne-
rable through Irish discontent, were most sceptical with
respect to the dissatisfaction of the French people. Oh !
they used to say, England dare not go to war with France
—the discontents of Ireland forbid it; but forget to perceive
or to acknowledge that France was more vulnerable,becausc
her Government was more unjust, and her people there-
fore more discontented. The maxims applicable to human
nature were insisted upon as it related to British impolicy
and injustice, but were quite overlooked as applicable to
the much greater injustice and impolicy exercised by thC
Government of France. No; though we apprehend great
evils, nay d.aigers, in denying equal legislative privilege to
the Irish Catholics, yet we insist that, even in their
present state, they enjoy more immunities, more protec-
tion to life and property, than the population of France,
and that there is beside, in our institutions, a principle of
adaption to circumstances, which contains in its own nature
the capacity of improvement, while the character of des-
potism in the Court of France is of an obstinacy not to be
convinced but by the final appeal.
One privilege, however, the French seem already to
exercise, and that is the privilege of complaint—and this
brings us to another important reflection. We beg our
readers' particular attention to the fpcech of M. Chabaud
Latour; they will judge of the spirit which actuates the
French nation, when we remind them, that in France the
Court and the people are Roman Catholic, and that Mon-
sieur Latour is—a Protestant ! !
France is estimated at thirty millions of people, of whom
five hundred thousand are Protestants—that is—a sixtieth
part are Protestants. The Chamber of Deputies is com-
posed of about four hundred and twenty-five Members—
seventeen of whom are Protestants—that is about the
twenty-fifth—so that, while the relative Protestant popu-
lation is in the proportion of one to sixty, the number re-
turned as Deputies are in the proportion of one to 25! ! Let
our readers reflect upon this fact—let them read the speech
of the Protestant M. Latour in the Catholic Chamber of
Deputies—and if prejudice has not totally clouded their
understanding, and perverted their hearts, to what reflec-
tions does it give rise ? Read the language of M. La-
tour—read it, ye perverted and" depraved politicians, and
ask your hearts, if ye have hearts, what would you
say if such language were used by a Catholic in a Pro-
testant assembly, -against a Protestant Government and
a Protestant Church ? Here M. Latour, a Protestant,
returned by a Catholic Constituency to a Catholic
Legislature, Assails the Catholic Government, and the Ca-
tholic Church, and is heard with applause and acclama-
tions by a Catholic assembly ! ! Look at this fact, ye
who rummage antiquity, and neglect existing and palpable
truth—what would ye say if such an attack was made upon
our Government and our Clergy, by a Papist ? " Prose-
cute, prosecute, prosecute"—ye would bellow—ye would
fume—" oh ! the terrible Papists are riding rough shod
over us, and they are encouraged by Wellesley, Plunkett,
and Conciliation !" This would be the language of the
ribald, obscene, and slanderous press—this would be re-
echoed by the Lortons, the Mount cashels, Robinsons,
Milers, and Hoggs, who would call it Christianity to
do as they would not be done by. Go, ye miserable
politiciao, and be taught toleration by Popish France.
Read the sp;ech of M. Latour, a Protestant, daring to tell
truth in a Popizh assembly—not protected by the Court,
for that was hostile--not protected by the Clergy, for
these, like other Clergy who shall be nameless, fancy they are
only secure by arraying themselves against popular free-
dom !—but, protected by the spirit of the French people,
in resistance to the Court and the Clergy—read it, and
acknowledge, if candour has one refuge in the bosom of
prejudice, that, while the spirit of ecclesiastical dernipation
may remain in the Church, the spirit of popular obedience
to its mandates is gone for ever from among the people ! !

CONDUCT OF A MAGISTRATE.

We some days ago noticed under this head a charge that had
been preferred against a worthy "unpaid" Magistrate for the
county of Middlesex, in which he was accused of accepting and
demanding a fee of one guinea for his trouble in dispensing justice
to a complainant, in a case of assault that had come on to be heard
before him in his "kitchen," (for this is literally the apartment
in which he has been accustomed to preside upon the judgment-
seat as the representative of Majesty) at his country-house. We
also stated, that the Magistrate in question, whose name we did not
Oink it then delicate or proper to mention, had been served with a
not,lce to attend the then next approaching county meeting of his
brethr,:n of the bench, in order to account for or explain, if he
could, the very unseemly, to say the least of it, sort of conduct
that had be.'n so unequivocally attributed to him, and which
was considered by the whole body as casting a shade upou the
magistracy in general, and particularly upon those of the metro-
politan county. The meeting at which the accused magistrate,
whose name it is no longer necessary to conceal (Mr. Hanson, of
Hammersmith) was expected to Attend, according to the notice
he had received, took place a few. thp ago, at the Sessio,4o.• -house,
Clerkenwell-green, and a very strong must' : there was, the case being
considered an unusually important one. Some routine business hav-
ing been gone through, and the appointed hour for the attendance
of Mr. Hansen having acme time elapsed, without that gentleman
making his appearance, considerable surprise was expressed, and
many surmises formed, when, sud.denly, a letter was handed to
the bench, addressed to the meeting. from Mr. Hanson, in which
be begged to decline appearing before them, and in allusion to the
accusation made against him, stated that although it was not alto-
gether without foundation, yet that the case was much exaggerated
as represented, for that a part of the guinea fee was intendatedhow-
for a
constable who had had some trouble in the matter ;
but th,
ever this might be, he, Mr. Hanson, did not think it necessary to
enter into an; further explanation, the more particularly as he was
a,:,,out to expatriate/himself, and pass the remainder of those days
wht;:h Providence might be pleased to allow him, either as a ma-
gistrat,• or a man to stay upon earth, on some part of the Conti-
nent of Knrope, more congenial to his present state of health than
the soil and .
climate of England, and as, therefore, he never again
intended to wts..id the sword of justice in this country at any
price, or by though., word, or deed to come in contact with his
brother Magistrates, he trusted they, would suffer him to retire in
the ful! enjoyment of that e•;eenl and respect which he knew they
all entertained for him, as strongly as he himself feit conscious of
having at all times performed the Auties of his office with c.edit to
his country and with honour to hbasti4,and concluded by wishing
them all every happiness, and that they ti,ight ultimately end
their magisterial course with as high a character as bp did ! The
meeting seemed for a time amazed and at a loss how to with
this strange letter or its author, until at last Sir George Farranz,
one of the oldest and mast respectable Magistrates of the
County, got up with much indignation, and declaring that it was
too much to allow Mr. Hanson, after having brought by hi
conduct a certain degree of discredit upon die whole corps, to
march off in this triumphant manner with all the honours of war,
proposed a resolution that a brand should besot to upon Mr. Han-
son's name as a Magistrate of the county, prevant his
coming in contact with them again in their meetings, and that his
name, with that view, should be at once struck out of the lists of
all Committees of Magistrates meeting for county purposes. This
resolution being seconded, was put to the Meeting, and carried
unanimously, which ended all proceedings of the Meeting upon
this subject.— Times.

On Friday lass--t, Mr. Gilchrist, a butcher, in Devon-
port market, took from a sheep's heart, a casing of one pound and
three quarters of solid fat, a circumstance unparalleled in the me-
mory of the oldest butcher in this neighbourhood.—Plymouth
iourna4