The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-20 00:00:00

THE REGENCY IN FRANCE.

The law of regency has been the cause of infinite discussion
ever since the earliest ages of the French monarchy. In no
country of Europe have there been so many regencies—in
none have the principles on which regencies are appointed re-
mained so long uncertain—and in none -hive they been attended
with more disastrous controversies.

It would appear that under the Kings of the earlier races,
the established practice of the realm (if anything in those rude
ages was established) gave the guardianship of a ruiner King
to his mother, and the political power of the Regent to his
eldest male relation. Rut these rules were constantly violated.
The Capetian race mounted the throne by a usurpation of the
powers of the regency of Louis V. When Philip Augustus
succeeded to the Crown, it appears probable that the regency
and guardianship were divided between the Count of Flanders
and the Queen-Mother. The minority of St. Louis was un-
doubtedly protected by the regency of his mother, Queen
Blanche, in spite of the opposition of the King's Uncle. In
the 14th century, however, after the deaths of Louis-Hutin
and Charles-le-Bel, the regency passed to the eldest male rela-
tive, next in the order of succession to the Throne, and this
principle was sanctioned by no less than four ordinances of re-
gency in 50 years.
The first and only law of the French monarchy, however, on
the subject, is the perpetual and irrevocAle edict of 1407,
which enacted that Kings, during their minority, should go-
vern by the " go, d advice, deliberations, and counsel of the
Queens, their mothers, if they were alive, and of the nearest
in lineage and of the blood royal, who might then be living."
In spite of the occasional violation of this edict, its provisions
were generally confirmed by the testamentary orders.of dying
Sovereigns, and the powers of the Regent have usually been
exercised in France by the Queen-Mother. On the death of
Francis 11. in 1560, the regency devolved on Catherine of
Medicis, mother of Charles IX., in spite of the adverse claims
of the King of Navarre. The rights of a Queen-Mother to
the regency tin France were never more solemnly recognized
than after the assassination of Henry IV., and Mary of Medicis
assumed, with the full consent of the Parliament, the chief au-
thority on behalf of her son. At the close of the reign of Louis
XIII. thesame power was exercised by Anne of Austria, and the
Duke of Orleans was appointed Lieutenant-General of the
Kingdom, under the orders of that Princess, with the assist
ante of a council. The last important regency in France was
in a manner usurped on the death of Louis. XIV. by the Duke
Orleans; but it is a remarkable fact that for more than 250
years almost every reign either 1.), gan nr ended by a regency,
and in almost all cases the Queen-Mother was the person who
held that high trust.
A positive law en the sabjezt was at length passed by the
Constituent Assembly in the constitution of 1793, which en-
acted that the " Regency belongs to the King's kinsman nearest
in degree according to the succession to the throne, provided
he be 25 years. old, a Frenchman, and an inhabitant of the
kingdom ; and that he be not the heir•-presumptive to another
throne; and that he have before taken the civic oath. Fe-
males are excluded from the regency." This enact-
ment was confirmed as respects the exclusion of women
by the senatus-consulturn of 1804 ; but in 1813 Napoleon
appointed Maria Louisa regent of the empire during his ab-
sence; and in his abdication in the following year he declared
for the rights of " the Regency in the person of the Empress"
during the minority of his soil. But this case, like the nomi-
nation of Louis Philippe himself to the post of Lieutenant-
General of the Kingdom in 1830, was the result of a fatal
emergency, and was instantly frustrated by the course of events.
There precedents have, of course, no paramount or irre-
fragable authority on the question, which, after all, must be
decided, as it ever has been, and will be now, by a legislative
act pro re nata. But, without attempting to prejudge the
course which the French Government will recommend un this
momentous occasion, the circumstances have induced us to
look back to the ar.nals of the French monarchy, which are but
too replete with instances of a similar necessity, and, it must
be added, with the deplorable consequences of these calamities:

PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS.

(From Me Votes and Proceedings of Me House of Commons.)

MONDAY, JULY 18.
.1111‘. ST. GEORGE.
DIVISION ON MR. SHEIL'S AMENDMENT.
Question put, " That the words proposed to be left out stand
part of the Question :"—The House divid -
• MAJORITY—AYES,
Ada' .1, Sir T. D 1. itrroy, Captain
VC art, Capt L. Fitzroy, Hon. H.
Affix, John Peter Forbes, William
Antrobus, Edwird Fuller. A. E.
Arbuthnot, Hon. H Gaskell, James Milnes
Arawright, George Gladstone, W. E.
Raabe, Colonel H. Gordon, Hon. W.

led :-
146.
MacKenzie, W. F.
M'Geachy, F. A.
Manners, Lord C. S.
M.sterman, John
Meynell, H.
Morgan, Octavius
Neville, Ralph
Newry, Viscount
Nichol!, J.
Norreys, Lord
O'Brien, A S.
Pakington, J. S.
Pal • er, Robert
Patten, Wilson
Peel, Hon. Sir R.
Peel, Colonel .1.
Plumptre. J. P.
Praed, W. T
Rolloston, s.
Rose, Sir George
Rous, Captain
Itushurook, Co'on.l
Russell, Charles
Russell, J. D
Sanderson, 15.
Searlett, R C.
Seymour, Sir H.
Smyth, Sir H.
Sonicnet, Lord G.
Sotheron, T. E.
Stanley, Lord
Stuart, H.
Sutton, Hon. h. M
'Taylor, Thomas E.
Tollonmehe, J.
Trench, Sir F.
Trevor, lion. R
Trullope, Sir John
Trotter, J.
Tyrell, Sir J T.
Venter, Colonel
Vesev, Hon.'!'.
J E.
Waddington, H. S.
Williams, T. P.
Young, John

Baird, 'W. Gore, Montague
Balfour, J. M. Goring, Charles
Bank es, George Goutburn, Henry
Baring, W. B. Graham, Sir James
Barrington, Viscount Granby, Marquis of
Bateson, Robert Greene, T.
Beckett, William tire', Sir 0.
Beresford, Major Grimsditch, Thomas
Illackburne, 1. Grimston, Lord
Blackstone, W. S. Grogan, Elward
Bold( ro, H. G. Hale, It. Blagdon
rcttiel.l, Beriah Hamilton, W. J.
BrackLiw, James Hamilton, Lord C.
l' raciston, T W, ijarcourt, 0. G.
.. __

t-logaivoolf, Hotiry Hardinge, Sir H.
Bruce, Lord E. Hardy, John
Buck, L. W. Hayes, air E.
Buckley, Ecimun I Beneagc, G W.
Huller, air J Y. Henley, J. Warner
Burroughes, H. Herbert, Hon. S.
Campbell, A. Hodgson, Richard
Cliches, Viscount Hogg, J, W.
( icriCa Sir George Hughes. W. B.
Clive, Robert Hussey, Thomas
Cockburn, Sir G. Inglis, Sir It. H.

Colville, C. R. Jaiksc-in, J. D.
• tirry, Right Hon. H Jerniyn, Lord
Courtenay, Viscount Jocelyn, Viscount
Cripps, W. Johnstone, Sir John
Damer, lion. G. 411Iffit,?ir W.
i)arby, George. Janes, 1 cobald
Pgwa AY, CV.-11. Knatchbull, Sir E.
thinison, E. tt. Lasceltes, W. S.
Benjamin: Lefroy, Anhony
Dodd, George Legh, G. C.
lionglas, Sir C. Leicester, Earl of
Douglas, J. D. S. Lirooln, Earl of
Dtpicobe, Haa. A. Litton, Er ward
Egerton, W.T. Lockhart, William
Eliot, Lord Lowther, J. li.
Escoit, liickham Lowth r, Monel
Farnham, E. B. Lyall, George
Ffolliot, John Mackenzie, T.
NORITY-- NOLS,
Ebrington, Viscount
Ellis, Wynn
::vans, W.
Ewart, W.
Ferguson, Colonel
Forster, Matthew
Gibson, 'l'. M.
Gil), Thos.
Gore, Robert
Greenaway, Charles
Hattie, A.
Hatton, Capt. Villiers
Hill, Lord A. M. C.
Hobhouse, Sir J. C.
Howard. C. W. G.
Howard, J. K.
Howard, P. H.
Howard, 11.
Howard, Sir R.
liume, Joseph
Hutt, W.
&Alison, tieneral
Langston, J. H.
Lemon, Sir C.
Macnamata, W.
I%l•Taggart,J.

TELLERS.
Fremantle, SirT.
Pringle, A.

Alelam, William
Barnard, E. G.
Bernal, Ralph
Blake, Mark
Bowring, 1)r.
13rotherton, J.
Browne, Hon. W.
Bryan, George
Bulkeley, Sir IL B.W.
Buller C,
William
Byng, Hon. G. S.
Carew, Hon. R. S.
Cave, Otway
Cavendish, Hon. C.
Childers, J. W.
Cobden, Richard
Co.borne, N. It.M.
Colebrooke, Sir T.
Collins, William
E.
Crawford, W 1.
Rilmeny, Lout
Dunci.:), George
Duncombe, T. S.
Easthope, John

Marshall, W.
Morri.i, David
Napier, sir Chariots
Norreys, Sir D. J.
O'Brien, J.
O'Connor Don
Palmerston, Visct.
Pechell, Captain
Philips, M.
Plumridge, Captain
Pul,ford, Robert
Rundle, J.
Shell, R. L.
Smith, H. Vernon
Somers, J. P.
*Somerville, Sir W,
Stewart, P. M.
Strutt, Edward
Thornely, Tomas
Wawii, J, T,
Willies W,
Wood, B.
Wyse, 1 homas
TELLEItS.
Tanen, H.
O'Connell, M.. 1,

EFFECTS OF DRUNKENNESS.—QO Tuesday week
some fishermen at Fisherrow observed a chaise a consi-
derable distance out at sea, and nearly immersed in the water.
They immediately manned their boats and pulled off to re,eue
the driver, who was seated on the coach-box, though little
more than his head was above the water, and ano•her man
seated on the top of the carriage. On coming near, they found
that the hones had got entangled in the harness, and ware
nearly drowned : the fishermen cut tI liarilins, and with great
difficulty suct‘eptled in Wigging horses and men safely to land.
The driver of the coach, whose name was Laing, had been at
Haddington, and on his return, when in a slate of intoxication,
had left the main road and gone into the sea, where he, with
the other man and the horses, wculd inevitably have been
drowned but for the exertion's of the fishermen.—EdinbureA
Witness.

Sir Charles 111Gtealf last NyQco.ti whierwent the ope-
ration of having a tuillow retanved from his cheek,from which
he 1.70 suffered for many years past. Sir Benjamin Brodie,
Dr. Chambers, and Mr. Martin attended, when the tumour
was skilfully removed by Sir Benjamin. Sir Charles is ping
on very favourably.