The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-28 00:00:00

the friendly relations between France and England, had
deeply agitated the two countries, and called for all the
attention of our Government. We are well pleased to
learn that a reciprocal sentiment of good feeling and
equity has maintained between the two States that happy
accord which is so important both to their prosperity
and to the repose of the world."
To this paragraph, M. Leon de Malleville moved the
following amendment :
"We are happy to learn that the accord so necessary
to the repose of the world has been maintained between
the two States, but we regret that, in granting a repara-
tion which was not due, the rules of justice and recipro-
city, which France shall always respect, were not suffi-
ciently taken into account?'
M. Leon de Malleville, having been called to the tri-
bune to develop his amendment, said that the Chamber
having granted a Bill of indemnity to the Ministry on
the ensemble of its policy, the amendment he pro-
posed was not directed against its existence ; his in-
tention was merely to examine the question, in itself
a question which had wounded to such a degree the
national susceptibility—he meant the indemnity
awarded to M. Pritchard, which he did not hesitate
to declare the country was unanimous in reproving.—
(" No, no," on the Ministerial benches.) He then en-
tered into considerations to prove that no cordial alliance
should prevail between Great Britain and France with-
out a perfect reciprocity, and on that condition alone
was he a partisan of that alliance. M. de Malleville
protested his high respect for the work of the English
missionaries who had initiated the savages of Oceania
in a knowledge of the doctrine of Christ, and in the arts
of civilization ; but M. Pritchard, in his eyes, was no
missionary ; he was a mere trader, an intriguer, the
mayor of the Palace of Queen Pomare, the King of Ota-
heite. All the French authorities in the Pacific spoke
in high terms of the English missionaries, M. Pritchard
alone excepted. M. Malleville had blamed the establish-
ment of the French at Otaheite, because he had foreseen
all the obstacles and complications that occupation would
produce t • but once the French flag hoisted on that
islasd, he had felt it imperative to defend its honour
and dignity. He then described all the circumstances
that had preceded and followed the arrest of M. Pritchard.
M. Pritchard, he said, was no longer an English Con-
sul ; he had remained at Otaheite as a spy on the
French ; he had had many opportunities to proceed to
his new residence, but he had no doubt received in-
structions from his Government to remain at a post
where he had rendered, and could yet render, such im-
portant services. •M. Malleville next proceeded to con-
demn the manner in which the negotiations relative to
Otaheite had been conducted in London and Paris, and
entreated the Members of the House, who two days
before wished to save the existence of the Ministry, to
vote for his amendment, and thereby save the dignity of
the conntry.
M. Peyramont rose to reply. He combated the amend-
ment, because it implied that nothing was due to England,
and that England had been wanting in good feeling and
equity towards France. This meant, in his opinion, that
the indemnity agreed to be paid to Mr. Pritchard should
not be paid by the Ministry which would succeed the
present Administration. The majority of the Committee
on the Address, of which he had been a member, ren-
dered entire justice to the equity and good feeling of
England throughout that affair, and it had determined to
insert that conviction in the Address. M. Peyramont
then proceeded to justify the conduct of the Ministry,
amidst the murmurs of the Opposition.
M. Odillon Barret, who followed, referred to what
had occurred at the close of the last session, when a
Minister of Great Britain had declared in Parliament
that an insult, a gross outrage. had been offered to the
honour of England. Had the French Cabinet, he asked,
responded to that expression. which, to say the least of
it' was imprudent, either by recriminations or other-
wise ? No ! Atter examining the events of which
Otaheite had been the theatre, he protested on his soul
and conscience, in presence of the facts, of the docu-
ments submitted to the assembly, and the declarations
of the Minister fur Foreign Affairs, that the disavowal
of M. d'Aubigny and the indemnity granted to M. Prit-
chard, were not, as asserted in the Address ;conformable
to equity. He then painted M. Pritchard as the author
of all the caleniities that had fallen on tho French
at Otaheite. He had remained there without any
official character, to prevent Queen Pomare from
returning among her subjects and restoring peace ;
—he remained there to give time to his agents to
kindle the fire of revolt ; and when this object had
been attained, lie was preparing to quit • the island
in the darkness of night, when M. d'Aubigny found
it his duty, under the apprehension of approaching
danger; to arrest the fugitive ; and although the guilt of
the latter was so evident that the Ministry itself was
obliged to admit it, it leas the unfortunate officer who
had adopted that indispensable measure fur the security
of hie command who had been visited with a disavowal,
and the wretch, the promoter of the revolt, at whose in-
stigation murder and incendiarism pervaded the island,
was to receive compensation, because he had been de-
tained during a, few days a prisoner ; and so degrading
a concession had been demanied and exacted in the face
of Europe from noble France ! M. Odillon Barrot said,
that he would willingly choose the English people for
judge in the affair ; and he hail so high an opinion of
their good sense that he was sure they would not view
the affair in the light it had' been viewed by a French
Ministry. In concluding, he declared that there was no
equity, no reciprocity, in granting an indemnity to the
instigator of a war of savages against civilisation, par-
ticularly under the threats which had been preferred
from the British tribune.
M. Guizot was in possession of the tribune at the hour
of post.