Star.
London, England, 1830-07-03 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP THE JOURNALS.

Timm—We have expressed our opinion that the present crisial
of French affairs must be fatal to the re-establishment of the old

Bourbon policy, let the reigning sovereign pursue what course he
may. By the " Bourbon policy," we mean that which assumes,
for a first principle, that the will of the monarch ought to su-
persede that of his subjects; and that a king of France
may trightfully plead his own view of what the " putlie
Wets?' requires, in justification of measures, by virtue of which
all authorities, laws, and institutions, provided for the main.
tenance of public liberty against the encroachments of the Crown,
arc set at nought, and annulled, or suspended. If Charles
X. perseveres in this systems of miscalled "royalism," be puts both
the French constitution and his dynasty to the hazard. If he should
abandon the system, and resort to other councils, the new Ministry,
to obtain the support of France, will be driven into the adoption of
measures more adverse to despotic power, snore conservative
of freedom, and, by consequence, more offensive to the Court
than any of those for which the Martignacs were dismissed
from office. It is impossible not to perceive that any very
serious change in the stracture or spirit of' the French Go-
vernment might have an important influence on the affairs
of other nations. That, however, is sating little. So long as there
is nothing more to remark upon than tide principles and tendencies
of a foreign revolution, surrounding states are justified in watching
that which has been, or which is still, convulsed ; but they are jus-
tified no farther. Mr. Fox was just as a man, in reprobating the
murder of Louis XVI. and correct as a statesman, in declaring that
England had no right to revenge that enormity by war. In France,
as at present situated and disposed, we apprehend no outrage to the
Royal Family. For the Crown of Fiance, something indeed may
be feared. The law of inheritance, as it exists in that country,
would republicanize any nation in the world. Yet to that law the
French people, rich and poor, seem wedded, as are individuals to
their existence. Under the operation of a spirit, which is well re-
presented by such a law of disinheritance, the tendency of France is,
beyond all dispute, towards republicanism; but what then ? Are
we to quarrel with a powerful neighbour for advancing some steps
further in political experiment than England did in 1688 ? Would
such:a result of the present troubles provoke, with any regard to
justice or e.rperience, a crusade of Europe generally against the
French nation ? Undoubtedly not.
Tzstas.—A long discussion took place last night in the House
of Commons on the Four-and.half per cent duties. A very able
speech was made by Sir J. Graham, which we should have been
sorry to lose ; still it is evident, from the ample explanation of Sir
Robert Peel, that the debate was without an object, there being, in
fact. no ground of dispute. A very little previous conversation
would, we repeat, have deprived us of an excellent speech, but
something might have been gained in point of business. Sir J.
Graham withdrew, with great readiness, and with perfect candour,
the resolutions which, from the teal nature of the case, he need not
have proposed at all. After this useless display of talent and expendi-
ture of time, the Chancellor of the Exchequer proceeded to apply for
vows of credit. He asked, in fact, for those rums without invest'.
gation, which it is the duty of Parliament not to grant till after the
fullest inquiry and debate. The present, however, is a peculiar
crisis, and Parliament has always asserted the right of deviating
(mom its own strictest rules on any extraordinary emergency. The
votes, therefore, of last night, though exceptions to the general rule,
were as constitutional as the rule itself. It is, however, the
duty of the Commons to watch these occasions of deviation most
.narrowly, and especially to take c.tre that no one extraordinary ease
shall be quoted as a precedent, unless in the event,which can scarcely
occur, the circumstances shall be precisely parallel. For the votes
we refer our readers to the report.
Cienuteici.s.— It will be seen by our report of the proceedings
-in the House of Commons last night, that the nation is nut to be
•abandoned to the dangers of a doubtful succession, or if not a doubt.
ful succession, to the succession of an Infant Sovereign, without an
effort to avert so great a public calamity. Mr. Brougham having,
in language peculiarly solemn and Imposing, uttered his protest
against the dissolution of parliament without a settlement of the
Regency in the event of the possible demise of our present Sove-
reign, a discussion of considerable interest followed, and in fine,
.lr. Robert Grant declared, in a very effective speech, which
was listened to with deep attention, that he should, on Tues-
day next, move an Address to His Majesty upon this
momentous, question. Is it difficult to conjecture why Bli-
nisters should prefer settling the Regency at a future period
rather than the present; and certainly there is no good season why
a new Parliament, acting, possibly, under the excitation and Wilms..
London of an immediate pressing necessity, should be snore com-
petent to the settlement of such a question than the present Par-
liament, calmly and dispassionately regarding it as a remote
contingency. In the speedy dissolution of Parliament, the concern
of ministers is,on the contrary, sufficiently apparent ; inasmuch as that
measure relieves them from the perplexity into which their ill-con-
sidered measures of foreign policy, finance, and legal reform, had
drawn them, averts the discomfiture and disgrace which awaited
them, affords a certain prolongation, for a limited term of
their power, together with the pleasing hope of a favourable turn
in the elections, and to the Monarch the great personal ad.
vantage of having his Civil List settled by a new, rather
titan an expiring Parliament. In every respect, therefore, the
casualty furnishing the pretext for an immediate dissolution, was a
most fortunate occurrence for the Duke of Wellington's administra-
tion. To have asked for the Vote of Credit, and at the sante time
to have broached the ftegency Question, would, however, have been
impossible; accordingly, all the urgent motions recommending an
instant settlement of the succession, were postponed to the personal
considerations of ministers; and they will now, as Sir Robert Peel
last night intimated, contend that the House of Commons is bound
by the vote into which it aas betrayed on Wednesday, and that
having promised the crown to vote an immediate supply, it is no'
longer competent fur the house to take up any subject, however mo-1
ntentous to the peace and happiness of the nation, or ot' whatever
paramount and transcendent importance in the awakened minds, ant
to the roused consciences of the representatives of the people.
Tistxs.—On the subject of the petition presented by Lord
Niorpeth last night to the House of Commons we shall not say
touch, but may be expected to say something, as our "trade and
mystery" are concerned. We of course cannot complain of the li-
mited demand for newspapers ; and, with respect to reporting, we
are very doubtful whether it can be rendered more perfect. The
house will of. course correct or reprehend any obstotetlon thrown in
the way of the present system, and hove an opening fur improve-
'tient, if such be practicable, time improvement sprit;ring from those
who are practically most conversant with the subject ; and this
ts. all that can be done. As to errors. no man can guard
himself against their occurrence in the course of a session
they would not be prevented by having Aston reporters. The best
safeguard against them is competition. A responsible body of re.
m*ters, of which Mr. O'Connell spoke. is a mere absurdity. The
-resent body of reporters are responsible in the most sensible and
eling way : they are responsible by their eltaractere—by the in-
terest of the journals for which they are employ( d, and by the reten.
-on of their employments. 'These constitute the best responsibility.
We are glad to observe that Sir R. Peel's view of the subject core-
• jetuds with our own, of which we were not awere till after we heel
written the preceding remarks. lie spoke like a mall of sound
judgment. It is curious that eminent Members of Parlia-
ment, though they may complain of occasional mistakes,
never bring general charges of injustice against reporters:
hot rather express wonder and approbation et :he manner in which
:heir speeches arc communicated to the public. The idea broached
by an hon. member that the speech of one party or body of met
:nay be systematicidly suppressed, is an idea of extreme absurdity.
What was to prevent Government (said the member alluded to)
from getting possession of the principal newspapers,' and so hay.
ing all the speeches reported no their side ?" We will tell him,
that one single newspaper reporting, and bele g known to report the
speeches faithfully and impartially, would soon have mote sale than
all the other papers so shamefully bought up ; and thus would be
better paid than ministers could afford to pay its tools. On the
other hand, no pay could co.-npeneate the treuble, still lest. the con-
sequences, of reporting bat' speeches at full length, from whatever
part of the house such speeches may emanate.
HERALD—In the House of Commons last night, Lord Morpath
;resented a petition, signed by 1,100 letter-pros.: printers of London
a:;si Westminster, complaining of the injury aiimained by this im-
portant branch of trade, in consequence of the high rate of stamp
duties imposed on newspapers and advertisements. The noble lord,
in supporting the prayer of the petition for the lowering of those
duties, took a comparative review of the circulation of newspa-
pers in France, the United States of America, and this coon-
try, and maintained, upon competent authority, that the num.
'ter of newspapers in circulation In the United Kingdom,
was fat from proportionate to the superior intelligence and
enterprise of this country as compared with other nations.
In seconding the motion for bringing up the petition, Mr.
S. Rice took occasion to obtrude upon the House a complaint
of' some misrepresentation of an opinion which bad fallen
from hint in a Parliamentary debate, and which had appeared
in two Irish newspapers. He was followed by Colonel Siletrp,
who saki "if there ever had been any cause of complaint againt the
fidelity uf the reports of their proceedings, it was not, and ought
not, to be imputed to the reporters for the newspapers, but to theme
Klee*, for their neglect in not giving those gentlemen proper ac-
etnnmadadan and greater facilities In reporting with due convenience,
and in a position favourable to the distinct hearing, what fell from
t
hon. members." These observations called up Mr. O'Connell, who
is anxious to make the Irish public believe that his failure in the
House of Commons, is attributable to. the partial or inefficient
manner in which the gentlemen reporting the debates in Pmts.
meat perform their dada. Ile said, it was not at all Illirtatag that
such mistakes or misrepresentations should occur In an Irish paper,
when they took into consideration the drowsy way in which there
ports of the house were given evert *iglu by
_persons over Whom
they bad no tonfrotthaetbese debates, It was Toil lawns, wangles*

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