Star.
London, England, 1822-01-05 00:00:00

riRiNCH PAPERS. .

The Ft ench Papers of Wednesday, which reached
town by express, and private letters from Paris of the
same date, make us acquainted with the first legisla-
tive essay of the Ftench Ministry, by which we may
be enabled to judge of the policy and principles
which their administration is likely to be conducted.
It is an old remark, and one that is true in theory',
that he who supersedes another, thereby gives an im-
plied pledge to do better. The Censorship on the
Press was one of the obnoxious acts of the late Minis-
try, and one which they would scarcely hive been
able to renew. Their successors, as if feeling this, in
their very first Message to the Chamber of Deputies,
withdrew the Project of Law for continuing the Cen-
sorship. What substitute they would propose was
not even hinted at; but no one, we believe, ever con.
templated one so monstrous as they have conceived.
The Censorship laid a strong restraint on the Press,
and fettered human intellect : the new Law destroys
both. The Censorship, by striking out everything
objectional, protected the Journalists from vexatious
prosecutions and penalties; the new Law gives the
power of annihilating the Press, and ruining the for-
tunes of individuals, who may not only have never
given offence, but may never have even dreamed of it.
This new law, if carried into effect, will givethe power
to the Court Royal of suspending, or even suppress.
ing Journals, of which Mey think the spirit injurious.
Good Goa! was ever anything so infamous and mon-
strous as the doctrine is in itself?- We believe it would
lose none of its rigour in execution. Woe to the
poor Journalist who dares to give the slightest offence
to the Court Royal; any member of which need only
" hint a fault, and hesitate dislike," and his whole pro-
perry becomes extinguished, in half a dozen words,
by the fiat of this odious Court, and in as summary a
manner as BONAPARTE transferred kingdoms, when
he issued his emphatic decrees—" The King of
has ceased to reign."
The new Project relating to the Press was pre-
sented by the Ministry on IVednesday List ; and the
following is the substance of its provisions :
Art. 1. No Journals, except those which at present exist,
can henceforth appear without the authority of Government.
Art. 2. The offences of the Journals against individuals will
be prosecuted in the ordinary manner.
Art. 3. In case the spirit or general tendency of any „fawned or
Periodical Writing shall be of a nature to injure the public peace,
or the respect due to the Religion of the Sta'e, or to the other
Religious recognized in France, or the authority of the King,
or the uatikity of Constitutional Institutions, the Royal Court,
within the range of whose jurisdiction these Journals are pub-
lished, sl.all have the power, iu a solemn audience, to suspend
dad said Journals, or ewe* to suppress them.
Art. 4. If in the interval of the Session of the Chambers
grave c:rcumstances should momentaitily render insufficient the
ineasure. of guarantee and repression at present established, the
Censored', shall he immethatoly restored to activity, in virtue of a
kart duanance, countersigned by three Miniders.
fke .sth Article only statcs that the provisions of the former
law, not repealed, shall remain.
It appears as if the Ministers were either ashamed
of theit project, or afraid of proposing it, as it was
made without any previous intimation, as is usual ;
but the report had spread in the morning that Minis-
ters had at length resolved to venture from behind
their veil of mystery and indecision, and proFose to
the Legislature their new law respecting the Jour-
nals. Accordingly, great numbers of people pro-
ceeded to the Chamber of Deputies.
When this. project of law was read, the Liberals
shewed violent disapprobation. The right side testi-
fied no feeling, and only called out " Order !" No
discussion then took place, but it is supposed that the
Committee to examine the project will be nominated
on Friday, and will present its Report next week.
What may be the fate of this project, it may be
difficult to judge in the present state of French poli-
tics ; bust it is not easy to conceive how a Chamber of
Deputies, which would not renew the Censorship, can
sanction so abominable a law as the one now pro-
posed. Discussions of the most violent character, and
most vital importance, are expected to take place.—
Many of the Royalists are dissatisfied with the execu-
tive conduct of Ministers; and their legislative wis-
dom is not likely to re-inspire confidence. DELALOT,
VAUBLAWC, and other eminent Members of the tight
side, must be in opposition.
The annihilation of the Press, it would however
appear, is but a part of the projected policy of the
new French Ministry, who seem determined, while
in power, to exercise it with an unsparing hand.—
The Moniteur of Wednesday contains a long list of
regulations issued by the new War Minister for the
observance of all persons in his department; and
which, as will be seen from the following extracts,
are despotic enough :
" Every indiscretion, every announcement of a fact connected
with the office, whether given prematurely, or even immediately
after a Ministerial decision, without the order of the Minister,
shall be allowed by the dismissal of the official person who may
be guilty of it, whatever be his rank, as soon as this abuse of
confidence and subordination shall have been proved against him.
" All heads of offices, and all clerks, are expressly com-
manded to make no promises, to give no opinion as to the pro-
bable decisions of the Minister, to give no information, written
or verbal, respecting any matter connected with the business of
the department.
° It being the intention of the Minister to receive, with all
the respect due to rank or misfortune, such persons as have the
right to present themselves, the heads of offices and clerks are
advised to beware of giving any reasonable ground of complaint
to those to whom it is their duty to attend.
" It being the duty of every agent of the King's Govern-
, ment to render himself worthy of the confidence and favour of
his Majesty, every discourse or insinuation, on the part of prin-
cipals or clerks, which shall tend either directly or indirectly to
bring into contempt the superior Authorities, shall be followed
by a deprivation of office.
Thus have the new French Ministers, at one single
blow, dissipated ali hopes that had been enter-
tained of their moderation, or of Any Administration
composed eatiiely of what are termed Royalists, but
who are, in fact, the most danger ousenemies to royalty
that France possesses. Their Project on the Press has
struck ail lovers of tree discussion with horror : even
the Ultras seemed to feel appalled at it, as dreading
the consequences when the reins of Government a re
placed in the hands of men so daring, and yet so in-
sensible :o the interests and true policy of France,
We look forwai d with considerable anxiety to the
discussions in the two Chambers on this most odious
Project; it will the.. !re seen how far a mere ;haw
of men has incre.iseil the influence of Government,
and put the Chatribeis to the test whether their late
opposition was directed UtklieliSL measures, or nieiely
against men. M. de CAM, who, it is believed, still
possesses considerable influence, is expected at Paris
however, it is
to oppose Ministers in the Peers, whores

Iprobable they will he stronger thin in the tratribei
of beputlft.
The Preach Fends were sonsestrhat lower On Wed-
nesday than on Monday, but *the variation was .not
very material, and towards the close of the day they
recovered.

The French journals bring us fresh accounts of the
atrocities (not of the Greek but) of the Turks. The
Constitutional gives the following dreadful narrative
of events which occurred in Smyrna between the 17th
and 21st of November. It professes to be taken from
S
the pectatenr Oriental, a paper publisbeJ at Smyrna,
and dated November 24 ;
" On the 17th a Selavonlan, a subject of Austria, was assassi-
nated by a Totk. flatbfaction was demanded by the Austrian
Consul, but refused under some Mlles pretexts. Some Ikea*, i
who were beaked on the following day, agreed alarm =1
oat the whole of the European quarter, and every ooe
himself with arms for his defener=a step which the Carole,
under all the chemnstances, could not venture to remake.—
During the night of the 19th en affray took place between some
European *anon and the Turkish guard, in which two or three
were killed and wounded. In the state of irritation among the
guard which ensued, it was Miceli for the Authorities to restrain
them from a night attack on the quarter of the Franks; but, at
daybreak on the 20th, bands of murderers rushed into that part
of the city, and spread terror as they advanced.
" About forty Greeks, who were confined for different crimes
in the prisons of the city, were the first victims. The number
of the killed was the greater, as this unhappy day happened to
be that of one of their religious festivals, when these unfortunate
people bad repaired to their Churches, ignorant, for the meet
part, of what was passing. Very few of them regained their
houses. During the 20th and the 21st, the excesses continued,
and it is calculated that more than 300 persons lost their lives.
A conflagration was feared, but it did not take place.
"- For two days past there have been no murders. The Paths
has exiled fifty of the offenders, and cut off the head of a fellow
who bad introduced himself into the house of an Armenian, to
plunder it amidst the confusion. The criminal, however, was
also found to be an Armenian."

We stated in the STA* on Wednesday, that the
European Consuls at Smyrna had remonstrated to
the Pacha on the numerous assassinations of the
Franks; the consequence was, that the Pacha sum-
moned a meeting of the Consuls on the 20th of No-
vember, to deliberate on the mode of preventing
similar disturbances, when they sent him a new com-
munication, engaging that if the Turkish soldiers
quitted the quarter of the Franks, the latter should
no longer carry arms openly ; that no Frank vessel
should pass the Castle without a permission from the
Pacha, that all the coffee-houses of the Franks should
be closed, and all houses where billiards were
played. What was the result of this communication
is yet unknown.
An article from Odessa, dated December 5, states,
that in answer to a remonstrance to the Reis Effendi
by the English and Austrian Ambassadors, the for-
mer declared, the Porte could only consent to eva-
cuate Moldavia and Wallachia on the following con-
ditions, viz.
" That the Courts of France, England, and Austria would
guarantee that these Principalities, once evacuated, should neither
be occupied by the Russians nor the Hetarists.
" That the Greeks who had taken refuge in Russia should
be punished in the presence of, Turkish Commissioners, unless
Russia should give them up; and
" That the re-establishment of the Christian Clurches could
not take place until after the restoration of order, and the gene.
ral and voluntary disarming of all the Greeks."
When Count Lurzow, the Austrian Ambassador
expressed his surprise, and asked, whether the Porte
was desirous of peace or war ? the Reis Effendi de-,
dined replying, saying, that his powers were not ex-
tensive enough to allow him to enter into an expla-
nation on this point. " Besides," he added, " the
Sultan will act according to his own will, and ninety
millions of Mussulmen (perhaps he spoke after the
Turkish estimation, which includes the Persians and
those of Morocco), with a sword in one hand and the
Koran in the other, will know how to defend their
rights against Christianity."—The account adds, that
Lord STRANOPORD had been grossly insulted.
The French Papers bring intelligence from Madrid
so late as the 21st ult. The Cortes had, on the pre-
ceding day, presented an Address to the KING, in
which they declared the errors of the Administration
had lost it the confidence of a great number of Spa-
niards. The Address recites a long series of national
grievances, all tending to irritate the public mind
and to excite a spirit of discord. It next dwells on
the obvious necessity of providing " a vigorous Ad-
ministration, inspiring the utmost confidence in its wis-
dom, zeal, patriotism, and attachment to the public
liberties ;" and concludes by requesting his MAJESTY
" to take these measures which the situation of the
State so imperiously demands."
The KINO'S answer was very brief—" The subject
is a serious one, and I will consider of it,"

A private letter from Barcelona, dated December
19, gives an account of an =happy affair that had
occurred at Gerona, between a body of the malcon-
tents and a party of military, in which four of the
former were killed, and 17 made prisoners. Two of
these were instantly shot. and the remaining 15 are
said to be reserved for the same fate.

Dutch and Getman Mails arrived this forenoon,
but much of the intelligence they bring has been an-
ticipated by the French Papers An article from
Petersburgh, of the 11th December, is entirely silent
as to the question of war or peace, but it alludes to
an Ukase for regulating the affairs of Commerce in
the ports of the luxine and Sea of Aloff.
Letters received this morning from St. Petersburgh,
dated the 12th ult. state the Exchange at 91,6, being
a considerable improvement from the former prices.
A Neapolitan brigantine, on its way from Cyprus
to Leghorn, had been detained by a Greek pirate,
and plundered of property to the amount of 60,000
piastres. Accounts from Cyprus of the 24th October,
' state, that tranquillity is restored in the island. The
treasures of which the Greek churches had been plun-
dered, has, by an order of the Sultan, been restored.
It was supposed that the waters of the Archipelago
would remain in the power of the Greeks during the
winter. The Greeks had made great progress by
land on all sides, especially since the taking of Tri-
polizza. In Bceotia, they have been victorious in a
sanguinary action ; and in Epirus, Thessaly, and Ma-
cedonia, they have decidedly the advantage.
An article from Hamburgh; dated the 28th .ult.
1 states, that all secret societies, of whatever kind, have
been prohibited in Poland; nor is any Pole allowed
to be a member of a foreign secret society.
The Dutch Papers, which are to the 3d instant,
bring an account of the proceedings of the Legisla-
ture at the Hague. The Budget of the Ordinary Ex-
penses for the year 1222, was fixed at 56,875 ,05::
forms; the Extraordinary at 18,688,856 florins, be-
laides a Vote of Credit to the amount of one million.

ARMY:

•
An segmentation of Racers is gi4te to the 4th light pi*
goons, previous to embarkation for India.
The 16th Lancers are not ro go to India until inn. The detachment bf the oath Foot, at the isle of Man, is Mt
tiered to itelkni:
The .35d Regiment is it pieseM 6ti board transport* it Cole;
proceed in a few days ;6 replace the Sikh* at Jamaica.
.FHday se'nniglst, strong det4hments of the 20th, 47th, and
17th liniments, arrived at Mohan', from Albany Barracks,
Isle of Wight they will shortly embark for the But Tellies.
Thursday pennight, a quantity of arms and anuhuirition wtie
received at the Ordeal:We Depot at hiederiek, from Dublin,
escorted by a ditaciumut.eirte Nenagb Yeomanry Carps.
The detachment of the Web Regiment, which for some time
composed the garrisdn 01 Killwany, has marched for Gomel,
and was replaced by•tiresti ediqpinies at the *a Battalion of the
Me Brigade. under the liftman!" of Lieut.-Colonel KNOCESOI
Head-quarters are once mere established in that garrison.
The Hussar Ball at Chester toot plow on Tuesdarevening,
at the Royal Hurl, and was attended by upwards of 100 of the
trot Outcry of rant in that city and neighbourhood. The sup-
per table was hid out in the groat from rood, and furnished in
a supwier style. Every variety of the semen wee in abundance,
the dessert was rich and costly, and the wines were suspect.
After supper, which toot place about twelve o'clock, the mazy
dance eras resumed till an early hour in the niornlns; qua:lll4w
were ptiocipally caned for.