Star.
London, England, 1830-08-10 00:00:00

OLD AND NEW CHARTER.

Paris, 7th August, 1830.
Last night I attended the Chamber of Deputies, to hear the pro-
positions which were to be made by the Representatives of the
French people to France—to her future Monarch—and to the
world. It was a fine spectacle. I was carried back to the former
Revolution ; and as the youth without cheered or shouted, according
as they were pleased or vexed at the reports of what was passing
within, I could not help reviewing the history of those times when
liberty filet commenced her triumphs, although her banner was af-
terwards stained with blood. But I must not dwell on the past.
The Charter, of which I now send you a translation, was the work
of L'Abbe de Montesquieu. He was assisted by three or four other
individuals, but it was principally his work. This Charter was
given by .ouis X VIII. to France. The order of things is now
about to be reversed, and France is going to give a Charter to her-
self and her future Monarch. With this translation in your hand
you will be able to appreciate the errors and the excellencies of the
old Charter, and the superiority or inferiority of the new one. The
principle of Charter is to be retained—say King, Peers, and De-
puties ; but the King is to be elected by the People ; the Peers
created by Charles X. are to be destituted of their rank; and the
Chamber of Deputies is to be deprived of its aristocratical character.
In plain fact, we shall have a Republican Government, but with a
Monarchical name.

Let me now point out to you as briefly as possible the alterations
which it is proposed to make in the Charts, and the nature of the
new laws which are to accompany these alterations.
The Charts of Louis XVIII. has a long Preamble. Read it
attentively. Nearly the whole of it will be suppressed. France
will declare that the Throne is vacant, that France wants a Char-
ter. and that the Constitution shall consist of the articles there-
after adopted.
The first fire articles of the Charter are to remain unaltered.

The sixth, which established a National or State Religion, is to
be suppressed ! Let Mr. Hume take outage Let the moderate
Reformers and Dissenters persevere ! Let them remember that we
have thousands of priests who exercise the most fearful influence
over the consciences of men ; and yet they are all deprived of state
pay, and the nation is relieved from Religious Taxation ! What
will be the effect of this? 1 will tell you : people will go to church
who never went before. The curates and priests who are humble,
active, and useful, will be well paid by the voluntary offerings of
those who attend the churches ; the insolent bishops and archbi-
shops will be compelled to follow the humble example of the poorer
clergy ; and in less than one year there will be not only more of
practical religion, but even more of going to church, than has been
known in this country for 30 years.
The 14th Article of the Charter, under which the Ex-Ministers
made this wicked Report, and by a false construction of which
Charles X. inirgined he had a right to overturn the Charter, is to be
thus altered—

" The King is the Supreme Head of the State; he is to command
the land and sea forces, declare War, make Treaties of Peace, All.
:ince, and Commerce ; appoint to all the Offices of Public Adminis-
tration, and make all the regulations and Ordonnances necessary for
the execution of the laws—the whole under the responsibility of his
NI misters."

Only observe the difference. By the old Charter Charles the
Tenth claimed the right of making laws by Ordonnances—but by
the new Charter, Ordonnances arc only to be made to carry ex.
isting laws into operation.
Articles 16 and 17.—8 y the old Charter the King only could
propose laws, and when he proposed them, then they were to be
discussed by the Deputies and Peen; but neither Chambers had
the right, as in England, to prepare laws. By the New Charter
this will be altered, and the Peers and Deputies of France will have'!
the same right as those of Great Britain.
Article :±6 of the Old Charter declares that the Chamber of Peers
must not hold any sitting except during the session of the deputies.
The New Charter will confirm this, except that it will declare
that the Chatr.bcr of Peers may assemble as a Court of Justice,and
may exercise judicial functions.
Article 28 of the Old Charter declares that Peers must not speak
in the Chamber until they are 30 years of age, though they may
take their places at 25. The new Charter will alter this to 25 years.
This alteration has long been desired by all the true Peerage of
France. It is monstrous that a man should sit five years in the
Chamber of Peers without speaking. Such regulations proved the
necessity for a revision of the Charter.
And here let me ask you whether, for months and months past, I
have not told you that the Charter must be revised, and would be
revised ? Some sneering coxcombs thought that I was in error—
that I was an enthusiast, or a Revolutionist. They ate their three.
course dinner and drank their Bordeaux as usual at the Café An.
glals, or Very's ; and, as they never read any Journal but Golly.
near. Messenger, or that miserable dpar, The London Boma,
and took care never to mix in any ty but that of the E4ilish,
they ventured to pronounce me in error. and to declare that France
was tranquil, happy, and farther removed from a revolution than
ever. But I told you, in spite of these men, that the Charter must
h revised, and today behold the revision !

The 30th Article of the Old Charter prevents the Princes of the
Blood from having a deliberate voice in the Chamber of Peers until
they are 341 years of age. This absurd limitation is to be suppressed.
The 31st Article which rendered it illegal for the Princes to
sit in the Chamber, except by command of the King, is to be sup-
pressed.
The 32d Article of the Old Charter declared that the deliberations
of the Chamber of Peers should be secret. This secrecy is now to
be abolished, and aristocracy is to lose a portion of its dignity !!
The 36th Article of the Old Charter is to be suppressed.
The 37th Article, which rendered a renewal of a fifth of the
Chamber necessary every year, is to be suppressed, and the De.
puties are to be elected for five years.
The 38th Article of the Old Charter was absurd and injurious.
By virtue of it no man could be elected Deputy until he had at.
tained the age of forty years, and paid direct taxes to the amount of
one thousand francs. I do not find fault with the one thousand
francs' qualification, but what could be so ridiculous as to assess
intellect by age, and declare that a man was not qualified to be a
Deputy until he had lost the vigour of youth, and until the warmth
of his young soul had been chilled by the cares and sorrows of life ?
This clause is now to be repealed. The qualification will remain,
but a Deputy need not in future be a dotard before be can become a
legislator. Twenty-five years of age Is to be the minimum. They
might as well also, I think, fix a maximum, and declare that no
man after 75 should be eligible.
Article 39 is to be suppressed.
Article 40 in the old Charter renders it necessary that an elector
should be thirty years of age. This is also to be changed, and
limited to twenty-five years. The question of qualification of elec.
tors is to be decided by law.
Article 41 in the Old Charter gave to the King the right of naming
the Presidents of the Electoral Colleges. This is now to be altered,
and the Presidents are to be named by the electors. The old sys.
tern was scandalous. The King exercised an unjust and tyrannical
controul over electors, and in many Departments the elections were
of late illegal, through the illegal conduct of the Royalist Presidents.
There will be no more of this.
Article 43. The Old Charter gave to the King the right of naming
a President of the Chamber of Deputies out of a list of five presented
to him by the Chamber. Bat in future, the "Republican King"
of France is to have no such power. The President of the Chamber
of Deputies is to be elected by the Chamber, and for the whole du-
ration of the Legislature.
Articles 46 and 47 to be suppressed. This is a great triumph.
Read the articles, and rejoice at the changes.
Article 56 to be suppressed. It limited the offences for which
Ministers might be impeached to treason and peculation. Hence-
forth they are to be liable to impeachment for all sorts of crimes.
Article 63 allowed the establishment of Proms' Courts, but by the
new Charter these horrible engines of cruelty in the hands of bad
iilinisters and bad Kings, are to be suppressed.
Article 74 declared that at the time of Coronation, the Kin/
should swear fidelity to the Charter; but by the new Charter be
to take the oath on accession as in England.
Thus far for the old and new Charter. The proposed alterations
were yesterday referred tort Commission. M. Dupin, sine, was tits
Chairman or Reporter, and last night be made his report. That
report was ordered to be printed, and at the moment I am wilting
the clauses are being discussed. In the Chamber of Deputies all
the alterations:will be adopted. But what will be the conduct of
the Chamber of Peers ?
The Chamber of Deputies, in addition to these alterations in the
Charter, propose to pass various laws-
1. For the extension of the trial by Jury to misdemeanours, and
particularly to those of the Press.
2. For the responsibility of Ministers, and the secondary agents
of Government.
3. For the re-election of Deputies appointed to public func-
tions, as in England.
4. For the annual voting of the Army Estimates.
5. For the organisation of the National Guards, and for their
electing their own officers.
6. For a Military Code, insuring, in a legal manner, the situ-
ation of officers of all ranks. No more destitutions, and sending
brave men, en refraite at a moment's notice !
7. Departmental and Municipal Laws by which the citizens
will have the right of electing their own Mayors, Prefects, &c.
8. For Public Instruction, and freedom of Instruction. You
may now send us Mr. Brougham's Schoolmaster; and Owen,
Lancaster, and Bell may, by themselves, or their followers, in.
struct France, and render her population as enlightened as it Is
noble and brave.

9. For the abolition of the double vote, and for fixing the
qualification of Electors and Deputies.
10. For annulling all the creations of Peers during the reign of
Charles X. This is a questionable measure and may excite the
rebellion of the peers. But if the peers rebel we shall have a se-
nate within 24 hours.
When this New Charter shall have been approved, and when
these terms and conditions shall have been acceded to, it is pro-
posed to ofer the Crown of France, subject•to this Charts and these
conditions, to his Royal Highness Louis Philip Orleans, Lieut.-
General of the kingdom, and his descendants for ever, from male
to male in order of primogeniture, to the perpetual exclusion of
females and their descendants. He is to be called " King of the
French ;" and not King of France. You understand this distinc-
tion. France is to belong to herself, and not to be henceforward the
property of a man. The Crown of France is to belong to the
King—the Constitutional King—who is to be now elected by the
French nation. What do you say now to the triumph of republic-
anism ? "rig a sad pity that Washington is dead !