Star.
London, England, 1830-08-26 00:00:00

PARIS PARTICULARS.

CHAMBER OF DErtrems.—The shape of the Chamber is semi-
circular. The Chair of the President is in the centre of the chord.
The tribune from which the speakers address the assembly is below it.
Beneath this, upon the floor, are the huissiers, officers answering to the
Messengers of our House of Commons. The Ministers sit upon a
bench, forming an arc of a small circle, and behind these are the body
Deputies, seated upon benches, which are arcs of concentric circles, the
whole being divided into four equal parts by passages radiating from
the President's Chair The passage, which bisects these circles, 'narks
the division of the Chamber into right and left. Before the Revolution
the supporters of Government sat upon the right, the Opposition upon
the left ; again, the degree of support or opposition was marked by their
sitting at one or the other side of the passage by which their sections
were divided. The advocates for the right divine of Rings, such as
Raves, Conny, Berryer, and so forth, were upon the extreme
right. The more rational Mends of the exiled family, such as
Martignac, Hyde de Neuville, and Royer Collard, upon the por-
tion near the centre, called the centre droit ; the advocates
fur the preservation of good order and the maintenance of the
Constitutional rights guaranteed to the people by the Char.
ter, such as Lafitte and Casimir Perrier, ant on the centre
gauche ; divided from the moderate Royalists by the one passage, and
from the old Republican and Buonapartists and Ultra-Liberals, such as
Benjamin Constant, Sebastiani, and Salviarte, who sat on the extreme
left, by the other passage. All this, however, must have been altered
with the change of Government. The leaders of the more gauche sit
upon the Ministerial Benches. The cadre droil forms the only oppo.
sition that dare raise its head. The extreme left supports Government.
The extreme right is deserted.

COURTS or JUSTICE IX FRANCE.—At present the Courts of Jus-
tice in France may be described under the folowing heads :—Tribunaux
de Premiere Instance, answering to our police offices, but infinitively
better conducted : Tribunaux de Commerce Officialites (Ecclesiastical
Courts,) Court Royales, the Cour dee Comptes, and the Cour de Cat.l
sation. The Judges in the Tribunaur tie Commerce are appointed by
the merchants. The nominations, however. are subject to the approba-
tion of the King. The Cour Royale of Paris is divided into six de-
partments—three for hearing civil business--one for preparing indict-
ments—one for pronouncing upon appeals--and, lastly, a Cour d'As-
sizes (a Court of Assize.) spin subdivided into two Chambers to fa-
cilitate the dispatch of business. This Court (La Cour Royale) con-
sists of a President-in-Chief. five Presidents, and fifty Counsellors, to.
gether with an Attorney-General, who has got a host of assistants, or. as
we in this country call them, ' devils !' such as 'Treasury devil,' and so
forth. The Cour des Comptes has jurisdiction over all matters touching
the public revenues, and the revenues of the various hospitals and
other charitable institutions. The Cour de Caseation, as its name
indicates, is a Supreme Court, and one of unlimited jurisdiction : it
can take cognizance of decrees delivered in all the Courts throughout the
kingdom, and quash or affirm them as it may see fit, without any ul-
terior appeal. 'File Minister of Justice, for the time being, can assume
the Presidency of this Court by virtue of his office ; and when he is
in the Chair the Court has power to summon the Judges of the inferior
Courts before it, and, if it thinks proper, forbid them for a time to ex-
ercise their functions. This Court consists of a Chief President, three
Presidents, and forty-eight Counsellors, all appointed by the King, and
for life. It is divided into the Section des Requites, the Section de
Cassation Civile, and the Section de Cessation Criminelle the nature
of whose several duties is sufficiently explained by their titles. There
is another circumstance connected with the Cour de Caseation worthy of
remark ; it is, that the Court is bound to send a deputation annually to
the King, for the purpose of making a report on the state of the law,'
and indicating such alterations and improvements as their judicial ex-
perience during the last year may have suggested. This is a practice
which it appears to us might be introduced with great advantage into
this country.
THE Louvar —The Louvre is the most ancient of the French
King's Palaces: we read that it was used by Dagobert as a hunting
station, in the seventh minty, and that it was a favourite place of re.
sort to the sluggard Kings (Les Rois Fain‘ans) his successors. Its
name does not again occur in history until the reign of Phillip Augustus,
who fortified it, and added several towers, one of which, la grosse tour
du Louvre (the great tower of the Louvre), is famous as a state prison,
and as the place in which the crown vassals were bound to do homage
for their lands to the King as Zuzerain. Charles V. enclosed it within
the walls of Paris, and farther enlarged and improved it at an enormous
expense, considering his scanty revenues. In those days it was devoted
to the use of Foreign Princes, visitors at Paris. Charles IX. was the
first of the French Kings who inhabited it. On the memorable festival
of St. Bartholomew, it was surrounded by heaps of the slaughtered
Protestants. Henry 111. also resided there : he was obliged to fly from
it for his life, the preachers under the influence of the Guises having ex-
cited the mob to go and take brother Henry, of Valois, in his Louvre.
Henry IV. was likewise an inhabitant of this palace; he was mur.
dered on his way from it to the arsenal. Louis XIII. atid for a
short period, Louis XV. held their Court and residence here; all
these monarchs, except the last-mentioned, added to the buildings.—
The magnificent gallery extending along the Seine, and the principal
façade, were completed in the reign of Louis XIV. under the
auspices of Colbert, arid after the design of Claude Perrault, a physi-
cian. Voltaire observes—" The façade of the Louvre, designed by
Perrault, is one of the most august monuments of architecture in the
world. We sometimes go a great way in search of what we have at
home. There is not one of the palaces of Rome whose entrance is com-
parable to that of the Louvre." Under the reign of Napoleon much
was done towards the entire completion of this palace, and something
has been since done by the Bourbons. It, however, is still unfinished ;
windows are wanting in several places, and in the interior many apart.
ments are yet in an unfinished state. King Philip, it is said, proposes
to complete it. Napoleon had the principal entrance adorned with a
bas-relief representing Minerva on the one side, and History on the other
side of his bust. History was writing on the pedestal, Napoleon le
Grand, a achere le Loorre. After the Restoration the Emperor was
made to descend from his high place, and Louis XIV. was elevated
in his stead. The inscription was erased, and Ludovieu Magno sub-
stituted.— &server.

LAFITTE.—James Lafitte, Member of the Legion of Honour. Vice.
President of the Chamber of Deputies, and Minister of State to Louis
Philippe I. has long been known as the first banker in Paris, and a dis.
tinguiehed Member of the Chamber of Deputies, and friend of freedom.
He was born at Bayonne in 1768, from whence he removed to Paris, and
joined the bankialphouse of Perigeaux, of which he became the head in
1805. His character for talent and integrity stood so high, that in 181$)
he was appointed by the Government Deputy Governor of the Bank of
France, and was also raised to the Presidency of the Board of Trade ;
in 1813 he was appointed one of the Judges of the Tribunal of Corn.
merce ; in 1814, he was appointed Governor of the Bank of France,
and gave a noble proof of disinterestedness, by refusing its emolu-
ments. His firm support of liberty incurred the displeasure of the
Ministry, and in 1819 they appointed the Duke of Gaeta to the
Directorship of the Bank of France—an appointment which pro.
duced so much confusion in the affairs of the Bank, that
the proprietory, by an unanimous vote, recalled Lafitte to the ma-
nagement, under the title of "Regent." His character for integrity
was never exceeded. The following facts are striking illustrations of
the confidence reposed in him:—Before Louis XVIII. quitted the
Tuileries, in 1815, he sent for Lafitte, and made over to him in trust the
whole of his private property. Three months after this =offence,
Buonaparte honoured him with the same unlimited confidence, em-
barked for St. Helena, and, at his death, left Lafitte sole executor and
administrator of the handsome fortune he had accumulated. To the
honour of all parties we arc bound to add, that Napoleon showed as
scrupulous a determination to respect Louis's property, during the
eventful period of the Ilundred Days, as Louis afterwards evinced to
assist in giving effect to his opponent's last will, in opposition to the
base and resentful remonstrances of Napoleon's enemies.:;Lafitte is also
distinguished for his active benevolence, and desert in distress can al-
ways rely on his assistance. Ws conduct in the Chamber of Deputies,
of which he has been a Member during the last fourteen years for the
department of the Seine, has been alike distinguished for firmness and
moderation, and has secured him universal es'eem. ttis conduct during
:he crisis of the recent Revolution, must, if possible, exalt hint still
higher in public estimation. When he saw the danger with which
lilsetty was threatened, he did not hesitate, as was the case too generally
with men of fortune end station, but nobly periled his fortune and his
life in resistance to the tyrant. Louis Philippe I. has proved at once
his good feeling and good judgment, by calling Witte to his Councils.
—Atheneum.

THE TURF.

ASCOT HEATIL-SECOND MEETING.

The absence of their Majesties contributed vesterdav tn the general
gloom, the only consolation that presented itself being the c..trtaintt that
the third day would amply compensate for the meagreness of the second.
The complaints of the proprietors of the gambling and smiling booths,
were loud and well-founded—it is quite impossible that they could have
cleared the expenses of the day, and say nothing of the heavy expenses
of fitting up their booths. ground charges, &c. It is now pretty clearly
ascertained, that the Second Mteting cannot succeed ; independent of
the considerations stated yesterday, another objection presents it-
self, in the absence, at this season, of Noblemen and Gentlemen,
who are or, shooting &condom In the North, of making prepara-
tions for the campaign against the unfortunate partridges. His
Majesty has expressed himself highly phased with the sticecss of his
hems on Tuesday, and has sent a very liberal donation to the R4ham
Itac Fund ; his Majesty has alto directed that his horses shall run
there. It is not known whcthet their Majesties will tetend the races on
Runnymede next week—in the event of this being the case, Mr. J
Roulding has prepared a neat and compact portable stand for their ac-
commodation. Great sport Is expected at this meeting ; a new stand
for the betting men will be erected on the opposite side to that on
which it has hitherto stood, and several important alteratior.t, and int.
provements have been effected in the course, which now very much re
sembles the Goodwood Race-course. Besides his 3sajesty's, time will
be several crack Newmarket nags.
We left the Heath at half-past two o'clock, when it was generally
understood that their Majesties, and the other members of the Royal
family who were present on Tuesday, would again visit it tins day. It
was also stated, on pretty good authority, that the feeble support
afforded to this meeting, will prevent its repetition.
The day's race came off thus :
A Plate of 391. for all ages. 3 yes. 76t. 41b. 4 yrs. list. 7lb 5 yrs 9st.
Ilb, 6 yrs. and aged, Oat. 51b. Mares allowed 31b. winners extra.
Mile and half.
Lord Jersey's Glenartney, 6 yrs. ftst.Blb.
Lord Uxbridge's Rough Robin, b yrs. 9st. 41b
3 to 1 on Glenartney—Rough Robin made play at a moderate pace,
Glenartney keeping behind with waiting orders, he did net make any
running till close home, when he gave Robin the go-bye, and won cle-
verly by a length ; rode by Robinson—the loser by Boyce.
If we have nothing to say of yesterday's races, we can hold out large
promises for to-morrow ; the 1001. and 501 plates are well filled, as may
be collected from the subjoined list of the entries; in addition to which
there will he a ladies' Plate of 3,01. and probably another race. The
following are the nominations for the