Star.
London, England, 1825-01-13 00:00:00

_

emigrants allow us five years. It is trot that the Ai,'
'`noses of Occupation evacuated nor territory as soon as
a guarantee for the payment of their demands was no'
longer necessary ; but this is an act of generosity which
the emigrants do not wish in imitate.
The Minister hopes that by paying the emigrants only
by fifths, he will preserve his influence over theM for
five years. 'Disposing at his pleasure of the Chaifiber
of Deputies; and providing, by the means of some no-
minations, for the same management of the Chamber of
Peers, nothing will be more easy for him than to sus-
pend the execution of the law he is about to pass. M.
de Vdlele has, besides, contrived to include in his law
project the great source of influence. He is to have
the power of decidingr—lst, whether charges or debts
have not been paid on account of the dispossessed emi-
grant ? 2<l, whether he was not chargeable with sums
arising from balances on the sale of his property ?
3d, whether he has not received some compensation ?
Now there is scarcely an emigrant who did not leave
debts behind him when he deserted France, and the
greater part of thine debts were paid by the Govern-
ment. It will, therefore, depend upon the mere will of
M. de Villele to charge or not to charge emigrants with
the sums which have been paid for them, and with those
for which they may be indebted to the Government. A
commission of liquidation is, indeed, to be established;
bet that commission will only examine such documents
as may be referred to it by the Finance Minister, and
will merely decide on the qualifications and rights of
- the claimants. without taking into consideration debts
which may be doe.
This indemnity is of itself one of the most important
events which have taken place sitree the restoration.
There are, however, connected with it, two circum-
stances which appear to be still more important-Ist,
The principle from which the Minister deduces the ne-
cessity of an indemnity ; .2d, The means of payment.
The Charter, in guaranteeing to the purchasers of
national estates the property they had acquired, seems
to have proscribed every intention of indemnity. An
indemnity, in fact, can only be paid by the purchasers
themselves, or by those who never purchased. Now
every individual is comprehended in one or the other of
those two classes: and if the former owe nothing, it is
not easy to perceive how anything can be due from
the second. '
It is, however, to the charter itself that the Ministers
refer for the obligation, which they say it imposes on
both purchasers and non-purchasers to indemnify the
emigrants for the losses which they sustained five and
thirty years ago. One of the latter articles of the
Charter is to this effect The public debt is gua-
ranteed. and every engagement made by the State pith
its creditors is inviolable." It was always understood
that this article referred solely to the even, due by the
State, and the debts contracted by the Government with
individuals. The Ministers, however, understand it
differently, and find in it a formal promise for indem-
nifying the emigrants. " The law which is presented,"
said the Minister, " is merely the accomplishment of
that solemn pledge."
According to this interpretation, it is evident that the
emigrants, after having obtained a first indemnity for
the property sold, may demand a second for the use of
that property, and a third for the feudal rights which
have been suppressed. The Clergy also, will not have
a less well-founded claim Jar the sale of church pro-
per ty, or the suppression of tithes. Consequently, it
has already been observed, that in granting an indem-
nity of ogre milliard to the emigrants, the law project
does not exclude any claim for a newlindemnity. lir
• fact, the law project leaves a dOor open, not only to the
claims of the Clergy on account of the sale of their pro-
perty, and the suppression of tithes, but to the emigrants
also, on account of the suppression of every kind of
seignorial privilege.
The Minister, who presented the project, explained
himself very distinctly with regard to the losses occa-
sinned by the depreciation and fall of the assignats, by
the maximum, by the bankruptcy of two-thirds of the
. mites, by the payments made in depreciated papers,
&c. He admitted-that in those respects no indemnity
could be claimed; but, as to the losses sustained by the
Catholic Clergy, as to the suppression of tithes and feu-
dal rights, he preserved a most circumspect silence. It
is said chat the Minister was afraid to reject claims which
the conscience of a pious King regarded as legitimate.
The Minister neglects no means, great or small, to
giin the favour of the Deputies. While we had only a
plebeian Clamber, there was given to each Deputy a
silver medal, worth about five or six francs, for the
purpose of making him known on his entering the
Chamber. This year, M. de Villelle has caused gold
medals to be struck, worth 320 or 330 francs each.
He has thus distributed about 1.50,000 francs among
his friendi, without offending • the delicacy of any of
them. The Session could not commence under a more
favourable presage.
It is not in consequence of the wish of the Minister
that the French army continues to occupy Spain, but
in virtue of Notes from the Russian and Prussian Go-
vernments. The Ultras themselves have given the de-
tails of this disgraceful negotiation, without any other
object than that of degrading a favourite, whose good
fortune they envy.

• The Second Chamber of the States-General of the
Netherlands, after four Sittings, employed in discussing the project
of law for some changes in the Tariff of Customs, have adopted it
by a majority of 75 to O.
It appears by letters from Batavia, of the 17th
of September, that the wants of the Dutch Govern-
ment have induced them to bring their coffee to mar-
ket, but which has brought extremely reduced prices,
having sold only for ten dollars the pecol, of a quality
which last year produced 27i• dollars the pecul.
The last-dispatches from Jamaica, dated the 14th of
November, have brought the most satisfactory intelli-
gence. The House of Assembly had met, and were
cordial in their approbation of the Governor's Speech.
We trust that there will not be anything to disturb the
harmony which at present exists in the three branches
of the Legislature. The Duke of MANCHESTER is
much beloved ; and in the conclusion of their Address
to his Grace, the House of Assembly expressed them-
selves in the following terms:—a We hope, by a dili-
tient attention to the public business, to insure n short
Session ; and from the long experience we have had of,
,our Grace's mild administration of the Government of
island, we rest assured you will, in every *ay con.
with your duty, meet our wishes and promote
welfare. We consider it, indeed, a most provir
blessing, that /cur Grace has continued the
an of our interests, through a period of much
and we sincerely prays that you may long con-
ear protector."

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