Star.
London, England, 1830-04-22 00:00:00

LETTER FROM PARIS.

Time flies rapidly, and our Ministry must at last resolve upon
taking some definite course. From the contradictory reports winch
prevail, it may be concluded that the question of the dissolution nr
re-assembling of the present Chamber is still in debate. With ro
majority In the electoral Colleges—with none in the prorogued
Chamber—still, to maintain himself Minister, is the problem which
M. de Polignac seems determined to resolve.
The replies of the prefects are nut satisfactory. The reckoning
bas been made, and the party is found to be weak,—weak in now-
here, and still more so in talents and influence. Every thing tends
to prove that the new elections will produce a more powerful oppo-
sition than the present. Does any one suppose that they can ha ir.-
fluenced, after the disappointment 31. de Villele experienced, in the
height of his power, armed with the censorship, and surrounded by
an admini►tration the more devoted to him because it shared the
general conviction, that the favour enjoyed by its head was
unchangeable? Monsieur de Villele had, besides, given proof of
capacity, and the persons in power were very far from wishing to
see him removed. But now a constitutional majority Itas become
the opposition. It acts powerfully upon France ; the press is tree.
energetic, and itnlefattgable, and the law of the 2d of July, 11128.
will scarcely allow fraud to be practised unperceived or unpunished.
in the production of the electoral lie a. The Ministry is without
credit or character; Its reputation for incapacity is universal, awl
its counter-revolutionary views are publicly exposed. It is in op.
position with almost every class of persona, and now at last with
the very journals which served for its echoes and organs. No one
reckons on its stability. It will perish by legal order ; its th ,i 1
will be inflicted by constitutional authority, and Al. de Villele
be found to be right in having considered his adversary Polignac's
recourse to election as the certain means of his destruction.

A new Chamber will give occasion to a new King's speech, and a
new address ; and to the confirmation of the powers of the 430 de-
puties. This will afford a glorious opportunity fur junking com-
plaints, disclosures, and accusations. By preserving the present
Chamber, all these embarrassing circunistmees would be avoided.
And what is to be gained by a new election ? On the most flatter-
ing view only a Chamber lake the present, but in all prohability a
Chamber much more hostile.
Our Ministers are in a narrow defile, with no exit open fur their
renege. They can neither advance, nor maintain their present
groand, and they do not choose to retire ! What must result from
such a state of things ? An inevitable crisis, and events of serious
character. It is stated that M. de Polgtias and his august blaster
ate inclined to recall the disgraced Chamber. The deputies of the
right, and especially of the right centre, are afraid of having a grew.
number of their friends left in the lurch by a dissolution. Ou the
other hand, it appears that the question is about to be complicated
by the state of our foreign affairs. The King of Spain, by abo-
lishing the Salic law in his kingdoms, has overturned the whole
work of Louis XIV. and that measure is, in fact, a bullet dirscied
against the House of Bourbon in France The expedition against
Algiers keeps the policy of the different Cabinets of Europe on the
watch, and suggests to many of them combinations conformable with
their respective interests.
This expedition, which the Ministers think necessary to conciliate
that popularity, the want of which they too late begin to feel, tends on
the contrary to sow discontent in the departments, which groan under
the weight of the imposts, without seeing any prospect of approach-
ing relief. Misery is at its height, especially in the southern pro-
vinces. The fall in the priced* wines and spirits has reduced to dis-
tress the landowners and wine proprietors. Our manufacturers work
at a loss ; the capitalists, from want of any thing better to do, crowd
about the Exchange, creasing the appearance of prosperity, which
has no real foundation. The expedition to Africa is prepared with
unheard-of extravagance. The money raised Is enormous, and all
the preparatory details attest an expense surpassing the most libels!
calculation.

The public functioned's are discouraged. The instructions
addressed to them, and w6ich seem to render them responsible
for the issue of the election., have placed them in the most painful
situation. The last changes which have been made in the superior
administration are universally censured. M. de Polignac washes
his hands of them, and throws the blame on his colleagues. The
Ministry cannot reckon on the devoted concurrence of those who are
placed under its direction, who now will not compromise themselves
for the sake of men whose fall they look upon as a law of necessity.
The dismissal of 11. de Lew Dicre, Prefect of the blayenne,
and of M. de Beaumont, Prefect of the Doubt, has disgusted even
the most devoted Royalists. It appears that they were both sacri-
ficed to the demands of the Congregation, which so successfully
turned to advantage the hatred inspired against t he honourable
members of the Defection,whidi is composed of members of the right
and of the centre-right, who joined the left against the administra-
tion of Al. de Villele, when they thought he was hurrying the too.
narchy on to new dangers. M. de Beaumont had to struggle against
the Archbishop of Besancon, M. de Bohan, a fanatical and ambi-
tious young prelate, but that able officer and faithful servant of the
House of Bourbon was sacrificed to the intrigues of the priesthood.
You will allow that this is a singular method of attaching to the
Ministry the functionaries of the State, and of giving them cha-
racter and authority.
But the acts of our present saviours of the monarchy are as fatrti
as their inaction. They cannot advance a step without stumbling,
write the most simple statement without compromising themselves
even with their own pensioners, or act without committing some
piece of awkwardness. The review which took place before the
King last Thursday, in the Champ de Man, was magnificent.---
Every species of military pomp was put in requisition on the ores.
shun. The troops were in superb condition, and WWI clothed. The
spectators were very numerous : but an expressive silence prevailed
in place of the acclamations which generally burst Ruth at the pre-
sence of the Monarch and his family.
Prince Leopold has been very well received at court, and by our
princes; but his presence creates little sensation among the public,
which, however, does hint justice and ado owledges his good quali.
tin. He owes his elevation so Polignac 'e poKey,—a policy which
Francs will never adopt as hers. It is not beyond my purpose to re-
mark what strange anomalies are produced by the influence of an odious
party. and the ambitious calculation tithe priests. One would have
thought, that on the return of the emelt at di nasty, men belonging to
illustrious families, contem eous with its elevation and increase of
power, would have ass at the head at affairs. People were pleased
to think that the Hoventment, joining the tali ms which appeared dur-
ing our civil troubles, with the splendour of names &Reedy historical,
would have surrounded itself with the most honourable and most
able characters. Such, however, is rot the case. Is a Keeper of
the Seals wanted P He is not sought for among the descendants of
our great magistrates,—among the children of the Moles, of the La-
moignons, or of the Seguiers, or of the d'Aguesseaus. Neither is it
Rum the wise framers of our codes that the heed of the judicial
order is chosen. It is not to the great talents of our bar that are
decreed the honour of the simar ; but orders are sent to lierdeaux
to hunt for a bullying advocate, without character, and whose his-
tory is already too full of scandalous exploits. Soon will moil. than
one magistrate sitting upon the Fleuis-de-Lis have to fold his rob:.
round his head to conceal the blush of indignation which will
flush his countenance on hearing the unexpected name of their
chief.

Our worthies of the ancient regime revive again in their chil-
dren. For the last 25 years the greatest generals have been formed
in the school of war and victory. Clever officers have signalised
themselves by suceesses which have reflected upon them a part of
the glory of our arms. Where is a Minister of War or a Gtueral-
in.Chief now sought for ? Read thg tolls of the ancient army, %loch
perished at Waterloo, and then ser whether the national honour
ought not to consider itself inanity+ We live in a time when mer.
of the greatest talents render back to science and to letter% that
splendour which they have first received from them. But if adircetor
of public instruction is wanted, debut suppose that he will be
chosen from those illustrious prisons. All at once a champion
of absolutism will strut out from his obscurity at the hat, and
his claim will be stronger than all others. The Administratioi