Star.
London, England, 1825-09-09 00:00:00

.
i!* 4etitt 'w7ir
-,'
i p ' . • • '''' • • ' ~ej 24 • " •Is
-•- --.1;;;`;ft: .7-
. 01 •tr 1 4 ,
• . 1 / :
,
I .
it.
• i i vhilud° •.. i
,-.,:5..,,,.,-,r,7;2../
4
~ „.. .
. -•
...011s:10; .Y
,
. *. •
( • s'
•
.. likr- 7... if, . . . Oa, ij? 0.
E. rto4)
4 \ ~..N ti
faIL 4 91),AACdr
. •
...........„.„_.

PRICE SEVEN PENCE.

is chevist; so great a customer appearing thee; re•
quiring, as he does, such large supplies, must relic. e
the market, and thus where the market most wants re-
lieving, where articles are a drug, or low priced, the
purchases of the distiller Will extend the required aid.
The duties are still to he levied on the wash, not on the
spirits; a change on this point has been urgently
pressed on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, by those
most conversant with the subject ; and as he has siaJe
so good a beginning for the distillers and the country
generally, should the policy of the required alteration
in the mode of collecting the duties be proved to Mr.
Robinson, doubtlessly no long time will elapse before it
he recommended to Parliament. It ii satisfactory to
observe, that the Government has bowed to the pro-
.gress of science in these matters; heretofore Exchequer
Chancellors seemed to think that _science on such sub-
jects, instead of improving the article, or aiding the
community, could only be exerted to cheat the Revenue.
That notion is exploded.

TRIAL FOX MURDER IN FRANCE.
willefrisensenthe red *et we motioned some
months ago the assassination of M. Paul Louis Couriir.
who was shot in a wood near his own country seat.
His murder excited a great sensation, as the commis-
sion of the deed was at first ascribed to political ma.
tires. M. Courier had been long an opponent of the
Government, and a formidable enemy of the Ultras and
the fanatics. His satirical writings appeared from
time to time, as subjects for ridicule occurred. They
twice exposed their author to prosecution and imprison-
ment, but his temper could not be subdued, nor his
pen restrained. Latterly they appeared without any
printer's name, or purported to come from the press of
Brussels, but were known to be printed 'under his own
eye, avid circulated through the medium of his friends
aid admirers. They always bore the signature of P.
L. Courier ; but when questioned about this publica-
tion, he affected to be as angry as the Judge of In-
struction at the scandalous usurpation of his name, and
exposure of his character, which their appearance im-
plied.- Latterly his productions only circulated among
those who shared his opinions, or enjoyed his wit, and
could not be obtained from booksellers. No public*•
lion, therefore, could be proved, nor any evidence of
his authorship adduced against him. His papers. were
always of a playful and humorous character, written is
a quaint ironical style, and pointed with surprising effect
against arbitrary power and hypocritical cant. The
Jesuits, the old Noblesse, and the Bourbon Dynasty,
were the constant themes f his attack. It is remark-
able that a man who thus appeared to devote his life to
writing of political squibs, and to court popularity by
exposing himself to persecution, should have been both
one of the best officers in the French service, and the
second, it not the first, Helenist of. his country. 'leder
Bonaparte he attained the rank of Captain of Engi-
neers, and might have expected rapid promotion had
he continued in the army under the Bourbons. - But
his political principles would not allow him( to aetain
his commission. Even under Napoleon he shewed hi,
independence of mini, and dared to laugh at what he
thought the toil.es of the Cou.t. When the French
Gentry began to resume the deposed de, which masked
them to be pe.)ple of family, M. Courier was asked how
be would inti ()duce the honorary particle into his name?
To this he replied, that he did not think of changing
his title, but if he did, be coad think of nothing bets r
than P. L. Courier des Malles. Known to be thus of
what are called Jacobin principles, and host le to the
ruling party in France; his death was at first ascribed
to the effect of fanatical zeal.
The trial of the assassin came on at the Court of As-
sizes of Tours on the 81st ult. The fullowing is an
outline of the proceeding. of the first day:
At eleven o'clock the proceedings began. The ac-
cused was introduced. His demeanour was calm, and
his face evinced great simplicity. He answered the
questions put to him, that his name was Louis Frimont.
that he was thirty-nine years of age, and that he had
been gardener and forest-k.eper to M. Courier. The
act of indictment was then read, by which* appeared
that M. Courier lift his house at eleven o'clock on the
morning of the 17th of April, and that not having re-
turned in the evening, his long abseqse excited alarm.
Search having been made oil the following day, his
body was found pierced with three leaden slugs, which
had been fired at him. The prisoner was suspected,
and arrested.. He could give no account of what he
was doing, or where he was theday of the murder.
A leaden pipe was touted, of which a part had been
cut off. The lead found in the body of M. Courier
exactly weighed what tire pipe had lost. • Part of a
journal had been used as wadding, which:had likewise
entered the body of the deceased, and th:s journal was
missing from the roam of Fiimont, where the preceding
and following numbers were found. The defence which
the accused made to these circumstances of charge was
contradictory.
The examination of the witnesses for the prosecution then
commenced.
Sieur Moreau, garde-champetre, stated that M.
Courier intended to sell part of his property, and that
he had told the witness that he would appoint him
woodkeeper, as Frimont was to leave his place in the
month of April. On the 18th Moreau went to seek
for M. Courier. He found the body on the edge of
the wood, and cried out—" Ah I here is our master."
When Frimont came up, Moreau said to him, "Louis,
yourenaster is no more." Frimont looked at the body,
and replied " It is true." He shewed apathy, and was in
no way moved.
Madame Courier, the widow, was called.—She de.
posed that she was 22 years of age. Her voice was at
first feeb'e, but she gradually recovered from her agi-
tation. She was from home at the time of the murder,
and returned two days after. She immediately sus-
pected Frimont, though she bad before placed match
confidence in him. Frinsont, instead of coming to her
as •he had used to do, avoided seeing her. M.
Courier had long been dissatisfied with Fflllllollol COW.
duct, and wished to dismiss him. The prisoner had
been kept in his place solely through the ieterference of
the witness in his favour. He often got drunk, was ex-
tremely violent, and his master at last determined to
dismiss him. Frimont was aware of M. Courier's in.
.•