Star.
London, England, 1830-05-26 00:00:00

FRENCH PAPERS.

Yesterday we received the Gazette de France, dated
Monday, and the other Paris journals of Sunday. Their
contents consist almost exclusively of comments on the
new appointments, and speculations on further changes
in the composition of the Ministry. The following are
extracts :

" The whole attention of the Ministry is now directed towards
the fall of the funds, which is the more alarming, as it has been
progressive, and not sudden, as in a panic.
" This fall of the funds is a source of great anxiety for the cour-
tiers, because, first of all, since the indemnity of the emigrants, the
greatest part of them have beconie speculators, and prefer al
then the rise of a franc to the triumph of a good doctrine • anu also
because certain people of the Tuillelles have preserved the English
custom of judging all according to the thermometer of the public
funds ; so that they appreciate the credit of the Ministers by the
prices of the Exchange.
" The great object is therefore to stop the fall of the funds, and
money will now save France.
" It is certain, that all the bankers, and especially the one who
has the moat frequent relations with Government, express them.
selves very openly on the uncertainty of the public credit.
" We cannot answer for any thing,' say they,' on the very first
violent measure, and the men you choose are calculated to depre-
elate our funds, without it being in our power to determine when the
fall will atop. A fall of ten francs must be the inevitable conse-
quence of any extra legal measure, and a fall of ten francs would
ruin all the bankers of Europe.'
" These observations have been for the Ministers a matter of
serious reflection. An assembly of the syndicate of the Receivers.
General is spoken of, in order to prevent the fall of the funds byl
some extraordinary measures.
" The Government is determined to stop the fall at any rate
whatsoever; but we shall repeat again, that though It has nume-
roue means of preventing a fictitious crisis, it can do nothing
against a fall that is founded on reason, and grounded on the situa-
don of affairs and on public opinion.
" The nomination of M. de Peyronnet caused a fall of if. 20c. ;
that of M. Dudon to the Privy Council, 80 centimes. What will
it be when his nomination to the Ministry of the Finances shall be
confirmed.

" The changes which have already taken place in the ministry,
make those that follow very probable, and which arc spoken of in
certain quarters as a measure which la to be signed in ti :c council of
to.morrow :

" M. de Montbel to be replaced by M. Dudon, at the Finances ;
Count Coutard to take the place of Al. de Boorman'; M. Ferdi-
nand de Bertbier' of AI. de Chabrol ; 111. Berryer to be named Di-
rector-Oeneral of the Forests ; and 111. de Vltrolles, Director-Gene.
ral of the Cora) ibtaioowindirecies, in the place of /11. Bacot de
Romans.

" General Donnadieu arrived in Paris yesterday. It is said that
he had come to ask for the portfolio of the War department, and that
his rivals were the Generals Canuel and Despinois, without reck-
oning General Coutard, who seems to have obtained the preference.
On the other hand, a general direction of the Lottery is spoken of in
favour of M. de Bourrienne. These rumours are not altogether
improbable, and if they are realized, we shall have an administra-
tion the most homogeneous that could be established, at least ac-
cording to one sense of the word.
"we do not think it quite unlikely that some new conspiracy
has been invented, in order to divert the public attention, together
with the expedition against Algiers, from the ministerial changes
and the electoral operations. It is asserted that the military police
has denounced to the Minister of the Interior a carrier, who was
going from Chenerieres to Lyons with a considerable quantity of
tri-coloured cockades, packed up in bandboxes. Al. de Peyton-
net begins very fortunately.—Courrier Francois.
" The Conatihelimemel of this morning has the following :
Al. Dudon is as yet only a minister of State, but ere long he will
be in the enjoyment of a portfolio. Besides, it is certain that hi.
de Alontbel has accepted the Finance only to remove an obstacle to
combinations formed without his concurrence, and in obedience to
the command of an exalted personage. It is confidently believed
that M. de Alontbel has firmly resolved to retire, and wait the re-
turn of AI. de Villele to power.'
"The Minister of the Interior has just addressed the following
circular to the Prefects of the departments :
" Paris, May 20.
"Sir,—The King has deigned to intrust to me the direction of
the department of the interior. lam aware of the difficulties of
this important branch of the administration, but the experience of
the magistrates who belong to it affords me ground to hope that I
shah overcome them. I only require of them the execution of the
laws in a prompt, punctual, full, and loyal manner; eves to do
what the law commands; to do seasonably what it permits;
never to do what it forbids; this, in my opinion, is the duty of a
wise and able magistrate. Another duty falls to my lot: it will be
incumbent upon me to second them as they will have seconded me,
and to see that due and full justice be rendered to their loyalty and
seal. This will be my unremitting aim; and I flatter myself that
none of them will question my being faithful to this promise.
" ' Believe me, Sir, &c.
" ' The Minister Secretary of State for the Department of
the Interior,
" DE PEYBONNET.'
" The Morita" of this morning contradicts a report of the Pre.
sident of the Electoral Colleges being appointed. It adds, that fa-
bricated circular letters have been sent to several respectable indivi-
duals, announcing their appointment—a mane uvre intended to
deceive the public, by ascribing to the administration acts which
do not proceed from it.
" The following is from the National of this morning The
ministers of the great courts, resident at Paris, are engaged in pre-
paring protocols to determine the bases of future arrangements, in
anticipation of the success of the expedition against Africa. The
impulse seems to have been given by the arrival at Paris of Count
Mastuchewita, who is on his way to London in the character of
Russian Charg4 d'Affsirea. This diplomatist was the hearer of the
instructions of the cabinet of St. Petersburgh to Count Pomo di
Borgo as to its sentiments on this enterprise, which not only meets
with its approbation, but will bare its support in the negotiations
that are to ensue. On the arrival of Count Alastuchewits, all the
Ministers of the great Powers met in confidence at the Russian Am.
bassadoes. The Minister of the King of Naples was admitted, and
confirmed the report that the entailments making in the reportage the
kingdom of the Two Sicilia; were intended to bebop, ate with the
expedition. After this meeting, the Ministers in question dined with
the gßritiall Ambassador, and in the ermine went to bold awake

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS-Tuv,DA v.

Sir A. GIANT, Sir T. FRILIIIANTLE, 71niotierilerribers from
the Commons, brought up the Quebec Bill, and several private bAs.
The second reading of the Suits in Equity Bill was postponed.
The Earl of HA HEWOOD presented a petition from Dewsbury,
praying for removal of the Assizes for York, to Wakefield.
The Bishop of LONDON presented a petition from Chelmsford,
against negro slavery.
The Marquis of CLEVELAND presented a petition from Saudi
Shields, against the duties on coals.

HIS MAJESTY'S MESSAGE.
The Order of the Day for taking itito consideration his Alajcsty':.
Message having been moved, the Message was rcad again to the
House.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said that it was now his duty, hi
consequence of the notice given by the noble Duke, and to eon
formity with the Message just read, shortly to state to their Lord.
ships the nature and motives of the measure which his lilaj uty's
ministers thought it their duty to propose, in order to give erect to
the object of the Message. He deeply lamented the occasion selfish
rendered such a measure necessary ; and in expressing this feeling,
he should carry with him the sympathy of their lordships, as he
knew he should carry with him the sympathy of every individual in
the country. He was aware of the difficulties which pre., nt.
themselves to the adoption of any adequate measure to provide ft.:
an emergency like the present ; but it was indispensably necessa:y
that some measure should be resorted to, and it was therefore t! :,sit
duty to apply themselves to devise such means as were adared
the occasion, and, at the same time, to take care that those nil a 7.,
should not be such as could produce detriment to the public at -vie..
He felt deeply the importance of the suggestion of a noble 1..91
(Earl Grey), that it was not enough for them to guard against dan.
ger with reference to the present men and the present timee,
that it was also their imperious duty to consider the consequences of
any measure that might be proposed as a precedent for the guidance
of other men and other times. In case of the inability of the Sae e-
reign to affix his Sign Manual to the instruments which required
the Royal signature, two modes of supplying this deficiency natu
rally presented themselves. The one was to authorise some person
or persons to affix the Sign Manual in the prt genet of his Majesty,
and by his consent. Another was to authorise some person or per-
sons to stamp the instruments by the authority of his llajesty, and
in his presence, with a stamp to be prepared for that purpose. With
respect to the latter of these two modes, he found that it had
actually been resorted to at various periods of our history.
This important fact he had been enabled to authenticate by
means of various public documents now in existence. The first
of these was a patent of Henry the Eighth, which was now In ex.
istence in the British Museum. By this patent henry the Eighth
gave power to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor,
and the Lords of the Privy Council, or any six of them, to stamp
with the impress of the royal signature documents necessary to the
levy of certain monies therein mentioned. This easediffered from the
present only inasmuch as the expedient was then resorted to, not
from necessity but convenience. During the same reign there were
may other instances of the royal signature having been affixed by
means of a stamp to public instruments, for the levy of troops and
other purposes. He had found eight or ten cases of this dean!).
tion,and the documents so stamped were now in the British Museum.
In the reign of Henry the Sixth there were two instances of the same
kind. In one of them, the instrument upon which the Sign Manuelr
was so impressed was for the purpose of raising troops in the nonli,
and in the other the purpose was to raise troops in the esatern count
ties, then in a state of rebellion. The latter of these documents
had the signature of the Lord Protector Somerset. In the reign ot
Queen Mary, the proclamation which was issued in consequence ot
the rebellion of Sir Thomas Wyatt was signed in the same manner.
Again, In the reign of King William, and nearly at the last hour of
his life, the same mode was adopted of affixing the royal signature
to the commission for giving his Majesty's assent to two most
important bills, one of which was the bill for Securing the Pro-
testant Succession, and the other was the Malt Duty BilL Restated
fact upon the authority of Kennett, a contemporary historian, the best
authority to which, in the circumstances of the case, he could refer.
He had not, indeed, at first been satisfied by this authority, but un-
der its guidance he had caused a search to be made in the Parliament
Office. The original documents were not found, however, for the
commissions of that date were not preserved. But the veracity of the
historian be bad quoted had never been questioned, and he thought
it might safely be relied on, in the absence of higher authority.—
He was aware that in the lacer part of the reign of Henry VIII.
the Bill of Attainder of the Duke of Norfolk had received the
Royal assent by stamp, and that in the first year of the following
reign, the reign of Mary, a bill was passed to declare that act of at-
tainder null and void, one of the grounds of this measure being
that it had not received the royal matt by means of the Sign
Manuel, but by means of a stamp, and that this stamp had not
been Impressed by the King's hand. The latter ground did not
appear upon the face of the bill, but he collected it from the de.
chtratioo of the Lord Chancellor, made during the debate. The
result, however, was that in consequence of these and other irre-
gularities, the bill of attainder against the Duke of Norfolk was
declared null and void. He bad adverted to these historical prece-
dents, not in the supposition that parliament in the present day was
bound to copy them with servile exactness, but solely with a view to
guide them to a wise and prudent decision upon the present oces.
sion. At the present time he knew that no mir.ister would recom.
mend to Parliament to dispense with the signature of public instru-
ments by the hand of the King himself, unless in a case of extreme
necessity. But, as that necessity had unfortunately arisen, it be.
came has duty to suggest to their Lordships the measure which ap.
peared to him to be the most proper, leaving it open to receive
amendments from the suggestion of any other of their lordships. It
only remained, then, for him to describe the measure which his Ma.
jesty's Ministers, upon the fullest consideration they could give to
the subject, had thought it their duty to recommend, and state by
what guards they proposed to surround it. The measure, then,
was shortly as follows :—They proposed that his Majesty
should be empowered to issue a commission under his sign manual,
to authorize any one or more persons to affix, by means of a
stamp cube prepared for the purpose, the sign manual to such in.
struments as required it. As a protection against the abuse of this
authority, he should propose that the person or persons authorised
to affix this stamp. should take an oath that, unless in the presence
of the sovereign, they would never affix the stamp to any instru.
menc whatever. Bat this was not aIL He proposed that they should
also be required to swear that they would not affix the stamp to any
document until it was indorsed with &description of its nature, signed
by three of his majesty's ministers to be specially named. But he did
not stop here, although these guards might probably be thought auffi-
cient. It was further proposed that the stamp should remain in the
custody of three minister. of state, and should only be affixed in the
presence of one of them. This was the messute, and these the guards
against abuse which they proposed. If any noble lord could pro-
pose precautions more likely to be effectual, he should be happy to
adopt them. They had by the proposed measure, first, the security
of the stamp ; then they had the protation afforded by the oath of
the person or persons authorised to affix it. They had also the protec-
tion of the intlnent, which must be signed by three responsible
ministers ; and farther than this, they had the assurance that the
stamp must always be affixed in the presence of cne of the ministers,
of the crown, who must attest it; so that all forgery was Imionible,
and he might venture to say it was Imposaibie that, forgery could
even be attempted. But it was not intended by this measure to su-
persede the Sign Manual. It was provided that notwithstanding this
Act, the Sign Manual, if in any case his Majesty determined to affix
it, should have all its former authority. He had not given this state-
ment
of the particulars of the measure be intended to propose, with
the intention to provoke discussion now. A mote convenient oppor.
tunic), for discussion would be afforded on the second reading,
which he intended to propose to-morrow. He should also propose
that on that occasion the Standing Orders be suspended in the
hope that the bill might pass through all Its stages on the same day.
If any noble lord had any ine rovement to suggest, be should be
happy to acquiesce in it. A noble earl had suggested the appoint.
menu of a committee to search for precedents • he saw no objections
to this course. The committee might proceed simultaneously with
the progress of this bill, but he slid not think tray were likely to
find any other premdents than those i e had collected having r•-
feretwe to this subject. If any noble lout. however, should [moose
such a committee, be would not object to it. It need not delay the
bill a single hour.
Lord ELDON said hashould not enter into the merits of the
bill, tier make any observations just now.
Earl GREY was not metered t.' stew any rireticm ea the pre-
sent occasion, but regarded 4 as a bill of tins attest delicacy and
importance, and as one requiring the meet carif4l eousideratioti
fore It beamepart of the law of she load, He was net .prepared
Ito as whether precedence egad he thund or net, but be
thonhe the importance and the pare nature of the *feeding