Star.
London, England, 1827-01-04 00:00:00

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Corps is necesstrily doubtful; but there is one point
tha is not at all so, and that is the continually inert.*
ing success of the Portuguese Royalists.
EXTRACT OT A PRIVATE LETTER PROM SALAMANCA,
DATED DEC. 22.
"Collections c:montie in our Convents, for the benefit
of our brethren in Portugal; the Moe ks traverse the
mountains, for the purpose of carrying contributions to
the4farquis de Montaksgre and-the Mai qui* de Chaves.
Oo all the roads the brave Itoyalists are entertained by
all classes. A remarkable fact, which well Characterise,
the people of this country, is the unanimity of Opinion
which prevails against the Eoglish occupation : Royal.
fists, Constitutionalists, all repel with the same indigna-
tion the idea of a domination which now appears in the
most odious forms.
a Don Antonio de Santa Fe, one of our most cele-
brated authors, is about to publish, under the sanction
of the University, a curious dissestatiovobich he has
read in several learned societies, upon the rights of Don
Miguel to the Crowe of Portugal. Dun Antonio is a
man of learning ; he has searched the register of the
ancient Coves, and when this work is printed, I will send
it to you ; .it is desirable that you :should disperse in
France a memoir, a copy of which is about to be sent,
it is said, to the King, a prisoner at Vienna, and which
will be placed under his observation."
CHAMBER OF PEERS:
IMMO OF WODOZODAY, WOMBS& 29.
Expostriess of the grounds of the pry,' of law relative ht&
organisation of Juries, presented by the Keeper of the Scab s
"My Lords,—The utility of a Jhry depends on the
co rfidence inspired by the independence of its decisions,
and that confidence itself depends oohs forms and the
regularity of its organization.
" It is therefore highly important and highly necessary
to give to this institution fixed and positive rules, the
execution of which should not be evaded, and which no
person should ever abuse. .
" Numerous and frequent complaints have beam
for some years past made against the compilers of *tits
criminal instruction for the convocation of juries.
" Two of these complaints appeared to be particularly wortby d
attention.
" The first of these is founded on the intervention of
the Prefects, which, to those who complain of the syw
tem, appears badly regulated; and which, according to
them, may be productive of incinveniences prejudicial
to the independence of decisions in criminal cases.
"The second, which is in many respects rniaed op
with the first, has its origin in the period appointed fat
the nomination of the Jury, which not being chows
until after the accusations have been formally brought,
forward, seem rather (say those who condemn the
system, like Commissioners called on to pronounce
-the desired sentence, than true Jurors appointed by the
law itself, without interest, affection, or partiality.
" The wish to remove any cause and even any pretext for such
einnptaintic has induced his Majesty to command us to submit to
your Lord,hips the projet of a law which we now bring forward.
" This'projet was called for ; for although it be cer-
tai and perhaps even universally acknowledged, that
the Prefects do not deceive the suspicions cast upon
them, and that the nomination of Juries is, in general,
made with equal fidelity and correctness, it cannot be
d Med, notwithstanding, that the mode established by
the Code of Criminal Instruction has certain inconve-
niences, and that it daily exposes Government to im-
putations, the very appearance of which it behoves '
to remove.
" According to the code of criminal instruction,wbea
the day of Session has been fixed, it is the duty of the
President to inform the Prefect, and to demand that
Jury be summoned.
" The Prefect, on his part, is required to draw up
list of sixty names, and he may select them at pleasure
from among the electors, the officers of Government,
doctors." and licentiates of the four faculties, notaries,
bankers, brokers, merchants, and clerks of Government,
whose income exceeds 4.000 francs. This list of sixty
names is reduced to thirty-six by the President of the
Court of Assize.
" Finally, the twelve Jurors who are to try the case,
are chosen by ballot. The accused and the Attorney.
General may exercise the right of challenge to the
event of two.thirds of the list.
" It follows from hence, that the choice of Jurors
vested in the Prefects; that the widest field is opened.
the exercise of this delicate power ; that the Jury may
consist of clerks and functionaries; that the President of
the Assizes participates in some measure in the exercise
of the right of challenge; lastly, that the selection r
Jut ors takes place at a period when the nature of ,
charges and the names of the accused are already knows
" The projet which we now propose contains different
provisions. It will put a stop at once to the ft ight`
licence of the right of selection, and will prescribe ,
turd) and invariable limits to this right. The Jurors
will be taken from amongst the members of the Elec.
toral Colleges; the President of the Court will no long(
pa•ticipate in an act which accords but little with V
nature of his office. The Prefect will be compelled
far to extend his selection, that every suspicion of ps
tiality will necessarily be absurd, or in point of fact
impossible. The list which be will draw up will com-
ps ehend 200 elector s—at Paris it will comprehend 1200.
0 The period when this list is to be drawn up -
be so remote from that of the assizes, that so
from the nature of the charges being known,
greater part of the crimes will not have been commi
when the Prefect shaU snake choice of the Jurors.
choice will be made at least three months before .
commercement of the year, in the assizes of which
the lists will be used.
" lit the last place, the thirty-six names (of Jurors
required for each Session, will be taken successiv-'
by ballot from the urn containing the two hundre.
names, and the fidelity of the ballot will be ensured
by its being made in public.
" Such, my Lords, is the general outline of
pr, jet. Qualification, selection, and ballot form
basis. The following are its economy and details.
Six articles are dedicated in the first place ti
general elements of the Juty. The Prefects deter
and publish every year the electoral list in their
panatela; simple and convenient forms are estatsti
for receiving and deciding upon appeals.
Its those departments where the electoral list ,
not comprehend 500 elet tots, this numb -r will be cont.
pleted by a supplementary list formed of the most re•
spectable find viJuatli amongst those nut inscribed in the
former. At the time of the election this annual list will
not be renewed. There will be published merely such
alterations as shall be rendered necessary on account of
electors having acquired, or lost, their electoral tie ts,
subsequently to the day of its publication ; and after thc
period which shall be fixed by law, the claims of those
who shall have previously acquired those rights will no
longer be admitted.