Star.
London, England, 1816-08-20 00:00:00

PRIVATE LETTERS.

" PARIS, AUGUST IS.
" The following account of the present state of a
Department which has frequently engaged public •
attention, I receive from most unquestionable
authority :
" The Department of the Gard and the town of •
Nismes continue to groan under the most intolerable
oppression. All authority is in the hands of the
leidiolksi not in those of the mist respeetable of this
Persuasion, but in those of the mist disreputable
characters, actuated at-the same time by the fiercert
spirit of bigotry and revenge. Accordingly, nothing
can be compared with the grievances which the inlia-
bitants of that country are made to endure. Here,
the Mayor orders all lights to be put out at the
houses of the Protestants after eight o'clock ; there,
he prescribes cockades of a particular Size to be. -
worn by them, and awards fines and imprisonment
against those who•wear'nOne, or who wear such=
happen to exceed, or fall short of that size. A par-
ticular quarter of the town is assigned for the Pre.
testants to walk in ; it they venture to outstrip those
bounds, they are hooted and lapidated by thelpnpi. •
lace: At Nismes, and adder the very eyes of alleluia
rity, things have come. to such a pass that the Pro. ..
testants, excluded from the public walks, have only.*
little narrow sueet in which they can freely circulate. .
44 The National Guard consists of 3000 men, and
it will he hardly 'Creditid, that that number includes
but two Protestants; the remainder of the litter hive
been diatrased. Meantime it is endeavoured to 4M.
pose on the public by the exhibition of recatstations,
obtained by deception or violence. These pion, ce.
remonies afford the Public Functionaries an oppe.r. .
'tunity of dispfaying their hypocritical zeal, the' are
to be seen.paradiug the streets in procession, attend= •
ing the chinches with tapers in their hands, mil
giving all other. ostentatious marks of devotion. Tint
assassin of the Abbe d'Esgrigny had been promised .
his pardon, if be.would become a convert to the Ca-
tholic faith, and in such an extremity be did not he- •
sitate to embrace it."

,

ANOTEIER LETTI2n.

• - " Pam, dicratisT IR
I, Nothing new has occurred within these three or
four days. it is not yet decided at what moment the
Houses are to be asbembled, but the delay cannot
easily be a long one. Great inconveniencies have
arisen this year from the late period of .passing the
budget of 1816; and as the financial difficolties of .
the country rather increase than diminish, it becuints
very important that the budget of 1817 should be ex-
pedited as soori.as. possible
- 44 A curious circumstance has taken place. M.
Pepin de &nide, who was named the other &Ay to- •
,tlie place of the Prefect.ot the Department of -Le •
yeaclo, has, with more sense than the Ministry.,.de,..
'dined accepting the place,. on account, he says, of
the unfortunate prejudices which the inhabitants of
that Department entertain against him. 4 dO not
know whether Ministers will' allow him to be Wiser'
than thatisseives, or whether they will insist .on .his •
taking. the appointinent, in order touvoid the ridigule
which his refusal would cast upon them.
• se Thine is a report, not however entitled to credit,
that it is in contemplation to name the Duke of Fehre
Minister a Fdieign Affairs and President of the
Council, M. Tabarie Minister of War, and M. De;
Cue Minister of tho. Household, as well as of the
Police. It is certain that-M. De Gaze has for some '
time wished to unite these two platies.iniriSiown.handst;
but do not believe he would dare to do.it at the pre-_
sent time, nor do I think he would wish to have the
Ipeuliken:wf FacetittroesPetresiherd,rffint-eyofattheebyn o Council;
for though
means friends.'

TY ---

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