The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-12-22 00:00:00

tHE St

PRIV4TE CORRESPONDENCE.

Paris, Dee. 17.
France seems destined to be, either an object of ter.
roe or of ridicule to Europe. Ten years ago all the
nations were in arms for or spinet her; now one of
the minor powers, such as Piedmont or Holland.
would make the French Government tremble to tht
very hones. Those who have witnessed the French
sce
armies before 1814, could never have believed France
would have been brought in so short a time to the
state of political insignificance in which we now
her. '►'here is no more resemblance between the pie- 1

sent French army and that of Bonaparte, than between
Louis and Napoleon. Compare, fur example, the Im-
perial Girard with the Garde+ du Corps: see the for-
mer exhibitinr, under their iron cuirasses, the most
imposing and martial appearance, and the latter in
stays—and there you have a pretty correct standard
for the whole of the royal soldiers.
In the meantime, he who governs France is always
certain to find the respectable class of the nation ready
to grant him the most absolute power. The boasted
Charte, the admirable work of Louis le Desire, is now on
a level with the Imperial Constitution. The Peers are now
as faithful, as docile to Louis as the Senates:re were to Na-
poleon ; the Deputies as ready sprt omplywith astir mas-
ter's will as the members of tilliCerire Legislatire were
to theirs. The individual liberty has been proelainnest
in all the constitutions, and has always remained at
the disposal of the Governors. The liberty of the Press
always proclaimed; but always submitted to an im-
partial Sensorship. The people always free to express
their opinion, but always silenced by Comps dr Sabre
when they have dared to complain. Such has been,
such is, and such will probably always be the state
of France.

As for the Censorship of the Press, you could never
imagine with what caprice it it c.irried on. The
grossest absurdities, the most svandilotas, the most
impolitic assertions and lies, are suffered to be put in
the ultra•papers, whilst the others arc not even per-
mitted to repeat the absurdities of the former, thou:zit
without observations. But it is not all: could you L.-
lieve that the opposition papers are not suffered to cri-
ticise the monstrous grotesque dresses of the women ?
yet this is easily accounted for. The fashion is evi-
dently given by half-a-dozen old toothless semi-foreign
Marchionesses of the Court, and the Commies are too
wise to risk incurring their displeasure. It is worthy
of remark, that the dress of French women has gene-
rally been simple, tasty and elegant, from the Revo-
lution until two years ago, but their taste seems to
have vanished with the glory of the men. The terms
a le Greene, a /a Romaine, have been replaced by those
of Lara(tierce .11aintencie, and other via nous names, SO
honorable to French women.

MUTING 07 ST. J CUR 'UNWELL.— I
ultra-loyalists of SL James's, Clerkenwell, are ashamed
of creeping into holes and corner*. This day they had
the courage to meditate a public meeting, and proposed
it to be held is the parish Church ; hut a profane oppo-
sition of neither a weak nor tranquil kind being appre-
hebded, the beads and the keys of the Church ;erased
`the requested aeditumodation, and compels them to
convene their a•semhly in the long room of the
workhouse. Of the proceedings of this eventful day,
we expect to be enabled to give soma account to-
morrow. Every omen hitherto has augured unpropi-
tiously concerning it. After the previous Loyal De-
el..ration had been made up, and the parish cryer was
directed to announce throngh his district the nature
of the precious document, and the places where it lay
for signature, the Beadle was disposed to make it more
the subject of a laugh than a try, and had the reso-
lution to hire a deputy to make the obnoxious procla-
mation. The task his substitute undertook was so
extremely unpopular as to expose him to no little per-
sonal danger; and right glad was the poor fellow to
escape out of office amidst the hooting' and revilings
of all the populace in the neighbourhood.
Mr. Oldham neither spoke nor voted at the Com-
mon Council on Wednesday last ; the sentiments at-
tributed to that gentleman were those of Mr. Crook.

The vote of Mr. James Griffiths in the Court of
Common Council on Wednesday, was incorrectly re-
ported in this and other papers of yesterday. Mr. G.
gave his rote fur the original address. That gentle.
man has been a member of the Common Council, a
correspondent informs us, more than forty years, and
during that long and trying time has been distin-
guished for uniting, with a due degree of constitu-
tional loyalty, a constant and warns regard for the
rights of his fellow-citizens, and the welfare of the
public at large.
The requisition presented on Wednesday by a num-
ber of Gentlemen to Bailie Lawson, Chief Magistrate,
in the absence of the Lord Provost, to call a public
meeting to address his Majesty on the unconstitu-
tional measures adopted by his Ministers, is signed
by nearly 350 persons. Bailie Lawson has declined
to call the meeting, which, we understand, is to take
place this week.—(Glaegour Courier.)
Ncwauav, Dzc. 18.—On Friday last a meeting of
the inhabitants of Newbury took place in the Guild-
ball of the Borough, J. G. Marriner, Esq.,
presiding, when addresses to the King, to re-
move his Ministers, and for a redrsss of grievances,
and to the Queen, congratulating her Majesty on the
withdrawing of the Bill of Pains and Penalties from
the House of Lords, were agreed to. The utmost
nnanimity was shown in the object of the meeting;
but there was a difference of opinion as to the word-
ing of the address to the King. An amendment to the
original address, which was couched in strong terms,
was proposed, by substituting another of a milder
nature ; but upon a division (although the mover of
the original address offered to withdraw it), it was
carried.

On Wednesday forenoon, the Karl of Harrowby
transacted business with Lord Castlereagh at the
Foreign (Ace in Downing-street; in the afterncos
the Noble Earl left town for Coombe Wood, where be
Lordship dined and passed the night with the Earl of
Liverpool. Yesterday forenoon his Lordship returned
to town from Coombe Wood, and in the afternoon set
out in his travelling cordage, with four post horses,
NS kb h in Grosvenor-square, for Dawlish, in
' Devonshire, to Join his Noble Cosigns and Lady Mary
IRyder, on a visit to Lortkand Lady Ibrington.

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