Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-01-14
TRIAL otthe FRENCH EX-.MIyNTSPERS
COURT OF PEERS. Oct. o.
PRINCE DE poIlGNAC.

be called to the Ministry before YOUR nomination of
the Sth of August 1921 only became acouaint
ed with it few days before.
Did you form the Ministry, and did the King
agree wfh you concerning all the members who
composed it i found the Ministry partly formed
and proposed to tho King M. de Conrvosier NJ de-
Montbel, and NJ de Rgny: the latter refused.
What rule of conduct did you intend to follow on,
taking in hand the direction of aiairs?-The same
that my predecessors had followed.
Whist predecessors do you speak of?-0f all. we
all had but one desre-that of maintaining the es-
ta4iisned order OF things An my papers have been
tahen, and amongst them some notes must certain
IyNiavc been found which express my real inten-
tons.
ih-cailing mo the council or in accepting as COL
leagues, men who were considered by the public
opinion as enemies to constitutional institutions
dad you not intend To make of them in order to
overthrow those instr utons?-To be able to answer
this question. | should first know who were those
considered as hostile constitutional institu-
tons NJ de Labourdonnaye had been for years the
object oil the cncomium of the opposition papers;
besides. L dad not propose him to the Kings choice,
Tor he was named before l entered the council AS
for NJ. dc Bourmont, the only reproach addressed
ID him was relative to military affair." which could
have no influence his politics, offer any pre-
cedent IN regard to his conduct the direction Of
public affairs.
A. hat period, and during your ministry, YOU DO
slt'vely affirmed that you had mission to abolish
the electoral law and the liberty of the press. Who
had given you that missiOn?-l never said that I
had any such mission, and consequently no ever
gave it me.
BY whom you seconded in the Council in
the execution of the plan which ultimately gave
birth t. the ordinances Of the 25h of July las,s-
No plan of the kind was formed up to the last mo-
ment
Was the line of conduct hich you followed dis
cussed IN the Council? II by line Of conduct you
mean the subverSon of the Institutions. such de-
sign was discussed in the Council; for il never
existed In regard TO the system of Government
which the Ministry of the 9Th OF August was tlcsir.
Gus of following, it merely con ed in developing |,
much possible, the Charter itself through the
medium of institutions which might be cnncordant
with our laws and character. During nv residence
III England took to study the institutions Of
that country, which might also ne ofus to France,
and even wrote kind oftreatise on the subject,
which must have been found at the Ministry.
When you advised the King, Charles " to dis
solve the Chamber had you already concerted with
your colleagues the plan which pat in eyecu-
lion by the ordinances of July?-The dissolution of
the Chambers decided In the Council Of Minis
terS and in the Kings Council, but it had no kind
OF relation with The ordinances, which were not then
thought Of
How could you think disposed as the nub,c orn
ion then was. that the Chamber would be d;ffar
ent from The other which dissalved?- Chances |
OF this kind have often taken place. both in France
and England and really though. that ibe new Char,
her would be composed differently from the f,rmer
Many persons were of the same opinion with nv
eclf. F' " 'ti MY
In order to obtain a Chamber such as Won dosirsd
IL 20 ne dc you not make OF means either rer
sonaly or through your agents, which might be
termed Illegal in order to influence the choice of the
eicFtorS!-No made use ofnoDe.
Did you not IN particular threaten the nuhI;c f,rc
t1onaries. to force them to vote in vnur f,y,,,5
EeVer and, as Minister, wrote but one circular nm
ne snlect OF the electors, and that was of such an
'ousnsve nature that it gave rise to kind of cen
e@te VIVA fsoeVer. The only elections which ever
"tTHefed my particular attention land then merely &C
private individually those of the JJnuteT -
tlaf Department "'' !"
- what ner"d did you form the project of tho ~,
,.1'"He' o. July 25th? Seven or eigh, DAYS before
they we're sic0ed and they were really decided
GfAi a. the v'ry moment Of their publication
lid not NJ de Peyronnet who drew 80, >.
H"cfoTfl CIRCULAR of the 25th of July road to ynn
S2ofAer OF the sam" kind before he entered ,ba
l,",S ry?-N'i besides, cannot say who drew up
Was the eEgoct oftbe dissolution of the cbanho,
to engage the King far, that it should become i
possible Tor him to remain on the throne unIoss @
ported 'y bayonets!-By means; and indeed 7
cannot imagine what give rise to such oues
ton. ' queS-
II The dissolution Of the Chamber the desigpa,ion
. 'H% - deputies as enemies Of the KIM and n
l'le2lirn IT maintaining his Ministry at aDy cos, =,
my RISK, and mt the expense of any law wara III
pans conceived by he King himself why did Won not
,r,sa,, !" nun the dangers to which he exposed
~ snail first begin by putting de eveYv
'- li'at Teiates TO the person of the King which
acrPu' s@e"ndlY repeat that the 22l Deputies were
9E&t defgnhted as being his personal enemies: and
."E. 81 all tae n'eHfIon OF preserving the Min;st
vas for rom being iilegal it was not the first 10y;
'ce zoe restoration that Chamber of Deputies had
yen aiSS0lEed IN order 10 maintain the Minir,ry ,
u you did not form the project OF tho ord;11anoo
s>3Te me moment of their publication, what new
49,, '..,N.aDcGs had placed the country in situa i
'oH 20 Justify such measure? Was not the count.u
d state OF tranquillty?-No; there was nnrty t
nasty? '' anu the dy- \
lad the Administration experienced onv form; II
lsoe resistance, and of such nature as n ;ns,;c
nv great change in the established order of fb;s o
- ne administration had to encounter obsacIes in t.
very quarter though tS proceedings were ovor,
where conformabe. to the laws 4' every il
vi what KIND were those obstacles?-Tbcy TO II
'u'ted especially from the malevolcnce with yyb;oh
- the acts OF the Government were reccivoI i |
Nhch was manifested by the most bitter censuro
:. measures which had been claimed beC,ra - ~
,,eSsIngs--by the caumnics invented agains; the :
o.e'llhent-OY associations formed to oppose pro y
ecis which never existed-by the most indis1p.a, i
'Igocy gwen to the orders and to the plans Of the
administration, to compromise their cxccufon -, r.
me, all that passed evidently showed that n ~
p ofganlz'ng for the fall of The Monarchy c
but suPposlng this state of tllnrs to be c,,o, t
'ou must allow that it had long existed and ~, 4
haa not determined you to take Immediately
nc measures you adopted at n later perioJ' by s.
u that you delayed them 50 lono2-Jvo 49, o" q