Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-01-14
TRIAL ofite FRENCH EX-.WLvTSTERS.
COURT OF PEERS. Oct. 20.
PRINCE DE poLIGNAc.


ed with it few days before.
Did You form the Ministry, and did the King
agree with you concerning all The members who
composed il Il found the Ministry partly formed
Montbcl and NJ. dc Z gny: the latter refused.
What rule Of conduct did you intend to follow on,
taking in hand the direction of allars?-rEe same
that G,y predecessors had followed
Whist predecessors do you speak of?--0f nl we
all had but one dcsire-that of maintaining the es-
tablished order of things. An my papers have been
taken, and amongst thrm notes must certain
iy have been found which express my real n'cn-
tons.
IL calling into the council, in accepting COL
leagues, men who were considered by the public
opinion as ennmios to constitutional institutions,
did not intend Ia make use OF them IN order to
overthrow those nSttutioIs?-To be able to answer
this question, should first know who those
mon considered as hostile tn constitutional nStitu-
tons ~. dc I.abourionnayr had been for years the
oblcc: OF the encon,um ut the opposition papers;
besides, dad not propose him TO the Kings choice,
for he NAMED before entered the council AZ
for N. do Bourinont, the only rcprJach addressed
i hin, relative military niiair, which could
have no influence his politics, Offer any pre-
ccdcnt in regard TO his conduct III the direction Of
public Affairs.
Al tina, period. and during your ministry, you po.
stively affirmed that you had mission tn abolish
the electoral law and the liberty of the press Who
had given you that mission:-i never said that
had any such mission. aud consequently no ono
gave it me.
The execution of the plan which ultimately gave
birth t, the ordinances Of the 25h Of July las'?-
No plan of the kind was formed up TO the last mo-
ment
was tho line Of conduct Which you f1ilowe,l dis
cussca in the Council: If by line Of conduct you
mean the subverSion Of the institutions, such de-
sign was never discussed in the C0rnCi; for il never
existed. In regard to the system of Government
which the Ministry Of The 6 h OF August de>r-
Gus Of following merely listed III drvsl ping,
rs much as possibe. the Charter itself through The
medium of institutions which might be Concordant
with our laws and character. DIr.nT my residence
in England took care 10 study the institutions Of
tina, country, which might also he of Use TO France,
and even wrote kind oftrease on the subject,
which must have been found at the M.nis,rv.
when You advised the King, Charles y, To dis
solve the Chamber, had Won already concerted with
vo,Ir colleagues the plan which pat in nyocu-
ton bv the ordinances of July?-The dissolution of
the Chambers was decided IN the Council Of Minis
tiers. aud in the Kings Council, but 1t had no kind
OF relation with the ordinances, which were not then
thought of.
How could you think. disposed as the public opin-
ion then that the new Chamber would be differ
cn from he other which dIssalved2- Changes
of this kind have often taken place, both i'm France
and England, and really though that the Cham
b.r would be composed differently from the former.
Many persons were ofthn same opinion with my
self.
In order TO obtain Chamber such as Won desired
il 10 be- did you rot make ofmeanS, either rer-
sonaly through your agents, which might be
elcctors?-Nn; made use ofn0ne
Did you not IN particular threaten thu pnbiic fnc-
tiouares to force them vote in your fayour?-
Never; and rs Minister WROTE brt CT 'cular on
the subject of the electors, and that Of such an
inoensive nature that it gave no kind of cen
sure whatsoever. The only elections which ever
attracted my particular attention land then merely as
a private individually were those Of the IIautc- Loire
account Of the numerous relations which had in
that department.
at what period did ynu form the project Of the or
dinances Of Iuly 25th? Seven eight days before
they wore signed and they were really decided
upon at the very moment of their publication.
II.d not " dc Peyronnat, who drew I'D the
electoral circular of the 25th Of July, read to Won
another Of the same Kind before he entered the
Minis ry'-No; besides cannot say who drew up
tho ordinance
Was the object of the dissolution of the Chamber
10 engage the King far, that it should become i'm
possible for him to remain the throne unless sup
ported Ivy bayoncts.-By means; and indeed
cannot imagine what can give rise TO such ques-
ton.
1.-THE dissolution of the Chamber the designation
Of the 22I Deputies enemies OF the King, and the
intention of maintaining his Ministry at any cost nj
any risk. and at the expense OF any law. were al
plans conceived by hc King himself why did you not
represent to him the dangers to which he exposed
hImsell?--l shal' first begin by poting dc every
thing that relates TO the person Of the King which i
sacred; secondly, repeat that the 22l Deputies were
never designated as being his personal enemies; and
last OF all the IN entIon ot preserving the Ministry
was Tar from Oeng hicgai; ~ was not the first time
since the restoration that Chamber of Deputies had
been dissolved in order to maintain the Ministry
ifyou did not firm the project Of the ordinances
before the moment Of their publication, what new
circumstances had placed the country in situa-
ton TO Justify such measure? Was not the country
in state Of tranquity?-No; there was party
which conspred against the charter and the dy-
nasty,
Had the Administration experienced any formi-
dabc resistance, aud % such nature rs to insi;rv
any great change in the established order ofthnps,
The administration had to encounter obstacles in
every quarter. though its proceedings were every
where con!ormablc TO the laws.
Of what kind were those ob,tacle.5-Thcy re-
shifted especially from the mncvolcnce with which
oil the acts Of the Government, were received. and
which manifested by the most bitter ccnsure
Of measures which had been claimed before az
blessings--by the caIumnics invented against the
Govcrnment-by associations formed 10 oppoee pro-
jecls which never existed--by the most ipdssree,
publicity given to the orders and TO the plans Of the
administration 20 compromise their execution; IN
fine, oil that passed evidently showed that party
wasorganizing for tho fol Of The Monarchy.
But Surprising this state Of things to be cZact