Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-02-13
rmpoRTANT DEBATE IN THE FRENCH
CORPS LEGISLATIF.

IN
the leader Of the Opposition" would deliver an e1-
position of hs views, on that day. every seat was &C.
cuped and the TO the Senate Chamber hrongea
nv citizens anxious 10 secure fir m members the priv-
ere of sdnitauce Ladies 10 grGndc toilette filed up
very large proportion Of the space allotted to the
nubIo After the minutes of the last sitting had been
con6med N. Theirs arose. and amid profound silence,
commenced his address;
He remarked that thirty years had elapsed since
no fts occuoed seat in the Chamber, and during that
time he had witnessed various political changes and
asitations When the republic was proclaimed he &C
cspted t. although il was not the government OF MS
sntacedents When France returned 10 the nonarehcal
principle he submitted sgan, out OF resptc.o the Prn-
cpe Of national sovereignty, bit remained IN trVaIe
life unt the DEGREES of November 1861 and 1862 were
promulgated. The Emperor reopened the political field
nv conceding the right 10 the Chamber 10 discuss an
address AMI granting hs power to vote budget by
sections Thse DEGREES were the pledge OF others yet
TO be made aud for one no thanked the Emperor for
them (Apolause) FIVE things were indsPen-
ssbe TO constitute what he would call the necessary
measure of Liberty" 0ae of these liberties s the
e" Liberty of the Press."
Gentlens an, if any man in Franco has suffered the in
convert nee of that liberty it is l. An iusrous
man with whom fer long time discussed and traE-
sgced the sif,irs OF the country, NJ Guzh felt them
AZ much a. myself but am sure he would conhfm
ma when I say that the libery Of the press is ne
c,ssary fNoise) can understand, without approx
ing the principle of withholding such liberty. More
than twenty ysers ago, WHEN turned ny eyes to AS
tria. | saw a brave and well disposed popu-
latiou con'ent to prosecute commerce and agr-
culture and TO leave the task OF governing
entirely in the hands of o hers. The old King
Fraucis made himself popular by walking about 10
shsbby clio hes without any aid de-cam2, and talk
ing 10 every one be met; and in thas way be CD laned
knowledge of the true state Of his tf4irs Such was
Austrian liberty twenty-five years ago; but ask #
the is at the present day any people on earth who
would be content with iti Speaking one day on this
subject wi the late Prince oe heternich, told him
thai populatons in general preferred embrolng their
own affairs to leaving them to the care Of others, and
added that they werJ in tie right for it was ooly by
repeated ial that they could leara TO transact them
properly. But is IL possible to refuse to people a
knopLedoe of their opR affairs In this hall al
loved full liberty Of speech; may il please, blame
in the severes the scs oil the Government; but
the Journals which reproduce speeches not al
loved TO add word Of their Is there Lot here
great inconsistency L. is as If should first tell
secret TO len persons, and to an eleventh, with rec
concentration not TO cvulge is. By that system, gen.
temen the natural order OF things is distorted AID the
| soIing of government warped. Ia State which has
been CO upetey educated the press fortunately, docs
nat orm public opDIor; it Is only the cause Of public
| opinion exis leg When the press ex,ggera,es, the
people draw 10 the feio, sid the exsggeraon itself
nsures mod cation. Then the general opinion, which
is only preliminary notice, is collected together by
the national representation and carried to the foot Of
| the throne IL is, indeed true that all this only
| take place in country Whose education is complete
but il implies that our own education should at lenE 10
| be commenced. France cannot remain forever in
| a perpetual 'ancy (Nose.) We are told that
| tie Government ia exceedingly strong. That
| believes think its material force stroIg enough TO
delay the attack CT aay pMty Then WITTY net profit by
/ present circumstances! when viii the political edu'
caticn Of the country be taken in handi The p;ess
being free in the rest of Europe, do you mean teat
France is 10 be the only nation remaining IN leading
striuesi (Renewed inteiIupton) But told that
this education is already commenced and the minister
of stare few days ago, informed US that two only out
of fifteen or eighteen Parisan journals supported the
| governue t. But wha. is the condition Of the whole
of themf They subject receiving warnings, and
if warnings do MT suffice they may be suspended or
suppressed The press having the charge OF cciticsng
the government, is IL right that the GoUer'men shoud
hays the charge of declaring phGt amount of criticism
cation OF the c1uuryf am tod also of the license Of
the press But have you yourselves suppe s'1 that Ii
cense? HAve you lot rather made deposit OF 1t In
the hands of the government to be used against any ci
zen that might displea.e it, Qnterrupon) l. is not
my vsl to remind the chamber Of anything personal
TO myself; do not foster a,y recollectons Of what
took place fsz months back. People in general have
short memories concerning the Affairs of others AN
content that my memory shoud be short aso but wish
you not entiey to forget Whist occurred. daughter
/ and signs OF as eni)
NJ. Theirs pissed on the ".ibsrty Of electiors."-
Geat bomags IS paid, he said to universal sufisge in
these our tines bu. when the question Of electng depu
ties arises, tod that universal suffrage can
neither read nor write, thai t is credulous and tmid
and must be told what man to choose. He next dis
Cused the ibsry Of representation" contendirg that
| the Chamber should have the power of introducing
aGy question considered useful by the majority and not
| thourht dangerous by the Government. He Iecapu-
lated the liberties required as follows:
To give them 10 the country it vii not be necessary
to overthrow any Institutions but only to develop those
which exist Thus 10 have individual liberty the law
of public safety should be repealed, to have the liberty
of the press two three articles CT the decree on the
public journals should be altered to have electoral
liberty certain Objectionable practices should be mod-
fed and to have the liberty Of the national repre-
sentatioa, tho practice OF interpretations should be
| resumed But what is above all hings necessary
is the responsibility of the sovereign. l am well
axa:e that people will say to me, "Ahl we know
you wel--you want to have hack thai wr tched par.
liamentary govsnment-that government of rheto-
re ans which exhibited durlg forty years the sad
spectacle Of a struggle for portfolios IL my do very
vel for England, nation of hopkeepers, but France
do OF like the squabbes Of lawyers" wish to say
word in reply 10 such objections. Tne overnment OF
rheto,iciansl am no. very partial to the expression
but wht il Is applied to such as General FoT, NM
de 81 ze de Vlee de Martignar Royal Cjlard, Cismir
Perier d. Broge and Guizo:, man can have but one
DESIRE namely, to meri. it. (Approbaon Since then,
take 10 OuenCo AZ inc hOfu myself,
ministers take ofenc- for they also Ihetocians,
Qaughter;) you yourselves gentlemen, APPLAUD their
speeches and you acclaim tho dawn Of rising talent
But tho ST uggle for portfOlios It will be admitted
uat myself AN personally dsnterested in this matter.
Noise Bat where is the epoch, where The country, in
which power has no. been Disputed II turbulent re-
public is disputed in the public forum at courts i! il
often the pr of secres int guss Was there ever an
epoch grsnder more glorious than that Of Louis
XIV Well, men had then to please Nine. de Main
n..A- - rAntwwa Il
than in en- assembly Of representatives Of eminent
for intelligence and homo able character! This Is
glory that England guards with jealous care-sbe calls
il the glory OF Pitt and Fox Let US be as intelligent
as Eugland, and let not at glory which as
suredy has done harm 10 out county during forty
yeas
NJ Theirs referred to '.hrse grea epochs in the his
tory of modern Europe: the feuds roy,l and the
present one" These had succeeded each other, pro-
eressivey but in the concessions of power the peo