tion of her Majesty, and her inability to receive company. The morning was ushered in with ringing of bells. The guards mounted in white gaiters, and wore new clothes. Carlton-house was thronged during the whole of the day with all ranks, paying their respectful congratulations. The Tower guns fired at one o'clock; the firing of the Park guns was dispensed with in consequence of the indisposition of the Queen. TRIALS, &c. One of the first trials upon an accusation of the crime of sedition was that of Niel Douglas, an universul preacher in Glasgow, who was charged with words spoken in the pulpit in derogation of his Majesty, of the Prince Regent, and the whole House of Commons. The trial took place in the high court of Justiciary in Edinburgh on May 25; and the result was, that after a due attention to the evidence produced on both sides, Douglas was declared not guilty, and was dismissed from the court. A trial in which the public was much more interested was that of the elder Watson, Surgeon, at the court of King's Bench, Westminster Hall, accused of high treason. It commenced on the 10th of June, and was continued till Monday the 16th, when the jury pronounced a verdict of Not guilty. The other persons implicated in the same accusation were afterwards discharged by the law officers. About the same time a disposition to tumult and cutrage broke out in several of the midland and northern counties, particularly Lancashire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire. These were for the most part speedily quelled; and from a considerable number sent for trial to York, the whole were either pronounced not guilty, or previously discharged, with the exception of two, who were detained by a secretary of state's warrant under the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act. A more melancholy result succeeded the trial of a number of prisoners, who were committed to the gaol of Derby on a charge of high treason. A special commission was issued to four judges, who in the month of October entered upon their office; and nothing could be more honourable to the criminal justice of the country than the manner in which it was executed. After the persons who had been adjudged worthy of death had undergone their trial, Mr. Denman requested of the court that the prisoners remaining at the bar might be permitted to withdraw their plea of not guilty, and substitute that of guilty. The attorney-general readily consenting, nine prisoners were allowed to amend their plea, and ten more were permitted to join them. It was generally understood that their punishment would be commuted for some lighter sentence. Twelve more next appeared at the bar, whose names being called over, the attorney-general rose, and after a speech displaying much feeling, made a declaration that his painful task was now closed, and that the hand of mercy was meant to be extended to all the rest. The devoted number were only three, Brandreth, Turner, and Ludlam, who were executed at Derby on November 7th. CHAP CHAPTER X. France-Decree respecting Slaves introduced in the Colonies.-Negociations with the Allied Powers.-Ordinance concerning the Debts of the City of Paris.-Disturbances at Lyons-Royal Ordinances for the creation of Majorats.-Election for the Chamber of Deputies, and Royal Speech-Project of a Law for the Press.-Law for the establishment of Religion. FRANCE. NEGOCIATIONS, &c. T-E following article made its Early in the year negociations papers in the month of January, by order of his Majesty. Louis, &c. Art 1. Every vessel, whether French or foreign, which shall attempt to introduce into any of our colonies purchased blacks, email be confiscated, and the captan, if a Frenchman, shall be held inapable of holding a command. Ihe whole cargo shall in like manner be confiscated, although not consisting of slaves: with respect to the negroes, they shall be employed on public works of utiity in the colony. Art. 2. The contraventions forbuen in the preceding article l be tried according to the mre for us as contraventions of the laws and regulations for foregn commerce. As for the proGa of the confiscations pronouncet in conformity to the said artiee it shall be realized and supjued in the same manner as the endure of confiscations pronouncen matters of the contravention of the laws concerning foreign (en at the Thuilleries, &c. Jan 8, 1817. of France, and the four principal allies, for the purpose of alleviating the burden under which that country was severely oppressed, in consequence of the foreign armies held by its principal towns. The result was the following official note presented to the Duke of Richelieu by the several resident ministers of she powers in question. OFFICIAL NOTE RELATIVE TO THE DIMINUTION OF THE ARMY OF The Courts of Austria, England, Prussia, and Russia, having taken into consideration the desire manifested by his most Christian Majesty to have the numbers of the Army of Occupation diminished, and proportionably the amount of charge occasioned by its presence on the French territory, have authorized the undersigned to make the following communication to his Excellency the Duke de Richelieu, President of the Council of Ministers, and Secretary of State for the Department of Foreign Affairs: At the time when the King, re-established upon his throne and put put in possession of his legitimate and constitutional authority, endeavoured to discover, in concert with the other powers, the most efficacious means of consolidating internal order in France, and of associating his kingdom to the system of good understanding and general pacification interrupted by the troubles which were scarcely put an end to; it was found that the temporary presence of an Allied Army was absolutely necessary both to secure Europe against the consequences of agitations, the renewal of which were threatened, and to afford to the Royal authority the opportunity of exercising in tranquillity its benevolent influence, and of strengthening itself by the attachment and submission of all French men. The solicitude of his most Christian Majesty to render this indispensable expedient the least one rous to his subjects, and the wisdom which directed all the arrangements stipulated at that period, led them to anticipate by common accord the case in which the diminution of the Army of Occupation might take place with out weakening the motives, or injuring the great interests, which had rendered its presence ne cessary. These conditions the undersigned have great satisfaction in retracing; they consist in the firm establishment of the legitimate dynasty, and in the success of the efforts and endeavours of his most Christian Majesty to compress factions, dissipate errors, tranquillize passions, and unite all Frenchmen around the throne by the same wishes and the same interests. The great result desired and looked to by all Europe could be neither the work of a moment, nor the effect of a single effort. The Allied Powers have observed with a constant attention, but not with astonishment, the differences of opinion which have prevailed as to the mode of obtaining it. In this attitude they have looked to the superior wisdom of the King for the measures proper to fix uncertainty, and to give to his administration a firm and regular march; not doubting that he would unite with the dignity of the throne and the rights of his crown, that magnanimity which, after civil discord, assures and encourages the weak; and, by an enlightened confidence, excite the zeal of all his other subjects. Experience having already happily fulfilled, as far as the nature of things will allow, the hopes of Europe upon this subject, the Allied Sovereigns, eager to contribute to this great work, and to give to the nation the means of enjoying all the benefits which the efforts and the wisdom of the King are preparing for it, do not hesitate to regard the present state of affairs as sufficient to determine the question which they have been called upon to decide. The good faith with which the King's government has hitherto fulfilled the engagen.ents entered into with the Allies, and the care which has been taken to provide for the different services of the current year, by adding to the resources arising from the revenues of the state those of a credit, gua ranteed rared by foreign and national tang-houses the most considerance in Europe, have also remed the difficulties which might otherwise have justly arisen upon ths point of the proposed ques These considerations have at the same time been strengthened by the opinion which his Excellency Marshal the Duke of Wellington has been requested to give respecng an object of such great im portance. The favourable opinion and the thority of a personage so eminent have added, to the motives aready stated, all those which man prudence can unite to jusLa measure demanded and conwated to with sentiments of sintre and reciprocal kindness. The undersigned are therefore brized by their respective arts to notify to his Excellency the Duke de Richelieu That the reduction of the As of Occupation will be carTato effect. ? That the amount of the dimantom of the whole army shall * 30 100 men. 3 That this amount shall be "portanned to that of each conent that is to say, it shall be 41 % of each corps d'armée. 4 That it shall take place from The 1st of April next. joy all the advantages arising from the said reduction, conformably to existing treaties and conventions. In communicating so marked a testimony of friendship and confidence to his most Christian Majesty, on the part of their august masters, the undersigned have at the same time to declare to his Excellency the Duke de Richelieu, how much the principles of the ministry over which he presides, and those which are personal to himself, have contributed to establish that mutual good will, which, directed by the spirit and the letter of existing treaties, has hitherto served to arrange so many delicate affairs, and which affords for the future the most satisfactory pledges of a definitive and satisfactory conclusion. They seize this opportunity of renewing to the Duke de Richelieu the assurances of their high consideration. (Signed) The Baron VINCENT. Paris, Feb. 10, 1817. The session of the two chambers closed on March 26, sine die. In May was published an ordinance from the King, relative to an obligation entered into by the city of Paris for the payment of its debts. It is to the following effect. 5 That from that period the In no rations per day, furnished fur the troops by the French gotercent, shall be reduced to 5000, without, however, in respect altering the 50,000 ORDINANCE OF THE KING RELAiams of forage destined for the feed of the horses. Lastly, that from the same France shall otherwise en TIVE TO THE LOAN OF THE Louis, by the grace of God, &c. The municipal administration of our Our good city of Paris, having been placed under the necessity of issuing negotiable bills for raising the funds of which it stood in need, by the expences consequent upon the military occupation of the city in 1815, and by those incurred in consequence of the inclemency of the seasons of 1816, we had authorized, by our decrees of the 13th of September and 4th of October, 1815, and of the 15th of last January, the creation and alienation of 1,500,000 francs of perpetual rent, the produce of which was to be employed for liquidating the debts of our good city of Paris. But it having been represented to us, that the alienation of these 1,500,000 francs of revenue has only proceeded to a small extent, and that the municipal administration of the city being convinced of the difficulty which it would have in redeeming it, prefers the adoption of another mode of extinguishing the debt, we have decreed: Art. 1. That our good city of Paris is authorized to create 33,000 obligations to the bearer of the value of 1,000 francs each, forming the sum of 33,000,000 of francs, payable in the space of 12 years from the first of next October. Art. 2. These obligations will be subjected only to the stamp duty, and will bear 6 per cent. interest, payable every three months; enjoying besides a premium, the amount of which will be determined by a lottery, in the proportion which will be fixed by an annexed table. Art. 3. The discharge of the obligations and the payment of the premiums will be effected every quarter, by a drawing, which will take place at the Hotel-de-Ville, a month before the day of payment arrives, in such a manner that, in the space of 12 years from the 1st of October next, to the 1st of July, 1829, there will be made by the city of Paris 48 quarterly payments, to liquidate the whole of the obligations and premiums, together with the interests conformably to an annexed table. Art 4. The city of Paris is authorized to negotiate the 33 millions of bills at the price and on the conditions which have been accepted by the municipal council. Art. 5. The funds arising from this negotiation of bills will be employed exclusively in withdrawing from circulation that portion of its rents already engaged, &c. Art. 6. To guarantee the payment of obligations, premiums, and interest, there will be allotted to the budget of Paris every year during the currency of the 12 years, a sum of 4,348,000 francs assessed upon its fixed or eventual revenues. This assessment will form the first part of the extraordinary expenses of the city. Certain duties of tolls, markets, &c. are particularly specified as security for these payments. Then follows the contract entered into by the Prefect of the Seine, acting for the city of Paris on the one hand and MM. Dominick Andié and Francis Cottier, Basoni. L. Goupy, and Co. HJ. Hentsch, Blanc, and Co., J. M. Rosthchild, O, Worms de Romilly, on the other; by which the former agrees to the propositions made by the latter five mercant.le houses, and receives from them an obligation to pay into the treasury |