coffin to a new hearse, so as to prevent the multitude from thus manifesting their respect for the remains of Manuel.

The

At first, every thing threatened a collision between the troops, and the unarmed multitude, whose enthusiasm and indignation rendered them reckless of danger. people resolutely refused to permit the transfer of the coffin; and the count de St. Germain, who commanded the gendarmerie, persisted in requiring it. Finally, M. Lafitte succeeded in making an arrangement, which placed the police in a light supremely ludicrous, and added a sense of ridicule to the feelings of indignation with which their officious interference was regarded. It was agreed that two of the horses should be taken from the new hearse, and harnessed to the old one, and the troops should then give way to the procession, the people still continuing to draw the car to which the horses had been loosely fastened, so as to wear the appearance of being drawn by the latter; and all this with the knowledge and by the consent of the 'police, who seemed glad to be relieved, by the help of this unworthy quibble, from the responsibility of attacking the citizens. After this the funeral proceeded, without further molestation, to the burial ground of Père la Chaise, where a grave had been prepared for Ma. nuel, near to that of his late friend

and compatriot general Foy. Throngs of spectators covered the cemetery, which resembled a crowded amphitheatre; and when the body was deposited in the ground, general Lafayette delivered a touching and appropriate address to the surrounding multitude, who then peaceably dispersed, satisfied with having bestowed the last tokens of respect on the memory of the best and boldest defenders of popular rights.

During this year, the government of France paid an unwilling tribute to the principles of liberty, by entering into commercial relations with the new states of Spanish America, and thus recognising their actual independence. This result is attributable to the firmness of Mexico and Colombia, in refusing to accede to any of the half-way measures, by which the French sought to obtain all the advantages of trade with the patriots, without doing any act offensive to Spain. Finding such a course impracticable, M. de Villele bent to the necessity of the case, and despatched the proper and regular consular documents to the French private agents in Mexico and South Ame. rica; consenting, at the same time, to accredit publicly such agents as the new republics might see fit to appoint to reside in France.

Early in the summer, hostilities broke out between France and the dey of Algiers, in consequence of a

Controversy between him and the consul, respecting a debt due the Algerines for corn purchased on account of the French government in 1793, beside some other causes of difference. The Algerines hav. ing proceeded to capture some French merchantmen, a squadron was despatched to blockade Algiers, and to cruise in the neigh. bourhood of the straits, for the purpose of protecting the French commerce, and reducing the Algerines to submission. Some collisions occurred between the fleets of the respective governments; and the dispute occasioned very serious inconvenience to the merchants, by compelling them to submit to the expense and delays of convoy. France offered to negotiate with the dey, and made all reasonable offers to obtain peace; but the dey rejected them with contempt, alle. ging, that he had been unjustly treated in regard to the blockade; that he was insulted by the consular agent, who had, as yet, given him no satisfaction; and that he was able to carry on the war with France, of which he professed to entertain no fears. The controversy remained unsettled at the end of the year.

Our readers will have inferred from the facts already mentioned, that the popularity of M. de Villele and his cabinet was daily diminishing, and the liberal party gaining ground in the capital of France,

as well as in the departments. Apprehending the continued increase of this popular spirit, the ministry came to the resolution of dissolving the chamber of deputies, three years in anticipation of the time for which the members were chosen, and of proceeding to a new election immediately. The reason of this measure is said to have been, the apprehension of the ministers, lest, if the election was allowed to take place at the expiration of the regular period of three years, the popular party would have gained additional strength, and would be able to return a greater number of opposition members than the chamber now contained. They did not dream that already the popular party were so numerous, that an election at the present time would aug. ment the number of their members in the chamber. Of course, they calculated upon the effect of the election now, as securing to them the present majority in the chamber for the space of seven years to come, the period for which the deputies in the French chamber are elected. Had they been correct in their calculation, they would thus have retained their actual ascendancy in the chamber for seven years, instead of three, which remained as the term of service of the old deputies. A majority of the chamber of peers being opposed, or but coolly attached to the ministers, it was proposed, cotemporaneously

with the election of new deputies, to augment the hereditary branch of the legislature by the creation of a hundred new peers. In addition to this, a project was under considera tion for calling all the French bishops,eightyin number,upto the chamber of peers, and allowing them to vote by proxy,in imitation of the constitution of the English house of lords. By such means, the minis. terial and anti-liberal party expect ed to obtain a permanent majority in the chamber of peers.

In execution of a part of this plan, an ordinance was published the 6th of November, dissolving the chamber of deputies, and convoking the electoral colleges throughout the kingdom; those of the arrondissements to meet on the 17th of November, and those of the departments, partly on the 17th, and partly on the 24th, for the election of new deputies. Another ordinance named the towns in which the colleges should assemble, the presidents and vice presidents, and the number of deputies to be elected. A third ordinance contained the nomination of seventy-six new peers; and a fourth revoked the ordinance of June 24th, which established the censorship of the press. It being the intention to revive the censorship so soon as the elections terminated, it was supposed the journals would profit by their short term of liberty, to attack the government with redou.

bled acrimony; in which case their language would probably furnish the partisans of the ministers in the two chambers with arguments in favour of a law for restraining the licen tiousness of the press, to be proposed at the next session.

Preparations were now busily made on all hands, for the approaching elections; and in the result the popular party were as much elated by their unexpected triumph, as the ministers were confounded by their total defeat. In Paris, the number of persons who gave in their votes, amounted to 8000, of whom only 1,114, or one seventh part, supported the ministerial candidates. The rest voted for MM. Dupont de l'Eure, Lafitte, Casimir Perrier, Benjamin Constant, De Schonen, Ternaux, Royer Collard, and baron Louis. This signal triumph of the liberal party filled them with exultation, and their opponents with dismay. Anticipating from what had taken place in Paris, the result of the elections in the departments, the ministers began to repent of their appeal to the nation, and to exclaim that the flood gates of democracy were again opened. It soon was ascertained, that the electoral colleges of Versailles, of Com. piegne, of Pontoise, of Corbeil, had all returned opposition candidates; and that in Rouen, Havre, Orleans, Evreux, Chartres, Amiens, St. Quentin, Dieppe, Beauvais, Pe

ronne, and Troyes, the provisional bureaux had been changed; a sure indication, that the return of de. puties would be anti-ministerial. Thus, wherever public opinion public opinion could be concentrated easily, and openly expressed, and the influ. ence of the government safely resisted, as in the capital and populous towns, the constitutional party were generally successful. If they failed in the rural districts, or in the greater colleges, the victory of the ministers was owing rather to the dexterity of their prefects in managing the electoral urn, than to the popularity of their measures, or the influence of their characters. And the tone of the liberal jour. nals now became so haughty and menacing, in consequence of the success of their friends, that unless the journals were effectually silenced by a censorship, there could be no doubt of a change of ministers. The elections afforded a striking indication of the state of public opinion, not only in respect to the numbers returned who were against the ministers, but also in the character of the deputies nominated. Several of the liberal candidates, who were violently opposed at the last election, were returned on this occasion by triumphant majorities, such as M. Lafitte and M. Dupont. Among the rest, it is remarkable, that M. Royer-Collard was chosen for six different places. His character, and the political influ

ence which he has acquired, give a peculiar colouring to the progressive and important change of public sentiment in France. He has none of the common elements of popularity to account for his preeminence in reputation among the people. Foy was a soldier of note; Manuel a demagogue; La Fay. ette the ancient friend of Washington, and the hero of other days; but Royer Collard could boast none of these attractive qualities. Nothing but the growth of masculine meditation among Frenchmen, could have led them to select him as the favourite defender of popu. lar rights, at such a crisis. The repeated election of this highminded individual, the ancient president of the royal council of the university, carried with it the condemnation of the faction of the Jesuits. La Fayette's election was an act of reparation for the ministerial persecution of the national guard. The election of M. de Schonen, a man of great energy, and a counsellor of the Cour Royal, was a tribute of respect paid to the manly firmness of the magistracy, in resisting the ministerial prosecutions. Firmin-Didot, the celebrated printer, Bertin-Deraux, proprietor of the Journal des Debats, and Etienne, one of the principal proprietors and editors of the Constitutionnel, might be considered as elected out of regard for the spirit and talent of the jour

nalists, and in vindication of the freedom of the press. In fine, the whole current of public opinion set decidedly against the ministers, and effected the return of a majority of deputies adverse to the principles of their administration,-thus settling the question as to M. de Villele's remaining at the head of the government. As the new chamber did not assemble, nor a change in the ministry actually take place, until the beginning of the year 1828, the consideration of the subject does not fall within our present limits.

When the result of the election in Paris and other principal towns was known, the people testified their joy by illuminations, and other rejoicings, in the course of which incidents occurred, which gave the opposition papers room to charge the ministry with exciting riot and tumult, in imitation of lord Castle. reagh's alarm policy, so as to af. ford pretext for adopting strong coercive measures, to repress the confidence of the popular party; and the facts give much colour to the accusation of employing miscreants to stir up insurrection, in order to have the satisfaction of quelling it, and then misrepresent. ing the spirit of the people. At an early hour in the evening of Monday, November 26, small groups of boys paraded down the rue St. Martin, rue St. Denis, and rue St. Honore, and where the houses

were not illuminated, cried out for lamps, and threw a few stones, but not so as to occasion any serious damage. Detachments of gen. darmes assembled, and might easily have arrested the rioters; but, instead of this, they wreaked their vengeance on the unarmed spectators, most of whom were drawn to the rue St. Denis by mere curiosi. ty. When it became known to the multitude that the soldiery were coming, they took away the scaf. folding of a house under repair, and hastily formed a barrier for their protection; but their attitude was not menacing; and when a sudden order was given for the troops to attack them on all sides, not the least resistance was offered, and the defenceless men, and even women, collected in the narrow street, were exposed to the fire of the infantry. Eight persons were killed on this night; and the num ber of the wounded was very con. siderable. On Wednesday even. ing a like scene occurred, attended with much greater bloodshed. Undeterred by the lamentable inci. dents of Monday, the mob again assembled, and the troops kept up a regular fire upon the people, until nearly fifty persons were kill. ed, and a large number wounded, under circumstances which bore every appearance of premeditated and wanton butchery. No other disturbance occurred after this tremendous lesson. Indeed, for a