58] 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



wHich a number of elegant females 

 were conspicuous, had pressed into 

 the house, notwithstanding all the 

 efforts of the sentinels, whose 

 bayonets had no terrors for these 

 ladies, and every part was filled ; 

 when, instead of the order of the 

 day, the president ordered the re- 

 gulation to be read, directing that 

 " no stranger shall, on any pre- 

 text, introduce himself into the 

 body of the house, where the 

 members sit." The president then 

 ordered all the strangers within 

 the enclosure to withdraw, de- 

 claring that otherwise he must 

 adjourn the house to the next day. 

 In consequence, a few of the 

 upper seats were cleared ; but in 

 the other parts of the hall no 

 regard whatever being paid to the 

 injunction, the president declared 

 the sitting at an end. This inci- 

 dent was not likely to produce an 

 effect favourable to any proposal 

 for enlarging popular freedom. 



At the meeting on the following 

 day, care had been taken to pre- 

 serve due order, and speeches 

 were made on each side of the 

 question relative to the censor- 

 ship, which were directed to be 

 printed. The debate was resumed 

 on the 8th, and was continued on 

 the three succeeding days. At 

 length, M. Uaynouard having been 

 heard against the law, and the 

 Abbe de Montesquieu in its fa- 

 vour, the question was put by 

 ballot, when there appeared for 

 the law 137 balls, against it 80, 

 upon which the president pro- 

 nounced, " The Chamber adopts 

 the law." It is to be observed, 

 that M. Montesquiou had made 

 the concession on the part of the 

 king, that the censorship should 

 not apply to any work exceeding 



20 sheets, and that the operation 

 of the law should be limited to 

 the end of the session of 1816. 



The law underwent considerable 

 discussion in the chamber of peers, 

 and vanous amendments were 

 made. In the mean time the 

 public attention to the subject was 

 kept alive by some prosecutions 

 of libels ; and it was not till Oc- 

 tober 21st, that the law was sanc- 

 tioned and published by a royal 

 decree. Its provisions were not 

 materially different from those in 

 the abstract above given. The 

 previous censorship of works under 

 20 sheets was fully Cbtablished. 

 The regulations respecting clan- 

 destine or illegal printing, were 

 rendered more precise and severe. 

 By three ordinances of subsequent 

 dates, various appointments were 

 made for carrying the law into 

 effect, the censors were nominated, 

 of whom 19 were termed ordinary, 

 and 22 honorary. The general 

 direction of the bookselling trade 

 was placed under the Chancellor 

 of France. 



It appears as if some particular 

 law had been made relative to 

 journals and periodical papers; 

 for tlie Chancellor, alluding to 

 such a law in an edict of October 

 29th, directs that no such paper 

 shall be published at Paris after 

 Nov. 1st, and in the departments 

 after Dec. 1st ensuing, without 

 the authorization prescribed in the 

 law; and that such authorization 

 shall be granted, and may be with- 

 drawn, for the daily journals of 

 Paris, by the Director-general of 

 the Police, and for all other parts, 

 by the Director-general of book- 

 selling. Every English reader will 

 feel the great importance of a 

 restrictive power in the officers of 



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