106] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



CHAPTER X. 



Affairs of France. — Position of the Army of Occupation. — State of 

 Things at Nismes. — Law of Amnesty. — Obsequies of Louis XVI. and 

 his Queen. — Insurrectionary Movements at Lyons. — Disturbances at 

 Tarrascon. — Plan of National Education. — Parties in the Legislature. 

 — Declaration of the Majority in the Chamber of Deputies . — Establish- 

 ment of the Duke of Berri. — Insurrection at Grenoble. — Malcontents 

 at Paris. — Tumult at Nismes. — Affair of the Abbe Vinson. — Dissolu- 

 tion of the Chamber of Deputies, and Convocation of a new one. — 

 Suppression of Chateaubriand's Work. — Ministerial Influence in the 

 Election. — Anniversary in Memory of Marie Antoinette. — Opening of 

 the Chambers, and King's Speech. — Conclusion of the Year. 



T N the beginning of this year, 

 X the right wing of the army of 

 occupation in France began to 

 extend its line further than the 

 limits marked out by the ti-eaty 

 of Paris, from Charlemont to 

 Amiens, in which last town an 

 allied garrison was placed. This 

 wing is stated as being composed 

 of 25,000 English troops, 16,000 

 Russians, 5,000 Hanoverians, and 

 5,000 Belgians, all on a complete 

 war establishment, with a pro- 

 portionate reserve of artillery, 

 always leady to march on a sum- 

 mons. These measures were 

 tliought to be adopted in concert 

 with the French government, for 

 the maintenance of order and 

 trancpiinity ; and it coidd not be 

 doubted, that in many parts of 

 Franco, the minds of the people 

 were inflamed by distresses and 

 party divisions, threatening to 

 break out into dangerous commo- 

 tions. A roval ordinance, dated 

 January 10th, gave, however, a 

 favourable report of the state of 



tilings at Nismes. In that town, 

 it was said, the ordinance of No- 

 vember 21st had been received 

 with respect and submission, and 

 although the assassin of General 

 Lagarde had not yet been appre- 

 hended, he had neither asylum 

 nor protection there. The church 

 of the Protestants was open, and 

 they enjoyed all the security 

 which was guaranteed to them by 

 the laws. After so niaiked a re- 

 turn to order, the King would no 

 longer postpone the revocation of 

 the rigorous measures which had 

 been drawn from him by neces- 

 sity ; he therefore by the present 

 ordinance enjoined, that the troops 

 in garrison, or quartered on the 

 inhabitantsof Nismes, should with- 

 out delay be withdrawn, and dis- 

 tributed in the barracks, and in 

 such parts of the department of the 

 Gard as the Commander might- 

 judge necessary ; and that the 

 prefect should declare to the in- 

 habitants of Nismes, that the 

 King is satisfied with the zeal 



with 



