enjoy: that the public debts shall be inviolable: that the sale of the national domains shall be irrevocable: that no Frenchman shall be responsible for the public opinions he may have expressed that liberty of worship and conscience shall be maintained, as well as liberty of the press, subject to legal penalties for its abuse. At a sitting of the senate on the following day, a decree passed, which, after a preamble asserting, "that in a constitutional monarchy the monarch exists only in virtue of the constitution or social compact," proceeded to shew, in a number of articles, in what manner Napoleon Buonaparte had violated his compact with the French people; and, as the consequence, declared: 1. That Napoleon Buonaparte has forfeited the throne, and the hereditary right established in his family is abolished: 2. That the French people and the army are released from their oath of fidelity towards Napolean Buonaparte: 3. That the present decree shall be transmitted by a message to the provisional government of France, conveyed forthwith to all the departments and the armies, and immediately proclaimed in all the quarters of the capital. (See State Papers.) A similar resolution was on the same day adopted by the legislative body. During these transactions in the capital, Napoleon moved his army from Troyes by Sens towards Fontainbleau. He arrived at Fromont on the 30th, and would have been in Paris had it not been in the possession of the allies. On learning what had passed, he retired to Corbeil, and thence to Fontainbleau, whence, on April 4, he sent Marshals Ney and Macdonald, and General Caulaincourt, to carry to the senate his proposal of submitting to the decision of that body and of the French peop'e, and to abdicate in favour of his son. This proposition being rejected, he announced an unconditional abdi-' cation in the following terms: "The allied powers having proclaimed that the Emperor Napoleon was the only obstacle to the re-establishment of the peace of Europe, the Emperor Napoleon, faithful to his oath, declares that he renounces, for himself and heirs, the thrones of France and Italy; and that there is no personal sacrifice, even that of life, which he is not ready to make to the interests of France." Such was the close of a career of insatiable ambition, which had for so many years involved Europe in blood, and shaken its firmest thrones. From the character of the man a very different termination had been expected; and after he had refused conditions of peace which would have left him a potent, though a diminished sovereign, it was supposed that there was nothing desperate to which he would not have resorted, rather than sink to a private fortune, and accept life from his victors. But from an honourable death in battle he was precluded; for what army would have accompanied him to certain defeat? and to the other resource, suicide, his mind was not made up. Whether religion, reason, or pusillanimity withheld his hand, must be judged of by those who possess means of looking within him to which we do not pretend; nor will we venture to pronounce what would have been the most most heroical exit from his high part in the political drama. He was no real hero, and it is a question of little importance what conduct is most suited to the counterfeit of that character. Against any danger to his life, he was protected by the honourable behaviour of Marshal Marmont. Prince Schwartzenberg having on April 3rd, sent a letter inviting him to accede to the decree of the senate, by which Napoleon was declared to have forfeited the throne, and to pass with his corps under the new government, the marshal in reply expressed his willingness to contribute to the interests of France; but required as preliminary conditions, that all troops quitting the standard of Napoleon should have leave to pass freely into Normandy; and that, if events should place his person in the hands of the aliies, the Prince should guarantee his life and safety, and he should be sent to a country chosen by the allied powers and the French government. These terms were agreed to; and the emperor of Russia proposed to Napoleon in the name of the allies, that he should choose a place of retreat for himself and his family. His choice fell upon the island of Elba, on the coast of Tuscany. A treaty between the allied powers and Buonaparte was signed on April 11th at Paris, the terms of which sufficiently proved either his own remaining consequence in their opinion, or the powerful intercession made in his favour. By its articles, after his solemn renunciation, for himself and his descendants, of the sovereignty of France and Italy, it is stipulated that their Majesties the Emperor Napoleon, and Maria Louisa, shall retain their rank and titles for life, and that all the branches of his family shall also possess the title of princes; that the isle of Elba shall form a separate principality to be held by him in full sovereignty and property for life; and that there shall besides be granted to him an annual revenue of two millions of francs, with reversion of one million to the empress, and that to the menbers of his family shall be assigned a revenue of two millions and a half of francs; that the duchies of Parma, Guastalla, and Placentia, shall be granted in full sovereignty to the empress, with succession to her son and descendants; that the property possessed by Napoleon in France as Domain shall form a capital not exceeding two millions of francs, to be expended in gratifications to persons according to a list given in by him; that free passage shall be given to all of the family, and their suites, who chuse to establish themselves out of France, and an escort of 1200, or 1500 of the imperial guard to Napoleon himself to the place of embarkation; and that he shall be allowed to take with him, and retain, 400 men as his guard. Other favourable articles to himself and his followers are added, and the allied powers guarantee the execution of the whole treaty. It is however observable, that the signatures are only those of the ministers of Austria, Russia, and Prussia, and that the British government refused its concur. rence further than concerned the assignment of Elba to Buonaparte, and that of the Italian duchies to Maria Louisa. The deposition of Buonaparte might naturally be expected to be followed by the immediate restoration of the ancient royal dynasty; but France was not in the same state of preparation for such an event as England on the downfall of the protectorate. The Bourbons were unknown or forgotten by the mass of the nation, and the allied powers had hitherto cautiously avoided any open indications of intending to adopt their cause. The declaration in their favour at Bourdeaux was the work of a few in Paris they had no party except some emigrants who had been permitted to return; and it is affirmed, that the emperor of Russia, on his entrance into the capital, was yet undetermined how to act in this point. To Talleyrand alone is ascribed, by the best informed, the resolution of placing Lewis XVIII. on the throne of his ancestors. This consummate politician, whose talents had made him necessary to Buonaparte, found no difficulty in transferring his allegiance from one who had slighted his counsels, and had brought on his own ruin, to a sovereign who would be indebted to him for his crown, and probably give him his entire confidence. When, therefore, the provincial government, of which he was the main spring, presented their plan of a constitution to the conservative senate, that body passed a decree in which was the following article: "The present Constitution shall be submitted to the acceptance of the French people, in the form which shall be regulated. Louis Stanislaus Xavier shall be proclaimed King of the French, as soon as he shall have accepted and sworn by an act stating, I accept the Constitution; I swear to observe it, and cause it to be observed." This was confirmed by the legislative body, and no opposition appeared on any part to the resumption of royalty by the head of the Bourbons. It is indeed probable, that eventually this must have taken place, whoever had first been in possession of the helm. Republicanism had been tried and found unsuitable to the genius of the nation; and no other settlement than a restoration of hereditary royalty could have united so many suffrages; but it was happy for the tranquillity of France, that the determination was instant, and by the highest authority. Several succeeding days were distinguished by the accession of different French marshals, and of various public bodies, to the new order of things. On April 13th, the interesting circumstance took place at Paris of the entry of Monsieur, the king's brother, into the capital. The allied sovereigns, who very prudently had hitherto avoided all appearance of interfering in the domestic concerns of the French, thought it expedient, that this solemnity should be purely national, and therefore neither attended it in person, nor permitted their troops to join the train; lord Castlereagh, however, with the whole of the English mission, conceived it a compliment due to a family which had so long resided in this country, to appear in the procession. His Royal Highness was met at the barrier by the members of the provisional government, the municipal authorities, and the ministerial officers, and entering amidst a group of marsbals of France, and great officers, proceeded in grand ceremony to to the church of Notre Dame, to return thanks for the happy change in affairs. He was welcomed, according to the authorised account, with the most loyal acclamations, and received a congratulatory address from the municipal body of Paris, presented by the prefect of the department of the Seine. But before we proceed farther in recording the events of France, pacified and renovated, it is proper to wind up the narrative of its warlike transactions, unhappily not yet brought to a conclusion. Lord Wellington, under the date of March 26th, communicated the intelligence of the retreat of the French, after the affair near Tarbes, with such celerity, that they arrived at Toulouse on the 24th, offering no other opportunity of action to their pursuers, except one attack of cavalry upon their rear-guard, in which they sustained some loss. The approach of the combined army on the 28th, caused the French to withdraw into the city of Toulouse, and the swoln state of the Garonne from rain and melted snow, would not permit Lord Wellington for some days to throw a bridge over it, below the town. It was not till April 8th, that he was enabled to move any part of his army across 'the river, at which time, no information had reached either army of the great events that had taken place in Paris. The defences of Toulouse, which on three sides is surrounded by the canal of Languedoc and the Garonne, consisted chiefly in a fortified suburb, on the left of that river, forming a good tete de pont, works at each bridge of the canal, and strong redoubts on a height between the canal and the river Ers. Of these positions every advantage had been made by the diligence of marshal Soult; and the roads from the Ariege to Toulouse being impracticable for cavalry and artillery, it became necessary at all hazards to make the approaches on this quarter. The 8th and 9th were chiefly occupied in preparatory movements; and on the morning of the 10th, a general attack was made, the particulars of which cannot be rendered intelligible without a plan. The result was, that after a day spent in sanguinary conflicts at various points, at its close the allied troops were established on three sides of Toulouse, and the light cavalry was dispatched to cut off the communication by the only road for carriages, which remained to the enemy. Arrange-` ments were making for a further advance; but on the night of the 11th, the French retired, leaving three generals and 1600 men prisoners. This success was not obtained without a loss to the troops of the three nations of about 600 killed, and 4,000 wounded. Lord Wellington entered Toulouse on the following morning, where he was received with general accla→ mations, and the town hoisted the white flag. It was not till the evening of that day, that his Lordship received from Paris intelligence of the events which had occurred in that capital on the 7th. It was brought by col. Cooke, who was accompanied by a French officer, directed by the provisional government to convey the same information to marshals Soult and Suchet. The former did not at first consider it to be so authentic as to induce him to send his submission to the new govern, ment; but proposed to Lord Wel lington lington a suspension of hostilities, for the purpose of giving him time to ascertain the real state of affairs. To this, his lordship refused his consent, and marched his troops forward, on the 15th and 17th, to Castelnaudary; in the meantime he concluded a suspension with the commandant at Montauban. On the 16th another officer arriving from Paris was forwarded to Soult, who, on the following day, gave information of his having acknowledged the provisional government of France. Lord W. in consequence authorized an English and a Spanish general to arrange with the French general Gazan, a convention for a suspension of hostilities between the allied armies under his command, and those under marshals Soult and Suchet. This was not the only unnecessary bloodshed, which the delay of intelligence for a few days occasioned. Early on the morning of April 14th, a sortie in force was made from the French camp in front of the citadel of Bayonne, upon the position of the allies at St. Etienne, opposite the citadel, chiefly on its left and centre. At the beginning of the attack, Majorgen. Hay, the commanding officer of the out-posts for the day, was killed, and the assailants gained temporary possession of St. Etienne. They also drove in the picquets of the centre, where major-gen. Stopford was wounded. On the right, lieut. gen. Hope bringing up some troops to support the picquets, came suddenly in the dark upon a party of the enemy, when his horse was shot under him, and himself wounded and taken prisoner. After a time, all the lost ground was recovered, and the picquets were reestablished in their former posts, but a serious loss was incurred, both of officers and men. These actions, however, were the conclusion of a war now without an object. On April 23d, Monsieur ratified, with the allied powers, a convention for the suspension of all hostilities. In the preamble it is said, that "the allied powers, united in the determination to put a period to the calamities of Europe, and to found its repose on a just distribution of power, among the states which compose it; wishing to give France, replaced under a government whose principles offer the necessary securities for the maintenance of peace, proofs of their desire to resume amicable relations with her; wishing also to cause France to enjoy as much as possible, the benefits of peace, even before all the terms thereof have been settled, have resolved to proceed conjointly with his Royal Highness Monsieur," &c. Of the articles, the first declares, that all hostilities by land and sea are suspended between the Allied Powers and France, as soon as the French generals and commanders shall have made known to those opposed to them, that they have acknowledged the authority of the lieutenant-general of the kingdom. By the second, the Allies agreed to cause their armies to evacuate the French territory, such as it was on Jan. 1, 1792, in proportion as the places beyond those limits, still occupied by French troops, should be evacuated and given up to the allies. The blockade of fortresses in France by the allied armies, |