DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE.

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succession of the French crown to a child of Napoleon .Joseph Buonaparte was prevented from attending thisassembly by the wars in which Spain was involved.Lucien absented himself, from a hostile feeling towards hisimperial brother; all the relations of the Emperor, PrinceEugene , the son of Josephine, and Josephine herself,ostensibly, approved and consented to the measure. TheSenate and all the great officers of state joined in theapproval— Murat alone was vehement in declaiming againstthe project. He described it as unjust, unfeeling, un-necessary, and impolitic. There are many persons yet alivewho assisted at that conference, and I call on them to deny,if possible, this my important statement of the opinions ofMurat, upon a step which many writers have been pleasedto describe as the most momentous and fatal ever taken byNapoleon . Murat alone in his opposition to the divorceof Napoleon and Josephine, of course the ceremony tookplace, maugre his opposition. The discussion was after-wards directed to the choice of a princess most fittingto provide an heir to the Imperial Throne. Napoleon wasinclined to choose a Princess of the House of Austria ; sothe majority of the debaters coincided with the Emperor —but Murat, again said, that as the divorce was done, somePrincess must be accepted of; but he was of opinion thata family alliance with Russia , would suit the interests ofFrance better than that with Austria. The Austrian ,however, was chosen. Were I to recount the intrigues andmanoeuvres of the continental Ambassadors at Paris , eachendeavouring to procure for a Princess of his courtthe dignity of Empress of the French, a good octavowould not suffice. The money that was expended(secret service money), the jewels, plate, and decorations,bestowed by way of making friends and gaining influenceamounted to enormous sums.