The Sun. — London, England, 1830-12-20 00:00:00

' cu ___„-` /f TRIAL OF THE EX-AIINISTER . irk: . ,s. 1 t '. ; I.= - • `: COURT OP PEERS. . , ` - ' (Ceintinuat'on of the proceedings of Wednesday.) ! ' Itee- • - .•-- / y - -- - ' , MI A MI : OF 3t. COMMON IA RANVILLF. I • .1 1 .tii ' cOMEtutilerment of M. de Ranville's examination ~was needy to the same e ff ect as that of the ether prisoners • ~ i• •alreollY reported. - He declared that his motto had always I, leen!" the King and the Charter, justice, and resolution," •''anti welt had been his political creed. The Bishops, res.'- , . I ° l4 S'Aild patrons of universities, were under his controul. kin hit - elretilars to them he had exhorted them to vote ~ sicionlin g to their conscience, and to endeavour, by till the 1 Ineatie:in their power, to obtain the return of Deputies `Lialtbfate the King audio the institutions of the country. I : He liadpreposed nothin•r to the Bishops of France incon !' militia with their dut and to s alt There had only been is ' 'sfunctionar y . ' f este . ° clay remov e d in his department. That - • • I t person liad'frequented the coffee-houses, and loudly an , tonnoid hie intention to give his vote to the opposition I ' e nuflidale. : It was towards the otiddle of July that the 1; ordirvincee were first propowd, but the prisoner declined :: t!iviFift by, s hum the proposal had been male. The ,printilinta on Which the ordinances were founded were , ' clever ifiactisserl in outwit. The prisoner did not con , suit Al . ` Ge e urvoisier es, to what bad passed in council, "','but on certain general luestions, and in regard to the tactics of the opposition journals, whirls resisted in !, ;speaking of coups di etal. On being asked whether the i l *romances were opposed in council, the prisoner observed that: the question was eery delicate, and required some 'explanation. He 'avowed that he did not understand the -*. obligations of an osith'exactly as his colleagues had ,done. 'l t le thought - himself entitled to draw a distinction. He t:• felt all the importance"of the oath taken by Ministers, but ke believed that it was applicable only to secrets of state, i*'itsif wie'not etherwite binding. . He thought himself ps i: titled in di-closing ' a : personal opinion in what concerned hie colleagues individually. When he saw the examine ;lion of hie colleagues, he perceived that they had regarded 'the oath more comprehensively. He might be Mistaken, but the example of. Messrs. de Chabrol and de Courvoisier • I ' i pried that they coincided in his opinion. As to his re m, alliance to the ordinance*, his opinions were specified in i t o lio' declaration of the 20th of ' December. In pre (, ' "lied of the King he had resisted niliat was contrary to W l ' OPioinn. On being asked what had induced the Mi 1,., olilera • opposed to the system to sign the ordinances, the prisoner anewered—i. They were voted by the majority." ; Tire respect . which he owed to time person of the King forfuld him to answer the question, whether he had : yielded ti a powerfUl authority ; but he thought it his ' thity to declare, that as far as he was concerned, the King had never exercised any authority over his Ministers with vebich his nonscience had reproached him. In regard to i ' ~the plating Fa r i s. i n a s t a t e o f s i ege , th e p r isoner declared, ' that in monition with all his colleagues he would have stop -, d the Weldon of blood at the risk of his own life. He was - Aware of the step taken by the Deputies, and ; • anded, that the King was also acquainted with it ; but ; be, did not know what answer had been made It by Charles X., nor whether one of the Ministers j ,,, had been to St. Cloud during the night between Wednes day and Thursday. No Council was held on Thursday. It'svas merely decided that the Ministers should go to St. ' Cloud. The prisoner was aware of the visit of M. de i t Bentonville, which had hastened their departure. The ; . prisoner was present at the Council which was held at St. : Cloud,. wh en t h e reca ll o f t h e or di nances was reso l ve d on. ! Here the President b e g ge d M. d e Ra n ville to he seated, i. ' but the latter asked leave to make an' observation. He ' wished to explain himself with regent to the deposition of ; . one of the witnesses, the Sieur Chome. This witness ;', had asserted, that on being consulted as to the validity of 1, the marriage of the clergy, the prisoner had stated that the members of the priesthood might contract a civil marriegis. This was a great error. lie had always thought that according to the concordat of 1802, which declared 1, the Catholic religion to be the religion of the majority of the French, sad according to the Charter, which declared I:' it to be the religion of the State, the marriage of the C 1 Clergy was interdicted, because the concordat, as well as 1 4 the Charter, bad preserved the discipline of the Church : hi full vigour. , This interrogatory being finished, the President ad. drooled some further questions to M. de Polignac. , ln your answer to the questions which have been put to you in the coarse of this examination, you have mentioned , a report which should have been made to the King on the' • 16th of April—was this report presented to him ?--- s t, 'Yeas Sir, as far as I Can recollect. 'Were the ordinances of July the consequence of it ? ; Not at all. i 10 11 have said that you wrote a letter to the King on It edoeeday !Veiling concerning the step which the Deputies ; a taken towards you ,' west was, the anawklttat you re , ,ftieedl-4 ' have said already 'that it 'was impossible•for I!te to make any reply as to the contents of that answer. The President (to Count Peyroentst.)—Some doubts :"• Might remain in the minds of many upon an extraordinary , i , fact that is registered in your examination, it is proper :that you should enlighten the Court on this 'head. You ~• imbed that you were asked if you bail seen the Prefect ' of the Police in the course of the three days ; you replied, . 4 ‘ That you had only seen hint on Sunday evening, and that from that time you had not seen him again s" 1 Jute(' , lOU Whether, admitting that the Prefect of Police had so far , forgotten his duties as not to make any report or to send inny communication to you, you had, on your part, taken -any measures to obtain from him the inforination which • 11 e neglected to transmit to you ?—These motives have • ; already been sufficiently explained in the examinatio n s Which took place before the Chamber of Peers. I think v. 4 may diipense with any further explanation. I have r clothing more to add. ~' The Pr es id en t—l mus t re mark that there is a great dif• ; ~.rreace betw een th e wr itt e n documents read before the • uhamber of Peers and a verbal answer. The written do , temente serve evidently as notes ; lint the conviction of ► :the Judges is to be effected by means of oral testimony. it it for your personal interest to reply without preyed : tation.—ln circumstances of such high importance I shall :Odle be sw a y e d b y mot i ves o f personal interest. As • • tho'le circumstances become more serious and more daft- Mous, still more shall I be able to repel any considerations Of selfish interest. After lowing addressed this reply to ; ' Oa interrogatory of the President, I shall in my turn beg i rrthiNlion. to remind him, that what he has said would ' - It i tteontroiertible in its principle, if this Court were a 4 f t)ur : d' As'iseo; before a jut•y, indeed, nothing is read , all . • • °Picea ; before you, Noble Peers, the accused may both • •oPrak and read. '-, i Tbe President-.-Have the Commissioners of the Chant- We of Deputies army further questions to put the accused? 4 i Af '•P° ll ll---Every answer made by the accused has been ; ,_ " c e.ompanied by a protest , .or is remarkable by its reserve . ill to be•destred that they should explain the motives for these.pr o t ests and fur this reserve; we are at a loss to ac '-lloorit for them. ',,, M. de Pey:ronnet—lt was I who made the first reeer -144--the first protest. The Court will not be sur ' Ptiaed that I s h ou ld r i se at the i nterrogator y which has ~i r been put. I no wt fi rst say, that I have some cause to . eurprited at it. I t has, indeed, been addressed to us by I, llll :members of a comm i ss i on to w h om I have fully made ff! 11 our motives for such reserve ; whatever they may `''that ought to repeat them here. It is easy to discover , : t ""( the grounds for protest is the positive, out 'Ts,POO, incivility, I mo. The re • • con mu in the first exantina• ere it I.: Was nsegaasy at the first -1 1 10 110 tit 'in' 107. the ' presence of this Court. The second , - , • t il i roa n o d , for reserve is not, as has been supposed, the ques -4,A% ,_' the competency of the Court, (I consider that . an al ill constitutional and incontestable ,) but, in the 7-4.!1 . exercise of its jurisdiction, as regards the accused ladi:viiduels arraigned before it. '• • iem ,. Persil -.- Do the accused intend to draw any formal ; .e_lusious from these observations ? • i p ill th ll ll , l ‘lartignao rose hastily and said--That belongs 1., .' 14 7 , . fl ue_reftect and will be explained in it. :•ei ceet r_7r;oter--elt is the accused who are being ques t.. itt.. l l , tie time ; the accused must reply. • *M o e a l lt riltrotc--It is my duty to reply to a question, , .. concerns the defence. ja ti w de 'Peyronnet interrupting M. de Martignac,- -of o r , net Sir, a word. I think that the Commissioners •, bi s . !larder of Deputies have the right to question me; ieli ' o l 1. 11 , 1 0 k (allow me the expression, I am reduced to ti t I think they 'of th e iii ete are eornpletly wrong in the nature a peoto the rats/dories. They ought to hear, in this re , also 0 replies for the defence ; and I dare to say, such W duty of this noble Court. salt t o I shall fi nd it diffi tet ,cotoprehend that they should conceive themselves Coe 1 t° quettion either the defendants or their tile lieforeh bittot t h e and, and before, the moment is arrived, tie s . nature, the substance, and the object of the con - p tee t,". which day appear necessary in time course of the t eett i;rll ., ll . I have said enough, I think, on the irregu the co "e Proceedings in my written answers, to make e ~.._ intruttee ante Chtunher of Dep uties well aware of it; ' 'los sajo occurred to enough, I think, upon the doubts which have Meat b y the m no e bi " to the jurisdiction exercised at this mo- I . a, not amp 0 think it possible that I should be further quell ; !he ard *, th is point. When all the witnesses have been • bee oll'oeu the.blembers of the Committee of the Chatn ; att er rP / Stiti brie been heard, when we are allowed to i-; 4 air flofettrOs then will he the moment to adopt No. 11,941. - ir iv 7 . ( //c i. „,"6/7„,,/-:->f----C / ~.• 7 . , :1:4 j , 'as acl di( -• ( • ' --- ii t t '' 4 ,10‘ _.,-,-, Ai •0. 1,17 -\ - - 1,- - -,,, .., gr-,_,,,,,f, n ti of , -.iof...tvjg, - ~.. , • '4::;,a t ,. * ---- ---. iv!, ,+; '• I , - ~. !It- NA 1 , 4 r --, J R, -, ,,k, 4 . .• , Pc , = : ::,v.. 4' ''''' ( ~,4 : :' . ‘l 7- * , - 4..2 ,-- 4 :....,1 ‘ 4 t4 1 ..- Al ~ , „, :...t . , ...._ . ..- ,... . , '-...'f• -*1 -4, , ~... '. •, , f 1,,,1 * ~* . 10 , V..., fl . st. , ~, •,. ~ 4. ~‘; ' * l3 ---.0. o 4 pi 0 1 0 1 1 , ,11... j a '''''.' 7.--"--.,„ - Z. count wa Itly the IRMO as mit orOlgrs<4y give at in the published narrative of the three days. M. Rivers was here forthcoming upon the subject of the allusion made to his name by the Prccureur du Roi. HI said, that upon reading the ordinances in the Moniker on the Monday morning, he repaired to M. Mangin at the Police-office, who told him that he had been to the Minister of the Interior to complain of not having been apprised of the ordinances before their publication. Count Peyronnet here rose again, to declare that he I a I not kept himself out of the sight of M. lilangin to avoi imparting to him this inforMation. He certainly did not go to look for him on the occasion, as he had not the honour of his personal acquaintance; tier had be ever spoken to him on the Sunday night, except in a general way ; but on the Sunday night at ten o'clock he did most positively prepare N. Margin for the reception qf these ordinance s on the following morning, and, at the same time, e.trrees to him his great apprehension, for the re. :cult.—(Tiiil last sentence MU delivered by Count Peyron net with great animation.) The Procureur du Roi was here recalled end placed next Al, Rivers. The former again said, that though M. Men& had said he was only officially apprised of the or dinances through the Moniteur on the Monday morning, yet that he had intimated some general knowledge of the intention to issue them on the preceding night, but that it was then too lite to avert the consequence. of want of preparation to enforce them. The Pou t t, at a quarter pat (our, adjourned till tu ft-wren-. TIMID DAY—]he. 17. These Will are proceeding amidst uninterrupted tran quillity; nevertheless, the strictest military surtnillonce i 8 maintained ; the National and Municipal Guards And the troops of the line occupy their posts, and supply inces sant infantry and cavalry picquets. The cases which aro related of disturbances in the streets are merely indiildual acts of insubordination, and there is no reason to appre hend popular commotion. Tit; Peers met this morning at ten o'clock its usual, and the priumers were conducted to the bar as on the former day.. Prince Polignite, upon entering, conversed earnestly with M. hfartignatt,-hicronosei, holding 'him at the same time grasped affectionately with bit baud. Several gen tlemen of the bar deputation, who are in the space railed off from the prisoners, shook htiaclo and conversed with Count Peyronnet. All the prismters were in talose'con versation with their counsel while the Peers were ranging through the Chamber Mtheir plisses, and being called over by the grainer. The attendance was, as before, every where crowded. The 'Duke de Banana is a constant spectator in the gallery. . The diplomaiic boxes are every day full, hut none of the Ambassadors attend personally, probably in delicacy to the unfortunate Prince Polignsc, who was so long a member of their corps, Ind who must (were they pretoot) be now seen by them in a situation so widely different froM that in which they were wont to be hold him in his days of political elevation. Prince Po lignite hears a striking resemblance in features to Mr. Astell, the East India Director, without being of such tall stature. In height, features, dress, and tone of voice, Count Peyronnet very much.reeembles the lett Mr. Hus• kisson, possessing, however, mere energy of manner. The demeanour of all' the prisoners is calm, and indeed diznified ; and M. di Chsntelause looks in better health. When the Court was formally Opened, M. Hennequin, Counsel for Count Peyronnet, rose and addressed the Pre sident, respecting the visit of M. Mallen to the Gaunt on the Sunday evening. Ile said that all employil of the Minister of the Interior, who had read the evidence °flea tcrtlay, had called upon him to say that he wished to be examined, for the purpose of showing that Count Vey ronnet had throughout evinced the utmost anxiety to take precautions against the unhappy troubles of the city, and had actually seen M. Illangin, the Prefect of the Police, on the Sunday night. The President gave the necessary orders for the produc tion of this witness. • Just at this moment the Duke de }Jrng!ie and U. de Ilarrsnte, who were not in court yesterday, took their sent* behind the President. The first witness this day was M. Lalitre, who deposed (as we have already given in his depositions) in the par ticulars of his visit to Marshal Marmara at the Tuileries with MM. Cassimir Perrier, Gerard, Loban, and Mangin, in the hope of negotiating for a suspension of the Milian hostilities, a revocation of the ordinances, and a change of the Ministers of Charles X. He described, exactly in the terms already employed ht his published depositions, the tvgret expressed by Marshal Mermout at his melancholy situation us a soldier which compelled him to passive obe dience, the message from Prince de Poligna6 that as be had no power of seceding to their terms, it *as useless to receive the deputation. it vas on the inggestion of Mar. moat that Polignac's name was mentioned, when be asked if they had any objection to see him. The answer was, none whatever; but when the Marshal retired to an adjoining chamber to speak to the Prince end rejoined them, the answer was ste above, that such an inferfirW would be useless, although ea the staircase an officer laid that Pricey Polignac would have great pleasure to receive them, which proved, in the sequel, to be a mistake. The Marshal said he would communicate to the King what had passed, but hinted no hope of success. M. de Martignac here rose and expressed a wish that the Court would ask if M. Lafitte, upon Marshal Mar. mont's return from Prince Pangaea, to announce the presence of the deputetion, had obeerved any change in the Marshal's countenance which would tend to convey a notion that he had encountered any obstacle in the closet, on the part of the Prince, to the pacific intervention of M. Lafitte and his colleagues. M. Lafitte, on being desired by the President to reply, acid that he had observed no change of that kind. The Marshal's features were as before, those of a man who had no expectation of success front the beginning to their mis sion, and who merely on his return to them wished to sty, that if he had any further communication to make to them, they should bear from him. There was a crowd of officers in the ante-room as they entered, whose counte nances bespoke a hope of successful issue to their mission, but on retiring these appearances were thangell to sheep poinunent and dejection. it was M. Laroche Jacquelin who said to them, under a mistake, that Prince Polignite wished to see them. The Marshal alivays said he should send a despatch to St. Cloud of their situation, and as uni formly indicated by words and manner, that he bad no hopes of our proposition being acceded to, bet that if itny change book place, he should let us know. The evidence of both M. Lafitte and Cassimir Perrier was received with great attention by the Court, and these gentlemen were immediately accommodated with seats on the ilmr after the delivery of their testimony. M. Cassimer Perrier was the next witness; and he deposed in full confirmation of M. I..afitte's narrative' of the interview with blarment at the Tuileries, and exaCtly in the words already given in his depositions already pub lished. He was asked no quotient' on the part at the prisoners. The two next witnesses were, the Aidetede-camp in attendance upon Marshal Marmot, who were called to depose to the occurrences which they witnessed near his person while on duty during the three days. One of them (the second), a Pale, reluested the Indulgence of the Court for his manner of speaking the French language. M. de Guise said, that as Aide-de-ramp to the Marshal Duke of Ragusa, he knew that on the Monday morning the Marshal, who was appointed to the command of the troops in Paris, had set out hastily to St. Cloud ; but whether he saw there either the King or Mum Patinae witnese could not say. He then narrated the orders given on the Monday In the troops to arrange thenwelsee in different parts of Paris front the Tuileries to the Town house, and on the Boulevard., to stop the popular move meet. The orders of the Mirehal were foe the troops to use their arms with the greatest reserve and caution, and only to use violence in ease of imminent necessity. 'He believed that the Marshal kept up a tenstant counnunica. lion with the King daring the troubles, and had apprised hint of the particulars. • On the Tuesday he knew the Marshal wrote to' the King that all was cairn, and the troops then reposing undisturbed in their quar ters;---it was, .however, on that day that Paris w" declared to 'be in a state of siege. biter on the same day, nevertheless, all things were altered, end thin, from the accounts received by the Marshal, he wrote to the King to say, that it wax not a popular tumult but a real revolution which was impending in Paris; anti it was jot after he had written that AL Lafitte and the De. posies came to the Tuileries ; the moment they were gone, the Marshal wrote another letter to the King, which Was instantly despatched to St. CLAW. ll* mould no what answer was returned from St, Cloud, but lie belitied a letter did come late in the evening, and it was eater that the order was given to distribute a mouth's' grati fi cation (exult pay) to the troops . Did the Marshal take any steps to stop the e ff usio n o f blood ?—ife did ;he desired the troops to seam fi ring, and ordered a proclamation to be issued, to forbid t i le pteo tell )lle from resorting to violence. TllO witness WAS present, he proceeded to state, when MM. de Stmonville and d'Argout arrived at the Toilerltes but he:knew nothing of the particulate of tittir iuttrview with the Ministets, u he went out at the tint* to order, u tinge; but while there for a moment lie hoard thou will tern engaged in a very Warta conversation witittk.. 24l4Al and Prince Polignao. A convetutiou ensued betwom assniPolf a 4 " 11 that LONDON, MONDAY EVEI' cip'e it was conducted ?—M. de Chabrol. As to the de.. liberations of the Council, 1 might preserve an absolute si'ence ; but in , these grave and solemn circumstances, when my silence might he interpreted against the accused, my conscience tells , me to reply. I was not made cc. qua'nted with the formation of a new Ministry. After the elections of 1828, I presumed that 'there was to be cone modifications in the Ministry. On the 2d of An gust. M. de Polignac came to my house, and told me that the King reckoned sot my devotion : at the same time he informed me that the King had made choice of him for the formation of a new Ministry. I replied that I {lid not think myself capable of adding any great strength to the system in which the new Council was organised, I re fused to enter it. S•one political conversation then took place between M. de Polignac and me, when he informed me that the question was not the formation of a new nistry, hut. to introduce some changes into the composi tion of the existing Ministry, and to bring into it men of talent. I replied, that my political life was invariable, and that I wished to limit myself to fidelity to the King and obedience to the laws. On which M. de Polignac re marked, that the line to he followed was that of a perfect fidelity to the Charter and laws of the kingdom ; be added (I repeat his words), that the question was not the for mation of a Ministry entirely united in opinion ( tout dune scale pi?ce), but to bring into it the representatives of the extreme right, of the centre right, and the centre left. I then determined on entering the Council. President--After your egtaring the Council, did t .Itlinistry limit itself to the line at first indicated?—Until my withdrawing from the Council, the:Minietry constantly kept to that line, and did not quit it by its acts of re apect due - to the charter and laws of the kingdom. What were the causes of the retirement of M. de la BoUrdonnaye?—An opinion different from his was enter tained relative to the Presidency of the Council, and lie gave in his resignation. What.were the causes of your resignation ?—I must de clare, that during all the time I formed part of the Coun cil, n: ither ordinances, nor coups (Petal, were ever con templated. No project for departing from the regulations laid down by the chatter, or by the laws of the kingdom, was ever agitated. There was, however, dissension among the members of the Cabinet. M. de Martignao---In the report made to the Chamber of Deputies relative to the accusation, I observe it stated that a struggle fur pre-eminence arose in the Council be tween a favourite Minister and an impetuous Minister. It would seem that a struggle having arisen in the Coun cil, between the pride and ambition of one Miniyter, and the pride and ambition of another, it is important that the Chamber should be informed upon this point, and that it should be explained how M. de Polignac arrived at the Presidency of the Coutacil. It is important to know whe ther his ambition was satisfied, or if the necessity of piecing bins at the Presidency of the Council was acknowl_dged by any other than himself. M. Cliabrol—l will frankly reply, that I think it was agreeable to the King to st.e M de Polignac at the head of the Administration, and that it was this consider ation which carried hint to the Presidency. The second witness examined was Jean Joseph Antoine Courvoisier, late Keeper of the Seal., aged 55, residing at Ileum, in the department of Doubs. lie' declared that he could give no information relative to the forma tion of the Ministry of the Bth of August, as be did not arrive in Paris until the end of that mouth. I urged (con tinued the witness) to M. le Polignao many strong objec tions relative to my entry into the Cabinet; if I remember rightly, I told him that it would be difficult, and even impossible, that I should form part of an Administration, in conjunction with A Member of the Chamber, to whom I had been opposed eight years. "My opinions," added I, " are registered in the lifoniteur ; it is impossible for me to alter them. If I could alter them, I should be obliged to present myself to the Chamber, my face covered with ignominy. The snore I insisted on these objections, the more M. de Polignac insisted on his side. I went to St. Cloud, with the intention of reiterating to the King the objections I had made to M. de Polignac. The King was already acquainted with them ; he introduced the subject himself, and Mid me that his will was, that the Administration should act agreeably with the Charter. I was convinced, and accepted the Seals." M. Courvoisier then proceeded to give an account of the dissensions which had arisen in the Ministry ; of the re. tirement of M. Labourdonnaye, and of the motives which had occasioned it. "On the retirement of M. Labour donnsye," be added, " I came back from St. Cloud in company with M. tie Polignac. After conversing toge ther, M. de Polignac was, like myself, still of opinion that the Council ought to he renewed in such a manner as to conciliate public opinion in his favour. On the follow ing day his impression seemed to he no longer the same. Much hesitation was apparent in him. It was easy to see that tie conviction on his own mind hail met with some obstacles, which it was not in his power to overcome." M. Courvoisier then gave an account of two letters which he received fro►ta M. Guernon Renville. "In his letter of the 30th of August," said the witness, " he ex pressed a regret that he had not been pierced by a ball." He added that my arguments had convinced him, and that in the Council of Ministers, as in the Council of the King, he had rejected and opposed the project of the or dinances. M. Cremieux—Can the witness ;give any information on the manner in which M. Guernon de Renville de. scribed the general sentiment of France, and what was his own opinion of that sentiment, whether in the Council of the King or in private conversation ? M. Cottrvoisier—The Counsel of the accused reminds me of my declaration before the Juge d'lnstruction. I re. member very well, that M. Guernon de Renville said, France is centre gauche. _ • _ _ M. Sausset (Counsel for M. de Chantelauxe)—lt i s i m . portant to know what was M. de Chabrol's opinion of the political sentiments of M. de Chantelauze, and what were the motives which induced him to name him to the King as Minister for Public Instruction. M. de Chabrol—l have long known M. de Cliantelauza. I have always seen him follow the wisest and most moderate course—that' of fidelity to the King and to our constitutional institution'. M. Cremieux—l shall put the same question to the witness relative to M. Guernon de Renville ?—I have al. ways observed that he strenuously encouraged constitu tional sentiments. He carried even into discussion the roughness whick was natural to his character. I will add, that.one day he expressed himself in the Council with so much asperity, that I presumed he would go out of it on that occasion. It being a quarter past four, the President ordered the accused to he led out, and recouttnentled the public not to quit the galleries until they had left the Court. The ac cused retired in the same order, and preceded by the same municipal guards. On passing before the Court, Messrs. de Polignac and Peyronnet were observed to smile, and exchange civilities with several Peers. PARIS, THURSDAY, DEC. COURT OF PEERS.--PALACE OF THE LUXE BOURG. SECOND DAY OF THE STATE TRIALS• This morning this important trial was resumed at the usual hour. There is no real appearance tiny move ment which is likely to compromise the public tranquillity. I say real, for it is known that there are several person' flying from one quarter of Paris to another croak►ng alarms. There is, no doubt, a great variety of opinions as to the kind of verdict which ought to be pronounced ; and if the Fauxbourg St. Antoine were to be canvassed, the result would no doubt be fatal to the prisoners ; still the moderate party appears to have rather gained strength.— It will require the concurrence of 57 voices among the .Peers to pronounce a capital conviction on this occasion ; and it is understood that there are only forty voices for dealt. Several Peers have declined taking a part in the proceedings; and yesterday the Duke D'Aumont and the Duke De Grammout (the brother-in-law of Polignac) left town. It was remarked yesterday that every answer of a favourable tendency for the prisoners was well received by a sufficienly significant gesture throughout the Court. Nothing cast exceed the alacrity and efficiency of the National Guards t they are on duty night and day. The instant the clock struck ten the prisoners were coo ducted into Court; they were escorted by four of the municipal guard, and two of the officers.of that corps.—. The Counsel followed, and then the President and the Peers entered and . took . their seats. The prisoners were dressed and looked exactly in the same state of feeling tut yesterday. Polignac and Peyronnet commenced reading ionic official papers ; Chantelaute read a -newspaper, and Guernon de Renville convened with a gentleman who our conclusions. Until then we have the right to delibe rate upon them, and we do deliberate. M. Persil—The Committee of the Chamber of Depu ties have a right to interrogate the defendants. M. de ntrtigsme-...The right is not absolute ; it may be subject to some restriction.. M. Persil—No, Sir. M. de Martignac—Let us argue the question. M. le President—The right of the Committee on that point cannot admit of any doubt ; they have a right of in terrogating the defendants. M. Persil---I will ask M. le Prince de Pelignac whe ther, in the Council held on Tuesday, the 27th of July, any report was made of the occurrences of that and the preceding day ? M. ale Polignae—No report could ba made to the Coun cil of Ministers. No authority could make that report. No authority is in communication with the Council of Mi nisters. Each of the Ministers comtnutticated to the Council his individual observations, information, opinions, and advice. M. Persil—There watt in that Council a Minister of the Interior, whose duty it was to regulate every thing relat ing to the situation of the interior. I ask you, whether that Minister of the Interior originated a deliberation on the subject of declaring the city in a state of siege? M. de Polienac—That question will be treated in our defence, but if you inset on it, I will reply, that although there was no report maderby anyone whatever, no written report, the Council was "'stormed of the events of the dcy ; the particulars brigtht separately by each membtr of the Council were sufficient to demonstrate to the Council the necessity of declaring the city in a state of siege. M. Persil—How did declaring* Polignac collect these par ticulars? In his capacity of Minister of Wer ail interim, he ought to have been in communication with the agents of the military police. Had he any reports from those agents? and was it from them that he was enabled to judge of the situation of the public feeling ? M. de Polignac—The military police bad nothing to do with me that day. The reports made to me as Minister of War, could not come to me from the agents of the mili tary police, I was primarily Minister of Foreign Affairs; I was only Minister of War ad interim. The Under Se cretary of State of the War Department was the central point with which all reports were communicated. If such reports were made, it was in his office. M. Persil—Did the Ministers consider themselves die-' charged from all responsibility after the declaration of the city being in a state cf siege ? M. de Polignae—That question has already been an. swered. The Ministers did not consider themselves dis charged from the responsibility attaching to their acts as Ministers, but they had nothing to do with what related to the functions of the Duke of Ragusa, the Commandant of the city. AL Persil—You hare said that the Duke of Ragusa spoke to you conceining the order to arrest a certain num ber of persons ; what did he say to you on that subject ? M. de Polignac—He only told me that he had given the orders. lie enumerated the names, amongst them were names of individuals whom Ido not know. How• ever, these orders given by the Duke of Ragusa were never executed. He told me himself that he had counter manded them. M. Persil—Were the orders of arrest signed by you or by the Duke of Ragusa? M. de Polignac—By the Duke of Ragusa. M. Persil—Without doubt he ought to have signed them, as he was invested with the military authority. But I ark you who gave these orders of arrest? M. dr Polignae—l did not. M. Persil—..You have said that there was no Council held after Tuesday. Why, then, did the Ministers as semble at the Tuileries; and why did they remain there until the next day ? Prince de Polignac--I have already said that I was driven from the Hotel of Foreign Affiirs, and from hence alone it arose that I was found at the Tuileries with two or three of my colleagues ; the others arrived afterwards. M. Persil—Thus, accidentally, the Ministers all re. mined at the Tuileries, which gave a perfect resemblance of a permanent Council, and yet you,my.tl)o there was no Council at all. • . M. Persil—l repeat, Count de Peyronnet, a question to which you have gived an answer which appears to me very extraordinary, and which tends to fix the opinion of this Court, and of all France, as to the real state of things. How did it happen that on the Sunday evening, when the Prefect of Police was with you, you did not give him any orders relating to what was to take place the fol lowing day, and particularly why you did nut call for reports ? M. de Peyronnet—This question is repeated to me in a manner which authorizes toy saying that my answer was either not heat dor not comprehended. I have care fully distinguished what passed un the 25th, from the oc currences of the following days. I have said, that on the 25th of July, I sent for the Prefect of Police. I have said, and I repeat again, that I gave him instructions, which I now regret I have not printed and published, because it would have rendered a recurrence to this point of the accusation totally unnecessary. On that day (said the accused, raising his voice), and on every subsequent d I fulfilled soy duties in a complete and irreproachable manner. Let us hear, then, no more of astonishment at my having had interviews with the Prefect of Police, and not availing myself of them to give him my proper in structions. 1 have been required to explain the motives of my conduct. I have already answered as far as I ought to answer, and I will not add any thing more to it. The President and the Court must be fully aware that when, upon any serious question, I have expressed a determination that appeared to me just and right, my miud was con scientiously convinced, and eotliing would shake my deci sion. I declare that I have no further explanations to give than are already comprised in a written document with which the Commisioners are fully acquainted. I am justified in expressing surprise that they urge new answers to questions already replied to, and the answers to which are recorded and printed in their own words. M. Persil—The Commissioners are not acquainted with the printed Answers referred to. They will demand of the accused whether, on the Monday, he was still Minister of the Interior, and if there woe a Prefect of Police; and they would ask him why, on the Monday evening, he did nut take measures to secure the exertions of that subordi nate. As the Commissioners had not understood the former answer, they were obliged to pet sist in repeating it. M. de Peyronnet—l am convinced that, on reflecting, a little, the Commissioners will understand why : I add nothing to my former answer. I am.astoniehed that he should have repeated his question; I cannot think that he is ignorant of what I have read, for it is they who have written it ; and they have doubtless considered it before 1 could read it. M. le President-,I have.suother question to address to M. tie Peyronnet. There is a contradiction between your answers at this audience, and those which you gave in the previous examinations. You now say that you saw M. Man& on Sunday evening, while M. Mangin says that he first became acquainted with the ordinances through the Monitory.. M. de Peyronnet-.-It had been agreed, that front the Wednesday I was to arrange with the Prefect of Police as to the measures necessary to he adopted ; this resolution led to no result ; and it was on l y on Sunday evening, that on leaving the Council I wrote to the Prefect of Police to come to use in the course of the evening. Ile came about ten o'clock. I did not communicate to him the details of the ordinances, but only told him the nature of them, and enjoined hint to redouble his exertions in order to prevent any disturbance of public tranquillity. It ought not to excite surprise that I did not give the Prefect of Police instructions relative to the course he was to pursue during the day of Tuesday, in respect to disturbances, the exist. enee of which I was very far from foreseeing. President.—Will the Count de Peyronnet indicate the passage in the printed report to which lie has just now alluded ? M. de Peyronnet—At this moment I have not the re port; gentlemen of the commission will feel what is my teply. I request that I may not be forced to go farther. I n truth, it is certain that, dating from the Monday, I have had no relation with the Prefect of Police. It IN equally certa i n th a t, o n the Monday and Tuesday, the Prefect of the Seine having co me to me, I told him that I had no orders to give him. M. le President--Iluiseier, call the first witness. Count Christophe Chabrol de Cruzol, Peer of Feaster, having been introduced, was addressed by the President to the following effect :-.- You•formed:part of the Ministry of the Bth of August, of orm us what part you took ia it, and on what prig- ING, DECEMBER 20, 183 stood near him. Colonel - Festamel spoke to the pri soners, apparently to see if they wished for any furdni accommodation. Prince Polignae conversed earnestly with his Ciunsel, while the greffier called over the name , of the Peers present. . . The Comit - tissioners for the aecukation Avery in their box in full Court dress, and hail a voluminous pile of papers upon their table. When the aremony of calling over the Peers was diSpoSed of, the President opened the regular business, of resuming the process against the prislmers, by calling for the next witness, who was a fine soklierly-loolc ing man, a lieutenant, in the uniform of the Chasseursot the National Guard, who was•ealled upon to depose to hi observations of the manner in which he saw the Parisian disturbances occur in his neighbourhood. His name was De la Porte. He ihscribed, that on the evening of the 27th of July, be was standing at the dour of his. shop in the rue St. Honore, when he siw the collection of the crowd near him, and heard the cries o f "Lung live th e charter, down with the gend'arines;" soon after he saw the bodies of two people carried by his door, either dead or grievously wounded, and he then bettril the people exclaim vengeance. His evilenee merely went t 4 the description of the crowd near his own door, and to a narrative of what he had . heard from thosewho ran•.along from the Pahas Royal, where he understood a smart engagement had been raging. The porter of the house of M. CaSsimir Perrier depot; aieo to the assaults of the gendarmes on the people without dt E lept KoVocation, as iar wbatroird, or the least call for siibinission. M. de Joly (also a National Guard) gate an account of what lie saw on the 27th of July, in the. Palais Royal, exactly like that of the precc ling witnesses—the - patriotic shouts of the people, end the ineffectual efforts of the police and military to overawe the movement. He saw the sol: Biers, particularly of the Royal Guard, fire without the previous legal formality for dispersing a crowd; and he likewise saw an officer distribute money (five franc pieces) to some of the soldiers, to stimulate them to more violent efforts against the people. Al. Ferrey, a bookseller of the PAIN Royal, described that in his neighbourhood, ho saw the soldiers fire or. the people without the previous formal demand of the police for submission. This occurred on the 28th, the same violence was shown by the civil and military authorities on the 27th and 29th. He particularly observed the violent spirit of the Royal Guard during these proceedings, anti likewise of the gendarmes. M. Pow, who resides in the quarter of the Luxem hour,g, saw many of the conflicts of that quarter during these days, and also saw the soldiers fire, without ob serving the usual mortal effect of gun-shot diAeharges. Upon speaking to a soldier, he understood from him, that they had repeatedly flied to overawe, not to kill the people, with ill-constructed cartridge s,---one of which he produced to the Peels; it was handed round as a curiosity, and found to have the ball so placed, as not to be a dan gerous projectile. A National Guard, leho followed the fugitive King to Rambouillet, was here called, and be deposed that General Pajol distrihnted to the pursuing body, mixed of all kinds of people, packages of cartridges, exactly of the same bind, calculated to frighten, but not to kill! This demonstration at each side of military men to spare a wanton effusion of human blood, produced a lively sen• tion in the Court. M. Ducastel reiterated the description of the combat in the rue St. Honore; he said the military officers had re peatedly called upon the people.to disperse before thty fired, but he did not obsorve a legal submission exacted by the police, as the law required. His testimony was corroborated almost in the same words by M. Therrier, a confectioner, who lived in the same street, with the addition of a confirmation of the other tumult while he passed through the Palais Royal on one occasion. This witness excited some laughter from the pompous and moootonous tone in whch he delivered his account of some common-pi we chat, which he had over heard in the crowd while the contest was raging. Ile distinctly stated that he saw the people in one place attack the troops. Ploughobn stated that the result of his infer , mation was, that the troops employed to put down the spirit of the people had not evinced the bitter ness ascribed to them. On the Boulevards, he had beard, that near the Port St. Martin a man in the crowd had fired twice at an officer of the Royal Guard, and missed him, the officer at the same time calling out, '6 What an awkward d-1 you too; go hack to your shop, you block head." A similar occurrence took place near the Niels du Justice. As to the outrages attributed to the gendarmes, he could say that in the various narratives which be had collected, he could nut find a good foundation for these charges, particularly respecting the wanton killing of an old man in the streets. M. Petit, Mayor of the second Arrondissement, said, that on Monday, the :26th, he was, at ten at night, in the Palais Royal. On the Thursday morning he went to the Tuileries, where he met M. de Polignite. He told him that he was going to St. Cloud, to beg of the King to annul the ordi nances, begging witness at the same time to remain in the Chateau, as his presence might he of some use. Here M. tie Martignac observed, that it was necessary that the witness should tell what were the apparent dis positions of M. de Polignac, %%ien he set out for St. Clond. AI. Petit though he could not affirm anything po s i. tively on that subject, yet supposed that the Prince intended to obtain the orders of the King, especially as he had en gaged him to wait for his return. The sitting of the Court was then suspended for a quar ter of an hour, and the prisoners withdrew. On being resumed, the witness appearing Ives— M. Barbet, who said, he was on the Wednesday near the market of the Innocents, where he saw an officer give the word end he immediately alto M. Galloton, Ancieu Commis:wire de Police, said, that heard shots goof, command when to be fire, etired. on Tuesday, the 27th of July, he had been ordered to seize the presses of the journals. In reply to a question from M. Ilerenger, this witness said, that as to the delivery of cartridges without WA, he knew nothing about it, except hearing that the aoldici a were betraying their cause, for they had in many instances drawn their cartridges. Marshal Count General Girard was next examined, who said lie was one of the Commissioneis sent on the Wednesday on the part of the people of Paris, and the Deputies, to the Tuileries, to try if it were possible to stop the sanguinary conflict of which the city was then. the theatre. Ile described, in nearly the terms of hisaleposi time, already published, the particulars of the interview which M. Lalitte, as their spkesinan, had with Marshal Marmont on that day at the Tuileries; the regret of Mar mont at his unfortunate situation, as a soldier and obedient necessarily to higher authorities ; .the demand of the Commissioners to have the ordinances revoked, the Mini sters of that day changed, awl hostilities instantly stopped by an armistice. Ou these conditions the Conimissioners were to endeavour to appease the popular indignation, and restore the dominion of the law. lie likewise described that their message was taken to Prince Polignac, whom they said they were ready to see; but that the Prince said, as he could not accede to their terms, he could not see them. 211 . . de Polignac was intently occupied with Marshal Girard's ex am i nat i on , b ut d ec li ne d as ki ng hi m any quee lions. His Cou nse l, M. Martignae, however, cross-exa mined the Marslnd, from the depositions he had already given, with a view, to show, if possible, that Marmont could ant have had time to communicate with Papule, while they remained at the Tuileries on the day in question, except fur a moment; and whether they had not ascertained the perfect readiness of Prince Polignae to re ceive the deputation it they bad thought proper to enter the apartment in which he was occupied at the time. Prince Pulignac here rose and said, that the moment he was informed of the arrival of the deputation, he had ex pressed his perfect readine's to meet them, He bad cer tainly sent them a message that if. their object were to de, mand a repeal of the ordinances, Ai an indispensable con dition, there was no use its his seeing them, as he had power to rep ea l t h em w i thout re f erence to t h e King; but that he wa s a t t h e same t i me qu i te ree d y t o see a n d c onf er with them up on any t hi ng within his province to regulate. Ills only reason f or nut com i ng ou t into their Chambet was, that it w ou ld b e use l ess f or -him to discuss a condi. tints which he had of himself no possible authority at the :moment to IZomply with, M. 13illut, Procureur of the King, was then examined, and hisatatement differed very little from that which set have already publishetl.• He repeatedly declared that 01 the Monday hkAid not receive from any of -the Ministers; PRICE 7D. er more particularly from M. de Chantelauze, any instruc. , 1011 , 4 relative to the execution of the ordin►nces, which he oily knew by the Moniteur. Ile said that he bad re. peatedly tried to see M. (1,, Peyrontlet on the Monday evening, and could not. . _ Here Count Peyrounet row, and expressly declared that lie was the whole of that evening in his saloon, em gaged in receiving persons on business, and might have 'men seen at once, if the witness had called to see him upon official business. The witness must, in the confu -ion of the moment, confound d The witness here underwent a long cross-examinuion on the part of the Commissioners for the prosecution, in which he was repeatedly and earnestly pressed to tell the whole truth, according to the terms of his oath,—ln in junction which he declared to be unnecessary, as he wished to state every thing, to the best of bie recollection, of what passed at the time. He said be saw Count Pry ronnet on the Monday morning, but positively declared that he did not see him afterwards on th tt day. He was, however, apprised by M. Mangin that hetet! seen Pey ronnet and conversed with Wm, and that 46 persons were to be urkeated.—(4' No," front Count Peyronnet.) By one of the Commissitmers—What were the 'motives for issuing these orders for arrests?-..The 27th of julytny attention wits drawn to an article in the National, which I thought it my duty to impugn, although I much re gretted the signature it bore, as well at. :the nettessity of makiog it the subject of prosetrtion. 7 ' • But bad an affection for the Government it attacked, I thmight my self bound to follow up the matter. • I soon received the orders for arrest from M. Manliu s and transmitted them at once to the Prefect of Police; who called before hirer '14(3414, Chief of the Beretta. - The latter said the execution of these arrests would take a long time, as' he shoal have first to inquire the address of the person who signed one of the impugned articles in the National ; and that, on the other hand, the tumult in the capital would render, in till probability, the efforts of the police useless. Where are these warrants?--I believe they were since desttoyed by the Judge of Instruction. Here the witness was pleased very close by the Commissioners for the Fo secution to relate the name of the person who he said was privy to his conversation with Mangin on the subject of the projected arrests, when, after a Food deal of hesita. tion, he named M. Myers (at present a Judge of the Court of Cassation). The witness did not name this person till repeatedly called upon by Count Peyronnet and his Coun sel. not to withhold any name in delicacy whatever to his situation. Count Peyronnet rose, and declared with energy, that he bad no wish whatever that any delicacy town& him should withhold frcm the Court the fullest intimation upon every part of his conduct. M. Rivers was here sent for, and the answer was, that he could not at the moment be timid. An order was, however, transmitted for his speedy attendance. Count Chabrol de Volrie, formerly Prefect of the Seine, was then introduced, and declared, that on being informed of the ordinances, die paid a visit to the Minister of the Interior, to whom he declared that he thought himself obliged to resign his functions, as hie administration had always been of a rnild and paternal nature. The Minister replied, that the public tr inquillity would soon be ro ost Wished, and invited him to continue to fill his ordinary functions. Witness observed that the duty of a prefect is not to inform himself of the security of the town ; how• ever he sent several able agents to inform him of the state of affairs, and they reported that several groups were as seri-bled in the neighbourhood of the Palais Royal. On the Tuesday witness was told that the town was in a great state of excitement, and that some of the troops had re fused to obey certain orders of a rigorous nature. During the evening many persons Assembled round a wounded man, and uttered the must dreadful cries of vengeance. Some others were lireakin , 4 the reverberea. Towares eleven o'clock at night, all was calm in the vicinity of the Hotel de Ville. On the Wednesday, 286, 111. de Chabrol was told the insurrection appeared still more alarming, and that a great number of men were marching towards the Hotel de Ville and the Ministry af the Intoillor. He immedi ately got into leis carriage, and went to AI. de Peyronnet, whom he fonatibedly informed ()retie natureof events. and he required large reinforcements to enable him to establish provisional municipality at the Hotel de Ville. On re turning to the hotel de iVille, the Prefect fin u 1 all in an apparent state of tranquillity ; but ere lung, be saw seve ral columns coming down the adjacent streets, headed by several very resolute persons. The guard retired without being Insulted, and the Prefect, seeing that his interven tion would he us less, retired ale►. The people soon he• came mestere .of the Hotel de Ville, and began to ring the herein, and hoisted the tri-coloured flag. The troops soon arrived in great nuai,ers, and a fire opened, which lasted until six in the evening. During the night the lintel de Ville was abandoned, but it was retaken in the morning, and tables were brought for the establishment of a muni cipality The Prefect finding himself in such a painful situation, left the place altogether, and wrote a report of what he had seen, without knowing whether his report would ha delivered. About eleven o'cioa•k he was informed the capitulation of the Tuilleries, and horn that moment of all was over. M. de Chabrol added that on seeing the Prefect of Police, he found him far from being calm, though he might then have taken measures most efficacious for the restoration of tranquillity. The President—By whom was the Prefect of Police in formed of the ordinances?-13y the Moniteur, I believe. When you saw hint, had he received any orders Irons the Ministers ?—He was then very busy about the news papers, and told me that that day was the most unfortt• nate of his whole lib. Your conversation appears to have been qiii!e of a ge• neral nature ?—Yes. When were you acquainted with the decimation of siege ? —On Wednesday morning, When you saw AL Alangin on Tuesday, did he speak of the siege —lie alluded to that circumstance, hut did not spealt positively of it. M. de Peyronnet—The witness has spoken entirely conformable to truth. On the Sunday I received no kind of report, and was totally ignorant of what had happened. On the Monday I remained in the same state .of igno rance. On Tuesday I was just gettin g i n t o m y carriage, in order to go to St. Cloud, when I saw M. de Chabrol, and I spoke to hint in a tone of surprise and not of com plaint ; for if I had any complaints to make, I should have made them elsewhere. M. Boddon de Hougebourg, the Commissary of Police of the Exchange, said, that ho had for same time before the end of July heard, by public rumour, of the expecta tion of a coup &do, and he went and asked Prince Po lignite about it. The Prince assured him that the do. vernment had no such intention, and desired him to snake an assured communication to that effect to the cornmer• cial people on 'Change, which was accordingly done, and the report to the contrary attributed to miachief-meking. M. Musset was examined to show that the Ministers had attempted to convene a council on the Wednesday, but Paris being in a state of siege, the state of things was such that such a meeting was found impossible. M. de Champagny, of the War•office, said, that they were early apprized at his office of the promulgation of the ordinances, but had then received no orders respecting the distribution of troops through the capital. • Haying .heard since the Accusation of the Ministers by• the Chem, tier of Deputies, that Prince Polignac had been charged with some participation in the fires in Normandy, he felt it right to come forward and declare that when-these eon. fiagratione occurred, no man was more anxious • than Prince Polignac to have them fully sifted, and that to the knowledge of the witness he had put every engine of the adrninistretion of the War-office into play to detect the incendiaries. This he knew to his personal knowledge as tan employee of the establishment, The President..-When had you a knowledge of Paris' being placed in a state of siege ? On the Wednesday M. de Polignac desired me to prepare a council of war, as the c ity teas declared in state of siege, and I took the pe. eessary. arrangements at. the bureau, and transmitted an account of them to the bureau. My arrangements were to send Mai the names of the staff; these- he got, hut 1 am -not aware that any council of war was actually or ganized, indeed I believe not. • The Prince Polignite here rose, and eAplained that he wished, as a matter of cootie, to know the eystent of le 4islation of a council of war, and he had sent to require the official particulars at tlu War-otlive. Upon these he t are some technical explanations relative to the informa tion he received. M. St. Joseph (brother.in•law to 'Marshal Suchet), colonel on the staff, was then examined as to the operations of some of the Garde Royal during thitumults. Ills ac•