The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-10-29 00:00:00

THE EX-EMPEROR NAPOLEON'S
PRIVATE FORTUNE.

We (Economist) are glad to be able to say that in
well-informed circles in the City the statementa which
have been published in Paris respecting the cc.
Emperor's private property in London arc asserted and
believed to be incorrect. The kind of stocks and shares
which the Emperor was alleged to have held was very
significant, and the statement contained an imputation
of a much more serious kind than the assertion that
the Erni eror had accumulated some private means,
which, within limit., would have been a most proper
thing for him to do. The Paris statement, ought not
to have been made without the best of evidence. But
such evidence, it is confidently stated, will not be forth-
coming, because the Emperor- so far, at least, as his
private affairs in London are concerned—was in fact
not rich, but poor. The memorandum which ii alleged
to have been discovered in the statement of the Em-
peror's private account in London in 18011, And on the
faith of which he is supposed to have held at that time
upwards of £9OO 000, is pronounced a forgery, and there
is at any rate no foundation for the construction which
has been put upon it as a list of the Emperor's property
at the time.

Messrs. Baring Brothers, the London bankers, have
also swat the following to The Times, for publication :
•
_ .

, .-
" With reference to various statement. which have appeared
In the public prints as to the Investments of money said to
bare been mode by our arm for account of the Emperor of
the Wrench, ore. to stocks and property said to to held by
us for hie account, we deem it right to state, through the
medium of your journal, that at no time have we made any
investments for scootint of the Emperor, and that we do not
hold any stocks or objects of value for Ms account."

Referring to the above, the Daily News remarks :
Among the documents found at the Tuileries and pub-
lished by the Trovinional Government in Paris, was one
which apparently contained a list of foreign and other
lovestmente made on behalf of the Imperial Govern-
ment. The inference which was very generally drawn
from this document was that the existing rumour.
of large polytonal investments on the part of the Em.
peror Napoleon had found documentary confirmation.
We gave the document as it appeared in the Paris
paper,, with the inference which bed been drawn
from it ; and we now gladly reoonniee that the Inference
was a false one. There is, of sours), no question aa
to the authenticity of the document; what in ques-
tionable is the Interpretation put upon it. It vas at once
concluded that it had to do with the Emperor's private
affairs, and that It indicated the nature of his foreign invest-
ments and the agents through which they had been made
Messrs Baring's contradiction of their mounted agency effec-
tually diapome of them maumptionn. They declare 'that at
no time have we made any investments for sccount of
the Emperor, and that we do not hold any stock.
or objects of value for his account." We believe that the
English public will gladly receive thin contradiction. There
Is no disposition to prom hard upon a fallen man; there
in, in fact, every disposition to reormaise all his claims
to sympathy or respect The seeming evidence that he had
laid by handsomely for thin catastrophe of warm tended to
his diecredlt the disproof of that evidence leave, ua tree to
express a personal, though not a political, sympathy with
him In hi, overthrow.

more instantly effective execution. It is not impro-
bable that even when we write the august lady
may have already quitted England; but it is of
course impossible to state exactly what influence the
armistice proposals of Lord Granville, abruptly
intervening while another method for settlement was
actually in the stage of diecuetion, may have npou the
plans propounded originally from Metz. One thing,
at least, may be confidently expected—that the action
On which the English Government has entered will be
limited to impressing on the belligerents the wisdom of
terminating the war at its present stage. It is not our
business-- nor might it be welcome to either Power—it
we went into any discussion either of the terms on which
armistice Or peace should be concluded, or of the pc..
litical arrangements in France which are to precede or
flow from the negotiations for peace. If, yielding to
the counsel of the Neutrals and the urgent pres-
mire of cruel facts, the belligerent national only consent
to consider in common whether, and on what conditions
It is possible to make peace, the object of our interven-
tion will have been gained. And, looking at matters
from that point, much has been already won in the
mere fact that M. Thiers—as representing France,
rather than any of her extreme parties, or her Govern-
ments of exigency—will forthwith have interviews
with Count Bismarck, in order, by a frank interchange
of views, to ascertain whether a more formal negotia-
tion would have any prospect of good results.