The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-05-05 00:00:00

A PIOUS SPECULATOR.

A person named Pinot de Moira, exercising
the profession of banker, was about month ago
cited before the Tribunal of Correctional Police
at Paris to answer a charge of embezzlement ;
but he did not present himself, and was con-
demned by default to two years' imprisonment
and 9,5 fr. fine. On Saturday he appeared to
Oppose the condemnation, and the case was gone
into. It appeared that at the, beginning of last
year a- lady named Languillet, a widow, having
some capital to invesi, consulted the cure of Chail-
lot, her .confessor, on the Subject ;, and he stated
that he knew that M. Pinot de Moira, banker, a
very Pious person, and who hactemployed part
of his fortune in founding a charitable establish-
ment in Sclavonia, under the direction of the
Fathers of the Community of the Holy Ghost and
of the Sacred Heart of Mary, could profitably
employ any capital placed in his hands in " con-
tinuations" (reports) on the Bourse ; but what
Bourse continuations were the cure could not
exactly state. She accordingly sent one of her
friends to consult M. Pinot de Moira, and he
gave explanations from which it appeared that
the money would be made to yield a good interest
without incurring any risk. She therefore con-
fided to him 70,000 fr., and ho gave her a written
acknowledgment, which she took without reading.
Some months after, finding that M. Pinot de
Moira paid her nothing, she examined the receipt
and found to her surprise that it simply said that
she had given him the money to be employed as
he might think fit, and that she could not claim
it without giving him three months' notice ; not a
word about interest. She insisted on having a
new receipt, and he gave one which set forth
that the money was
.to be employed for her pro-
fit in continuations, and was to be restored to her
at a given date. But she received nothing for
the use of the money in the Bourse operation's,
and when the date arrived the capital was not
forthcoming. In place of her 70,000 fr., the banker
gave a promissory note signed not only by him-
self but by his brother-in-law ; but the note was
not paid, and all her attempts to get back her
money were vain. The defendant maintained
that the money had been advanced to him as a
simple loan, and that he had only given her the
second acknowledgment mentioned because she
appeared alarined. The public prosecutor prayed
the tribunal to confirm the first judgment, and
strongly denounced the defendant for employing
the guise of religion to commit fraud; he also
expressed a hope that the clergy would take
warning by the case to confine themselves to
giving spiritual counsels to persons who might
consult them, and not to meddle in their worldly
affairs. The tribunal maintained the previous
condemnation.

A WEDDING MISHAP.—A few days age a loving
young couple went, accompanied by their friends, to a
church not far from this city to enter into the bonds of
holy matrimony. The wedding service had commenced,
and had Progressed to the point where the ring is pro-
duced, when a singular hitch took place. No ring was
forthcoming. Not that the bridegroom had, in the
bustle and nervousness of preparation for the important
ceremony, forgotten to put the ring into his pocket on
leaving home, buthe was ignorant that the Mlle golden
hoop was required in the marriage ,ceremony. Here
was a difficulty! The good-natured clerk said he would
try to find one, which be would lend for the ceremony,
but the-officiating minister objected, and refused to go
farther in forging bonds where so important an element
in the Manufacture was 'wanting. In this difficulty the
man, who was thus placed a neutral position between
the single and, the married state, was about to ran in
despair to this city to purchase a ring, when a second
Couple, who had also come to the church with the like
object of matrimony, touched with a fellow feeling, and
perhaps by the tears of the disappointed bride, lent him
their vehicle for the journey. He just contrived to get
back with the ring in time for the marriage to be con-
clude& within the lawful hours, the scrupulous minister
havitig kindly awaited his return ; and the pair then
went away in high spirits, all the happier for their
previous disappointment.—Worcester Citron iac.
THE ENtiEROR AND THE SPIRITS.—During the
time which Mr. D. D. Home spent in Paris he was
a constant visitor and guest of the Emperor and Em-
press. On his first visit, in a room of which the Empe-
ror and he were the sole occupants, the wonderful
manifestations of which he is the medium were rigo-
rously scrutinised by the Emperor, and were repeatedly
displayed under conditions prescribed specially by the
Emperor, in order -to enable him to pronounce definitely
upon the phenomena. No jumping to contusions, but
rather a jumping on table and chairs, to obtain more
accurate demonstration of the truth. After all the con-
ditions of the Emperor hai been satisfactorily complied
with, and not a doubt could remain • upon his innocent
mind, he said, " The Empress must See. this ;" and
he went himself to bring her from the sestori
where all the Court were assembled. Upon her
coming with the 'Emperor, for two hems the three
were seated together at the table, wonder-struck at
the phenomena which, were produced, before them.
After this Mr. Homo became a constant guest, and
in repeated sittings nearly the full range of spiritual
manifestations were made familiar to both the Emperor
and the Empress, as well as to most of tte French Court
and aristocracy. A record was kept of these different
sittings by direction of the Emperor, and fifty copies
were printed in his private printing-office for distribir-
tiOn. The Empcnir, not being a Fellow of our Royal
Society, makes no secret of what he sawand heard, but.,
on tlse contrary, has made it a subject of frequent con-
versation; end, among others of his acquaintance, both
he and the Empress have informed our Queen a 0
Prince Albert of all the wonders he has seen. On one
occasion four persons were sitting together at tie
Tuileries..-t Emperor and the Empress, the Duchess.
de ,Dfontebello, and Mr. Home. A pen and ink were on
the table, and some paper: A spirit-band was seen, and,
'presently it took tip the pen, and in their sight and pre-
sence dipped it in the ink, went to the paper, and wrote
upon it the word " Napoleon," in the autograph of the
great Emperor- The Emperor asked if he might be
allowed to kiss the band, and it went to his lips, and
then to those of the Empress ; and afterwards, on Mr.
Hanle making a humble, request,- he was permitted to
kiss its warm and soft texture. The autograph is now
among the valued contents-of the "Emperor's spiritual
portfolio."--Spiriiaai Magazine.
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