The Express.
London, England, 1862-11-24 00:00:00

[Stamped, id. Additional.]

FRANCE.

(nor eus OWN

PARIS, BATUILIMT Ene(l7o.
It will be recollected that at the Duc deGrantont-
Caderousse's trial, M. de Villemeseant (the editorof
the Figaro) and Viscount de Nod flatly contradicted
each other upon a matter of fact. M. de Ville-
moment swore that the ph in the Figaro.,
representing that the D had hesitated to fight
Mr. Dillon on the ground of being a plebeian
(comae hard de roture), was written at the instiga-
tion of Viscount de Nod. The latter vehe-
mently protested "by Jesus Christ," and
upon his honour as a gentleman and a
soldier, that he never said anything of
the kind. This painful affair has now taken an
extraordinary turn. This day's Figaro contains a
letter from M. de Vilkauessant to M. Flandin, the
judge who presided at the trial, in which, after
complainiag that he (M. de Villemmeant), being
summoned as a witness, was treated by the court
as a prisoner, minus the right to defend himself, he
asserts that Viscount de od, "the gentleman and
soldier," not only inspired the paragraph In ques-
tion, but actually revised the proof and clanged a
word in hie own handwriting. The word new
alleged to have been written by Viscount &Sod
was the veep lived rotate which parolee& theorem
reflections of the judge and the Imperial Proeurear
upon M. de Villemessant. In support of this
almost incredible allegation M. de V illemeasant
calls five witnesses, whose names are printed. M.
de Bragelonne, the secretary of the Figaro, deposes
that after an interview between Viscount de Nod
and M. de Villeesessant, the latter dictated to hint
the paragraph in questios, at the same time giving
him a Belgian journal containing an article marked
in red ink (being the Dukede Caderousse's offensive
letter about Mr. Dillon), and telling him to give
that journal back to Viscount de Nod when he
called again, and also to let him see the proof of
the paragraph. M. de Brageloane did not see
Viscount de Nod again ; but on reading the Figaro
he was surprised to find the words comsat Rant de
roture substituted for the word plaCien, which he
had written at the dictation of M. de Villemestant.
M. Roucolle, the chief compositor of the Figaro, cer-
tifies that he showed the proof to Viscount de Nod,
and saw him strike out the word plebeien written by
M. de Bragelonne, and substitute the words Haut
de roture. M. Catinand, a compositor, and M.
Iluclos, a corrector, both confirm the fact of the
change of words, and M. Kugelmann, the printer,
says that the compositor consulted him about the
orthography of the word plibeten.
As collateral evidence of Viscount de Nod's par-
ticipation in the paragraph, the Figaro also pub-
halms a letter from- a M. Chavette, who was present
at an interview between Viscount de Nod and M.
de Villemessant after the duel, and wrote down at
the request of the latter Viscountde Nod's account
of it. On this occasion Viscount de Nod referred
incidentally to the paragraph in the Figaro, but
without in any way complaining of, or expressing
the least regret at, its insertion. He particularly
begged that M. de Villemessant would not tell any-
body from whom he learned the particulars of the
duel, and accordingly in the narrative published by
the Figaro, on Oct. 26, several circumstances were
' omitted, from which an inference might have been
drawn that Viscount de Nod was the reporter.
M. de Villemessant concludes hie letter to M.
' Flandin in these words :—" I have consulted my
lawyer, and I learn to my astonishment that the
allegations of a prisoner before a court cannot be
prosecuted, because they are not sworn to. It is,
therefore, to you, M. le President, and to your
high impartiality, that I have the honour respect-
fully to address myself while you are yet
filling that chair from which fell those severe and
undeserved words which still vibrate in my heart
and distress my family. And now, M. le Presi-
dent, before whom does the ghost of Mr. Dillon
appmr ? And what shall be thought of the word
of honour of this soldier and gentleman' 1"
To the above specific indictment Viscount de Nod
replies shortly, in a letter to tbie evening's Pnww,
that the Figaro has inserted an article against him
which is "altogether inexact in its tenor," and
that he has this day commenced a prosecution
against M. de Villemessant.
The public must, therefore, suspend its judg-
jnent.
The very rare case has occurred of a press prose-
cution being quashed by the Court of Caseation.
The Courrier du Bas-Rhin was convicted by the
correctional tribunal of Colmar (and the conviction
was confirmed by the appeal court) of a libel upon
a judge. The supreme court has annulled the con-
viction on the ground that there is no libel on the
face of the article, and that the courts below went
out of their way illegally to seek culpable motives
in surrounding circumstances. Tins is a whole-
some lesson to zealous public prosecutors in the
country. The liberal press is thankful for the very
little law that is left for them. They feel that the
Imperial system will never be comfortably seated in
the saddle as long as there is any law at all.
The Bourse has been much depressed. A report
that the Bank of England will raise iterate of discount
next week, combined with political rumours about
the Imperial policy in America and Greece, pro-
duces a general feeling of want of confidence. Rente
fell 25c. for cash and 35c. for account, closing at
70.20 in each case. Mobilier fell 35f., and the
Italian Loan 20c. The Southern Railway fell
1126, and the other lines from 2.50 to 5. The
railvay receipts, according to the last returns, show
a considerable falling off.