The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-12 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EYENING2q, AUGUST 12, 1851.

•
. . FRANCE. .
• ,
.Q "
• PARIS, MOSDAY lIVEN
ilt&President 44 the Rapablic has anpointed M.
ltuftht, Ministei'of Agriculture and Commerce, to
the Ministry or the Inferior ad interim, during the
absence of Nr. Leon Faucher.
The Minister of Finance has fixed the interest on
Treasury I3Ms as tollo*s, from and after this day :
On billa having from 3 to' 3 Mouths to'run, 2 per
cent. per annum; on "bins from t 1 fo 11 months, 8 per
cent. per annum ; and on bills at 12 months, 4 per
cent. per annum.

TRIAL AT LYONS.
iftitraricocer 8.
The whole day was again occupied in reading evi-
dence, consisting chiefly in letters by or to the prisoners.
An incident occurred which very nearly resulted in de-
priving the prisoners of the assistance of their counsel.
This would certainly have happened but for the really ad-
mirable conduct of Colonel Couston, who, with all the dig-
nity and firmness which belong to the president of a court-
martial, evinces under most difficult circumstances, a spirit
of kindnem and conciliation which is far less common.
Whileche registrar was reading one of the 222 letters
which am in evidence signinst`Gent, the latter told him to
pass that letter over. The registrar stopped reading, on
which the president warmly rebuked him for attending to
an order from a prisoner. Subsequently, upon Captain
Merle, who acts as judge advocate, expressing his opinion
that it was unnecessary to read all the letters of Gent, the
latter explained that there was nothing that he desired to
suppress, but that some of his letters to his brother related
to such merely private matters that he wished to put it to
the judge advocate whether it was worth while to read
them. M. Michel (de Bourges) then observed that the
letter to which Gent's interruption referred, was one in
which ho had spoken to his brother of his own suc-
cesses at the bar, and that it was from a natural feeling of
modesty that he did not wish to bear it read in public. The
President remarked somewhat stonily, that the fact stated
was no justification for the prisoner having pre-
sumed to give an order to the registrar. Gent then
denied that he had given any order, and upon
the President repeating the assertion, Gent con-
tradicted him with much warmth of manner. The President
instantly ordered the gensdarmes to take Gent out of
court, which was at once done. M. M chel (de Bourges)
was proceeding to make an apology for Gent, when the
President told him that the trial should proceed in Gent's
absence. M. Michel (de Bourges) then said he would
withdraw from the defence. M. de Nadler Montjau rose and
said that he and the rest of his colleagues also felt that they
could not continue their task and felt it right to withdraw
The President then said, with much feeling, that he deeply
regretted to hear that resolution, that it would be a ter-
rible loss to the prisoners, and that the court also
were anxious to have the assistance of counsel, and
he would gladly lister. to them. He would revoke his de-
cision and re-admit Gent, if the latter would only admit
that he had been wrong. M. Michel (de Bourges) ob-
served that Gent had not intended to be disrespectful to
the President, and consequently could not admit that he
was wrong. The President then said that he would go so
far as to admit him without any apology on the under-
standing that he would conduct himself properly for the
future. M. Michel (de Sources) withdrew with this mes-
sage, and with some difficulty persuaded Gent to return
into court. Gent, on taking his place, bowed slightly to
the President, who returned the salutation. The reading
of evidence was then resumed.