The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-01 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

EXTRAORDINARY LAW SUIT.
(nom 0112 owl' oonseroinnire.)

PARIS, MONDAY MVINDIO.
A very extraordinary family law suit concerning
the custody of two young ladies, aged respectively 20
and 17, occupied one of the Paris courts last week.
The plaintiff, M. Baiason, a gentleman of property,
living in the Rue St. Honord, is the father of the
minors in question by a first wife, who died many
years ago. M. Balloon has several children by
second marriage. Immediately after the death of
his first wife he placed his two children, then in-
fants of tender years, under the care of his mother-
in-law, the defendant, a widow. This lady be-
came passionately attached to the girls, took the
utmost care of their education, treated them in all
respects as her adopted children, relieved
the father of all expenses for their main-
tenance, and made no secret of her intention
to leave them the whole of her very large fortune.
Under these apparently most happy circumstances,
the utmost harmony prevailed between M. Baisson
and the mother of his first wife ; he was able to
devote himself to his new family with the know-
ledge that his elder children were in the hands of
a tender, judicious, and wealthy relation whose
greatest object in life was their welfare. But a few
months ago it happened that the eldest Mdlle.
Baisson fell in love—a most improper thing foe
any young lady to do according to French notions.
The rule of good French society is that a girl until
married is never to speak to any man unless in the
presence of her parents or guardians, and then
only in monosyllables. A well-bred French girt
knows that she is one day to be married, and
looks forward to the event with pleasure as one
which will give her an opportunity of making mans
old schoolfellows jealous by the display of her
trousseau. But she is supposed to have no prefer-
ence on the subject. One day her father comes to
her, and says, " My love, I have found you a hus-
band !" To which she replies, kissing her father
on the forehead, " Merci, mon pore !—who is it r
He gives the name, mentions a proximate day for
the wedding, and then the young lady consults
with her mother about the wedding outfit. These
well-known rules were not regarded in the case of
Mdlle. Baisson's attachment. Yes :--she absolutely
formed an attachment, and her rich grandmother,
who had brought her up and was prepared to do
everything requisite, humanly speaking,to make her
future life happy, was privy to it. The object of
her attachment is an army surgeon, a man of merit
both personally and through his foregoer.. His
father was a distinguished general officer, and he
himself wears upon his breast a constellation of
medals and decorations attesting his good services.
But his only fortune is his commission, and on this
sole ground M. Baisson, when informed of the
engagement by his mother-in-law, peremptorily de-
clared that the army surgeon was no fit match for
his daughter. The father, who had been content
to delegate to her grandmother the entire care
of his daughter from her earlist infancy,
came forward resolutely to exercise the stern
parental authority which the law gives him in
order to prevent the marriage of a girl almost of
age with the man of her choice, and who had
courted her with the approbation of the relation
who stood in loco parentis, and had been through-
out her life her best friend. M. Benison went to
his mother, in-law's house, saw his daughter, tole
her that he would never give his consent to the
marriage ; and moreover, that ho a ould no longer
allow her to live with her grandmother, and that
she must come away with him directly. The young
lady, in obedience to this parental command,
packed up her trunks and gut into her father't
carriage, which was in waiting. But the
carriage had only gone a few yards when
she suddenly opened a door, at the risk of break-
ing her neck, jumped out into the strike, and ran
back to her grandmother's. M. Baisson thought
it undesirable to make a scene by attempting then
and there to bring his daughter away by force.
He contented himself by saying that he was in-
flexible, and she would hear from him in a few
days. When next he went to the house he was
informed that the whole family hie,' gone away,
and had left no address. M. Haire ei went over
almost all Europe in search of his daughters.
Ho inquired at all the Bernt:in watt ring-places
and at every town in Be!„,,iitni, but with-
out any result. At length he hit upon the
expedient of sending a money letter to the grand-
mother at her old address in Paris, and he learned
through the post-office that was delivered
to the very army surgeon nine leseensions to his
eldest daughter's hand formed the rams He
afterwards found that the two kills were concealed
under false names in a catholic convent in Glasgow.
Thereupon he brought all action aeithe,t his mother.
in-law, requiring her to bring. the girls back to
France and hand them over to his custody. The
tribunal of first instance made a decree in his
favour, and ordered theyou rig lath, s' grandmother to
pay I,ooofr. a day fur two months unless the girls
were restored to their father. Site. thinking that
the penalty of this decree would be the worst of
the matter, let the two mouths ii‘rire, and actually
paid the large sum of GO,lkkiir. into court—a sum
that she was prepared to sacribee either than sir-
trehneu he broughtgirlsderthe a.i further to their
at a million of francs. M. De; ,re d, the lady's
counsel, told her that the haw wasiilto,:ether on
the father's side, and that if she did not give the
children up he might go on briw_;:ng, actions until
ho utterly ruined her. Acting uis.n Beams-
rest's advice, the grandmother lots :,•.w brought
the young ladies back from Glee..., . The father
has gained his point, they are noir in his custody.
The only question ultimately bet-.re the omit
was, what damages site alibeid testy to the
father for interfering with his authority. The
sum, after his counsel, M. Jules 1•'.1.11.0, hid been
heard, was fixed at 5,000 fr. and t' liiiiance of the
60,000 fr. interest is to be refuhded to the lady.
As matters now stand Mdllc. I;.n cannot marry
in France till 25, without her fatl,cr:: cuwwnt, but
in a few months she will be 21, and t'• a lie will
have no legal right to prevent ier is-in living
where she pleases.
A duel which was to have been foilie.t Satur-
the Yuuy
sadatonydppedbeMt.:Heeoernn,riMpeltocrihihtite:slf,odrtoo,::lo34:fl.,tl:4l,iiac..s::::::',. has bra
de Cassag,nae refused to tight in and M.
Rochefort's seconds, who are bet,' ii..etary men.
agreed that the meeting should Like e 1.,. in Bel-
gium. It was agreed that four 01.4 sheul,l M,
exchanged at twer ty paces ; hot the secol
having failed to obtain their coltish ;s•riinw,"l
to leave their barracks, found theinsi•:vie eblieee
to threw up their functions. It is nee said t hitt
M. Rochefort has sent two other friends to M.
Paul de Cassagnac, with full powers to accommo-
date him on his own terms.
'rho Bourse closed rather heavily, with gravel,'
any change from Saturday's quotations. Rents
after touching ti9fr. 67c , desist at Wilesec.
cash (with a riso of 5c.) and at tlfrfr. 47ir.. Tr
account, being the last closing price.
fell lfr. 25c., and Credit Foncier rose 21r.