The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-02 00:00:00

the object of opposing - M. Chasseloup-Lauhati
who will come forward as candidate for
the Legislative Corps at " the next election.
The policy of such opposition to a man so respect-
able in every point as M Chasseloup-Laubat is
very questionable. M. Chasseloup-Laubat was,
moreover, Minister of Marine under the Republie
during the Presidence of the present Emperor.
Such men should be encouraged rather than,
oppose?. The predecessor of M. Boffinton is said
to have been dismissed from the depart ment" merely
becluse he did not succeed in bringing about the
nomination of a son of M. Baroche, as member of
the Counci!-General of the same departthent. Such
are a few of the criticisms passed on these new
nominations. If well founded it is clear they have
not given as complete satisfaction as would be
desired. People still anixiously look for the future
changes, as they are not expected to step here.
_ _ _

It is rumoured that the friends of M. 7rhie:T3 in
tend putting him forward as a candidate at the nex
election for the Seine Inferieure ; M. M. Duehate
( brother of the minister of Louis Pnilinpe) :inc

Dufaure (Minister of the Interior under the.

lie), are spoken of for theCharente Inferieum

by an alleged combination of a section of the Red
and Legitimist parties, M. Olivier (Red Republican)
and M. Berryer for the Bonelies-du-Rhone. I
cannot say whether these gentlemen have sanc-
tioned the step contemplated by some of their
friends.

As I am alluding to the comments' of the public
on official men, I cannot omit noticing an incident
which has attracted a good deal of attention. It
appears that about a year and a half ago the Em-
peror expressed the desire to purchase a lot of
ground depending on the forest e f Marly, and which
was enclosed within, though independent- of,' the
surrounding domain—a sort of enclave in ftiet. A
company of speculators decided on the acquisition
of these domains, with a view to the cession to his
Majesty of the lot of ground in question, on the
condition that they should receive in exchange the
wood of Vesinet, lying near St. Germain en Laye.
The speculation promised to be a good one ; its
object was the building in the wood of Vesinet
cottages similar to those at the MaisOn Laffitte,
which are close to the wood, and which were to be
sold at a high price The exchange on the terms
was on the point of being effected; and the decree
of authorisation necessary to complete it, as the
wood of Vesinet is in the domains, of the Civil
List, was enly waited for. At this
.critical moment
a certain homnie daffaires, who has acquired
a good deal of -notoriety by his connexion with
the Credit Mohilier and by his subsequent
failure, but who had friends of much influence,
stepped in. This person was fortunate enough to
find in the office of the Ministry of State and the
household of the Emperor a person who, from the
consideration in which he was held in a higher
quarter, was most likely to assist the interloper.
Having acquired the certainty that their joint
exertions could stop the negociations with the
original company, the interloper in question
offered them a sem of 200,000 f to suspend the pro-
ceedings, and which was accepted: This 'seemed
to be all fair enough as between rival speculators
The homnie daffaires, after having passed through a
series of speculations in which he was most suc-
cessful, suddenly stopped short in his career of
prosperity. His creditors forced him to wind up
his affairs, and until that unpleasant operation-was
performed he was detained in custody. Every
speculation he had been- engaged in was closely
examined. The operation concerning the wood of
Vesinet was also scrutinised, and the sum which
was paid to the original company as an indemnity'
for stopping the purchase appeared in his schedule.
The bankrupt, however, refused any explanation_
as to the way in which an additional sum
of 50 000 E, which also appeared in the sheet as
paid to a third party. hal been applied. His only
reply was, that it had been necessary to grease the
wheels of a cart to make it goon easily. Lie expla•
nation was more peotical than clear, and it was
far from satisfactory. It was inferred, however.
that the money must have been paid, according to

employes of the Ministry, to whose department
the affair belonged, and rumours soon circulated
not_ advantageous to the incorruptibility of the

establishment

The employes whose characters
were thus stained with suspicions,. conscious
of their innocence,- addressed themselves to a
member of the magistraCy Who was charged with
the supervision of the accounts of the distingnishe,i
bankrupt. The magistrates
.sent for the bailkrupt,
and -summoned him to disclose. the name of the
person to whom he had paid- the- douceur of 50,000
franes. After some hesitation he named a person
oecunvin4i a high place in the Ministry of State.

This ✓person, when called upon, did not for a
moment deny the "soft impeachment," hut

laintained that thd gift was bestowed on him

not in his official capacity as employe, but as -the
private friend of the bankrupt. Every one knows
the maxim, "Les petits eadeau intrietennent • • •

but if the bankrupt in question had Many
dear friendships of the kind we need. not he
astonished at the void created in his coffers.
It is very probable that such an interpretation of
Cicero's essay De Amiciti'i did not appear con-
clusive nor satisfactory to the magistrate, who
must have called to mind a similar case that
occurred some years ago when an employe of the
Prefecture of the Seine was punished for having,
accepted the sum of 20,000 f or 30,000 f for his co-
operation in a transaction of a similar kind. I am
unable to say whether poetical justice has been
accorded in the present instance; I believe the
employe is still where he was; but the example
must be encouraging to others. Things like these
are not unworthy of Imperial consideration now
that the festivities of Compiegne are over.
A circular has. been sent about within the last
few days to this effect ;—" For sale, at 25 per cent.
loss, a claim of 350,000 f on the Ministry of the
Emperor's household, in possesaion of the Baron
lludon, formerly Councillor .of State of the first
Empire, and now residing in th 3 Rue de.Hilder."

AUSTRIA

VIENNA, Nov. 27

During the last 24 hours it has been positively
affirmed that the Austrian troops in the Danubian
Principalities have received orders to return home,
but the report is totally unfounded, and has either
been spread by the Russians in order to excite the
suspicions of the British Government, or by persons
who are speculating ala &tune. The public firmly
believes that the troops are on the point of return-
ing from Moldavia and Wallachia, and rejoices that
such large sums in gold and silver will no longer
be sent out of the country, but it will soon discover
that it has been misled. A few days since Geu. Baron
Ramming, who is one of the most distinguished
officers in the Austrian army, received order to take
the command of the troopS now in Moldavia, and
reliable information has been given me that Ile has
made preparations fur passing the winter at Jassy.
The weather is already extremely severe, and such
vast quantities of snow have fallen that the
Austrians could hardly now quit the Principalities
without suffering a severe loss. The probability
is, that the occupation of the Danubian Principal-
ities will be prolonged until the spring, as the
wearisome Bessarabian frontier question will
hardly be settled before that season of the
year. According to the last advices from Galatz
the Russians are making no preparations for
quitting that part of Bessarabia which now
belongs to Moldavia. The Swabian Mercury states
that Baron von Budberg, on the 19th, commu-
nicated to Count Buol the contents of a note
which was drawn up by the St. Petersburg
Cabinet on the 9th inst. The note not only con-
tained a formal proposal to resume the Paris Con-
ferences, but the Russian Government expressed
itself to the effect that all the great Powers, with
Turkey and Sardinia, ought to share in them. If
the information given me be correct, both Austria
and England use the same language now as they
did when first the French Government proposed
that the Conference should meet again. Let
us first settle between ourselves, and in a diplo-
matic way," say Austria and England to France,
" the various disputed points. so that when we
9ssemble in the Conference Chamber we may
be able to use the same language. When we
main meet Russia it must be to declare (constater)