The Express.
London, England, 1857-01-30 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

THE APPEAL OF VERGER TO THE COURT
OF CASSATION.
OWN OVA OWN COILAZIPONDENTI

PARIS, Tursan►[ Evannto.
An unusual crowd was collected at the doors of
the Court of Quotation at an early hour this morn-
ing, to hear the arguments in the appeal of Verger
against the legality of his sentence. The public is
admitted to the Court of Cassation without tickets,
and as the arguments used there arc generally of a
dry, technical nature, it is seldom that this court is
greatly thronged. On this occasion, however, it
was filled iu every part at the first rush, and the
Salle des Pas Perdue wore an animated appearance
all day, owing to the numbers of people who, unable
to obtain admission to the judgment-hall, walked
up and down discussing the case. M. Laplagno
Barth was the presiding judge. The proceedings
commenced by M. Councillor Leyagncur reading
his judicial report of the state of the question which
the court had to decide. The following are the three
grounds (moyens de eassotion), as set forth in the
report, on which the prisoner's counsel relics :
First ground.--Tho illegality of the constitution
of the Court of .ksaizes—in that the first president of
the Imperial Court presided in person, having the
president designated for the session by the Minister
of Justice for his first assessor, without any public
authorisation for such displacement of the regular
presiding judge. . . . .

Second ground.—The violation of the rights of
the defence, especially in regard to the time allowed
to the prisoner—in that the prisoner basing
appealed against his committal for trial (mite en
accusation), and basing a right to five days, to be
reckoned from the day of the rejection of that appeal,
for the preparation of his defence, he was forcibly
tried three days after his appeal, and only thirty-six
hours after its rejection was notified to him, whereby
be was, as he alleges, prevented from issuing sum-
monses in proper time to those witnesses whom the
public prosecutor refused to call by his own
authority. His protest against the refusal of these
witnesses occasioned his expulsion from court.
Third ground.—Violation of Art. 307, 368, and
Arabs 8,9, and 10 of the law of the 9th Septem-
ber, 1835, in this—That after the expulsion of the
prisoner from court for disturbing the proceedings,
there was a speech from the Public Prosecutor
against him, a reading of the verdict, and a de-
livery of a capital sentence, without the prisoner
having received due notifications or summonses to
return to court, and without his having received
anything else than an incomplete and in-
I Sternal notice that he had been sentenced
le death. M. Achille Morin, the counsel
shown by the prisoner himself (and who, it will be
recollected, superseded ipso facto by his nomination
the counsel appointed ex officio by the crown), ar-
gued the case very warmly. He began by protest-
ing his horror at the crime, and then alluded to the
state of mind of the prisoner. Ile was precluded by
the rules of law from alluding to the state of hie
mind at the time of the commission of the act. That
was already decided by the verdict of the jury. But it
was open to him to argue that the man was at all events
mad now, and that his execution should be respited
on that ground. Ile insisted on the conduct of the
prisoner at the trial, as appearing on the record, as
• strong ground for believing that he was not in his
right mind. But, however insufficient his evidence
eight be thought upon this point, he did most
strongly urge upon the court, on the ground of prin.
eiples deeply important to the due administration of
justice, that the sentence should be quashed, on the
heal grounds above-mentioned. The Procureur-
13eneral Royer supported the sentence. The court
was sitting up to a eery late hour.
It is reported that, should the judgment be ad-
verse to the prisoner, ho will be executed to-morrow
morning. A very strong opinion, however, prevails
among members of the bar that the sentence ought
to be quashed.
At the Bourse, the reproduction in the Monitetwl
of the views of the Emperor Napoleon I. concerning
the Bank of France was very much discussed,
and opinions were by no means agreed as to
the inference to be drawn from the publication
of this document at the present moment. The pre-
valent opinion, however, seemed to be that the
capital of the Bank of France would be augmented,
but on the condition of investing the money in
Three per Cents., to be lent to the Treasury, thereby
superseding the immediate necesaity for a further
loan. The effect upon the market was favourable,
the fall of yesterday having been nearly effaced in every
description of securities. The Rente row 40c. foe
cash, and 25c. for account, closing at 67fr. 00e. sad
137 fr. 50e. Mobilier rose 30fr. Railways were from
2fr. 50e. to sfr. higher.
The general meeting of the proprietors of the Bemis
of France took place to-day. M. d'Argont, la bas no.
port on the operations of 1858, made no affairs dal
the projects of increasing the capital of the brats
sad he answered to the interpellatioas of a, emir

holder (M. Mires) that he knew nothing of ouch
projects except by the articles in the journals.
Up to twenty minutes to seven the judgment iII
Verger's cause was not given.

PARIS, FAID/T, 9 A.M.
After three hours' deliberation, the Court of
Causation has rejected Verger's appeal.

AUSTRALIA.

The financial position of the colony (on Oct. 31) was
never in a more healthy state. The nks were doing
a large and steady business. Shares generally were
at a premium. The land in cultivation was equal to
143,000 acres, and a bounteous harvest was expected,
The yield of wheat was 27 bushels per acre, of pots.-
toes 6 tons. The imports of goods were large, but a
brisk demand was looked for. A correct census was
to be taken in December. On 29th October, 27,543
ounces of gold were entered at the customs for the
Heather Bell to London. Sugar was scarce, and in
demand. The prices of gold ranged from 733. 3d,
to 775. 6d., according to its origin, Balaarat taking
the lead. Nuggets arc reported of 7 lbs. weight;
134 ounces, &c.
In Tasmania the Fingal gold fields continued to
engage attention, and the quartz was believed to be
very rich.
Respecting the yield of gold, the Melbourne
Herald says, in its summary, that the receipts by
escort had manifested a falling off in quantity on the
third quarter of the year, as compared with the re-
turns for the corresponding three months of 1855,
amounting to 3,561 ounces. This decrease, however,
is accounted for by the long continuance of wet
weather and the unsettled condition of the mining
population, caused by the "rushes," as they are
called, to new auriferous districts. Although the
quarter thus manifested a balance against the colony,
as compared with the third quarter of 1855, there
was an increase on the year amounting to 421,824
ounces. The export of gold for the first threw
quarters of the current year has also an advantage
over the corresponding portion of 1833 to the extent
of 361,309 ounces. Prior to the sailing of the Red
Jacket, the quantity of gold exported during the cur-
rent year was 2,151,251 ounces. Since that return was
compiled the following shipments have been made:
Per Red Jacket, to Liverpool, 136,000 ors. ; per
Triton, to Batavia, 1,013 ozs. ; per steamer, to Sydney,
26 ozs. ; per Montmorency, to Liverpool, 85,723 oao.;
per John Temperley, to Calcutta, 6,410 ors. ; per Inter.
colonial, 45 ozs.; per Argo, to Batavia, 1,228 ors.;
per steamers, to Sydney, 3,500 ore. Shipped during
the preceding nine months, as already calculated,
2,151,251 ors. Total quantity of gold exported
during 1856, 2,485,197 ozs. The quantity of gold
brought into Melbourne by the various escorts
between September 26 and October '25 amounted
to 188,882 ozs., which, at 80s. per oz., would make
the value of its gold receipts for the last month
amount to 755,5281. If, notwithstanding rains and
" rushes," the yield had continued so large, there
seems little reason to doubt that by the 31st De-
cember the outturn would fully make up the average
for the twelve months of one million per month.
In a Victoria gold circular we read:
From all accounts wo expect to find n considerable in.
cream in the yield of the Ovens field thin seemon, RR gnat
preparations are being made to take advantage of the interval
between the periods of the !hada ; the tin ore, or the black
sand of the diggers, has now risen in value to 45/. per ton
on that field, and largo quantities are obtainal by touring;
this branch of industry will soon become of importance.
While the yield of gold thus keeps up, the wool
trade is declining. The following extract is from
the summary of the Herald
From en official return recently published it appears that
the number of sheep in the colony on the 30th March, 1856,
wee 4,677,072 as compared with 0,718,100 in 1812, showing a
falling off of 739,692 sheep in three years. Our export of
wool has also diminished 3,437,4211 b. This is attributable
to two causes—first, a large amount of the wool which need
formerly to be shipped at Melbourne it now forwarded dotes
the Murray into South Australia; end Guithen Bay, a pod
recently opened in the South Australis territory to the west.
ward of Portland, is beginning to have an Ofect on the goon.tity of wool exported at the latter place. Probably
1,500,0001 th. are thus loot to the lint of exports of this colony
annually. lathe second place, the prevalence of scab has nu
only destroyed a largo number of sheep, but, combined will
the comparatively high prices of meat, hoe inclined may
stockholders to give more of their attention to cattle, and in
accordingly find the number of the latter has increased floe,
320 et
,410 in 1812, to 634,114 in 1856. The present year's
is likely to be larger than that of last, and now that IN
scab is beginning to subside, our export of wool will soon rid
that of 1822. ,„