The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-19 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(Mit OCR OWN

PARIS, MONDAY EVNIONNI.

The Pakie, which, it must be borne in mind, is
"inspired "by M. de la Guerronnibre, speaks as
follows this evening of M. Fould's financial
plans :
M. Fould's first care on taking possession of the finance
dap atment was to examine the budget of 1863. The
problem to be resolved is to augment the receipts,
diminish the expenditure, and at the same time provide
sufficiently for the public service. if we are well informed,
the first reform, and one at this moment coder considera-
tion, is the reduction of the army without injury to the
system now so happily in operation, that is to say, without
breaking up the present cadres. By this method [qy.—what
method !j the military power of France will remain in
all its vigour, and will secure the indiume
already conquered by our policy, while at the earns time
the charges in the war budget will be considerably dimi-
nished. The creation of new remoras, rendered necessary
by the suppression of supplemental credits, is a delicate
question, which the new finance minister will certainly
study with the consideration and reserve due to such great
interests. We believe we know that he especially intends
not to make any increase of taxation of a nature to fetter
agriculture, manufactures, or trade, or to press in a special
manner upon the labouring classes. A tax upon lucifer
matches has been spoken of, and we can elate that such
• measure is, in point of fact, under consideration,
but it will be so arranged as to be scarcely
felt by the consumer. There is also an idea of augmenting
the stamp duties. We do not know what may be M.
Fould's views with rapnl to the transfer stamp on nego-
tiable securities, but, insomuch as it produces very little—
only 6 millions—and, as we do know IL Fould's liberal
opinions, it is permissible to 'appose that • modification of
the law of June 23,1857, is not impossible. This change,
should it be made, will also, we trust, be accompanied by
the abolition of the entrance fee to the Bourse.

There were great fluctuations at the Bourse. The
Rente, after opening heavily and declining to
69fr. 40c., jumped up towards the close of busi-
ness, and left off at 69fr. 65c. and 69fr. 800., with
• rise of 30c. and 35c. It is supposed that some
important resolutions have been taken at a council
at Compiegne. Mobilier rose 11 fr. 25c. Rail-
ways are only about 2fr. 50c. higher.
It will be remembered by those who followed the
complex ramifications of the great Mires trial that
one of his partners, the Baron de Pontalba, who
was included in the indictment, had the good for-
tune to be acquitted. He was the person who
originally informed against Mires and procured
his arrest. While Mires was under durance
he signed a release to the Baron de Pon-
talba for the sum of 1,500,000 fr. (secured
by a mortgage of the baron's chateau),
and which the latter owed to the Cause des Chemins
de Per, of which Mires was manager, and also paid
him a sum of 200,000 fr., it being alleged in the
deed that the enormous sum of 1,700,000 fr.
(68,000&) was due to Pontalba for services ren-
dered in the course of a few months at Rome and
Marseilles, to which cities he was despatched by
Mires on special missions. Mires asserted strenu-
ously that he only signed the preposterous deed
in question in the belief that the prosecution
against him would be withdrawn, while the public
prosecutor indignantly denied the existence
of any such understanding. Mires, as all the
world knows, was found guilty of swindling, and
the Baron de Pontalba, acquitted on the criminal
',barge, was left apparently in the tranquil
enjoyment of his marvellously good pay.
But now the assignees in blir4s' bank-
ruptcy have brought an action against Pon-
talba before the Tribunal of Commerce demanding
restitution of the 1,700,000fr.,0n the ground that the
alleged consideration for the deed of release was
fraudulent and altogether fictitious, the real motive
for it being the belief on the part of Mires that
Pontalba had the power to compound the criminal
charge against him. Pontalba demurred to the
jurisdiction of the Tribunal of Commerce, on the
ground that he was not a trader, and that the
1,700,000 fr. was the consideration for the compro-
mise of a civil action brought by him against Mires,
and that the deed, therefore, had the force of a
judgment of the ordinary courts of law. The
demurrer, after a lengthened argument, was
over-ruled to-day by the Tribunal of Commerce,
which orders Baron de Pontalba to plead to the
merits, and, in default, decrees against him for the
whole amount asked for, with costs. No doubt
there will be an appeal, but whatever may be the
result of it,there is small likelihood of the creditor•
getting their money.
The value of the Infernal, lost at Valparaiso, ap-
pears to have been much exaggerated. The jour-
nals now pay that instead of being a first-class vessel
she was a worn-out coal-transport, and nut worth,
with all bee cargo, more than 200,000 fr.

NASSAU-WIESBADEN.