The Express.
London, England, 1861-06-28 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(nor ous ows

PARIS, TIOBSDAT EVIIRNG.

The trial of M. Mires came on to-day in the
Sixth Chamber of Correctional Police, M. Masse(
presiding. A was not able to obtain admission to
the court ; and, indeed, the number of ("anneal,
agents, and witnesses was so great as to leave no
space whatever, so to speak, for the public. There
were sixty-two witnesses, and the court is not
bigger than a good-sized dinicig-room In Belgrave-
square. The president, assailed by thousands of '
applications for tickets, resolved to give none. It
is just possible that ten or • dozen people repre-
senting the public) may have got in after waiting
several hours at the doors, but I doubt even that ;
for the ordinary course on occasions of interest like
this is to fill every available place in the narrow
space supposed to be open to all the world with
policemen in plain clothes. When the judges took
their seats, M. Marie, on behalf of the junior bar,
observed that there were a few Beate vacant, and
asked that some of the many advocates who were
waiting outside might be let in. The president,
thereupon, ordered the admission of a dozen. An
entire squadron of sergents-de-ville kept the
crowd off from the doors of the court.

The accusation against M. Hires has lost much
of its original proportions during his long pre-
ventive imprisonment. Many heads of the accu-
sation have been abandoned, and the mere fact of
his being brought before the Correctional Police in-
stead of the Assize Court shows that the grave
offences of which it was given out that he had
been guilty, at the moment of his arrest, are not
capable of being established against him. The in-
dictment read to-day only charges two offences,
Ist, Eseroquerie (a word meaning swindling
or embezzlement) in negotiating shares en-
trusted to him en nantisseesene (an expression
meaning deposited as a security)--and 2nd, " abuse
of confidence " in the matter of the Panipeluna and
Roman railways. The indictment goes into the
whole history of Mirhs' life, from the time when
he left Bordeaux for Paris, in 1849. He began his
speculations in Paris in the latter ye*, by the pur-
chase, at a very low price, of the Journal des
Chemins de Per (a railway journal). Later he con-
ceived the idea of making himself the financial
agent of the subscribers to his journal, and created
the bank called the Caine des Actions &tunics.
This adventure is admitted to have been very
successful, and in 1853 he enlarged his opera-
tions, and transformed the original company
into the Caisse et Journal des Chemins de
For. In 1856 be was joined by K Solar. The
undertaking took the name of Caisse %Orate des
Chemins de Per, and the capital was increased
to 50 millions of francs, divided into 100,000 shares
of 5001 r. In 1859, according to the indictment,
Mires' Company effected a partial "winding up,"
dissimulated under appearance of a reduction of
capital, and in June, 1860, K Solar retired from
the concern. In December, 1860, M. de Pontalba,
one of the shareholdcrs, brought an accusation of
fraudulent practices against Mires and Solar. It
was the breaking out of the Italian war which oc-
casioned the acts stigmatised as fraudulent. The
accusation alleges that the Caine Genfrale then
sold securities belonging to 333 depositors, under
circumstances which enabled the bank to realise an
illegitimate profit of 3,800,000 fr. It is admitted
that of this sum 2,529,000 fr. has been restored to
the owners.

But little progress was made in the cause to-day,
and it is expected that it will last for a week.
M. Monginot, the accountant, upon whose report
the accusation is mainly based, was examined at
great length. He was frequently interrupted by
M. Mirt\s, who said that his conclusions proceeded
upon insufficient knowledge of the facts. M.
Mires oomplained that the accusations against
him were founded upon an utter ignorance of the
principles of banking and that he was treated like
a grocer. He alleged that when he was arrested
his assets were 3,000,000 fr., and his debts only
1,400,000 ft.
The Count Arese, whose arrival in Paris was
prematurely announced, only leaves Turin to-
morrow. He will be accompanied by M. Artom,
the late principal secretary to Count Cavour.
The Emperor's departure for Vichy is postponed
for three or four days. The 6th of July is now
spoken of.
The session of the Corps Legislatif closed this
day.

M. Plichon, the ultramontanist deputy, has
brought an action against the Memorial de Lilk, for
calling him an " Orleaoist ;" but the court, taking
notice that the expression was used on the occa-
sion of the election for the councils-general, held
that it was only au allowable comment upon his
public character, and no libel. M. Plichon there-
fore is saddled with costs.

The Lidipendance says that at the council in
which the recognition of Italy wax finally deter-
mined upon the only opponents were "an august
personage" (meaning the Empress), M. Walewaki,
and M. Baroche. The opinions of the Empress on
this subject are unfortunately too well known, and it
is equally notorious that the Countess Walewaki
and her husband have done their very utmost to
divert the Emperor from his wise purpose ; but
I should have thought that M. Baroche had been
too long accustomed to trim his political sails to
every wind to commit himself at this time o'day to
the losing cause of the temporal power of the
Pope. The Empress and the Countess Walewaki
did really think at one time that they had succeeded
in getting the Emperor to transfer his protection
of the Pope to Austria and Spain. The intrigue
had been going on for a long while, and the illusion
of the fair conspirators was only dispelled by IL
Thouvenel's recently published despatch.

The Bourse remains in an inanimate state. The
Rents closed for cash at 67fr. 60c., with a rise of
5c., and at yesterday's price, 67fr. 65c., for account.
Mobilier and the railways are without change.

A Vienna letter dates that M. Schmerling, the
Minister of State, is about to marry, as his send wife, the
daughter of Professor Endlicher, celebrated as a naturalist.