The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-28 00:00:00

the Bourbons, and it was his rival, Gui-
shared the catastrophe of 1848. To the
epublio and the second Empire, M. Mole
. unknown.
oily was one of that ancient magistracy of
the " nobility of the robe," which formed
the French aristocracy a caste within a
whom office, and very often talent, was
ry. The high place and functions enforced
education, and work. The axiom that
'oblige was more strictly acted on in the
the robe than in that of the sword, while
iocracy had a jealously-guarded monopoly
7—and w sres g result. The
•oduced four generations es great lawyers,
tators, and orators ; we do not find four
ns of great generals in one race ; the rank
©times inherited, but not always illustrated.
An'il*ouard Mole was -Procurenr4SteneraLia-the
time of he League ; for his services Henri
made him President of the Parliament of Paris.
His eon; Mathieu Mole, the greatest name of the
family, held that post during the war of the Fronde.
Fourth in direct descent from him was Edouard
Mathie# Mole, to whom the inheritance of a name
connected with the ancient system proved a fatal
one. To the fanaticism of " Liberty and Equality"
such historical reputations were crimes ; and he
perished on the scaffold during the Reign of Terror,
when oily 34 years of age. His son, Count Mole,
the future Prime Minister of Louis Philippe, was
then a child. But the talent as well as the name
of his race had descended to him ; he was an in-
dustrious student, profited to the utmost by his
education, and was not without ambition. Fie
was only 25 when he published an Essai de
Morale et de Politique, which attracted the atten-
tion of Napoleon, then endeavouring to rally
round his Government the influential names of
the old monarchy. To these ancient reputations
Napoleon never felt the instinctive hatred which
inspired the Republicans ; but if he raised them
from their ruin, it was on the condition that they
served him. M. Mole, then a young writer of 25,
had an! interview with Napoleon just after the
Battle 'of Austerlitz. The Emperor, predisposed
by the opinions of the Essai, which loaned to the
side of the positive and absolute in Government, a
natural reaction against fist principle* which had
dealt death and confiscation in the name of virtue,
philanthropy, and the rights of man, offered a
career to M. Mole ; he asked what place in his
Government would suit him, characteristically
naming it himself without waiting the answer.
" The only place for a Mole," said Napoleon, " is
in my Courts of Justice ; what think you of the
Cour Imperial©?" M. Mole modestly dissented,
suggesting a post in one of the branches of the
executive Administration. Napoleon thought a
Parliamentary name out of place "in his prefec-
tures." It must have required considerable cou-
rage to do what the unknown young Mole did ;
he plainly told the First Consul that his tribunals
were not a magistracy, and that his administration
" was the only institution of his system." Napo-
leon understood him, and appointed Mole Maitre
des Requetes. One of his first duties in that post
was rather singular ; ho sat as Napoleon's com-
missioner in the Grand Sanhedrim of the Jews—a
convocation of the rabbi of all the synagogues from
Leghorn to Strasburg, called to codify a common
body of doctrine for the scattered remnant of
Israel, and probably to attempt to modify the prac-
tice of "the people" as to military service—which
was pertinaciously to refuse it. Soon afterwards
M. Mole was appointed to the Presidency of Dijon ;
here ho wrote a life of his great ancestor, Mathieu
Mole, which he prefixed to an edition of his early
Essai. The opinions expressed or conveyed in the
biography advanood him in the favour of the
Emperor, and Mole was made a count in the new
nobility, a body which was the object of much
sarcasm from the old noblesse, and a cause of die•
may to M. d'Hozier, the old Jug° d'Armes, whose
very hair, says M. Capefigue, rose on his head
with horror at the blazonries invented for the
titles -I—so audaciously did they despise the most
sacred canons of heraldry. Count Mole was subse-
quently appointed Director-General des Pouts et
Chaussees, and Conseiller d'Etat. He reached the
highest point of his career under the Empire as
the fortunes of the Emperor were waning. It was
after the campaign of 1812 he was named Supremo
.Tudge and Minister of Justice. But the armies of
the allies were now gathering on the frontiers of
France, and the genius of the Emperor himself was
required to defend the territory. M. Mole was
named President of the Council of Regency which
conducted affairs while Napoleon was personally
commanding the French army. M. Mole remained
faithful to his charge to the last moment. When
the Empress Marie Louise fled from Paris with the
King of Rome a regency was formed at Blois. M.
Mole remained by the side of the Empress till he
was released from his duty and allegiance by a
letter from Napoleon himself, who ever advised
him to join the new regime, and servo it as faith-
fully as he had served him.
Louis XVIII. and the party restored with him
disliked M. Mole, as a deserter from " his order."
The King erased his name from the list of the new
Chamber of Peers presented by Talleyrand ; but
the diplomatist pressed his nomination so strongly
that the King yielded, though he was not actively
employed ; his services t o theEnspire were resented.
On its sudden revival by the return from Elba, he
was induced by Napoleon to take office again, but
he would only accept a subordinate position ; he
did not believe in the permanence of " the situa-
tion," and said so, though lie would not appear to
abandon his benefactor. He again accepted the
direction of the Pouts et Chaussees, and w
pointed to the Chamber of Peers, but
wouldre osed
not
take his seat. He also refused to signe
Ind eof
ily. rie perpetualretain e
de
hilies
Chaussees under the second
no influence in the Govern:ess_. , Ts
againstpos post
nt
thßo theopuprobnoptne feat-
precipitated the
Restoration,3.:. ia x,oli,e,g Chamber but
ahna had
of Peers he strongly opposed
the yelicy of repression which
R
theev
• mediately appointed him Mi.
throne.olu
tion of 1830 and placed Louis Phillippe on
The new King nn
us
mballinlcediht ytihnoitnfegrsesot
f.
of the ensuing years were so small,
they placed
confused, and personal that, though
Par-
liamentaryAan fni s.t frnotl or,
ifgbuelef
iosf Foreigner e,tt hh eet Aywi Todoavr:
over
rsd
smsawneyp of which it is charitable not to
oblivion. After many modifications and
ectAoahmladltbefrpliunoegularietoioldi:s he became Prime Minister, but
finally succumbed to the majorities against him in
the Chambers, after trying to force them to his
side by two dissolutions. During the latter por-
tion of the reign of Louis Philippe he lived in re-
tirement at Champlatreux ; nor did he find any
reason ultimately to envy the fate of M. Guizot,
hseisconcodrapetitor for power. He never attempted
openly to regain any influence on events ; to the
Republic ho must have been opposed ou
y
e
principle ; but neither did the second Empire re-
vive any wish to connect his name again with that
of Napoleon.

__Yell
DECLINE IN THE PRICES or BREAD AND r crm•e .
rn
terday morning several of the bakers in the north-pdaocrua.
districts reduced the price of the 41b. loaf (n
ua
lity) from 10d. to 91d., household bread (good
sqlity)
to 93/4d., and country bread (unweighed)to Bid• per loaf ;
11#d. per
the labour-
the best bread continues at lid. to 11
reduction has been effected in cotunseilnue,a 4lbs. This
beans, and pota.
The retail coal dealers
have reduced the price of coals
itnoge seilnasstseeasd havingof con consuming
throughout the metropelivall,s_mid can now be bad at
ld. per cwt. ; the beet a quality at ls. 3d., and inland
second
the same quantity. Go* gas
irnegcgursed.
'2d.
bushel,o and a reduction has been
lcos.alt;adt.
ipse.rtncwst.....er
coke sells at 6d.. F
made,, v lICTION IN THE PRICE OP SUGARS.—Many
LTILEAT ..ICD
i a having, in consequence. of the high prices charged
in the prices of wood aid charcoal.
ffarr sugar,ile either refrained from the use of that article or
limited its consumption to the smallest possible quantity,
the retail grocers throughout the metropolis yesterday
reduced the prices fully three-halfpence in the pound.
Inferior Brazil sugar, that was selling at 7d. per lb., can
now be obtained at 5d., and West India sugar of the
best quality can be had at from fid. to 61d., refined lump
at 7d. to 7id., and crystallised Demerara at Id! per ;I"!

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