The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-23 00:00:00

A CURIOUS TRIAL.

The Civil Tribunal of the Seine has just given
judgment in a suit instituted under the follow-
ing singular circumstances :—ln May, 1861, a M.
Moynat, of Villej ust, a retired agent-de-change,
possessing property to the amount of about
30,000 fr. a year, married a widow named Huby,
and six weeks later the husband, after a violent
quarrel with his wife, committed suicide. By
the marriage contract M. and Mme. Moynat had
each left the whole of their property to the sur-
vivor. That clause of the contract the natural
heirs of M. Moynat now attempted to annul, in
accordance with Art. 955 of the Code Napoleon,
which declares that such donations may be re-
voked on the ground of the ingratitude and un-
worthiness of the donee. They alleged that pre-
viously to her marriage Mme. Moynat had led a
most disorderly and dissolute life, a fact which she
had managed to keep from her husband's knowledge;
that, almost immediately after the marriage, she
formed an illicit connection with a schoolmaster
named D—; that this conduct on her part gave rise
to frequent quarrels between her and her husband,
after one of which he committed sucide by blowing
ont his brains ; and that, after that lamentable
event, she cohabited with the person above-
mentioned and conducted herself in the most
disgraceful manner. The heirs of M. .Moynat, in
consequence, now applied to the Tribunal for
permission to prove the above allegations
with a view to further proceedings, for the pur-
pose of annulling the donation made in the mar-
riage contract. This application was opposed by
Mme. Moynat, -whose counsel declared that the
allegations were a tissue of contemptible calum-
nies, invented for the sole purpose of injuring his
client's reputation. He maintained that M
Moynat's suicide was not caused by his client's mis-
conduct, and that if her husband had had any just
cause of complaint against her, ho might easily
have taken steps for revoking the donation, whereas
the draught of a will found among his papers was
altogether in favoar of his wife. After hearing the
Procureur Imperial, who opposed the application,
the Tribunal decided that it must he rejected, on
the ground that the allegations relating to facts
which occurred previously to the marriage could
be no proof of ingratitude for a favour not yet con-
ferred ; that the charge of adultery could only be
brought by the husband himself, and that what
took place after his decease did not constitute acts
of ingratitude which could be admitted as a ground
for revoking the donation.

CHARING CROSS RAILWAY AND THE LAST OF
HUNGERFORD INlARSET.—Yesterday another sale of this
property, comprising the range of shops forming the colon-
nade of Hungerford-market and the street communicating
with the Strand, and which nearly completes the disposal of
that extensivo I.roperty, was effected by Mr. Marsh, the
company's auctioneer, including the two well-known
raverns in front of which the Paddington and Camden-
town omnibuses had their stations.

THE L

ritIOND.

Nearly all the articles that appear in the journals
are prepared expressly to deceive. There is not a
word of truth in them, except by accident. Cor-
respondents of newspapers make this man or that
general a hero, or a coward, according as they are
instructed by the owners of the papers. Few
people wade through the columns of accounts that
appear. For instance, in the late seven days of
attack and slaughter of our army M'Clellan lost.
60,000 dead, wounded, and missing. Nearly all
are in the hands of the rebels, dead, dying, and
wounded. It is not likely that they will have
much mercy, even if they haye means to do the
wounded good, or provisions with which to feed
them. The rebels also lost very severely, for our
men were like cornered rats—they had to fight on
their own hook or be cut to pieces, and they
slaughtered back. It is said the rebels lost 75,000
killed and wounded. I will say one-half that
amount, that is 37,000, making the total of dead
and wounded at 97,700. I have carefully sifted the
reports, and have conversed with many who were
on the battle-field, or rather in the great slaughter
1 yards, during the seven days, and I do not think

,hat the result will show that I am far out of

the way in my estimates. This will be known
to every person north, east, and west. It will
cool the ardour of tens of thousands—not because
the men were killed in such enormous masses
in a fair stand-up fight, but because 60,000 of
our men were killed and wounded through the
blundering ignorance of a general who ought
never to have been trusted to command more than
a corporal's guard. I presume he will be changed.
If he is not, I do not think there will be many
volunteers who will come forward and enlist for cer-
tain death under him. His army is now reported
at 70,000 men. He had 220,000 when he left Wash-
ington city to take command. We know that the
deaths by sickness have been fearful. Soldiers who➢
have returned have for some weeks reported the
deaths at over 1,000 to 10,000 a week. This would
give 90,000 less by sickness, 66,000 in the last seven

days' slaughter, 70,000 left on the 3d July last,

making up the total of 220,000_ Of course he will
be reinforced at once by men sent from the division.
of Halleck.—Letter from .Neto York.

PRESIDENT LEV COLN ON THE SLAVE

QUESTION.

Major Jack Downing, writing from Washington, gives us
the following account of Mr. Lincoln's difficulties in regard
to this danmosa lutreditas;—" Washington, June 15, 1862.
Surs,—l've been kinder sick Bence I writ you last. The truth
is, this clymate in the spring is raely very weaknin to the
constitushin. Linkin, too, has been terribully anxus about
war noose, and the nigh approach of hot weather. But the
great subjeck which the Kernel and I have been considerin
is the contrabands. What is to be done with 'eta ? That's
the question, and Linkin says he would like to see the feller
that can tell him. One night Linkin got a big map, an he
set down, and Now,' ses he, Major,' let's take a look at all
creashin, and sec ef ther aint sum place whar we kin send
these pesky kinky heds, and get rid of 'em." Wal,' ses Ir
Kernel, I'm agreed.' So we went at it. First Linkin put his
finger on Haty. Now,' ses he, thar's an iland that jest suits
the nigger constitushin. Suppose they go thar ?" But,' see
I, ' Kernel, they won't go, an ef they did, they wouldn't do
nothing.' Wal,' ses he, no matter ef they wort trouble
us here enny longer.' But,' ses I, ther's one more
resin. The iland aint large enuff to hold all the niggers—
four millions or thereabout.' Wal,' ses he, ther's
Central Ameriky—what do you think of that spot ?'
Wel,' ses I, Kernel, that's a fine country, naterally. The
Creator fixed it up on grand skale, but you can't make a
treaty with it enny more than you can count the spots on
a little pig, when he keeps running about the hull time.
The truth is, you can't tell who'll be President of it from
one morning to the next, and the niggers you send ther
might all get their throats cut jest as soon as they landed'
Wal,' ses Linkin, that's a slight objection. But
let's turn over to Afriky. Ther's Libery ; how would that
do, Major?' says I, Kernel, that country is about
the biggest humbug of the hull lot. Fust off, sum rely
good peepul thought it was going to amount to sumthin, but
after 40 years of spendin' money on it, there aint enny
more chanst of civilizin' Africky in that way than there is
of makin rifled cannon out of a bass-wood log. A few
dominys, who can't find enny boddy willing to hear 'em
preach, hey got hold of it, and are making a good thing out
of it. As for sending our niggers ther, why it would take
all the shippin of the world, and more money than Chase
could print,by steam in a year.' Wal,' ses Linkin, whar
on arth kin we send 'em ?" Now,' ses I, 'Kernel, I've
got an ilee of my own about that matter. I think they are
best off wher they are, and jest as they are, but ef you
must get rid of 'era I would send 'em all to Massa-chews-
its I Peepul who are so anxus to have other folks overrun
with free niggers, ought be willin to share some of the
biessins themselves. So let all that are here in Washing-
ton be sent rite off to Boston.' Yes, that might do,' says
Linkin, but then, ef they are entitled to their freedom, they
orter be allowed to go where they are a mind to.' But,'
ses I, 'sum States won' have 'em at all, and they can't go
there. So, what's to be done ?" Wal,' ses Linkin,
tell you 'what it is, Major, this is an almity tuff subjek. I
know sumthin about splittin rails, and what hard work is
gtaerally, but this nigger question has puzzled me more
than enny thing I ever got hold of before. Wal,' says I,
Kernel, I can explain the resen why.' Ses he,
Let's hear you, Major." Well,' ses I, Ker-
nel, where do you carry your pockit-book ?' Ses he,
What on arth has that to do with the subjek?' Seal,
Hold on, you'll see.' Wal,' says he, I always carry it
right there, in my right-hand trousers pocket.' Sea ID
Didn't you never have a hole in that pocket for a day or
two, and have to put it in sum other?' Ses he, Major,
I have.' Ses I, What did you do with it then ?' Wal,'
says he, I put it in my left•hand pocket, but it kinder
chafed my leg there, cause it warn't used to it, and it also
felt mity onhandy. So I put it in my aide cote pocket,
but every time I stooped over it would drop out. Then
I put it in my coat tail pocket, but I was kept all the
time on the qui rivers, afeerd some pickpocket would
steal it. At last, in order to make it safe and
sure, I put it in the top of my hat under sum papers,
but the hat was top heavy, and over it went, spilling every
thing. I tell you I was glad when my pocket was fixed, and
I got it back in the old spot.' Now,' ses I, ' Kernel, that's
jest the case with the niggers. The minit you git 'em out,
of ther place, you don't know what on arth to do with 'em.
Now we've been here all the evening searchin over the map
to see of we can't find sum place to put 'ern, just as you did
with your pocket -book. Put 'em wher they belong, and then
you won't have no trubbil; Linkin didn't see egzaxly how
I was gwine to apply the, story, and when he did he looked
kinder struck up. V'en I saw that I had made a hit on
him I follered it up. Ses I, Kernel, this Government
ain't out of order, as Seward and Chase kontend. They
are only tryin to run it the rong way—that's what makes
all the trubbi.i. I wunce had a thrashing masheen, and I
sold it to old Jim Dumbutter, and after he got it he said it
warn't aod for nuthin—that it wouldn't run, &c. So I
went over to see it, and I vow if he did'nt have the masheen
all rong eend foremist. I went to work at it, and, after a
leetle while, it went of like grease, just as slick as a whissel.
You see old Dumbutter didn't onderstand the masheen,
and therefore he couldn't make it go.' Now, ses I, Kernel,
our Constitushin is a Demmycratic masheen, and it's got to
be run as a Demmycratic masheen, or it won't run at all
Now, you see, Seward is trying to runit on his higher
law' principle, but it warn't made for that, and the konse-
kence is, the thing is pretty nigh smashed up.' "—Ctncznnatt
Weekly Enquirer.