The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-11 00:00:00

THE

IRNY.

By the death of the Duke de Morny, President
of the Corps Legislatif of France, the intelli-
gence of whose decease has been received by
telegraph, the Emperor Napoleon has lost another
of his most valued advisers, and one who had
taken an exceedingly active and important
part in , the establishment of the Empire. The
duke expired yesterday morning at Paris. For
some time past his state of health has been very
unsatisfactory ; and although it has been announced
that he continued to improve, his friends
feared that a fatal termination of his malady was
but too imminent. The doctors but four days since
promised that if their patient were allowed rest
there was hope that he would soon recover, though
there was no probability that he would be enabled
to be present in the Chambers during the discussion
on the address which has been delayed for some
time in consequence of the illness of the president.
The Emperor passed the evening of Tuesday last
with the duke, and the Empress has visited the
Duchess de Morny within the last few days.
The duke was born in Paris in October, 1811, and
was educated by the Countess de Souza (Madame
de Flahault), who filled a high position in the Court
of the first Emperor Napoleon, and who achieved
much success in literature. He afterwards (as we
learn from M. Vapereau's valuable biographical
work) entered a scholastic institution con-
ducted by M. Muron, and here he made
the acquaintance of Edgar Ney, in com-
pany of whom, and under the special direc-
tion of M. Casimir Bonjour, he gained many
prizes, and evinced great aptitude for study.
Brought under the notice of Talleyrand, that saga-
cious statesman discerned the talent which the young
student possessed, and in allusion to bis vivacity of
mind uttered a prophecy which was more than ful-
filled. " This little man will be Minister one day,"
said.Nalleyrand, and events proved the truth of the
prediction. Even as a young t man the Duke de
Morn), was ylistinguished for the grace and 'efeganCe
of his manners,, which perhaps in some measure
assured his success in life during later years.
After having passed some time in the Staff School,
M. de Morny left that institution in 1832 with the
rank of sous-lieutenant in a Lancer regiment, and
at the commencement of his military career was
quartered at Fontainebleau. The tedium of his
barrack life was relieved by the study of metaphysics
and theology, in which he took great interest ;
but the quietud6 of his studies was soon inter-
rupted by an order to proceed to Africa, where he
served with distinction under the Duke d'Orleans
when that unfortunate prince held command in the
French colony. His royal highness entertained a
high opinion of the sous-lieutenant, and, under the
orders of M. de Changarnier, he made the campaign
of Mascara, and also the first campaign of Constan-
tine, in which he was wounded. .He had the honour
to be repeatedly mentioned in the orders of the day,
and was decorated for saving the life of General
Trezel, who was in military command of the pro-
vince of 'Oran during the war against Abd-el-Fader.
Aftersome six years of a soldier's life M. de Morny
retired from the military service, and being possessed
of a considerable private fortune—Queen Hortense
bequeathed to him a considerable annuity—he turned
his situation to commercial pursuits, and purchased
a large establishment near Clermont, where he car-
ried on the manufacture of beet-root sugar to a
great extent. During this period he published a
work on the " sugar question," which was so
highly approved of, and displayed so much commer-
cial knowledge that, although only 27 years of age,
he was elected president of the committee appointed
to investigate the subject. His success in his first
speculation caused some capitalists to place him at
the head of more important undertakings, which he
conducted with great ability. In 1842 began his
political life by his election as deputy from the de-
partment of Puy-de-Dome, which he represented,
in conjunction with M. JouVet, the eminent French
lawyer, and displayed much talent in the elucida-
tion of several commercial questions. He urged the
Chambers to adopt certain financial improvements,
and especially in relation to the question of bank
notes. In respect of the conversion of rentes he

brought forward a project which formed the basis

of the system afterwards adopted. Constitutional
questions of a high order also engaged his attention ;
and although, while in the ranks of the Centre,
he supported the Guizot Cabinet by votes which
were not always popular, he belonged to that frac-

tion of progressist Conservatives of whom the jour-
nal conducted by Emile de Girardin had become the
organ. The Revue des Deux Mondes of Jan., 1848,
contained a remarkable article from the pen of M.
de Morny, entitled " Some Reflections on Current
Politics." The social question and the dangers in-
herent in it were clearly set out in this article.

When the revolution of 1848 broke out M. de
Morny held aloof from politics for some time ; but,
aided by the assistance of the National Discount
Society (Comptoir National), he was enabled to re-
sume his commercial and financial operations,
which, aided by events, opened to him all the sources
of fortune, and he acquired great wealth by specu-
lations of a multifarious nature. Under the auspices
of the electoral committee of the Rue de Poitiers he
also again entered on public life about this time,
and was once more elected to represent the Puy-de-
Dome. Up to the occurrence of the division be-
.

tween the Parliamentary Right and the politics of
the Elysee, he voted with the monarchical majority.
The great feature in his political career was the
share he took in the coup d'etat of December 2, to
a previous knowledge and preparation of which he
was admitted by the Emperor, in consequence of
marked devotion to his cause. In carrying out this
measure the Duke de Morny displayed great bold-
ness and coolness. The evening of the Ist of De-
cember he passed at the Opera-Comique ; and dur-
ing the performance, in reply to a lady who asked
him what he should do if the Assembly were swept
away, he replied--" I should try to keep by the side
of the- broom." On that same day also he gave to
some of his friends tickets of admission for the sit-
ting of the Chambers, which was destined never to

,
take place and it is said that in eulogising the
character of M. de Thorigny, the Minister of the
Interior, whom he was to replace in a few hours, he
let slip the expression, 4, He was a good Minister."

The morning after the arrest of the chiefs of the
Democratic party the Duke de Morny undertook

the post of Minister of the Interior, and alone
among the new Ministers signed the first proclama-

tions issued under the new state of affairs, and also

countersigned all the acts and decrees emanating
from his department. The most important of the

decrees then hsued was that by which the Presi-
dent announced to the people and the army that
the National Assembly was dissolved, that the law of
May 31 was abrogated, that universal suffrage was
re-established, and that the French people were called
upon to pronounce as to the basis of a constitution

modelled on that of the First Consul. M. de Morny
became a second Cromwell at this juncture, for when
more than 200 representatives assembled under the
_ _

_
presidency of M. Benoit-d'Azy to protest and
organise legal resistance, he undertook the respon-
sibility of ordering their dispersal or arrest, saying
that he wished to save them from the effects of their
own courage. Among other remarkable documents

which M. de Morny issued at this time must be men-

loncd that dated Dec. 4, in which he called upon
he prefects to require from public functionaries
heir adhesion in writing to the gfeat measure which

the Government had just accomplished; also a circu-
lar dated a few days afterwards announcing to the
extraordinary commissioners that their mission was

at an end; and finally, one dated Dec. 19, 1852,
fully explaining the plan to be adopted at the elec-
tions, and the ideas of the Government on the subject.
M. de Morny's stay in the Ministry was but brief,
as in conjunction with Messrs. Fould, Magne, and
Rouher he retired on Jan. 23, 1852, in consequence
of the decree respecting the Orleans property in
France, but his three colleagues soon returned to

office. He, however, presented himself to the notice
of the electors as a Government candidate, and was
returned for both Ambert and Clermont, as the de-

puty of which latter place he chose to sit. He suc-
ceeded M. Billault as president of the Assembly in
1854, and continued to hold that distinguished post
till his death.

The late duke proceeded to Russia in 1856 as
French Ambassador, and in that capacity was pre-