The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-03 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION.

TRIAL OF PRINCE LOUIS NAPO-

LEON AND ACCOMPLICES.

THURSDAY, OCT. 1.

A little after twelve o'cleek, Prir. ce Louis Napoleon'
General Montholon. and the odaer prisoners entered the
Court, and were led to benches by a guard of gendarmes.
The President (Baron Pasquier) took the chair at half-
past twelve, when the list of Peers was called over.
The pleadings on behalf of the prisoners were then
opened.
M. Ferdinand Barret. retained for the defence of the
prisoners generally, observed that this trial was one of high
importauce, as ineoivieg a question of poli e tical rights.
Prince Loeis 'Napoleon relied upon the principl of the
sover&enty of the people, which he thought ought to
screen him from the improper jurisdiction to which he
was sabjecteu. This case should have been submitted
to the test of the common law of the land. The
liberty, the dignity, the honour of Prince Napoleon, in
whose veins flowed the blood of the great man whom
tees all were with just reason entrusted to the
hands of the most brilliant ornament of the French bar,
who had done all that so arduous a task required.
His duty waa to defend the prisoners collectively, and
prove to the Court that the position they were placed in
was not of the character described; the attempt of which
the Prince and his companions had been accused was de-
scribed as the result of an insolent and wild ambition, void
of patriotism and dignity. In his opinion the Procttreur.
General had not taken an enlightened view of the ques-
tion, and had purposely avoided touching on the Imperial
regime. The object which stimulated the Prince and his
friends was not dictated by a poor ambition, but the glcrf
of France, and based upon the sovereignty of the people,
whose respect and confidence he sought to obtain. It
would be just to examine minutely what were the ideas of
the Prince he planning and executing this attempt. It
would be proper to determine whether he carne to
demand his right of inheritance as a lawful heir,
or, as described by the Procureur- General, to carry
en a wild a:A senseless speculation. He, however,
was not actuated by either of these motives, but
came to ask for the fulfilment of the wish expressed
in the Emperor's testament nt St. Helena, and
that his family should be relieved from tee sen-
tence banishment decreed against them. The Learned
Advoeeee then referred to the evidence agaiast the pri-
soners Voisin, Parquin, Bataillc, and Dtsjardins. Col.
Voisin, he observed, had served his country for many years
during the Empire, and was one of the last cffieers de.
voted t o Napoleon ; it was natural that he should fee! an
affection for his nephew, who had besides so many claims
to his attnifirrient: Colonel Voisin was devoted to the
Prince, but he protested against the odious imputation of
having joined in an attempt to revolutionize the country.
At all events, be Wi3 convinced that they would take
into consideration the two, wounds he received in the
affair at Bouleene---n wounds inflicted by citizen balls
upon a body covered with the glorious scars of the field
of battle." l'oese sufferings ought to be consldered a
sufficient punishment for his inconsiderate participation
in the expedition. Colonel Perquin was also a brave
officer, and had fought in the battles cf the Empire. His
devotion to the Prince's cause was extreme ; he was at-
tached to his service in the quality of Aide.de-Camp ; he
had constantly refused to accept employment under the Re.
storation, as it was contrary to his Bonapartist ()pinions :
he thought he was right, and acted up to his convictions.
The Learned Advocate, in referring to the case of the pri-
soner Desjardine, observed that even the Procureur-Gene-
ral had admitted that the prosecution could scarcely be
maintained as agaidst him, as it app, ared that he thought
he was employed merely as the Prince's Secretary at Lon-
don, and had no idea of the expedition until on board the
City of Edinburgh ; he had sought employment from the
Prince, in order to relieve the distreis of a large family.
The other prisoner, Bataille, was led by his zeal to join
the Prince's cause.' and, by the glorious memory connected
with 1 is cause; his object was not to create a revolution,
but to assist the Prince in recovering his rights as a French
citizen. The offence charged against his clients Wes of a
political nature, and the Court being composed of political
men, would be best able to judge of it in its various bear.
logs. He was fully convinced that they would do so with
impartiality, and pronounce a verdict dictated by justice.
The prisoner Mesonan, in his defence, said that he had
promised to the Prince's mother never to abaedon him in
whatever position he might be placed ; his affection to the
Bonaparte family was too strong to allow him to desert
any member of it when exposed to danger.
M. Delacour addressed the Court on behalf of Mesonan,
whom he described as a brave and honcurable officer, pas-
sionately attached to the Imperial family. He re-entered
the service after the restoration, but was, as he supposed,
treated with harshness and injustice by being placed upon
the retired list. The Learned Counsel then commented
upon the evidence in support of the prosecution, and espe-
cially teem the contradictory nature of that given by Ge-
neral Magnan age net his client. The Court would, how-
eeer, take the creole circumstances of the case into consi-
deration, and ba guided by jut t en in their judgment.
The prisoner Persigny said that for many years he was
convinced that the ideas and intentions of Napoleon were
the best for the interests and glory of the country. It was
his firm belief that in France authority was not sufficiently
wircm_g nor liberty sufficiently extended. The only remedy
for this state of ni=nes was the propagation and develop-
. Nipoleon ideas. He regretted the absence of
an ablsr voice than his to explain to the Court the utility
and sincerity of those opinions, destined for the regenera-
tion of France. Their object was to restore the glory of
the empire.
Here the prisoner was interrupted by the President, who
said he could not permit him to proceed in such terms;
the affairs of the empire had nothing to do with the present
case; besides, of what service was the glory of the empire
in the catastrophe of 1815 ?
The prisoner said he had a right to state the motive; of
his conduct. The Napoleon principle were the best for
securing the weifsre cf France; for instance, when he
drew a comparison between her former and present state
no cog cculd have a doubt on the subject.
The prisoner was again stepped by the President, who
told him thate unless he kept to the facts of the case, he
could not allow him to proceed, and that he must leave his
defence to his counsel,

The prisoner said be preferred sitting down to being cut
short in his defence.
M. 13ariUon, the prisoner's advocate, then rose, r.nd was
about to address the Court at the hour of post.

TUBKISH AND FRENCH FLEETS.

It appears to be now acknowledged that the journals
were mistaken which announced the passage of a Russian
fleet through the Straits of Dover, but one thing remains
certain. namely, that on the 16th ult. the fleet was on the
point of settiog sail with the ostensible intention of going
to Revel. Ilow..!ver, at all events, if the fleet has not left
the Bhltic, it array do so on the shortest notice, and it must
do so if it be intended to employ it before neat spring, fcr
cehz:rwise tl:en we will soon block it up in the port. In
this state of things, much has been said of the measures
that ought to be taken, and one of the reports on change
to-day was that Admiral Latitude was going to return to
Toulon with crirs to take the command of die reserve
squadron, and to prcceeel to the Straits of Gibraltar to
meet the expected. fleet. Our re;;;lL.rs will of course under-
stand that we by no means answer for the truth
of this report. We are rather inclined to detibt it. How-
ever, it may be interesting to state the force which Admi-
ral Lalande might in a short time have under him.
About the 15.11 of October we shall have at Toulon two
three-de,:ker.l, the Ocean and the Souverain, four other
ships of the line, the Marengo, the Ville de Marseilles, the
Geacreux. and the Trident (the trio latter are now con-
y, tveons to Africa), three frigates, the Iphigenie, the
Ur inn, atd the Ind,pendente, and the Circe corvette,
in a!l ten men-of- war.

liut why should we enumerate forces of which there is
prolhif no more imeotion of making use than of the
vtpven (4 w•rtr .which are now at Navarino, under the
command of Admiral Hugon.—Le Commerce.

ELOPEMENT.—An elopement took place last
week in this county, under circumstances of a most extra-
erdleary nature, but which at present cannot be disclosed
without prejudicing the endeavours of the family to dis-
cnver their lost daughter. We may, nevertheless (the
mire especially as the subject is the topic of conversation
throughout the county) state that a rumour was circulati.d
through this city, Leominster, and Ludlow, and ether
D.'', of tee coutey, that a ladv of considerable personal
attractions and high accempli:hreents, in the 24th year of
her age, had C;opCd with her father's groom, an un-
educated and very ordinate person, between 40 asd 50
years of age. It appears that on Tueseay eyenisg the
221 ult., the lady in question lift the residence of her
lather (a gentleman of wealth and station in the ccunty),
accompanied by the said groom, and arrived at the Grey-
hound Hotel in this city, whence the groom returned
haeopmaeretitnhge lbaydytirreerernaionTing for the night,
.for the purpose of
morrow morning's Liverpool mail for
Ludlow, whither she
her family, with the cognizance of
to visit a married sister. She took her place
accordingly, and on arriving at Leominster complained of
being so indisposed that she requested that her luggage
might be taken out.of the mail, as she determined to re-
main there, aintltihaew,satrtmLentiimie directing the guard to inform
her brother. as. he would be there waiting
for her, the cause of her non. arrival, and requesting him to
drive over to Leominsterguard Performed
his mission, hut on the gentleman'r;thelearning from him
that the lady was butslightalnyd indthisopuosed, he returned
to take his breakfast,
over to Leominster, where hedrove leisure! y
arrived
eleven and twelve o'clock. The lady bad, between
however, by
that time departed ; for shortly after her arrival,
the Lion
a man,
h who proved to be the said groom, rode into
Hotel yard, and inquired if a person answering
she de-
scription of the lady was there ; and on findingthe
was,
he immediately proceeded to the room occupied by the
invalid, when, eMier by threats or persuasion, he pre_
veiled upon her to accompany him, which she did, to a
small public-house kept by a relative of the groom's.
arose,
On
tie arrival of the lady's brother-in-law, suspicions
si don further inquiry it seal soon discovered that the
PI 00111 and the lady had departed together. Pursuit in
evo ry direction was instantly commenced; labour and ex-
pence were not spared, and it is really marvellous that all
traces of the party was quickly lest, and up to the pre-
cut moment. the alaious relatives of the abducted lady
iv • in total ignorance of her location. It is supposed
that she is not married, but that is at this time detained
aggazinhat her will in secrecy. The whole affair is involved
A,7*tel7; but we have no doubt, from the proceedings
ticet;aetivity, it will shortly be cleared up. It certainly
tri cod, after to us, from the fact of the party not being
ciuis ing'urt
,t:Ille most indefretigable, extensive, and judi-
L( ominater7.— at the lady cannot be very far distant from
tv,
e,
__
_u.eS'nitnce the preceding paragraph has been in I
Smith ith-hva,•4 blew
,owned
that the efforts of Superintendent
discovered. On 6:red with success; the lady has been
loae:olding her lather she was seized
u_
ith hysterics, and
w irediat, ly attended by Mr.
} roysell, surgeon, under whose kind and skilful care she
h; a been restored to her father's residence. We hope to I
be enabled next week to give a more circumstanCal ac-
coent of this mysterious affeir.--Liereford Tines, Oct. 8.