The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-11 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day.)

LIBELS AGAINST TIER EMPEROR OF THE
FRENCH-TIDE "DRAPEAU" NIiVSPAPER.

__ -~

S.

M. Labarre, on being asked whether he had anything
to say, endeavoured to justify his conduct. He observed
—"ln this epoch of political transformation the writer
has to fulfil a mission 34 great and as solemn as that of
the public Minister. If the Minister think it his duty
to defend foreign Governments, we feel ourselves bound
to defend the national cause. If he set himself up as
the organ of the law, we have to defiled our liberty.
We have seen both governments and laws pass away,
but liberty remains, because it is universal justice. Upon
that bench 'have eat other Belgian writers which the
Government, anterior to 1830, had prosecuted, and
amongst which at the furcper epoch had been denounced
as revolutionists, are men whom the Belgian magistracy
of to day is proud of seeing amongst their ranks. I have
been once before acquitted by e Brabant jury of a simi-
lar charge as the preeent. I hope this day to be again
acquitted by that tribunal. If, however, in consequence
of a vague apprehension of the law I shouLi be con-
demned, I Oiad leave this court with as high a bead
as the public Minister, who will have gained over mean
oratorical triumph at the sacrifice of Belgian liberty, but
to the profit of foreign despotism."
an Tahbesejnunrey
nhfaav
ueanimously a verdict of guilty.
but
Labarre was then sentenced to 15
aitliqduraa,r7r, roof taunrnhenduirr:tporcoonuorutuaefitnegr
months' imprison-
ment, and a fine of 1,200 francs.
' The Court was occupied to-Jay with the trial of Jean
, Francis Nicolas C.,u!ih, aged 41, tailor,&miler to the
tun Proletaire newspaper, for an article ed
one which appeared in the ra?eau, and which formed
the subject of the last prosecution.
After a lengthened investigation,
tor of
D
and an able defence
made by M. Jottrand, pere, Conlin was condemned to
18 months' imprisonment, and to a fine of 100 francs,
with costs.
The ordinary circulation
da the criminal article in
ly, but the riumbtr co
cll., ammun[ed to 1 uuo
aeiftitihugis journal was about 800

The Earl of Eglinton will leave London by express
train this morning for Holyhead, em route to Dublin, to
enter on his duties as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Holroyd.)
TRH ROYAL BRITISH BANK.
Today was appointed for an audit meeting, but the
proceedings were pro forma, as no proofs are taken at
audit meetings. It has already been stated that the
additional dividend, under the bankruptcy, will be 2s.
i❑ the pound, and officially declared on the 19th inst.
Some disputed claims, however, stand over for consider-
ation, and may probably be brought forward again, but
will not affect the proposed dividend. A further divi•
dent! of 38. in the pound will be paid shortly by the
official manager, and there is every prospect of the total
amounting to at least 16s. in the pound.
TN RIZ COLEMAN-_-A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION.
Mr. Buchanan applied in the case of this bankrupt,
whose certificate was refused a few days since, but with
limited protection, to give him an opportunity to appeal
for copies of the examination.
His Honour said he did not think he had the power to
allow them. They were proceedings in the court, and
were always forthcAning when required fur judgment
purposes. . _

Mr. Bucha:,an said that was so, and the point on
which he rested his application was, that these proceed-
ings were introduced into the brief as against the bank-
rupt, who ought to have the privilege of having copies
of the documents intended to be brought against him,
for the bankrupt could not be supposed to recollect all
that he had said or all that they had said.
His Honour said the examinations had been taken in►
public court.

Mr. Buchanan—Nevertheless, year Honour, no one
ought to be called upon to charge his memory with. All
that had transpired.

His Honour said the solicitor for the assignees would,
of course, have all the documents laid before the Lords
Justices.

Mr. Buchanan—That is the principle on which I
venture to contend, your honour, that the bankrupt
ought to have copies, for not only has he to contend with
the counsel's brief, but with the private records of the
Court.

His Honour—Not private records.
Mr. Buchanan—Your Honour'sremarlts almost impli
it, and if my client cannot have his application granted,
be will be in a very unenviable position.
His Honour said he could not make the order.
The application was, therefore, dismissed.

BRUSSELS, MARCH 9.
Yesterday morning took place the trial of M. Louis
i
Labarre, the writer of the libellous and nfisearnatory
articles in the Drapeau, Brussels paper, in relation to
the atrocious attempt on the 14th January on the life of
the Emperor of the French.
In reply the President (M. le Conseiller Bosqnet), the
accused admitted himself to be the author of the article
complained of—that he was a literary man, aged 46
years—that he was born at Duiant, and was residing at
the Ecaus,ines d'Enghien—that there were 5,000 copies
of the journal of the 17th, in which the article appeared,
published.
M. Heyndrick, the Avccat-General, then stated the
case to the jury. He described the nature of the article
which had reference to the late murderous attack in the
Rue Lepelletier, in which 156 persons were wounded
and eight persons killed. In consequence of that affair,
France was plunged into a state of consternation, and
the other States were greatly exasp3rated, for it was
useless to tisgnise the fact that the life of the Emperor
sought to be destroyed was the safegue‘vilmotfr3pmse and
public ordjg
inWination, there appeared in
the Drapeau journal, of the 17th, an article containing
the rnostoffensive epithets against the Emperor, and, with
most revolting wickedness, offering an apology for his
political assassination. Louis Labarre the defendant, wag
a Socialist-Democrat of the warmest character. To judge
him from his works, he appears to have for his object
the destruction of our institutions and the overthrow of
social order. From 1846 he bad devoted himself to this
labour of di4organiaation. On the 29th of August,
1848,
he assisted in the establishment of the Nation journal, for the avowed object of snaking it the organ of the
European revolutionists. In 1854, this paper changed
its title to the National, Labarre continuing the chief
editor. On the 22d of Ferituary, 1856, the journal re-
sorted to its original title, the Nation, and it was about
this time there appeared in that same paper as infa-
mous article against the Duchess of Brabant, for which
beririS Brisinie, the then printer-editor (imprimeur-edi-
few.) was condemned. In consequence of that condem-
nation the journal ceased to appear from the month of
August, 1856, but the Socialist-Democratic party, to
which Labarre belonged, did not remain long without
an organ. In the Month of December,
1856, the Drapeau
was established by the defendant, its chief editor and
proprietor. That journal nut only repudiated the form
of the Belgian Government, but warred against the
sacred right of property, which it called a monopoly, a
spoliation, and a robbery. It denounced the righi, of
succession, which it compared to the original sin, and
which, according to the Catholic doctrine, had been the
cause of all our evils. Whilst continually attacking the
Emperor of the French, it sought to justify Mazzini and
and his proceedings. It professed to be the organ of
that individual, and offered to receive subscriptions for
the purchase of arms for the revolutionists, The defen-
dant belongs to that school whicj adepts the theory of
the dagger, and justifies political assassination as a means
for effecting their object. The Nation, of which the
defendant was the principal editor, published, on the
11th March, 1856, a letter to the " Marianne," in which
it used this language, " that they should break their
last arm on the head of the last king." It then professed
to be•the organ of the revolutionary eononune which had
its seat in London, and which had recently published a
manifesto, preaching openly the assassination of every
Sovereign in Europe. He Eeverted to the conquest of
the United Provinces • by the allied armies of France
and England—a conquest which, according to Henault,
the chronicler, was to be especially attributed to the
infamous insults of the gazetteers of the country. He
then quoted several passages from articles in theDiapeau,
in which the Emperor of the French was accused of
murder and robbery, and which proclaimed his assassi-
nation as a supreme necessity for France, and concluded
by an appeal to the jury to assist him in putting down
such atrocious doctrines.
M. Ladrie, avocet, in a speech characterised by much
energy and eloquence, defended the accused. He denied
that Labarre had ever done or written anything that
was offensive to the" principles of universal morality,
which the law of the 20th Dec., 185 i, under which this
prosecution was instituted, was intended to provide
against.