The Sun.
London, England, 1826-01-26 00:00:00

EMORNING CHRONTCLI:j

Yesterday was a Holiday at the Bank, but
still the speculators on the Stock Exchange were
not idle, and a good deal of business way done.
Consols for Account opened as they left off on
the preceding day, 801, and from that price gra•
dually rose to 81, but from the demand having
decreased, there was a subsequent trifling diminu.
tion in price. Exchequer Bills remained at 4,
and India Ronda were at a premium of from is.
to 4s. In the Foreign Market the fluctuations
were unimportant. It is painful to observe that
the accounts of commercial distress from all parts
of the country are becoming more serious. The
letters received yesterday from the manufacturing
districts presented extremely gloomy aspects, and
from the scarcity of money, or rather the shock
which credit has received, it is impossible to an.
ticipate the extent of the evil.

DUEL IN FItANCE.--A. duel vas fnuelit nt St.
,Servan, on the Ist inst. The parties were, a French getleman,
Mons. 8., attended by two friends, and Captain F—v, of the
British Royal Artillery, attended by Captain
and Lieutenant au. both of the Royal Navy. The cir-
cumstanee which gave rise to this affair, was Captain F.'s
having been waylaid and assaulted, without any provocation
or cause of offence, by Mons. B. oil the Nth of DeCember,
at half-past twelve at night, when returning home from a
party. Captain F. having demanded satisfaction, the parties
met at eleven a.m., when the French gentleman refused to fight
with pistols, unless the Captain would agree (no'casually oe.
curringi,to tight with the small. sword after the first fire. The
British seconds not deeming themselves authorized to permit
this arrangement, the French party thought it proper to make
some very unhandsome reflections respecting British Officers
wearing swords which they did not know the use of. It
was then proposed to refer the dispute to a meeting of
an *goal number of French and klngliell 'gentlemen ; but,
although much discussion followed, no -decision took place.
The Lnglish
,aeconda advised Captain not to fight
with swords, in his weak state. of health, occasioned by
wounds and long services in different climates, because his ad.
versary, being a young man of five-and-twenty, in robust health,
and an excellent swordsman, the chances were considered as
not being by any means equal. Captain F. was, however, de:
termlned- that it should not be veld that a British officer was
afraid of a French swum, and *acing the use of pistols alto,
gather, he even took the French on their own terms, and with
their awn weapons. The parties met again at four when,
after a smart combat with small sword*, Captain F. succeeded,
at the moment of his being slightly wounded, in disarming his
adversary, which of course,terininated the contest. The sword
was not returned to the French, until it waS demanded or theni
if they had aught further to Buy, and if Captain
could now walk the streets unmolested?,. They immediately
promised it on their honour, declaring that they had unani-
mously recognized Captain F. to be a gentlelnarit a man of ho-
nour, and a brave man, and thus terminated the affair. Capt.
F. is nearly well; it appears he was wounded in the abdomen,
slightly, though critically. Captain F. bad not ptactised with
foils since he left Woolwich twenty-two years ago. Some of
the partied are well known, and
highly respected, in South.
gunptom—lSouthompten Herald.)

A male belonging to Mrs.
dress.tnaker, of Carey.street, was decoyed from
the door of its parent on Monday, brtwowornen,
and literately stripped naked. The.bny, Will) is
between three and four years old, was 'found in
Brook..street, Holborn, at ten o'clock at night,
and was just able totell.where he lived,

THE FRENCH COMMISSARIAT AN O

M. OUVRARD.

It will be remembered by such of our readers
as take an interest in French affairs, that we
have repeatedly alluded to the " affair " of M.
OUVRARD, the Commissary-General, or rather
the Contractor-General, of the French army, in
its late invasion of the Peninsula. The Minister
of Finance, in presenting to the Chambers the
budget of expences connected with that expedi-
tion, found that all parties regarded the charges
as at least equal- to the glory of the enterprise;
and he experienced a particular hostility to that
part of the bill of costs, which included M. Ou-
vrard's contracts. The Minister, therefore, after
having in vain attempted to defend his con►ract-
ing friend, adroitly took him up and threw him
plump into the devouring jaws of the opposition;
anti never, certainly, had the foes of peculation a
more magnificent bonne bouche. The mouths of
the Deputies were instantly stopped—as well
they might be—and the Chamber of Peers pro-
ceeded by a commission to adorn the altar, and
prepare the victim.

This commission of inquiry—the first ever
known in French legislative annals—examined a
great mass of documents, and produced an im-
mense report. This report comprises four folio
volumes, and contains upwards of 2,000 pages—
a work which excited the wonder and admiration
of the Parisians, nearly as much as the Fountain
of the Elephant. Like that grand design, too, the
work was left unfinished. The commissioners,
after all, merely stated grounds for farther exami-
nation, and referred the whole matter to the
King. It was of course expected that his Ma-
jesty would again refer the inquiry to the Cham-
ber of Peers, and that the dull exhibition of the
Trocadero and other minute exploits of the Spanish
campaign, would be terminated by the more in
teresting spectacle of an impeachment. In this
the Parisians were disappointed. The King only
Ininded over the affair to the commoi► tribunals,
ordered the Commissary-General to be arrested,
and his trial to proceed before a juge &instruction,
like that of a common thief or. swindler.

Before we state how the matter stands at
to recapitulate a few of the circumstances which
pre-
sent, or is likely to terminate, it may be proper
the Commissioners of the Peers have published
in their report. M. Ouvrard, according to this
document, was no common peculator, whether we
regard the sums which he amassed, the influence
which he exercised, or the number and quality
of the persons whom he made the instruments of
his will, the dupes of his dexterity, or the'accom-
'slices of his frauds. His demands on the French
Government amounted in the course of 6 months
to 65,000,000 of francs—and he had actually
been allowed 50,000,000, or about two millions
sterling. The individuals over whom he exer-
cised his corrupting arts were no less persons
titan the three Intendants of the Army, and some
of the General Officers of the Duke of Angou-
leme's staff, and the power which he obtained
extended over every officer of :the army, and
every agent. of the Commissariat. Lf ever a con-
tractor, therefore, deserved the name of a con-
juror, it was M. Ouvrard. Like other conjurors,
too, he began his trade in poor circumstances,
slid after evoking great sums from the pockets
of others, has still the art to remain poor. He
started from Paris about the beginning of April,
in .circurnitatices of insolvency ; he had not formed
a single contract ; he had not provided a single
wound of grain,,bought a single beast of burden,
nor engaged a single Vehicle or transport.
When he arrived at Bayonne op the sth of
April, 1823, he found all the magazines of Go.
vermnent full; he found that forage and provi-
sions had been collected in abundance; he found
that horses and carriages for transport had been
secured. There were, in magazines on the Py-
renees, 17,000,000 of rations in bread ad biscuit,
13,000,000 of rations of rice and vegetubleS, and
a million and a half of rations of forage. The
commission states, that in the course of the three
months which followed, substance had been col-
lected on the frontiers sufficient to maintain au
army of 100,900 men for four months, while it
must be observed that there was neither such a
number of troops to be provided for, nor was it
possible to subsist an army in the interior of Spain
with provisions brought front France. This, it
must be allowed, was a most unfortunate state of
affairs for M. Onvtard—a most fatal abundance
--7 a most perilous plenty for a Contractor-Gene-
ral ; but it did not dishearten this enterprising
gentleman. In the face of it all, he undertook
to persuade the military
commissariat, the staff
of the Royal Duke, and the Royal Duke himself
that the army was in danger of being starved in
its cantonments,
or of being unable to move from
theta--that it had scarcely a dinner to eat, or
a waggon, to carry its baggage ; and that the
immortal renown of the expedition must be
lost for France, unless a new arrangement
could be effected In the mode of supplying the:
troops. A council of war was therefore called to
deliberate on this ominous announcement, arid
to take measures for preventieg its realization. M.
Quvrard had conversed with the parties who pos-
ssssed most .influence ill this council, and. had
Succeeded, by the force of some irresistible ar-
guments, in persuading them to see the danger
in the same light with himself. It was accord-,
intsly determined that the army should be fed
and transported by contract, and that M. Ouv-
turd should be the universal contractor. Having',
gained this point, he could not well .be refused
some. other very convenient conditions for a man
wto brought only his wits and his insolvency to
feed and transport an army of a hundred thou.
Sand men. These conditions were—
first, that he
*Quid be paid in advance 11,12ths of all the
commodities which he should supply ; secondly,
that all the commissariat 'agents in the employ of
Government should be placed at his disposal ;
and thirdly, that he should:be allowed to
take
from the Government stores whatever they.
con-
(Liked suitable to the, wants of
ithe army..
Ifaviog obtained these conditions, an went.on
as well as could be wished. M. Ouvrard
bought
up all the contracts of all the small contractors,
who thus became his agents, anti allowed him a
m comissionpo the amount of their engagements.
lie of course called in the assistance of the army

to supply itself, after passing the frontiers, and
he only received the profit arising from the dif-
ference between what he paid to the natives, and
what he charged to the Government. The Spa-
niards were willing enough to sell their pigs,
poultry, bread, and wine, to the benevolent
liberators of their country for good hard money,
and brought to the camp as much as was wanted
of these necessary articles. M. °lnfra rd's agents
had therefore nothing to do but to conduct the
operation of the purchase, and to pocket com-
mission on the supply. On some commodities, it
must be confessed, he shewed an uncommon dex-
terity in turning the penny. He charged, for
instance, for the hire of a horse, at the rate of
not less than 1681. sterling a year, while the said
horse was fed at the public charge, and while
the price of the animal, if killed in the public
service, was to be reimbursed at the, public
charge ! Nay, so general was the description of
casualty, by which the loss of the said horse, if
it died in the cause of legitimacy, might be con-
sidered as chargeable to the French Government,
that a constitutional disease might have entitled
M. Ouvrard to indemnity, as well as a constitu•
tional bayonet or blunderbuss.

Every-disinterested officer in the army, and
every honest well-informed man in France, ex-
claimed against the extravagance of these con-
tracts. The Minister of War visited the fron-
tiers in person, and declared against their neces-
sity or utility. One Intendant-General was dis-
missed after another, but each was corrupted in
his turn. Out 'of three of them, M. de Villele
himself declared, in the Chamber of Deputies,
that one was guilty—that a second was more
guilty—and a third less guilty than the other two.
Nor was the supply of the army regularly secured
even at 'these exorbitant prices. Nothing, it is
true, went wrong at head-quarters, and the
Prince was always pleased with the arrange.
ments made for himself and his staff; but itt
every otherAuarter the greatest difficulties and
irregularities were experienced. The prices
charged by the Contractor-General were so exe
travagant, that he was enabled -to farm out his
contracts to subaltern speculators, and they
again to agents still inferior; so that the bread
of the soldier had often to pass through the
hands of 4or 5 gradations of plunderers. Nay,
it often occurred that these harpies were paid
while the poor people who supplied the articles in
the first instance were defrauded of the purchase
money. At the bead 'Of- the invading columns
were seen zealous commissaries providing for the
subsistence of the troops, and in their rear the
village authorities and the inhabitants who had
supplied the rations soliciting the military inten-
dants and general officers for payment, which
could not be made for want of funds. These
poor people being obliged to accept of bons, they
followed the troops from town to town and from
district to district, to have them exchanged for
cash. When their patience was worn out, sad
their alarms for ultimate payment were at their
height, the agents of M. Ouvrard went round snd
liquidated the Government debt at reduced rates,
pocketing the difference between the contracted
price and the composition payment. By this
means a system of peculation and 'fraud became
almost universal, and the double r9bbery was
committed on the French Government and the
Spanish peasant.
It would be needless to enter further into the
details of transactions which concern us only a 5
connected with the administration of justice
among our neighbours. It has been observed
that the Ministers referred the report of the
Peers' Commission to the ordinary tribunals, in
hopes, probably, that the guilty might escape,
and that further public inquiry might be prevent-
et! by an acquitptl.before the Chamber of Accu-
sation, which fulfils the same functions in France
as a Grand Jury does in England. The Attorney'
General, Bellart, who era., appointed to prosecute
Ot
htet vit)ai
t,herxoenritle do
uhti.insell iefdu ring two days to have
by
turns threatened
and flattered the Court to obtain this object, but
in vain. The Judges were inflexible, and de'
cided that grounds had been laid by the el'!"
deuce before them, not only sufficient to put P.
Ouvrard and a great number of subaltern peas'
his
sr
RaotyaCl Constantinople, sitiga nhtoitt.tsosi:
lators on their trial, but to implicate the Major'
General of the army, Guilleminot, now Ambassa'
dsoulle. The Duke of Guiche, aide-de-camp to
ously compromised. As the C R has
our Royale
CI)
ann
iber s convoked
be
decided that the Chamber of Peers is the only
is
tribunal before which the trial of these state de'
saainddlikGeewnieseratlo Bboeuirderet:
Unguents can be prosecuted, that Chamber 1104
of _February.
the drawing up The Legislative Session of the
begins
ss ao
tt Courtt
he o3fo justicethtls 3 furt the
on dl 5 :11:
of the indictment by a commis*
don must be a work of considerable labour
and last a long time, it can scarcely be
supposed that the final impeachment ca"
take place till the business of legislation is
terminated. Thus the Minister shall have gain"
ed all his measures for the year before be incurs
any further exposure, or loses any of his friends.
In the mean time Ouvrard is a prisoner, though
he was lately the po,sessor or distributor t"
millions, and Guilleminot is an ambassador and
a peer.

It is worthy of remark, that the three person" who will figure most in this trial for Pe"lati•
were, during
had been during ;.he imperial t,tvaY
the Spanish campaign, the most
zealous supporters of Bourbon aggre"i", and
the most vio
lent partisans of Napoleon's usurpation. Their
idol' Was changed, but p the. spirit of their
ot
worship or the principles of their creed.r—i
t Times.)

•
At clip I t
-e ..111tEWSBUItY COUNTY i'+ESstOtas
the Magistrates adjourned to the Lion Inn, and there was
it discusAion, Which cop tinged several hours, as to the Pro-
priety or granting 2,000/. from the county rate of Shropshire,
in aid of erecting a bridge in Montgomeryshire. The tats
of the intended bridge is over the Virniew, through blanymY"
neeh, on the line of road from Osweatry to Pool, and divergialt
from the old road, nei:r the canal bridge.-51otion carried.
LosicitviTY•---Withitt a circle of half a mite,
in the
tunwint:id julloets. ta:Zioeurnh 7:72' IkeayreKarvsn,datraginrellid reside
P;er tt°'l:ll-'
78 each.

Printed anti Published fur the PROPRIETORS,' at the Sul°
th'vick:, No. 112. Strand, by J. 13. I'ARBThIRS• ,