The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-27 00:00:00

MEMOIR OF M. HUMANN.

care has it fallen to our lot to record the r?ei,attura from
this busy :ATTIC of affairs of .Senor Aguedo, the celebi ated
of Spain, than the decease of M. Humeral, who was
equally well known as the chief actor ‘n a similar sphere in
France, compels us to repeat the melancholy intedigence.
M. Humann was horn in Alsace, which, at the time of his
birth, was accounted a province of the empire, but by the
recent division has been split into two departments. M.
Humann passed his early days on the banks of the Rhine, which
traverses that country, and occasionally made visits to the
borders of Switzerland and Lorraine.

A spirit of traffic and travel seems early to have inspired
him, and leaving the corn and tobacco-groVving districts of his
native place, he• proceeded at once to the capital of France to
exercise his talents as a me chant.

He soon became the master of a large mercantile depot,
which, while it advanced his pecuniary interests, tended also
to bring out, by the nature of its affairs, the quick and stirring
abilities requisite for a creditable accountant and negotiator.
By a variety of circumstanc, s, M. Humann formed for him-
self a large acquaintance with the Ministerial men of the day.
His talents as an able financier became more and more ac-
kuowledged. in the advice and guidancit which he not unfre-
quently rendered them; and finally he himself had the ambition
to aspire to, and at length to gain, a seat in the Cabinet in this
capacity. .

-I he unsettled state of affairs in France towards the close of
the year 1832, and the hostile discussions in the Chambers,
causes at length a change of Ministry, which ended in the entry
in•.o office on the 11th of October, of the first 'I biers Ministry,
and of which M. Humann mu- first appointed Minister of
Finance ; and his tables and treasury accounts on this oceasion,
and on all hands, were allowed to be ably and satisfactorily
di awn up.
In the same capacity, M. Mumann continued to appear in
the Cabinet of the 25th of December, and in that of the 4th of
April, during the Ministry of 1834. It was on one of these
occasions, when great changes were about to be introduced as
regarded the economy of the nation, that his usual silence gave
way to an excellent aisplay of spec b. He had laid the ex-
penses of the budget on the table, which had been prepared by
commissioa, and expressed his conviction, that in the actual
state of things it was impossible to suppress more than ten mil-
lions of francs of the budget; and after commenting on the
pussibility of change, added :
" Yes, gentlemen, one could say in 1789, when it was neces-
sary to destroy the feudal edifice; one could say in 1800, when
it was necessary with the ruins of the leudal edifice to construct
a modern edifice ; and one could say daily with ease, we must
change these systems.' But to-day, after so many wars, after
the Revolution, after Napoleon, after five years of representative
Government, it is iniquitous and absurd to think of further
change of system. No, gentlemen, our Constitution is at
present formed, and our labour must be to perfect its structure,
and it is for this, that, after months of labour, a co :.mission of
conscientious men, working under my superintendence, have
found it neither possible nor advisable, to economise at the ut-
most more than ten millions of francs."

The measure which brought M. Humann as a financier most
before the public, was that which occurred in the January of
1836, when the violent agitation in the Cabinet, which his
measures produced, brought on some very decisive effects :
On the 14th of that month, M. Humana made his annual
statement of the national accounts, and in doing so, though he
did not propose any measure, he expressed a strong opinion in
favour of reducing the Five per Cents. to a Four per Cent.
Stoca, by paying off those who might dissent from the reduc-
tion, and he considered it a favourable opportunity and time for
so doing. The economical results of the plan were at least
palpable,, but his opponents urged against it considerations
which, though in a certain degree deserving of at: ention, were
perhaps such as should not be allowed to predominate over the
great interests of the country.
This expression of opinion gave great offence to the Prime
Minister and to some others of M. Humann's colleagues.
Ministers knew that the Five per Cent. Stock was princi-
pally fur investments; its holders were almost all to be
be found in Paris, in the class of shopkeepers and
others who formed the National Guard. There was
a strong disinclination, therefore, in the M:nistry, to
do anything which, by touching the pockets, might cool the
patriotism of that numerous and important class. It had been
agreed in the Cabinet that no plan fir the conversion should
be proposed; but M. Humann, who on every occasion had
openly declared in the Chamber the propriety and urgency of
the measure, thought himself bound to state now that his views
had undergone no change. The Filament of the Council,
however, and the majority of his colleagues blamed him highly
tor having gone so far in stating his opinion, without having
previously informed them of his intention. M. Humann,
hereupon, immediately tendered his resignation. which was
accepted, and on the 18‘h of January, Count d'Argout was
named Minister of Finance in his place.
But further explauati ns regarding this occw rence were
called for in the Chamber of Deputies, and this measure did
not merely turn out a finance Minister, but immediately gave
M. Humana ample revenge by turning out the whole Cabinet.
"1 he proposal was too reasonable and useful not to be a general
favourite. A hot debate of two days ensued, and on a division
of the ChamSer the Government was Lett in a minority of two,
192 Members having voted for adjourning the ques-
tion, and 194 against it. All the ministers immediately
repaired to the Tuileries and placed their resignations
it the hands of the King. On the formation of a
new Ministry Count d'Argout still continued Finance Minister.
A long blank of five years then occurs, in which he was totally
out of office, till the 29th of October, 1840, when he came in
with the new Administration. By the above enumeration,
therefore, it will appear that M. Humann has been Minister
of Finance in seven Cabinets out of the nineteen which have
been formed and dissolved since 1830.

M. Humann's supeort of the pretensions of the French Pose-
office, brought him within these few days prominently before
the public. Two successors are spoken of in his place, Al.
Lacave Laplagne, and M. Duchatel.

Shortly after two o'clock this afternoon a fire
broke out at No. 6, Loder-place, near Buckingham Palace.
It soon caught the adjoining house, and was stilt raging ac•
cording to the last accounts. A young child is said to have
perished in the flames.
DUBLIN, APRIL 25.—Owing to the very alarming
state of the northern parts of Tipperary. as evidenced by the
numerous outrages perpetrated within the last fortnight, a
meeting of Magistrates took place on Saturday last, when a
memorial, strongly worded, was forwarded to the Executive,
praying that prompt measures would be taken to afford protec-
tion for the lives and properties of the peaceable and well-
disposed inhabitants of the disturbed districts. Five additional
policemen have been dispatched to Moneygall, the scene of the
recent murder, or, it is to be feared, murders, as it is currently
reported in town to-day that Mrs. Margaret Curry, the com-
panion of the ill-fated Mr. Roberts, had expired of the wounds
she received on the evening the former met his untimely end.
Up to the present there has been no clue to the assassins, and
from the combination that exists there appears to be little pro-
bability that the Government reward will have the desired
effect of leading to detection.
SINGULAR DELUSlON.—Yesterday an inquisition
was taken before Mr. Baker, at the Horn of Plenty, Globe-
road, Mile-end, on the body of Mr. Thomas Baynham, aged
thirty, an upholsterer and house-agent, in an extensive way of
business, whose death took place under the following very
singular circumstances :—Sarsh Baynham said, the deceased
was her brother. He was very eccentric in his habits, and had
been ailing for some time, in consequence of his refusal to
take sufficient nourishment. He laboured under a strong de-
lusion that abstinence from food would prolong his life, and
in order that he should not eat too much, was in the constant
habit of weighing all he ate, which including meat, he would
not allow to exceed oz. per diem. He was first
induced to pursue this course about three months back, and
persevered in doing so, although Dr. Gossett told him he did
not take sufficient nourishment. He took long walks, and
frequently returned home quite exhausted. On Thursday
evening last he returned home quite overcome, and talked very
wildly. He went to bed, and on the following morning he ap-
peared raving mad, in which state he continued till eight
o'clock the same evening, when he expired. Mr. Storey.
surgeon, said he was called in on Thursday night to see de.
ceased. He found him in bed quite insane. He appeared
dreadfully emaciated. His pulse was very low, and he was
es iderely suffering from congestion. He ordered him beef
tea and wine, hut he never rallied. From what he had heard ,
he had no doubt that the deceased died of natural causes
from exhaustion produced from the abs, nce of proper food and
nourishment. The want of fo, d would produce madness.—
Verdict—'• Died from natural causes of exhaustion from want
of sufficient food."

'1 he Commerce contains the following letter from
Logan, in the Canton of Teirro, dated Aped 17 We have
been for two days under arms, on 'account Of a report that thr
adherents of the aristocrat,c 'Envy, aded by Athtrian de-
.erters, and f rvoured by the Governments of Piedmont and
Lombardy, were about to make a new a tempt at a counter-
revolution. Yesterday was the day mentioned as the day for
the intended attempt, but it has passed over will-rout any de-
monstration."

PARIS, APRIL 23.—The weather, which had for
fortnight been colder than had been the case for many years in
April, has become suddenly very hot. We have now an Italian
syk and temperature, and all that is wanted to promote rapt
vegetatii,n is rain : a little fell last night, but it was not oat-
ficient to do much good.
A letter from Vienna, April 13, in the Journal d
Frank fat, says :—" The mival of 111. Pageot, Charge d'Af-
faires i'or France, at the Court of Aladrid, after having been to
London on an extraordinary mission, has cxci ed general no
tire, and his fi equent visits to several high diplomatists, always
accompanied by Count Flahaut, have caused various surmi,,s.
One of these is that he is charged with engaging our Court to
fivolir the modifications which France wishes to be made in
the treaty for the right of search. Others conceive M. Pa-
gimes object to be the inducement of the Courts iif Vienna.
Berlin, and St. Petersburgh, to join France and England in
their acknowledgment of Queen Isabella 11. It has been re-
aiarked that, since the arrival of AI. Pagent, there have been
several conferences between Count Flahaut and Sir Robert
tiordon, the 1.3 i itish ]Minister. The only certainty is that, for
some time past, the correspondence between the Cabinets of
the different great Powers has become more active than during
the winter."

M. Constan, an engraver of Bordeaux, is stated
by the journals of that city, to have invented a jointed axletree,
applicable to heavy end light ordinary carriages and waggons,
and also to railroad vehicles, the advantages of which are thus
described :—A travelling-carriage, built at Bordeaux, and fur-
nished with these new axletrees, was loaded to the same
weight as the mail-coach, minus 300 lbs., started from Bor-
deaux at the same time as the mail, and arrived with it in
Paris, although M. Constan's carriage was drawn by two
horses only, while the mail had five. After its arrival, it was
examined carefully, and found not to have sustained the slight-
est deterioration from friction or any ether cause.
The name of the Englishwoman who committed
suicide two days ago, after attempting to murder her child, a
boy six yea's of age, anti nut seventeen, as erroneously stated
in the first accounts, was Myers. She was only twenty-fiv,
years of age. Her husband died last month, and, as he had
but recently begun business as a watchmaker, on his death his
wife and two children were left in a state of complete des!i u-
tion. This so affected the poor woman, that she conceived the
dreadful resolution of des!ruying her children and herself. Siie
i
accordingly called her eldest boy, a child six years of age, Aqui
immediately
a atteliei
Ais, hertabbcid
in hart,himi ai,d,
thebrea:r; but her resolutier for-
tn
the child's crying for
mercy, she left hint,, and instantly drew the kMie across her
own throat, inflicting a dreadful wound. She (hen, as already
stated, opened her window and threw hersOf from a third story
into the street, and was taken u, quite. ead. The poor boy is
doing well, and has been rest teed, as well as his younger
brother, into the
.British Orptan Asylum.
The international [shipwreck Society has awarded
an honorary medal, with
dip]. ma of Sauveteur to Mile. A.
Dalharate of Biarritz, near Bayonne. In the winter of lts39,
a dreadful tempest broke over Biarritz, and the Zoe lighter
of Nantes was dashed on the rocks with terrible force. A
crowd collected on the shore, but no person would venture to
the relief of the sailors, who were clinging io the sinking ves-
sel. 1% hat no man would risk attempting, a w..ak wi.mito
boldly undertook. She seized a rope, threw herself into he
raging sea, and, after numerous failures, at last succeeded in
swneming to the vessel. At the moment of her arrival, the
captain, 1% ho was holding on, found his strength give way, and
fed into the sea. She caught him as lie rose to the surf ,ce,
and bore him to land befr-e lie was extinct. Such conduct it
a man would have been admirable, but in a woman it was
sublime.

EGYPT.
ALEXANDRIA, APRIL 6.—The last ten days have been
of any • k.'• •r. it,
the Delta.

The following proclamation was published on the 30th ult. :
" The public is desired to take note of the following pars-
graph of a letter addressed to the undersigned by Kosref
teitdi, second secretary and interpreter of his Highness the
Viceroy, on date of 2d Soler, 1258 (March 14, 1842).
" His Highness the Viceroy encharges your Excellency to
repeat to the merchants what he himself has already, on more
than one occasion, told them verbally, that no attention will be
paid, nor any note taken of any complaints or protests which
might in future be made for the recovery of disbursements
made to account of purchases of produce, if such produce shall
not have keen first duly weighed or measured.
'(Signed) " BOGHOS JOUSSOUFF.
" Alexandria, Mardi 30, 1812."
This appears, at first sight, a startling proposition, that In
commercial relations with the natives, under the "free trade
system, no reoress for claims against them will be redressed i 0
the Turkish tribunals ; but, on the other hand, 'must be takes
into consideration the peculiar tenure on which the Arab bolds
his lands, and their produce. The Pacha all along has warned
Europeans, that, fro n, the first proposal of establishing a free
trade, they must not make advances to the Arab. The ambi-
goons term, •' duty weighed and measured," mear•.a, I thinks
merely that they must get positive possession of the produee
they buy before they pay fur it, or make any payment to ac-
count of It.