Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-16
MISCELLANEOUS,
Correspondence Of the New York Herald
Interesting Letter from London.

MISCELLANEOUS,
correspondence Of the New York Hersldl
Interesting Letter from London.
Tie Failure Of " Mircs-His Liabilities Es
timated at $3.50, 900, o00-7Hs Panic IN
Paris, DC.
LONDON, Feb. %, ls6l.--Panic mongers have
enough to fucd upon now, to last month, let
times 20 never so smooth. The dish is served
up as ragout, with sauce piqaants. The con-
sternation, which is described as tremendous in
Paris, has extended to London, and many here
are predicting monetary crisis, if one or two
more straws are piled upon the camers back.
The fall Of poor Mircs, in Paris is o fearful
crash. The amount Of the failure is currently
stated at COO, 600, 900 francs, or $40, 000 0o0.
Think Of that, you belligerents who are going
to war on the subject ofcotton and:wOolly heads.
The Paris Banking House, Marcuard 81 Co.,
and Ernest Andre have suspended, and the Cred.
it Mobilier and Perriere, tho great politician and
negotiator, are said to be on the brink OF insol-
vency. The entire capital Of the Credit Mobi.
lier is said 70 be swallowed up, and the direc-
tors are to be prosecuted. Rumor says three
Ministers are compromised most seriously
Morny, Rouhcr and Magne Gen. Fleury, too,
is among the delinquenus. The Princess De-
nidoT- Matilde, the sister of the Emperor
is in the vcrtex, q check of 500,0 900 FIR. having
been given to her. Brides have been scattered
right and left by the reckless Hebrew banker,
in the vain nope of floating the Turkish loan.
Secresy. government pressure, gagging the
press and the usual imperial machinery were
all insufficient to open the purse.strings OF the
people who wanted to make investments.
Il is found that sovereigns, sultans, kings
and. emperors can 50 ahead too fast and find
themselves oycrtrading as well as private per-
sons. Then when the crash comes it carries
al! down together. Francis II. was one OF
these reckless spectators. lie overtraded in
the matter Of reputation. He broke his
promises, falsiGed his accounts and played the
Jeremy DiJdler so extensively that he was
obliged, first, to mortgage his crown, then allow
his effects TO be seized, and his entire estate
sold to satisfy his creditors. He Of course went
into the gazette and got exiled and outawed.
The poor Sultan, Abdu Medjid, has been over.
trading; has G most eztravagant family, and
very dishonest servants, and his credit now DO
coE:e so bad that few or none will trust him
and as be lives far beyond his income, is fright.
fully in debt and creditors clamorous, it is ex.
pected that the sheriff must soon step in and
seize the whole. The next question is the
choice of administrators. The estate will pro-
baby cut up badly. AS a good many creditors
are in this country, it is expected that Mr..
John Bulls Prime Minister will have a hand
in the administration, or be one of the execu-
tors
without being impertinently familiar with
kinsly and imperial affairs, the late ecIarea$se-
naent in Paris will probably so far towards up
peIting the dynasty Of the .Bonepartes. Louis
Napoleon may reign all his days, but Napoo-
leonism has received shock from which 1t
cannot recover for years. There is 10 royal
road to solvency, if men-be they kings, en-
perors, or private persons-will constantly live
beyond their incomes. The reign Of Louis
Napoleon has been an extravagant one. The
head of the State has neither husbanded his
reputation nor his means. He has practised
on the credulity Of his people, spent money
not, his own, embarked in quixotic wars and
tried to make,a silk purse out Of sow's ear,
till he finds the original material cannot be dis
guised. The people Of England, the next door
to the French domnions, have enjoyed politi-
ca! liberty for ages, md the intercourse of the
two people has now become so extensive that
the privileges Of the ono people cannot be hid
den from the other. Now, we've had the
Italian war, and there is the great spectacle Of
an oppressed aud down-trodden people throwing
of the yoke of tyranny that bound them,
and using their liberties and privileges with
moderation, calInncss and temperance. Grant
that the power of the priestboed-and that
priesthood the Romans excessive; grant
that the French people are not generally
what would be considered '.nteligent"-t
is, measured by an English or American stand
ard; grant that they are not accustomed to Tree
speech, free thought, o free press and free
trade, grant all this, and still We must admit
that thirty-six millions Of people between the
Bay Of BIscay and tho Rhine, between the
Straits or Dover and the kingdom of Italy,
cannot be kept in swaddling clothes, while the
infant nations on every side are rising in their
might and asserting their manhood. Let slave
~ in Aruericu smash the republic, let liberty
degenerate into license, and still We must come
to the conclusion that thirty-si1 millions Of
Shaved nor do people worship the empty
with glorious deeds and memories, so long as
that name does not afford the adequate amount
OF protection and freedom.
One of the curious facts revealed by the pub
lication of custom. houses is, that there were
imported into this country last year 300, 600
lbs. Of opium. Of this amount it is estimated,
from reliable data, that not more than one-tenth
is used for medical purposes. The habit OF
eating opium is known to be spreading at a
rapid rate among lawyers, doctors, clergymen
and literary men; and enormous quantities
are used by manufacturers OF those poison
GUS liquids which are dealt out in drinks in the
saloons and groceries that infest every city and
village in the country.
The AcorlrTAL OF w. H. RUssELL-The ac-
ouit.al, in Washington, of w. H. Russell,
charged with completely in the Indian, Trust
Fund Dedication, was made under the statute
which provides that no man shall be, prose-
cuted for crime touching y hich he has been
examined before any Committee OF. Congress.
The decision was in Arcordance with the plea
of the counsel, and tic Indictment was ordered
to be quashed