The New York herald., 1871-10-30
e y r O p E.
The Trial Of Victor Place in Paris for
Embez1ement Of Public Money.
gHE CHICAGO FIRE AND THE MONEY MARKET
FRANCE.

bexzleuse~H Of Public MOney-First Days
ProccoAsAgs.
dense crowd yesterday FLIED the narrow hall OF
yhe Tenth Chamber anxious to witness the trial OF
the late Consul at New York The following are the
main faoss In the case:-The credit opened IN New
York for the Consul amounted 20 s4.l46, 6O0f. or
about seven millions OF dollars. He Is accused OF
having purchased, without orders, 5000 Snider
rines at cost OF ss,oooE. which are useless of
having purchased $500 Roberts muskets, with
cartridges, at cost or 5s2 0oef and which also
regarded as valueless; OF having illegally paid him.
self commission or two per cent, the gross
amount or which exceeds 6000o0f.; OF hav-
ing collected, indirectly, under the name
OF Chauviteau commissions from one TO 1--WE per
cent, amounting IN the aggreg ate to $3.50, ooof OF
having added, or caused 10 be added, to the IN
voices OF the house OF Remington, twenty-five cents
per arm and per thousand cartridges, and OF having
paid those nalsided invoices at cost TO the state OF
S72 Oe0L
These are t6echarges to answer which NJ Victor
Place appeared yesterday before the Correctional
Tribunal.
THE COURT OPENED
about haspast three In the afternoon. M. Place
presented himself to the Court attended by NJ Rivo-
let his counsel. His brother Monseigneur Place,
Bishop or Aarseilles, was among the audience The
President OF the Court Immediately proceeded to In
terrosate the accused.
EXAMINATION.
PREsIpENT-You are accused Of abuse OF conf
dence to the prejudice OF the French government;
what nave you to repyf
ACCUSED am ready to reply to the questions
which the tribunal may choose to address to me.
have awaited with great impatience the day when
should be able to give you complete explanations Of
the facts with which am reproached.
PREsIDENT-Since when have you been in the
consular employment
AcCUsED-Since 1889. / was appointed Consul
General to New York in 1870
PaESIDENT-Wnen the war broke out the French
government charged Mr.. Remington to purchase
muskets. They thought ii necessary that certain
surveillance should be exercised over those pur-
Chases and thought they could not have that better
done than by their Consul General at New York.
You have been instructed TO inspect the various
purch ases and effect the payments
AccusED-In providing arms three circumstances
are to be observed-the purchase, the fixing of The
price and the shipment The choice and purchase of
the arms were outside my province, which was
limited TO expeditlng the shipment. The Committee
on Armament told me they counted, for that pur-
pose, on my energy and Intelligence. II Il had
had but to verify invoices and pay there
would have been no necessity for that
special cooperation In the circumstances
wherein the country was placed what was most
needed was TO ship the arms rapidly as possible.
In less than three months l have shipped 45O. 900
musKets ana "a, Oo0 900 OF cartridges; but l have
never been charged with the duty of verifying the
quality OF the arms munitions snipped.r insist
npon that polut because, without desiring TO launch
out into liter lnvectlve, am bound to say that the
represented by public opinion 1t is generally be-
leved that all the purchases OF arms have been
ali tnat is said oil exaggerated prices and arms Of
bad quality must be laid 10 the charge OF the Consul
wanted to disarm the National Guard 1t was SAID 1t
was not worth While TO place In our arsenals the
arms purchased by the Consul OF New YORK;
1evolving upon me-namely, to ship the arms witn
the greatest possDie rapidly have done so In the
midst OF peculiar difficulties. My role did not go
beyond that.
PKEsIDENr-Do you claim you were not obliged
70 examine the invoicesf
ACCUSED examined them only to ascertain If
the shipments conlormed with the bills OF ladlng.
PREsIDENT-And you mad not to control the COM
missions objected to
ACcusED-0n certain supplies the commissions
were indicated; on others not.
PREsIDENT-In that way, then, Mr.. Remington
had five per cent on all the invOcesf
AcCUsED-Not In every instance. The first invoice
pi Mr.. Remington for $4,000 muskeis entitled to q
special commission OF FIVE per cent; for the others
nothing especial was indicated; was bound 70
aud mad only TO verify the material side oi the
transaction
with having badly performed that part OF your duty,
Out with having paid with French money sums
II
you not broker associated with your Was that
quite necessary
ACCUSED absolutely necessary could not
leave my consulate, and an agent was necessary to
me who could 60 to the lurnlshers and look alter
the material side OF my duty.
PREsIDENT-l understand. That broker did the
greater part OF the work.
AccUsED-rnat is not absolutely true. My airec.
uon was unremlttlng. Several times day i took |
account OF what was going on: but since was
Kept IN my Office by labor SO constant that had
scarcely time TO write letter l was obliged TO
have colleague, VINO has aiaed me, must say, In
The most efficient and honorable manner.
PREsIDENT-You are reproached with having
allowed him commission or Que per cent.
AccusED--I acknowledge the fact.
PRESipENT-Ihat commission amounted TO 323 900
and some francs, which France mad TO pay over
and above for your fact. What agreement had you
" i'm tins Mr. ChauyiteauP
ACCUsED-That agreement stipulated only a COM
mission OF one per cent The custom OF the city OF
and halt per cent That was why objected to
Mr.. Chauviteau's receiving, In addition another
commission on certain supplies.
PRESIpENT-Tnat also Ii q clause IN the accu.
eatlon for you were putting that broker In a false
position IN regard to persons whose supplies he was
sides.
AcCUsED-I acknowledge that the amount OF that
commission OF one per cent was enormous III coil
sequence OF the extent OF the business, but have
an observation TO make. The mode OF remunera-
tion by commission Is the most usual IN America.
In that country the amount that The commission
may produce never regarded, but the value of tile
service rendered Id. The usual commission Is two
and half per cent but in view OF the Importance
Oi the business reduced 1t 70 one per cent. Tnen
Il
regard 10 the gross total II wrong translate
u INTO French lgures dollar In America is about
like franc OF our money, so much so that they pay
81 an hour for q carriage In New York.
PREsIDENT-And the Remington commissions
ACCUsBD-0nCe more, that did not concern me;
my orders did not apply either 10 the qualty OF
price OF the arms; all nad TO control was the ship
ment, al operation that did moi cover any unlawful
favors.
The PREsIpENT-In addition 10 the commission
sp lken OF, Chauvteau received q commission ol nye
per cent ON lreights.
AccUsED--lt was not In addition TO; II was out.
Eide. There Chauvteau was not acting MY
agent, but as q snlpproAer.
PREsIDESr-Yes, but II was France that paid, and
II rs al abuse Of confidence the more with which
you are Teproached. According to the custom IN
America the captain, On the contrary, makes ais
count OF i've per cent, which rs divided between
The broker and the neigher. Instead OF taking ac-
count that reduction you have, the contrary
n