The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-19
SOCIETY AND POLITICS IN FRANCE.
Degradation OF n French OMcer-Raii'
way Concessions Ina France.
PARIS. March Is. 1874.

Degradation OF French Omcer-Raii-
way Concessions i'm France.
PARIS. March rs, 1874.
aUizor's SON.
surely life Is bitter thing Tor those who throw
stones at their neighbors. ana peop.e whom even
experience does not teach wise charity, nlal-
LIBBY get into somewhat laughabie scrapes Thus
NJ. Guizot, who Is q very dlgnined old gentleman
has been scoldlng the Bonapartes ana SEQ ding NJ
Oniver for saying civil things OF the late Emperor
in academic French. THIS made the Bonapartes
angry. and they retorted by observing that
they had paid the debts OF NJ Guizors son.
II was not, perhaps, iasr argument, but 10 was
certainly q natural means OF defence; Tor,
although thev had paid young Guizors debts, they
may nave nevertheless been indifferent rulers Of
France and yet when attacked 1t Is not surprls-
ing that they showed fgnt in the only way IN
which they could hit their enemy hard olow.
The ulshot OF 1t all has been thas M.
Guizot has felt himself Obliged 10 sell
some OF his property, ana TO pay back
the money advanced TO his son, treating that
advance as a loan bearing interest, and declaring
that he knew nothing out IL or he would have
paid 1t back before. me sum amounts 10 ao ut
Si1.ooo. when Is heavy Iayment Tor NJ. Guizot,
because he IS not and never mas been rich, being
less fortunate or scrupulous than his con-
temporary and rival. NJ. Theirs. surely he might
have lett the bonaparles alone, instead OF having
quarrel with his about them. and then to re-
funa this large lump OF money.
1t ls CT uel world we live IN, and not even VIC
tory now seems 70 satisfy the vengeance OF con-
querors. l have just witnessed q terribly painful
scene al the Military School here. 1t was
THE DEGRADATION N. MATHUszEwIoz.
formerly colouel OIL the Twentieth federal legion.
Matnuszewicz was condemned TO death; but his
rom mn In "A n ~ n
transportation to fortress. He held the rank OF
CAP jaln in the regular army when TINS sentence
was pronounced against nm, and, therefore, was
degraded with much pomp anu circumstance.
equation rom all the troops OF the Army OF
Paris was present at the ceremony. He had been
even dressed in a new uniform Tor the occasion.
An old sers ean,, grown gray IN war are. stripped
on the gold lace which marked his military rank,
tore the anu medals from his
breast, and broke his sword. The disgraced
oficer sopbed as II his heart would break. and
next week ne will be sent or 10 New Caledonia. l
wonder wnen the republican government OF
France will think there has been enough, or per-
maps more than enough, OF these Zero ,ious punish
ments, and now, Frenchmen having got as much as
they every likely to get Of "hbert," and
..equallty,n neither it IS not high time TO think
little oil ..Iraternty.n
AN OLD SCANDAL.
Here now IL a pretty business. M GabrIeI
Hugelmann, VINO has played considerable part
in french political and literary life. was brought
up yesterday before the Eighth Correctional
Chamber upon divers charges OIL fraud aud SWIM
ding. He accused OF having done ali sorts OF evil
things ever since he was twenty years old, and he
is now lorty seven. He says himself That he made
$4,000 year, and nobody Knows how. nor Will he
explain 1t IS certain that lived AT great rate,
and was about to purchase $1,000 worth OF costly
IurnituIe Tor one OF his mstresses when he
arrested with just 81 III his posse sson, and no ap
parent means OF getting more. 1t comes
out that he was In business connection
with great many highy placed onlclll
persons. hat natrd Emperor MACMILLAN took
him up and placed confidence In him; 80, evi-
IDENTITY, dId Napoleon LII. lie asserted that ne had
considerable credit with N. liners; and ne was,
assuredy. correspondence win the German
Ambassador in London during the war. He founded
no less than ave wspapers, all OF ~hicn
joyeo considerable repute-L'EDarQue L. Main
Jdune Le Drapeau Frdncdts, La Situation, LEat-
and he was principal editor OF the Journal de
Madrid La Situation was the avowed OF
the Bonapartists immediately after the Ia OF the
Empire; bnt hugemann says they gave MIN no
money. N. aouher however subscribed for q
copy OF the paper. NJ. Hugemaan seems 20 have
had talent anu industry enough Tor twenty men,
but little common sense and less honesty be
might have had the world at his iee without
nucn trouble II he had only kept his hands clean,
but dupes not easily made in such old and
wary society as ours; and when they made
they cannot be kept quiet, as N. Hugelmann has
found ont.
ahead OF other peoples, and they have Just been
dong again oy giving President MacManon a
grand }ete IN their Bankruptcy Court One cannot
quite realize the idea OF such entertainment
taxing place anywhere but IN Paris. The Tribunal
oil Commerce Is the last place in the world winch
any human beng not Frenchman would
have hit upon the Tor least
but, as We sad above, Parlsians know no scruples
Wen 1t becomes a question OF hopping and carous-
ing. They saw that toe Bankruptcy Court was
spacious wen ordained, fair to look upon. and. by
touch OF that mage wand called gola they trans-
formed the Palace OF ChIcane and Bau Dcbts into
A PALACE OF FAIRYDoM.
Nothing in truth could have been finer; nothing
brighter, gayer, newer and grander could have
been devised than the decoration 81 the Court
House planne ed oy the cnie engineer OF the CITY,
NJ. Alphand This M. Alphand IS the onlciai who
acted as right hand man to Baron Haussmann during
eighteen years. and laid out the puDirc walks,
woods and gardens OF Paris as we see them now.
1t was he VINO ordained all the Jgtes given to
foreign visitors OF distinction under the Second
Empire. and IL generally supposed that he
could not excel the grand ball gwen to the Sow
ereigns OF Russia and Prussia in 1867. But he did
excel 1t on Monday at the Tribunal OF Commerce.
and never was seen sucn a ballroom as that which
lie contrived out OF the large courtyard OF the
building. He covered In this courtyard with
vellum, and gave the vellum the look
OF cupola supported by a wide, lofty
circle OF lone columns, initiating marble, with
gold chapisters The walls were draped and fes-
,ooned with sarn, cherry and white and red vel
vet. Topped up with long trailing cords OF gold
and floral devices; and the seats we're arranged in
four semi-crcuar amphItheatres, rising tier upon
tier, with bowers OF foliage scenery and flowers
at the four corners. Running right round the
court yard and above 1t was a gallery, whence
those VINO pleased could Raze down on the dancers