Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-04
THE CRISIS IN FRANCE,
A Great Constitutional Ques-
tiOn at Stake.
Difficulty Experienced in Form
ing a Cabinet.
NJ. Burgeois Called Upon to Under
take the Task.
The Panama Canal Lottery Investigat-
ing Committee Disposed to Over
step Its Rights-sensa-
tional Disclosures.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PARIS, Dec. 3.-The present crisis is
not merely political, but one in which a
great constitutional question is at stake.
The Panama canal investigation COM
mittee shows disposition to overstep
its constitutional righte, and the refusal
OF Public Prosecutor Beaupaire to give
up documents to be used in the investi-
CATION is approved by all who have not
lost their heads over the Panama canal
affair. Had M. Brisson, as the head of
the committee OF investigation, been
successful in forming cabinet, his sue
cess would have been interpreted as the
acceptance by the deputies of the
com mittee's illegal policy, the result of
which it would have been i'm.
possible to foresee. The general appre-
hension over the event has magni6ed
the pretensions of the committee into
aiming at establishing itself into sort Of
q committee of public safety, with des-
potic power.
The news of Casimir Perrier's failure
to form a cabinet was received with
general regret. President Carnot to-
night sent for M. Bourgeois and asked
him to make an effort to form q min
istry. M. Bourgeois's decision has not
yet been announced. If he refuses or
fails in the attempt, M. De Freycinet
and Tirard are the next favorites.
Perier gaveAup the task of forming a
cabinet, because the men he wanted
would not accept the places rendered.
THE LOTTERY INVESTIGATION.
The investigating committee yeste day
heard NJ. Cantagrel, another member of
the committee, on the lottery scheme.
He declare d that an employe of the
Panama Canal company offered him first
100000 francs, then 100000, finally
100000, if he would vote for the lottery
bill.
The committee charged its chairman,
M. Brisson, to forward to the minister
of the interior the public prosecutors
letter concerning the There checks,
and the request tnat the checks be seized
blythe project OF rolice.
Charles De Lesseps writes to lie Jour i,
denying the truth of the statement
made by N. Cantagrel at yesterdays ex-
animation that an employe of the canal
company offered him bribe If be would
vote for the lottery bill.
THE CHECKS SEIZED.
Clement, commissary of police. has
delivered to the Panama canal commit
tee the 26 checks that There handed
Baron Reinach, and which the latter
deposited in the Bank of France in the
name of firm OF coulissiers. These
checks, which represented total sum
OF 391 975 francs, were exchanged with
Baron Reinach by There for single
check drawn upon the Bank of France
by the Panama Canal company. The
police seized these checks this morning,
in accordance with the suggestion made
to the committee yesterday by Beau
paire, the public prosecutor. The checks
were found at There's Office. The
committee spent the day in examining
them. The committee decided not to
divu &c the names OF the payees, but the
members of the committee were author
lied to declare that no member of the
chamber of deputies was among them.
Each check bore only one signature and
endorsement. The committee will keep
these names secret until the payees are
heard in explanation. Domiciliary visits
will be made at the residences of each
of tho pRyees in order to verify their
identity.
THE PAYEES OF THE CHECKS.
The names of the payees of the There
checks leaked out through M. Cornelius
Herr, we'll known Parisian, now in
London, who received two checks, each
for 100000 francs. He telegraphed to
the committee of inquiry that his checks
were received from Baron Reinach
in payment of debt; M,
Chabert received 3,35O,OOO francs
Senator Renault received 10000
francs, and Albert Grevy, son of ex-
President Grevy, received 10000 francs.
The other payees are practically un-
known, the names given--like that of a
bank porter, Daroust, who is credited
with receiving a check for 800, 900
francs being, it is supposed, merely
used to cover the identity of the actual
recipients. Senator Renault, in testify
ing before the committee this afternoon,
explained that the checks bearing his
name were received in payment of a
debt.
constants DENIAL.
M. Constans has written letter to
the president OF the Panama canal in.
vestigation commission, denying the
statement made by witness before the
committee that he (Constans) bought
papers relating to the Panama Canal
company. Constans deplores the readi-
ness of some persons to bring discredit
upon the republic.
BRIBE'TAKERS TO BE PUNISHED.
The municipal council of Paris has
adopted resolution demanding that
severe penalties be imposed upon all
deputies who accepted bribes.
An Electoral Steal in Oregon.
SALEM, Ore, Dec. 3.-Mandamus pro-