St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-23
Summons Served on Leaders
in the Panama Canal
Company.
Prosecution Determined to
e Probe the Scandal to the
Bottom.
Great Trouble Experienced
in Selecting the Panama
Canal Committee.
Member After Member of the
Chamber Refuses to
Serve.

prosecution has begun. Summons in
the criminal proceedings were served
today OH Count Ferdinand and Charles
de Lesseps. on NJ. Etfel. the builder of
the Eiffel tower, and who was leading
contractor in connection with the Pan
anna canal, and on MeSsieurs Fontaine
and Cottu, who had also close relations
to the enterprise. The prosecution will
be conducted by NJ. Quesnay de Beaura-
pare, who is determined that justice
shall be done. The procureur general
has drawn up his act of accusation.
which is very vouminouS. Nj. de
Beaurapare is further reported TO have
said that. though he had been re-
preached for his political attitude at
Boulanger's trial, he was magistrate
amt would prove it.
The charge against the defendants is
the misuse OF the capital raised for the
construction of tie Panama canal en-
bezzlement of the funds of the canal
company and issuing bogus and fraudu
lent statements of the financial cOndi-
ton of the company and the
Progress Of the Work,
with view to deceive the investing
public. The proof to be brought for
ward includes Il vast mass of evidence,
and the expense of the trial Gu the part
of the government will be very great,
The hearing is set down for Friday
next. The defendants, according to
the French system, will be subjected to
searching heterogeneous as to the
whole history of the canal enterprise,
nc h.lc IN nj, in, nrfI,
to enable the government to prepare
the indictment on which they will be
tried before jury should the evidence
at the examination furnish the basis for
such trial.
1t is believed that Count Ferdinand
de LeSSepS will be too i'll to appear on
Friday. He celebrated his eighty-Sev-
enth birthday Saturday. and il is said
to have been out of consideration for
that circumstance that the summons
was not served before. He was ailing
Tor several days, the final determination
OF the government to prosecute having
been severe blow to him.
The Hobbies of the chamber of dep
utieS before the beginning of today's
regular session were crowded with
members discussing the probable CON-
position of the Panama canal commit
would be
Difficult to Define
! the extent of the committees powers,
| and that the committees decision would
have no legal force. The regular pro-
ceedings were opened by NJ. de Hauthier,
who said he hoped that the govern ment
| would take steps to prevent the lap Sing
| of the Panama canal concession Oh Feb.
n m a
motion offered by NJ. Laveile, provid-
! ing that all members of the chamber of
| deputies should have the right to at
| tend the sittings of the investigating
| committee. The motion was negatived
| by vote of 400 to 120.
| M. Deroulede, in the course Of the de-
| bate, took occasion to announce that he
| did not desire TO be member Of the
| investigating committee and would not
allow the use of his name as candidate.
| He took this course, he said, because
| the minority was inadequately repre-
| sented on the list of the proposed mem
| bers of the committee. NJ. Porquery de
| BoisSeril proposed that the Investigate
| ing committee be vested with the powers
| OF an examining magistrate, but debate
| OIL the motion was adjourned until
| Saturday.
The First Vote
| for members of the Investigating COM
mittee was then formally taken, and
resulted in the election of twenty-lhree
Republicans and three Conservatives.
The members of the left elected include
NJ. NJ. Ricard. DelunS- Montaud, Pelle-
man. Dumay and Deliasse. Upon the
announcement of the result, Fiscomte
de Villebol-Mareuit, IN behalf of the
right. declined to take any further
part in the appointing of the com
mittee on the ground of insufficient
representation. A representation of
only three members on such commit
tee, he said, was utterly out of proper
ton with the Darty's importance and
strength in the chamber. The three
elected Conservatives then formally re-
signed from the committee. Six mem
berS of the left also declined to serve on
the committee. The second vote for
members of the investigating commit
tee will be taken tomorrow.