Morning journal and courier., 1893-03-09
DE LESsEPs EXPLAINS.

Immense Brides "ere Paid and En-.
couraged by the Governmens-The
Judge Ordered Him TO Leave she
Government Alone, which Created
. Scene In the Court.
PARIS, March Sin the investigation
into the Panal canal scandal to-day before
Judge Desjsrdins, Charles De Lesseps
sketohed his duties In the canal company
When asked why he paid 600, 900 francs to
Cornelius Herr, he replied that Herr had
told him and his father that he had great
influence with the government, and IL they
had appealed to the law they would have
come to grief. Continuing he said:
eve were obliged to protect ourselves OF
be the victim of all sorts of plotters. Then
fnanelers said to us:
Unless. you pay money to all the banks
under the influence of "Girardin you viii
have all the newspapers in Paris against
you We still held out against suoh
methods, the newspapers attacked us and
we were finally driven to paying enormous
sums right and left. This mode of pro-
oedure was encouraged by the govern
ment."
Leave the government alone" called
Judge Desjardines sharply. Sight ap,
plause and q storm of protests from the
audience greeted this admonition. Judge
Desjardines tried to speak again, but was
interrupted with cries of "Why not the
''Shame upon such Justice" Eventually
order was restored. The judge reprosched
III. de Lesseps for having paid 30 much
money belonging to subscribers to Herr
without a shadow of Justice"
He then asked regarding N. de Lesssps
dealings with N. Baihut. N. de Lssseps
said friend of the minister of works told
II. Fontane that the minister was ready to
introduce the lottery loan bill, but would
require a large sum to defrsy the expenses
of advertising indispensable to the secur-
ing strong support. Afterward II. Fon-
tame saw N. Baihut, who said he was
against the measure. When II. de Les
seps heard Of this he sent for II. Blondin,
and SOC, 000f was paid down.
'Then the fact of corruption Ia estab-
lished," said the judge.
1T WAS extortion," protested II. de
Lesseps. 'T believe It will be difficult to
prove 1t was corruption. II. Bsihut told
me he had been charged by the cabinet
with the task of studying the Panama
canal matter, and that the introduction of
the bill depended entirely upon him"
Questioned as to his dealings with Baron
de Reinaeh, u. de Lesseps said:
81 paid him large sums to meet the ex-
penses of the issue. offered him a part
| worth two million francs in the under
| writing syndicate, bat was Obliged to raise
the offer to Eve million. He demanded
/ ten million. Such an amount, he said,
was required by II. Herr. I refused to
give such an exorbitant amount.
While the negotiations were pending an
| ordinance ffiosr told me that n. de Frey.
cinet wished to see me. I went to II. de
Freycinet, who explained that he had sent
| for me, not in his ministerial capacity, but
| as one of the guardians of the republican
party. He ssid: IN. de Lssseps, there IL
| question of a suit against you by Baron
| de Reinach. That would be annoying. See
now how you can settle the matter / ex,
plAined to NJ de Freyoinet that pressure
was being exercised conformity by Her,
and Rsipaoh.
DeLesseps eaid he sc,eedsd to Rsinach'l
demands by advice of de Freycinet anc
II. Floquet.