Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-11
ANOTHER MINISTRY.
FRANCE OFF WITH THE OLD AND ON
WITH A NEW CABINET.
De rreycinet and Loubct Now "Not I'm
It"-Fordinsnd de Lesseps Q Psnsma
DefeDdant-TrIai Begun.

PARIS, January lO.--At q Cabinet council
held in the Elysees to-day Premier Ribot
announced to President Carnot that he |
and his colleagues recognized that it was
necessary to reform the Cabinet. The |
Ministers thereupon collectively presented !
their designations to President Carnot and |
he charged NJ. Ribot with the duty OF re-
constructing the ministry.
GREAT EXCITEMENT.
The greatest excitement prevails. The |
people throng the streets and the police !
sre out IN force, dispensing the crowds, |
IL ia openly charged that the President |
and III. Ribot are not in earnest in the Pana- |
ma prosecutions, and have no intention OF
bringing the bribe-takers to trial, and that !
the prosecution of De Lesseps. Fontane. |
Gotta. and Eiffel will be nothing more than |
a farce.
THE NEW CABINET.
The new Cabinet organized bv NJ. Ribot |
is as follows NJ. RIbot. Premier and Min |
ister of the Interior; NJ. Develle. Foreign
Affairs; NJ. Tirard. Finance: Nj. Bour-
geois, Justice; General Loiselon, War; Nj.
Burdeau, Colonies and Marine: NJ. Dupuy,
Instruction: NJ. Vigor, Agriculture; NJ.
Siegfried, Commerce; NJ. Nlette, Public
Works.
CONSPICUOUS By THEIR ABSENCE.
The most notable difference between
this Cabinet and ITS predecessor is shown
by the absence of De Freycnet anc Loubet
FERDINAND DE LEssTPs MUST ANSWER ALSO.
NJ Ferdinand de Lesseps, although ab-
sent on account of the state of his health,
was included to-day as one Of the defend
ants with NM. Charles de Lesseps, Fon-
tame. Cottu. and Eiffel. accused of COM
plicity in the Panama canal frauds.
THE TRIAL.
The trial was opened ID the first cham
Der Of the Court of Cessation. as the court
of appeals is called. VI. Perivier presiding
The space allotted 70 the audience was
thronged with distinguished people, IN
cluding many well known in French inan-
ciaI circles, and q number of prominent
persons from abroad were also present.
Procureur-General Tsnon conducted the
prosecution
THE AMERICAN COMMITTEE.
DE Lesseps was questioned closely as TO
the relations of the American Panama Com
mittee 10 the company. He said that
II, 900 900 francs had been placed at the dis
posal OF the American committeeman and
had been used by them for the best inter-
ests OF the company When asked If this
sum was not rather large for the purpose
for which 1t was applied DE Lesseps replied
that their assistance was valuable and
would have warranted the expenditure OF
a still larger amount.
after the recess the presiding judge
questioned De Lesseps rs to the bogus pc
tltions presented 10 the Chamber ana the
enormous payments made b. the company
10 syndlcates which assisted in floating the
loans.
MILLIONS TO oBENDoERFER.
De Lesseps answered the questions. and
then made this statement: Much as L
regretted 1t. hard necessity compelled us
TO resort to such means TO ensure the sue
cess of our plans. The millions given TO
NJ Obendoerfer ithe banker who received
2,OOO.OO0 francs for giving the company the
idea Of a lottery loan and putting
the idea into practice) were IN pay
ments for hls suggestion OF sim
pie plan relative To the bonds ana
constitution OF the Societe Ciyile. 10 be-
| hooved US TO humOr such great banker,
and even had great difficulty III limiting
the sum az narrowly as did. we always
| distributed the money when fresh issues
were made 80 that We might avoid ere
ating enemies on the Bourse.
THE REISAcH COMMISSIONS.
OfBaron Reinaoh De Lesseps said =" He
was the man who formed the first Societe
| Civile with his own capital, assisted by the
name Of NJ. Bouaparte Wyse. When |
gave Baron do Be,nach the money | told
him TO take out Cf it whatever remunera-
tiou he chose"
This confession provoked loud murmurs
of surprise and disapproyal from the
! crowd in the courtroom, and the pre-
siding Judge repeated in a loud tone:
You gave tho Baron do Reinach the
money and told him to take out OF 1t
Whatever remuneration he chose
! II did"
You handed him millions without per-
mission, To put as much as he wished IN
| hls own pocket:p .
! &" Exactly. lie first demanded 10, 600. 900,
! then 25.Ol0,0O0 francs. ! refused To grant
| these excessive demands, and persisted III
my refusal despite his repeated threats"
| " Did YOU know 20 what use the Baron
! de Relnach expected to put that part of
| the money which he did not retain as re-
muneration
u did not know, and did not wish to
| know exactly how he disbursed the money.
| | knew only that the money was 10 DO
| spent tor the canal"
EVIDENCE AGAINST BAIHUT.
De I.esseps was asked to explain next
what became OF the 275, 600 francs IN bonds
! PAYABLE TO bearer which were not account
| ed for IN the company's books.
NJ de Lesseps eyaded the question for
| long time. but finally under pressure said
when the lottery bill had been laid on
tho table NJ Baihut asked for 1000, 900
francs, to be paid to him in instalments
between the introduction and the adop-
ton Of the bill. OF this sum 275,0OO francs
were pad to NJ. Baihut. Then the bill
was withdrawn and nothing more was PAID
| him"
De Lesseps paused moment after giving
this damaging evidence against the ex-
| Minister OF Public Works. Nobody spoke
or stirred. He looked txedly at the judges
aud added only when the knife was put
TO my throat did pay this money. was
| like a man giving up his watch TO high
wayman.'
Presidency Ofthe Deputies
The Chamber of Deputies resumed its
sittings today. NJ. Floquet offered him
self az a candidate for reelection to the
presidency but withdrew when he saw
determined opposition from members of
the Right. The Republican group noml-
mated CasimT Perier and he was elected.
The vote stood 4O8 against 2j3.
STUBBORN ANARCHISTS.
! During the proceedings in the chant ber
! A group of thirteen men, who proclaimed
themselves Anarchists gathered in front
Of the building. They were ordered to
move on by the police, but refused TO do
50, and were arrested.
TIE SENATE PhkblDESCr
lie Roy was reelected President Of the
Senate. and Bardoux, Merlin, Chalemel.le-
! Cour, and DeMole were reelected Vice.
Presidents, there being but one dissenting
( vote.
HITCH IN TIE cADTSEI-MAK
At IL o'clock tonight il was reported
that Nj. Burdeau had refused the Ministry
of Marine. and that the portfolio would
probably be offered Admiral Gerrais.
The PanawA 'Oncesstoh.
[By telegraph TO the Dispatch.l
PANAMA, uid GALVESTON, January l0.-In
view of tue Panama canal scandal In
France the Colombian government has
suspended action IN the matter of extend
: inc the poncqssion