Morning journal and courier., 1893-01-20
THE PANAMA TRIAL.
Public Interest Increasing-0pening for the Defence-M. Barboux Pleads

Public Interest Increasing-Openins | for the Defence-M. Barboux Pleads | Justification.
 | PARIS, Jan. 19.-Public interest in the
 Panama trial is evidently increasing as the | case draws to e close.
 To-day the defence opened, and the
 court room was packed with people anxious
 to hear Msitre BarbouI's speech in open
 ing the case for his clients. So dense
 was the crowd that there was not even
 standing room in the court.
 At 9:45 o'clock the defence was directed to proceed. Maitre BarbouI at once arose. He was very nervous, but held himself we'll under restraint. In few words he complimentsd the court upon the fairness of its rulings in the case and then dashed
 into an exposition of his line of defence.
 He argued volubly and at much length
 that 1t was not alone moral conditions that
 had led to the arrest and prosecution of
 the accused. Political considerations, he
 declared had much to do with the prosecu-
 tion, and he emphstically insisted that the
 men he was defending should not be made
 scspegoats for the advantage of any party
 or faction, or to advance the designs of
 ambitious men. He maintained that the
 probity of his clients was in DO wise af-
 fected by the indictment on which they
 were standing trial.
 Continuing, A- Barboux declared that the construction of the Panama canal was far removed from speculative aims. In its inception and progress the scheme had sn honorable foundation, though speculation arose from 1t.
 M. Barboux eulogized NJ. Ferdinand de Lesseps as man of the highest character. So keen WAS his sense of honor, that after appearing before Magistrate Prinet at the opening of the inquiry he was overwhelm- ed. For two months he had not left his bed, and during that time he had not ut tered 8 word. Had the great Frenchman been able to appear in court the whole audience would have risen to salute the glory of his fame.
 Maitre Barbox gave full vent to hissora- toryin recounting the many struggles of M. Ferdinand de Lesseps, and laid particu- lar stress upon his statement regarding NJ. de Lesseps' contest with Great Britain over the Suez canal. He then proceeded to examine into the duties and resPons,bili- ties of the directors of the company, which he declared had been faithfully and cor rsetly carried out. He dealt with the charges against NJ. de Lesseps and en- desvored to show that they were un- founded.
 In concluding his speech he declared that the heavy outlays made on behalf of the company were fully justified and he proposed to prove that public opinion on this matter had heen misled.
 NJ. BsrbouI's speech was a masterpiece of orstory. His words could not be con- strued as admitting in the slightest degree | derogstory to the characters or | of the men he was defending. | The address made quite an impression. It | was listened to by many prominent law | yers, and at It's conclusion M. Bsrboux was l by his legal colleagues. | Charles de Lesseps was much overcome by | the tributes paid him and his father by the | and warmly thanked him for his | eloquent defence.
 Stphane NJ. Procter's clerk, who testified yesterday that he gave list of com promised deputies to NJ Clemencesu, was recalled today by the parliamentary of inquiry. He reiterated his | contrsdicting in every particu- lar the denisls made yesterday by Clemen- ceau. Deputy Gsillsrd, whose name WAS | found in the note book of NJ. Arton, who | dispensed 1850, GOO francs to deputies, told the commission that he hsd no deal Ings with Arton in connection with the Panama matter He had known Arton to be a good judge of pictures and keen bargainer, and had, therefore, commis- stoned him to buy for 2,0O0 francs two | pictures exhibited in the salon of 1888. | This was the matter undoubtedly, Deputy iaillard said, to which NJ. Arton referred | n his note book
 When Maitre Bsrbox had finished the | court adjourned until Tuesday.