New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-05

,,ruarv l. 1894, until July Of the same year I
mas employed at the Second Bureau. During
.hat entire period l never had any work to do
an relation to the couverture.' l have never
,aa in my possession any document upon this
question 1t was not until July OF the same
war that entered the Third Bureau and II
,ras not until September that l was charged
with the work Of experimenting the classical
sion OF documents relating to the 'couverture'"
q, On regard to the note relating to a modifca-
.,on in the artillery formation) I'm the month
~ June only knew but one thing in this con-
rectjon and that was the suppression Of two
regiments OF artillery pontoneers and the crea-
,,on OF twenty-eight new batteries. As to the
campaign formations Of the artillery l was
IGNORANT of them then and am still ignorant
=, them to-day. Moreover, according TO one Of
,be questions in interrogatory these cam
nag11 formations for artillery did not reach the
staff until the month Of June" a. Never at
any time have I read or had In my hands any
document about the Madagascar campaign"
~ Never at any time have had this manual
Of field artillery fire in my possession. I was
not even aware of its publication"
Such were the statements made by Captain
Dreyfus on November 81 1894 in regard to the
ave documents enumerated In the bordereau.
that Maitre Mornard. at the hearing before the
Court Of Cessation on June l, 1899, submitted
evidence cited from the record of the court
martial OF 1894 and from the record Of the In
sestlgation Proceedings of the Criminal Cham
her Of the Court Of Cessation showing that any
bne Of some eight hundred officers of the French
Army might, had he felt 50 inclined. obtained
the information contained IN the five documents
IN he N Mace
Captain Dreyfus was an artillery officer, and 1t
was highly improbable that he could have made
such a technical blunder as TO refer TO the
hydro pneumatic brake Of the "120 court as
the pneumatic brake" as stated in the Dor
dereau Moreover. IL has been conclusively
shown by Maitre Mornard that long ago as
August 1894 circulars had been issued at
rhalons and elsewhere, for the use of officers
turing the maneuvres giving descriptions, with
autographs Of four Of the five subjects referred
10 in the bordereau; and to the note about
The Madagascar campaign 1t is notorious that
HE plans Of that campaign were discussed IN
rouncu at no less than four different Ministries
the Ministry OF War. Marine, Colonies ana
Foreign Affairs-and that over FIVE hundred oil
serent individuals in Paris were fully cognizant
Of its details.
The five vital points enumerated In the Dor
dereau have thus been considered at length. be-
rause they form the pivot upon which the Judg-
nent Of the forthcoming trial at Rennes de-
pends They embody all that the Court OF Gas
sation has left standing of the charges maze IN
1894 against Captain Dreyfus If the prosecu-
.ion succeeds in proving that Captain Drey1us
handed over TO a foreign Power any one OF 'se
five documents mentioned in the bordereau' Zap
tain Drayfus must be condemned as traitor
md transported back again TO DevlIs Island
IT, on the contrary and this seems now almost
q certainty the prosecution fall TO estaohsh
that Captain Dreyfus delivered any OF the hve
eoo,,roerts IN a foreign Power, he must be
acquitted.
DE GALLIFFETs INSTRUCTIONS.
General de Galliffet Minister OF War. has
tssued instructions to Major Carriere, Govern
,oent Commissary at the Rennes court martial,
to insure that the court martial shall not In
validate its own future decisions by deciding
tpon matters not involved in the immediate
Issue This action Of the Government is unwar-
rantab!y characterized by the Nationalist and
sntirevisionist press as "dictatorial abuse
n, authority and sitting Of Justice;
but General de Galliffet's timely instruc-
lions are thus explained IN semi-officiai
hote: The object of General de Cabinets in
structions is to define the points on which, by
virtue Of the judgment of the Court OF Cassa-
zion the Government Commssary is bound TO
insist. and those which the authority OF the
chose jugee' does not permit the Court TO dis
cuss without going beyond Its rights and rlsk
ing the annulment Of its proceedings and the
reopening OF the trial. These instructions also
cefne the legal conditions determining the sum-
noning OF witnesses at the instance OF the PUB
lie Prosecutor Finally. and although the Min
lister has a right to indicate to the Public Prose
cutor written conclusions. the most complete
liberty IN this respect is left to the Government
Commissary" These instructions simply pin
Che court martial down to the bordereau' ana
ut the same time leave the prosecution the W.
most freedom as TO the methods they may see
Bt 10 use in order TO prove their case
II may be useful to point out that the pro-
eeedings at a French court martial closely re-
sarnhle those of any French criminal court.
Witnesses are examined. not by the counsel ou'
nv tho magistrates. although as a matter OF
fact the magistrates. out OF courtesy or 70 save
Eme sometimes allow the counsel to put direct
ouestions-but always under the strlc'est super
h,s,o, ~ the Court There are scarcely any
rules Of evidence in French Jurisprudence ihls
a. trua Of courts martial as in civil courts
r,......,,,, q, left 10 the discretion OF the pre-
Siding magistrate. Hearsay evidence Is ireeis
admitted, but the principle OF Secret de'a'
excludes all reference to foreign governments.
Gust as the secret professionef' may be PLEADED
not only by officers. civil and military ou. eve"
by experts employed by the Court FOR the ioehti-
acation Of handwriting. French law places n'
restrictions upon the pleading OF counsel VINO
are thus enabled to bring before the Cour. 'ne'i
bwn versions of their case TO an extent 'ha'
would not be permitted in the Uniteo states VI
Great Britain. There is no special oody Oh MIL
tarv officers In France corresponding 10 're "a