The Sun. — 1869-04-13 (London, England)

IIP.  M. de Lavalette's speech has been very favourably received by the Parts journals. Almost unanimously they concur in praising the clearness of the Foreign Minister's statement, and the sincere spirit which animated it throughout. All agree that so far as the statement of an irresponsible Minister can be accepted as a guarantee for the future, the speech of M. de Lavalette is all that could be wished. It is impossible that any Ministerial declaration could be more explicit and circumstantial. Under parliamentary Government the assurance would be final and conclusive. No responsible Minister would dare make such an exordium on behalf of peace, and at the same time contemplate speedy war. As it is, the Emperor can change his. Ministry and his policy at will, without consulting anyone ; and, as the Temps remarks, there must always be a certain element of doubt under such a regime. But at the same time it is evident that nothing more definite than the speech of Saturday can be hoped for. As an oratorical debut, too, the Marquis must be congratulated upon a success. An extraordinary election expedient has just been adopted here. A day or two ago a great crowd was assembled before the great ready-made-clothing depOt in the Rue du Pont-Neuf. Aboutahundred "individuals" in blouses were ranged in military order on the pavement, and every quarter of an hour twenty "gentlemen" issued from the shop clad in a new suit, and each with a bundle under his arm. No sooner had oneparty of twenty emerged than another entered en blouse and came out at the end of fifteen minutes arrayed in a new suit. What was the meaning of this strange operation? It appears that a certain personage thought it necessary, in view of coming events, to conciliate a certain number of his fellow citizens, who, though of no great social standing, were yet the possessors of the suffrage. This genius longed for a new mode of indirect bribery. Dinners and the like were stale and unprofitable ; why not array the free and independent electors in a new suit? But a difficulty presented itself. Where was the establishment that could receive a large number of worthy citizens of different ages and stature, and provide them all with ready-made suits ? The "personage " applied to the great house in the Rue du Pont-Neuf. " Send ten thousand," was the reply, " and they shall be served, and each have a selection." The "personage" did not send ten thousand, but he sent in 160, who were all metamorphosed in the course of two hours. It is said that charity is ingenious, but personal interest is still more so. The journals which report this occurrence do not say that it was an electoral manoeuvre, but there can be no doubt that such was its object. But who is the candidate ?  M. de Montalembert has been in a very serious condition for some time past. The latest bulletin, is very unfavourable.  A very heavy case of embezzlement has just been determined before the Assize Court of the Seine. It will be remembered that an agent de change, Banes, committed suicide last January, on discovering that he bad been swindled by his cashier, and that he had lost the enormous sum of £130,000. The affair created much excitement at the time. The cashier, named Allotte, has just been brought to trial. It seems that he had a share in the business, and enjoyed the confidence of M. Banes. He, however, launched into a number of ill-advised speculations, so that in the space of four years he had squandered this large amount. £68,000 was sunk in oil wolks at St. Denis; £25,000 in a manufactory of perfumery at Puteaux ; £lO,OOO in a soap boilery at La Briche ; and £9,000 in a water company at Cadiz. Other sums were lost in various smaller speculations. The deficits were made up by the sale if securities left by customers and by the appropriation of a sum of £32,000, deposited by a M. Brtion for purposes of speculation, and concerning which a fictitious account was furnished every month to the owner by the accused. The sum, however, bad never been regularly entered on the books of the firm, and the consequence is that Br4on is entirely ruined, as he has no claim to any share in the assets of the bankruptcy. Allotte maintained in his defence that he bad only borrowed money from the firm of which he was a partner. Against this plea there was not sufficient evidence, and accordingly the cashier has been acquitted. The Itue Saint Jacques was the other day the scene of a family tragedy. M. S- was a discharged soldier, who had vainly sought employment for three years past. His wife kept a boarding•school for young ladies. The two lived on the best of terms, but a double misfortune at length drove them to despair. M. S- applied for asituation in the offices of a railway company, and was rejected on the plea of age. At the same time a rival establishment was set up in the neighbourhood, and half the scholars of Madame S- left her. The two resolved to die togetherThe husband shot his wife with a rifle, and then committed suicide. Both'were found immediately after the report of the weapon quite dead, and horribly mutilated.