In the French Chamber of Deputies, the' Minister's demand of
an additional sum of about 49,000/. for secret service money has met with considerable opposition. M. ETIENNE moved to reduce the amount by 8000/. DUPONT de l'Eure delivered a brief but effective speech against trusting the Ministers with public money, of the expenditure of which they rendered no acnant. He also in strong language denounced the general system of the Doctri- naire Administration. He appears to have hit TIMERS some bard blows ; for although lie disclaimed all personal allusions, that Minister took the following remarks to himself— "lie thought it right to Reform this part of the Administration—to crush an engine of Government which endangered the honour and probity of those by whom it was employed, and which presented no guarantee that the depositary of so many millions would neglect the opportunity of making an expeditious fortnne." ( Violent ounrmurs from the Centre.) The Minister of the 101:09r demanded to know the precise meaning of the Honourable Deputy's words. M. Dupont (de l'Eure) replied, that Lis oburvations Were not applied pa- sonally, but he was desirous that for the future the depositaries of the secret service money should be secure front the temptation of making their fortunes in a ton summary mode. He accused no individual personally, but he objected to a system that exposed public men to dangerous temptations, and men of honour to perpetual suspicion. ("Hear, hear!" flan the Left.) For his own part, he would not accept the privilege of disposing of millions for which he could be called to no account ; and the Minister who would avail himself of such an advantage must be a bolder man than himself. ("Hear!" from the Left.) He then referred to several malversations which hail been practised under the Restoration with regard to the fund arising born the payment of the duties on titles—which was also a secret fund. He was aware that the reduction of the secret service money wculd injure the interests of some private individuals, whose claims might rather embarrass Ministers, but that signified litthitOtbri country at large. He felt convinced that the secret funds, instead of repressing, twould create disorder. He had no personal enmity again* the present Minis- ten, but he ardently desired their overthrow • because he saw that they added daily to the burdens of the country—that ;hey instituted more prosecutions against the press than even the Government of the Restoration—that they dis- solved the National Guards and the Municipal Councils whenever these bodies offered the slightest resistance to their wills-that they had no sympathy with patriotism and disinterested conduct—and that their sole aim was to encourage a selfish system of political indifference to the welfare of the country. For these reasons he would vote against the bill.
The whole sum asked for by Ministers was voted on Wednesday evening, by a majority of 259 to 130.
The prisoners who are about to be tried by the Chamber of Peers, having sent in a list of the witnesses they intended to call, PERSIL has informed them that he does not consider that their evidence would be at all necessary, and that not one of them shall be summoned or kept at the public expense. The proceed- ings are expected to last for some months, and the accused are almost all poor men. Not one is able it is said, to support his witnesses during so long a term. Had they been tried at Lyons or St. Etienne, they could easily have produced their witnesses : as it is, they will be tried, and probably condemned, undefended. Well may this proceeding be termed the proas monstre. In modern times, and in civilized nations, we have read of nothing parallel to it in iniquity. As for Louis PHILIP and his Ministers, we are not surprised at any thing tyrannical or cruel from them ; but we shall not believe that a majority of even their slavish House of Peers will submit to be the instruments of such op- pression, until we read their condemnatory verdicts. It should be mentioned to the honour of TALLEYRAND, GERARD, SOIJLT, and some others, that they have peremptorily refused to sit as judges on this trial.
