THE STOLEN TREATY OF PEACE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 413, 18 October 1856, Page 6

THE STOLEN TREATY OF PEACE.

A considerable sensation was produced in the month of April last in the political world by the publication in two of the Brussels journals of the test of the treaty of peace signed by the Congress of Paris. Four persons on Saturday, June 7, appeared before the Court of Assizes of the Seine to answer the charge of having improperly contributed to such publication. These persons were —Julien Brossard, aged thiily-five, pressman at the Imperial printing-office ; Chas. Lejolivet, fifty-two, Director of the Office of Political Correspondence, in the Rue Notre Dame dcs Victoires; and Charles Einard, twentyseven, and Louis Moner, thirty-nine, both employed in Lejolivet's office. The indictment charged Brossard with having, at the instigation of the prisoner Moner, surreptitiously taken away from the Imperial printing-office a copy of the treaty in question, and given it to Lejolivet. It appeared that, Brossard happening to live with his wife in the house where Lejolivet kept his office, Moner made his acquaintance accidentally, and after some time they became intimate, They naturally spoke of their respective employments, and the position which Brossard held at the Imperial printing-office led Moner to conceive the idea that he (Brossard) might occasionally be of use to the enterprise of his employer, Lojolivftt. lie accordingly proposed the matter to Brossard, who after some time procured for him a copy of the ceremonial for the churching of theempress, which had been printed at the Imperial establishment. Moner handed the

document, to Lejolivet, who in his turn transmitted it to M. Capelmun, editor of the Belgian journal, the JS Tord. On this occasion Money thanked Bossard on the part of Lejolivet, and this latter even had a short conversation with him in the presence of Emnrd. Afterwards, on the 22nd of April, Brossard, without permission, secretly took away from the Imperial printingofliec, one proof-sheet and part of another, con-, taming the whole text of the treaty of March 30, minus live particles. Ennird received the sheets at Lejolivet's ollice, and the most; profound secresy was promised. Lejolivet had copies made of the sheets, and sent one to the Independance of Brussels, and another to the Word. Brossard received lOOfr. for this abstraction. Brossard all along denied tliat he ever received a farthing, but Lejolivet and Emard positively affirmed the contrary. Such were the principal facts of the case. Brossard, when interrogated by the court, declared that he had. been nine years-at the Imperial printingoffice, and that it was by mere chance that he had brought the copy of the ceremonial of the empress's churching, having found it tossing about the office all dirty and efljtced. Finding that at Lejolivet's the document was eagerly received, he did the same with the treaty of peace, Ms only object being to oblige persons who always spoke to him kindly. Lejolivet, when interrogated, declared that, being anxious to fill the sheet of correspondence with as interesting matter as possible, lie always received most eagerly any piece of news or any document which he conceived was likely to please his readers. He admitted that, in order to conceal the source whence the document of the treaty of peace proceeded, he had got a telegraphic despatch sent to .him from Brussels, as if from the editor of the Nord, containing these words, ." I publish to-day the document of which I sent you a copy four days back." He knew that lie was not acting altogether properly in publishing the treaty, but inr reality he did not see what great harm was done by the act. As to Moner and Emard, they confessed, the first to having suggested to Brossavd to communicate to him any piece of news or document that might prove interesting, and the latter to having received for Lejolivet a document from Brossard. After counsel had spoken in favour of the prisoners, the jury deliberated, and returned a verdict of " Guilty " against Lejolivet; and Brossard, acquitting the other two. The court sentenced Lejolivet to two years' imprisonment, and Brossard to fifteen months of the same punishment.

Maeeied. —On the 18th instant, at Christchurch, by the Rev. Charles Frazer, M. A., Mr. Donald Coutts, to Miss Anne McKay, both of Kaiapoi.