Alfred de Rosann by G.W.M. Reynolds — page 34: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Alfred de Rosanz. 2) put him az courant of the principal features of his affairs, supposing —and the supposition was a fair one—that such was the object of those visits. The public minister then entered minutely upon every particular relative to the forgery. He said that the bills were in the hand-writing of the accused—that not one was drawn up by La Motte -—that it could not be proved at what time the bills were fabricated, two hours having elapsed between the moment at which the stamps were purchased and the hour of six when De Rosann sate down to din- ner with La Motte—that it was reasonable to suppose that the bills were drawn up before dinner—that the trembling hand in which they were written was as likely to be the effect of extreme agitation as of intoxication-—that, when the servant took in the coffee and writing materials to the drawing-room, De Rosann was in a state of ebriety which appeared to defy the possibility of his being able to hold a pen, much less to trace a legible Jine—that it was very natural for La Motte to desire the domestic to retire, it being late, and his master unable to give orders—that La Motte negotiated the bills, because he was a party to the concern—that De Rosann was outwitted by La Motte, who decamped with the proceeds—and that the letter from Dover was the result of La Motte’s remaining good feelings towards the accused. The Procureur wound up his oration by enquiring if it were likely that any one in his senses would be capable of so rabid a folly as to sign bills of exchange to the amount of three hundred thousand francs, without knowing whether he had a right so to do? He affirmed that every man of the world was naturally suspicious of his neighbour to a certain extent; no person, experienced in the ways of life, ever put unlimited confidence in another. These were sad truths: but moral maxims were generally disagreeable to the. ear. Under all these circumstances, the Procureur du Roi felt it his im- perious duty to demand that the full penalty of the law should be put In force on the present occasion; and that, according to the 2nd Chapter, 3rd Section, and 147th Article, of the Penal Code, the accused should be condemned to twenty years’ hard labour at the galleys, that being the mazzmum of the punishment allowed by the Jaw in such instances. | The Procureur du Roi seated himself amidst a solemn silence. His speech had made a considerable impression upon the multitude of spectators: the last orator generally prevails with vulgar minds, be- cause they have not the memory to recollect, nor the sense to compare the defence of the former one with the refutation of the latter. But this was not the case with the jury. In France the meanest individual, as well as the highest, is certain of obtaining justice ; and the presence of the public minister in every court, save the Tribunals of Commerce, is an advantage and a measure of jurisprudence which cannot be - sufficiently appreciated. After an hour’s consultation, the jury returned to the court, and the foreman declared that the majority * was agreed to find a verdict .* The twelve individuals, who compose a jury, are not obliged, according to the French laws, to be unanimous in their decisions. A majority of two-thirds can deliver a verdict. COnicbooolks (GO)