NAVAL PROMOTIONS.

To be Captains.-J. P. Roepel and S. H. Ussher.

To be Commanders.-G. Blane, J. A. Mends, and G. C. Adams.

Appointments. Rear-Admiral Sir J. Louis, to superintend Devonport Dockyard; Admiral Bouverie, to be Commander-in-Chief in the Tagus; Sir W. E. Parry, to be Captain Superintendent of the Royal Clarence Victualling-yard and Haslar Hospital; Sir J. G. Bremer, to Woolwich Dockyard; Captain Alexander Ellice, to be Comptroller of Steam Machinery; Commander Henry Layton, to Belvidera; V. A. Masingberd, to Alecto, st.; E. Peirse, to Cruiser, 16; G. Lowe, to Resistance, 42; W. Worsfold, to Imaum, 72; H. Jauncey, to

Albion, 90; E. Collier, to Trafalgar, 120; Sir W. S. Wiseman, Bart., to Vindictive, 50; E. C. T. D'Eyncourt, to Comus, 18; R. Moorman, to Rattler, st.; H. M. Ellicombe, to Rolla, 10; H. Dumaresque, to Seaflower, 6; T. Wilson, to Canopus, 64.-Promotions: Lieutenant and Commanders, William Swainson, to the Penguin, 6; James W. Tomlinson, to the Harpy, st.; G. Morris, to Torch, st.; E. F. Roberts, to Myrmidon, st.

10. Vice-Admiral Sir E. W. W. C. R. Owen, G.C.B., to be Admiral of the Blue; Rear-Admiral Thomas Browne, to be Vice-Admiral of the Red.

19. Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, Bart., G. C. B., to be her Majesty's First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp.

MEMBER RETURNED TO Parliament.

Renfrew Co.-Col. William Mure.

PARIS.

TRIAL OF PIERRE LECOMTE FOR AN ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE LOUIS PHILIPPE, KING OF THE FRENCH.

The trial of the regicide Lecomte took place before the Court of Peers on the 4th and 5th of June.

M. Hebert, the Procureur du Roi, and M. Bresson, his substitute, were counsel for the prosecution: M. Duvergier appeared for the accused.

Attwelve o'clock, the Chancellor, Baron Pasquier, and the members of the Court entered the hall, and shortly afterwards Lecomte was brought in by six gens-d'armes, and placed between them in the dock. The accused was dressed in a blue surtout. He is a middle-sized man, rather stout, and his countenance denoted the greatest resolution.

The names of the peers, about 235 of whom were present, were then called over.

The President directed Lecomte to stand up, and asked him his -name, age, profession, &c.

The prisoner replied "My name is Pierre Lecomte; I was born at Beaumont, in the department of the Côte d'Or. I am forty-eight years of age. I formerly occupied the office of Keeper General of the forest of Fontainbleau. I last resided at the Rue du Colysée, No. 3. I am unmarried.

M. Cauchy, the Secretary, then read the indictment, which the prisoner appeared to listen to with considerable attention *.

The witnesses, forty-one in number, were directed to retire from the hall.

The President then proceeded to interrogate the accused.

Lecomte admitted that he had fired two shots upon the King. He had, he said, demanded the grant of the pension he was entitled to; after suffering many injustices, and instead of acquiescing in his demand, M. de Montalivet gave him an annual relief, which was only to be paid him during the King's reign. He had vainly expostulated with M. de Montalivet ; he wrote twice to the King, and once to M. Fain, his secretary. The latter informed him that his demand had been referred to the Intendant-General of the Civil List, which he regarded as a mystification. When he found it impossible to obtain justice, he vowed vengeance against the King without communicating his resolution to any body. He had been in the service of the House of Orleans since 1829. Lecomte then stated, that at half-past nine o'clock in the evening of the 15th of April,

* The Procès verbal or report of M. Frank Carré, is a very interesting docufound in extenso in the Times newspaper ment, but too long for insertion; it will be

of the 3rd June.

he left for Fontainbleau, where he arrived at five o'clock the next morning, and immediately proceeded to reconnoitre the ground. He alighted from the diligence at the hotel de l'Aigle Noir, followed the road of the Obelisque, and repaired by the avenue of Avon, to the rock. He intended at first to place himself in the churchyard, which looked into the royal park; but, having changed his resolution, he scaled the wall of the Petit Parquet. He vainly looked out for a ladder, and was in the act of piling faggot to reach the top of the wall, when he heard the noise of a carriage, mounted upon them as well as he could, and the King passing at the moment, he fired with precipitation two shots at the carriage. He had loaded the gun in the Parquet. He placed some shot and a bullet in the right barrel, and two bullets in the left one. Once in the forest, he had not returned to Fontainbleau, because he was well known in the town; he had breakfasted at an inn near Valvins, and then walked back to the parquet of Avon.

He had con

cealed his gun under a rock in the forest. Being, at one o'clock in the afternoon of the 15th, on the Place du Carrousal, he had heard three servants belonging to the royal household speak of the departure of the King for Fontainbleau. He then went home, made his preparations to depart for that town, and not finding a seat in the six o'clock train, he engaged one for nine o'clock. The double-barrelled gun he used was purchased by him before he had left the King's service.

The President observed, that it appeared, by the books of the gunsmith, that he had purchased it on the sixth of May, 1844, that is, four months after he had been dismissed

the King's service, and that it was evidently for the purpose of committing the act he had been guilty of.

Lecomte maintained that he had purchased it whilst in the King's service.

Lecomte then entered into a long and passionate exposé of his grievances against the King, and having been asked by the President if he had an accomplice, replied, that the injustice he had suffered had alone prompted him to commit the attempt.

The President afterwards questioned him respecting the meaning he attached to the following document found in his room :-" He who has committed the act is as brave as those who calumniate him. In his resolution he only sought success, without heeding the danger to which he exposed himself. If he chose that spot it was by divine inspiration. The consolation of his holy work will accompany him in the grave.

Lecomte said, that before leaving Paris, he had paid his landlord, and told him that he would, perhaps, return on the next day. His resolution was not then fixed. As to his will, every body was at liberty to put upon it the construction they pleased; but he declared that he had not been influenced by any person, and that he acted from his own accord, actuated only by the sense of the injustice he had suffered.

The President then directed Lecomte to sit down, and commenced the interrogatory of the witnesses.

Count de Montalivet, the first witness examined, stated that, at five o'clock, P.M., on the sixteenth of April last, being seated in the char-à-banc of the King, on the

first seat to the left of His Majesty, he heard at a short distance the report of two shots, the direction of which he was not able to judge. His first movement was to look at the King, and then at the Queen, and the persons of the royal family. At that moment the Queen showed him the wadding of a gun, which Her Majesty had picked up between the King and him. His Majesty with the greatest calmness, told the postilions, who appeared to hesitate, "Go on, go on, and shortly afterwards the royal party re-entered the palace. The moment the King had alighted, Count de Montalivet examined the charà-bancs with the greatest care, and perceived in the roof of the carriage, above the seat the King had occupied, a certain number of holes made by bullets or buck shot. The wadding he had deposited in the hands of M. Desaix, King's attorney, at Fontainbleau.

M. Hebert, the Attorney-General, asked M. de Montalivet if the King had not visited Fontainbleau in May, 1844?

M. de Montalivet replied that His Majesty had visited Fontainbleau in that month.

M. Hebert next inquired if the King was not to have gone to that residence in November, 1845 ?

M. de Montalivet replied that preparations had been made in October for that journey, which, however, had not taken place. He afterwards informed the court of the motives that had induced him to dismiss Lecomte from the King's service, the principal of which was his insolence twards his superiors, and his overbearing tyranny towards his inferiors.

Lecomte, who had listened with particular attention to that part of M. de Montalivet's deposition, re

pelled those charges, and declared that if he had treated his inferiors with rigour, it was because his superiors and M. de Montalivet himself had recommended him to be severe.

M. Duvergier, the counsel of Lecomte, asked M. de Montalivet if he knew any thing against the moral character of his client in the discharge of his duties.

M. de Montalivet replied that no complaint against his morality had ever been made to him.

Gonian, the second witness, a piqueur, was riding at some distance before the royal carriage, when, on reaching close to the wall of the Petit Parquet, he heard the report of a shot, and, turning round, he saw Captain Brahaut, whose horse had taken fright, close by him. His first thought was that an accident had occurred, and that one of the captain's pistols had gone off. He rode towards the carriage, when he heard a second shot, and the Queen cried out to him, 'Gonian, en avant! That order was repeated by Milet to the postilion Lecoute. He then galloped off, followed by Milet and several officers of hussars, and, having opened the gate of the parquet, he posted himself with the officers, so as to watch all the avenues.

66

M. Borel, Lieutenant of hussars, the third witness, accompanied the King in his promenade, through the forest, on the 6th of April, and had seen the individual who fired upon His Majesty.

M. Gournay, Captain of Gendarmerie, was riding behind the King's carriage at the moment when Lecomte fired upon His Majesty. On being apprehended, Lecomte exclaimed, The King is not wounded, so much the better for him; he is more fortunate than I am.”

Milet, a piqueur, the eighth witness, deposed that he was riding behind the royal carriage, when the shots were fired, and looking up he saw a man, placed on the other side of the wall, whose head was covered with a blouse, and the lower part of the face concealed by a handkerchief. He rode towards the spot, stood erect on his horse, and, leaping over the wall, saw Lecomte on a heap of faggots, ready to scale the wall, when he rushed upon him, seized his gun, disarmed and arrested him. Lecomte offered no resistance, and appeared surprised. Lieutenant Deflandre having joined him, they secured his person, and found in his pockets a small phial, a looking-glass, and some powder and bullets. The lieutenant having asked one of his gens d'armes, named Trantmann, if he had not seen another individual running away. Lecomte said to him, "You know me well; my name is Lecomte. I am alone. I played a dangerous game; I have lost. The shots were fired by me.

M. Deflandre, a lieutenant of the gendarmerie, who was expect ing the arrival of the king at the Porte Dorée; saw Lecomte leaping down from the wall after he had fired. He rode to the gate of the parquet, which was unfortunately locked, but Milet, having climbed over the wall arrested the accused. The gate having been opened, he entered the parquet, followed by the lieutenant of hussars, Morel, and others who assisted in apprehending the assassin, who exclaimed, "I am taken; it was I who fired upon the King. You know me, lieutenant, my name is Lecomte."

M. de Monicault, Prefect of the Department of Seine and Marne, who was seated in the second carriage, deposed to a similar effect. VOL. LXXXVIII.

M. Berryer, Colonel of the 1st regiment of Hussars, in garrison at Fontainbleau, gave an account of a conversation he had had with Lecomte after his arrest. Lecomte said, that having vainly remonstrated with the administration of the civil list, he had applied to the King personally. Not obtaining redress, he had resolved to avenge himself upon His Majesty. "I have missed him," he said; " people will blame me, but I have as much heart as those who blame me."

M. Cante, the gunmaker who sold the gun, stated that, when Lecomte presented himself in his establishment, he told him he had been appointed Keeper General of the forest of Compiegne. It was on the 6th of May, 1844, and he perfectly recognized the gun, which was placed in his hands, as the one he had sold.

Several witnesses deposed to having seen Lecomte hanging about the Tuileries, and afterwards loitering in the forest of Fontainbleau.

Gard, an upholsterer at Fontainbleau, who had served with Lecomte in the Chasseurs of the Royal Guard, mentioned several acts of brutality committed by the accused during the campaign of 1823.

Marrier de Bois d'Hyver, Legriel, and Savoye, inspectors of the forest, bore testimony to the zeal and good conduct of Lecomte whilst he served under their orders.

FRIDAY, June 5.

The prisoner being again brought in, the President invited the Attorney-General to develop his

accusation.

M. Hebert said, that his task was easy in presence of an accused who confessed his crime. Since his arrest, Lecomte had sedulously endeavoured to impress on the

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