candidate. And who drew up the petition to this honorable Chamber
for the necessary authority to proceed to a criminal prosecution?
Not precisely the special ministerial agent himself, but a
barrister under his dictation, and after a breakfast to which the
peasant-woman and her adviser were invited in order to furnish the
necessary information. [Much excitement. "Hear! hear!"]

_The Minister of Public Works from his seat_.--Without discussing
the truth of these statements, as to which I have personally no
knowledge, I affirm upon my honor that the government is
completely ignorant of the proceedings now related, which it
blames and disavows in the most conclusive manner.

_M. de Sallenauve_.--After the formal declaration which I have had
the good fortune to evoke it would ill become me, gentlemen, to
insist on tracing the responsibility for this intrigue back to the
government. But what I have already said will seem to you natural
when you remember that, as I entered this hall, the minister of
Public Works was in the tribune, taking part, in a most unusual
manner, in a discussion on discipline wholly outside of his
department, and endeavoring to persuade you that I had conducted
myself towards this honorable body with a total want of reverence.

The minister of Public Works said a few words which did not reach
us. Great disturbance.

_M. Victorin Hulot_.--M. le president, have the goodness to
request the minister of Public Works not to interrupt the speaker.
He can answer.

_M. de Sallenauve_.--According to M. le comte de Rastignac, I
showed essential disrespect to the Chamber by asking, in a foreign
country, for leave of absence, which it was obvious I had already
taken before making my request. But, in his extreme desire to find
me to blame, the minister lost sight of the fact that at the time
I left France the Chamber had not met, no president existed, and
therefore in making my request at that time to the president of
this assembly I should simply have addressed a pure abstraction.
[Left: "True!"] As for the insufficiency of the motives with which
I supported my request, I regret to have to say to the Chamber
that I cannot be more explicit even now; because in revealing the
true cause of my absence I should betray the secret of an
honorable man, and not my own. I did not conceal from myself that
by this reticence I exposed my proceedin