The Durell Investigation

The New Orleaus Picayune gives the following account of one branch of the Durell investigation : The testimony taken by the sub-comittee now sitting in this city s overwhelming on the main charges. At least a dozen of the leading members of our bar testify to Durell's habits of iudulgence in stiiiiulants to a degree to bring discredit upon his office and induce a demeanor on tho bench oft'unsive, overbearing and insulting to the mombers of the bar. Befiidcs the lawytrs, a number of respectable citizens testify more emphatically and pointedly to the point. - uu.iu ;i,iiiucill 1114 tJLUpJlüLlC OI these d.'jiositions is that of a keeper of a faehiouable restaurant in this city, who testitio'i that at .1 festival held at his establishment, thejudge was so far gone in hi.s inebri&tion that ït required the aid of his two festivo oorapanions to carry him to his residence ; and what is still more reinarkable, the two gentlemen who ren dered tliis fríen d)y assistanco to the unfortuuate judge, were the ouly two witnesses who testitied before the committee that they never saw him uuder the influence of alcohoiiü or vinuus stimulants in their uves' On the othcr charge, óf sanctioning, peruiitting aud ooHeaguing with the perpetratord of tho most audacious, systematio and wholesale plunder of the people ever heard of in a country of law and courts, the evidence was of a startling charauter. We wiil not anticípate its publication. We fear, indeed, it will nev er see the light. When it does, we can Bafely afBrm that the oivilized world will i regard with infinite amaiement anri i ror the development of the mo t ruthle" and audaeiou. spoliation and devaZ in of the property of the citizen8 pel 'et'n ted under the shelter and whh thK" uon the aid and authority of u ffi States judge. And further, it ia shown bevond contradiction and doubt th" whüst all tías depredation and r)p acitv were carned on agaiust our peoplTL? Jde, whoBhould have protected t nl Ple against it, was the constant, L boon compauioii and inseparable assoH and partaker of the n.ost unhonded ut ury and testivity, paid for out of the s, "il" thus wwuched from an impoverisbed a , plundered cominunity.