Daily Evening Star

A PILFERED EMPIRE.
Mr. German Le Lagny tells a story with dramatic interest. He is a Frenchman and has spent many years in St. Petersburg, and has much to say about the venality and corruption of the members of the Government. The following is to the point, and admirably told :
"The Czar charged two intelligent men belonging to one of his staff of secretaries -two Germans from Courland, in whom he placed implicit confidence-to investigate most thoroughly all the branches of the public administration; to observe, to see, to judge everything for themselves, and boldly to take the soundings of this ocean of corruption, however deep it might be. The will of the Czar is law, and is often attended with beneficial results. The task was no easy one; thousands of obstacles were to be shattered to pieces and overcome. The work was long; and, contrary to his expectations, conscientious. It is true, that it would not have been easy to disguise the evil. The portrait was not flattered. Instances of bribery, shuffling and venality were pointed out to the Czar without any respect for persons. Names were written in full, and proofs were abundant. The sore gaped as wide as a gulf. Punishment was out of the question, for it would have been necessary to let the knout fall upon the noblest shoulders in the empire, and his vengeance almost everywhere--to open the gates of Siberia to the majority of those who surrounded him-for, figuratively speaking, the very doors of his palace threatened to fall, eaten away with corruption! The Czar shed a tear or two, and threw the report into the fire. In a country of this kind, justice, before being severe, must be prudent.
" The very same evening, weighed down with grief, he went, according to his usual custom, to the house of one of his favorite ministers, Count -.-. The sombre, discontented air of the Autocrat, completely stupified the mind of the favorite, who, in a stammering voice, plucked up sufficient courage to ask his august master what had occurred to affect his mind to such a degree, and stamp upon his face the marks of such profound sadness. The Czar, with that sharp abrupt tone, for which he is celebrated, related to his minister-general all he had just heard, told him the revelations recently made, and exclaimed with concentrated indignation-
"Every one robs throughout the empire! Every one around me robs! In whatever direction I chose to glance; I behold only pilferers and robbers! There is only one person, a single one, who can walk proudly with head erect. Of this person, at least, I am sure," he added, looking at his favorite very fixedly and very strangely.
Count - imagined that the Emperor was alluding to him, bowed and bent himself almost to the ground, in order to thank his august master for having had the goodness to think him an honest servant.
But the Czar, striking his breast, added the following words: " And that person who does not rob is myself! I am the only person throughout the empire who does not steal!"