The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-01 00:00:00

THE SIEGE OF PARIS.

We hear that the King reconnoitred Paris on the 29th,
and that the besiegers are constructing works at Bagneux,
which is south-west of Fort Montrouge ; on the terrace
of Meudon; opposite the fort of Vanvres ; and also
near Brie-sur-Marne, which is opposite Fort Nogent.
Our French correspondent, writing ftoth Rouen on the
29th, states that it is believed that the attack Will tom,
mence o:: the west of Paris, on a line extending
from near Fort Valerien to Fort de la Briche at St.
Danis. This attack is to be—so it is asserted—made by
one army, that of the Mown Prince of Saxony, we pre-
sume, which will concentrate in the Pdre'st of St. Germain,
cross the loop of the Seine which intervenes between
Fort Valerien and St. Germain, at Maisons4
and Bezons, advance by Charlebourg on Camberoie—
the last being evidently a misprint for Courbevoie—
and then, crossing the Seine a third time between
the• Route de St. a-ermain and the Route Impe-
riale, occupy the -Village's of Courcelles, Villiers,
and Levallois, opposite Les Batignoliesi and advance
straight on the fortifications. In the meantime the army
of the Crown Prince of Prussia, concentrated in the wood
round Versailles and Meudon, is to cross the Seine be-
tween Bellevue and Billancourt, and make for the Bois de
amlogne: Our correspondent informs us that General
Trochu has not neglected the defences on that
side and that the Seine is in this part of its course well
guarded by gunboats. We confess that we do not believe
that this hypothesis— which, by the way, our correspond
dent by no means endorses--is correct. We still incline to
the belief that the real attack will take place on the
south and south-elist, perhaps also on the south-west,
about Sevres. We are led to form this opinion
from the fact of works having already teen constructed
by the Prussians in the direction we have indicated,'
though, of course, it is possible that their construction
may only be a feint, that in spite of the numerous forts on
that side the attack would be safer, and from the circum-
stance that the Prussian communications would be
thus better coirered and the siege train more easily
brought up. There are also negative reasons by which
we have been influenced in forming Our opinion. These
negative reasons are as follows :--In addition to the
difficulty of bring up the siege train, the ammunition,
and supplies to the western side, the river Seine would
have to be three times crossed, and it would be a difficult
and tediotui operation to tonstrtict bridges for the passage
of so large an army. At Bezons the passage would be
made under the fire of Fort Valerien and the redoubt at
Geunevilliers, both only 3,600 yards distance. Fort Vale,
rien, which is the strongest of the forts round Paris, would
have to be taken by regular siege, for it is too strong to be
captured by a coup de main and too formidable to be
neglected. At the third passage of the Seine the crossing
would be impeded by the fire of the gunboats, and by
that of the enciente, only a mile distant, Again, the
ground between the river and the town on the west is
so cramped that if the Prussians Were repulsed in
their attack they; having the river in their rear;
could hardly escape annihilation. Lastly, while the bulk
of the Prussian fcirces were engaged in the attack, the
weak corps entrusted with the care of the invest-
ment and the charge of the communications on
the other sides, would be exposed to destruction at the
hands of an army of 100,000 men, which General Trochu
could very well spare from the defence. For these
reasons we believe that whatever feints may be
made in other directions, the real attack will take
place to the south, aided by false attacks on the
south-east, and perhaps the south-west. By attacking on
the south the Crown Prince would preserve his commu-
nications, his siege train could be brought up with com-
parative ease, and he would have no river to cross.--
Standard:

ALARMING COLLISION ON THE MIDLAND
RAIL WAY.
LEEDS, FRIDAY NIGHT.

To-night :colligion of two trains took place on the Mid,
land line between Leeds and Bradford. A train left Leeds
at 6.45, and at the Ilkley Junction, near Apperley-bridge,
was run into by the express leaving Bradford for Leeds at
7.5. A man and woman are injured. The line was
blocked at midnight. Both engines were th'row'n off the
rails, and the damage to the rolling stock is very great.
All the trains between Leeds, Bradford, and the stations
on the Little North-Western line have been much de-
layed. A strong force of workmen have been sent from
Leeds to clear the line. The Leeds station is thronged
with persons anxious for the safe arrival of their friends.
A telegram this morning says the block on the line
has been removed, after causing a delay of between eight
and nine hours, and passenger trains have again com-
menced running. The accident was caused by a defect
in the points, supposed to have arisen by carelessness on
the part of the pointsman.

CABINET COUNCIL.—A Cabinet Council was held
yesterday at the official residence of the First Lord of
the Treasury in Downing-street. The Ministers pre-
sent were : The Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, Viscount
Halifax, the Right Hon. H. A. Bruce, Earl Granville,
the Earl of Kimberley, the Right Hon. E. Cardwell, the
Duke of Argyll, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the
Right Hon. G. J. Goschen, the Marquis of Hartington,
the Right Hon. C. Fortescue, and the Right Hon. W. E.
Forster.

CRYSTAL PALACE. One Shilling day, Friday,
September 30, 1870. Admission by season tickets, 1,447 ;
do. on payment, 1,684; total visitors, 3,131.
The will of Mr. John A. Kinglake, M.P. for Ro-
chester, serjeant-at-law, of Sergeants' Inn, Chancery-lane,
Eaton-square, Belgravia ; and Court-place, Monkton, has
been proved at Taunton under £30,000 personalty.
WORKMEN'S INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION, AGRI-
CULTURAL HALL, IBLINGTON.—The number of visitors
exclusive of season ticket holders, exhibitors, and others
on the 30th instant was 4,750.

CRYSTAL PALAUE.—The first of the new series of
Saturday concerts takes place this afternoon with Miss
Edith Wynne, Mr. Vernon Rigby, and Mr. Charles Hall
as principal artistes. Beethoven's No. 1 symphony, and
No. 4 pianoforte" Concerto will be played, and Sullivan's
new " Ouvertura di Ballo " and three vocal pieces will be
heard for the first time at the Palace. A large collection
of original sketches, taken at the seat of war, by the
artists of the Illustrated London News and the Graphic
will be exhibited for the first time.
FIELD MARSHAL SIR J. F. BURGOYNE.—We
deeply regret to hear that this gallant and honoured vete-
ran is confined in his bed by severe illness, in consequence
of the great shock he has lately experienced by the death
of his only son, Captain Hugh Burgoyne, RN., in com-
mand of her Majesty's ship Captain.

POLICE APPOINTMENTS.—Mr. George Chance
has accepted the magistrateship vacated by Mr. Elliott's
resignation. Mr. Chance is of the Oxford Circuit, and
was called to the Bar in 1846. In 1868 he was one of the
Commissioners appointed to inquire into the trades union
outrages at Sheffield. The magistrateship accepted by
Mr. Macnamara upon the death of Mr. Selfe has again
become vacant, NT. Macnamara having been compelled
by the state of his health to resign the appointment
early in the present week, and before he had taken his
seat.

METROPOLITAN EDUCATION BOARD.— The fol-
lowing candidates have been selected by the advanced
educationalists and the various Liberal and working-class
organisations within the borough of Marylebone to con-
test in the forthcoming election the seats in the Metro-
politan Education Board, which are to be allotted to this
borough : Professor Huxley, Miss Garrett, Mr. Joseph
Guedella, Mr. W. R. Cremer, and Mr. Frederick Pen-
nington.

THE REVENUE RETURNS.—The Revenue returns
for the quarter ending September 30 were issued last
evening. During that period the total receipts amounted
to £14,202,413, a decrease of £1,024,327 as com-
pared with the corresponding period of last year. The
items in which the deficiencies occur are—Customs,
£505,000 ; taxes, £225,000 ; property-tax, £680,000 ;
stamps, £59,000 ; and Post-office, £90,000. An
increase is observable in the amounts received
for Excise of £239,000 ; Telegraph service,
£100,000; Crown lands, £1,000; and miscellaneous,
£200,673. For the twelve months the total amount of the
enue was £71,871,475, or a net decrease of £1,391,202
as compared with last year.
EMPLOYMENT FOR LADIES.—The managers of the
Royal Albert Press, established for the employment of
educated gentlewomen, have just issued two very fine sets
of designs for illumination, which will doubtless meet with
the highest approval and patronage. The floral crosses
are exceedingly beautiful, and the gracefully entwined
flowers, when filled in with the brilliant colours set out at
the back of each design will make them the prettiest
objects ever issued for illuminative purposes. The other
designs are for various ornamental uses such as illustra-
tions to portrait albums and such like matter, and the
exquisite taste that has been displayed in their production
by the lady artists merits the highest approval. The
Messrs. Fuller, through whose energy and instrumentality
these beautiful works of art have been produced, have on
former occasions issued many fine illuminative designs,
but their present series is certainly the best, and it is to
be hoped that a very extensive patronage will recompense
them for the spirit with which they have taken up the
interests of these accomplished female artists,