The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-05 00:00:00

OCCUPATION OF ABBEVILLE.

Abbeville has been occupied by the Germans, and
hey are also reported to be marching in the direc-
ion of Doullens.

AN ACCOUNT FROM LILLE.

It was officially announced at Lille on Friday
evening that the sortie of General Ducrot has been
successful, and that he is endeavouring to effect a
junction with General d'Aurelles de Paladine's

THE PROPOSED CONFERENCE.

BERLIN, December 3.

It is considered certain here that the Conference
for the purpose of settling the Black Sea question
will be satisfactorily arranged.
PESTH, Decembez 2.

Promising advices have been received from
Constantinople. The Porte is likely to accept
the Conference upon the conditions proposed by
Austria and England. In the sitting to-day of
the Budget Committee of the Austrian Delegation,
Count Beust defended his policy, and spoke with
marked emphasis in a peaceful sense. He also
spoke favourably of the proposed Conference, as
being likely to secure the independence of Turkey,
and deprecated all meddling with ques'ions con-
cerning the reconstruction of the German Con-
federation, as being entirely removed from his
thoughts; The general aspect of affairs, however,
would make it incumbent upon the country, if it
wished to preserve its existence and its position, to be
watchful and extremely cautious, because the chances
of peace grew always in proportion with the resolute
readiness to go to war whenever war becomes really
necessary.
Count Beust left for Vienna to-night, to see
Baron Nowikoff on the subject of the Russian
question.

(CF.NTR,AL PRESS TELEGRAMS.)
THE WANDERING BALLOON.

Two more packages of letters dropped from the Paris
balloon, which was seen in the Channel on Tuesday, have
been washed ashore, and brought to Falmouth. They
were found at Cadgwith, near the Lizard. They have
been sent to London. No tidings of the balloon itself
have been received, and it is feared that its occupants are
drowned.

rriE7stlN, LONDON, MON-DAY, DECEMBER 5, 1870.

nations before the Germans were ready to attack
All Monday a dead silence was kept by the
Government respecting what was going on ; but to-
day a little of the good news has been allowed to
get abroad. I confess, however, I do not participate so
earnestly as some people in a cheerful view of the French
position. It seems to me that the Prussians are simply
falling back in order to draw on their opponents, and that
when they have done so to a certain extent
a rush will be made to cut the Army of
the Loire in two, 'and each wing will be
beaten by the immense Prussian force massed
against it. All depends, and must depend, upon whether
Trochu can make anything like a successful sortie from
Paris. If he can do so at at the proper time to co-
operate with the Army of the Loire, all may yet be
well. If not—if General de Paladine is drawn on towards
Paris until he gets within reach of the army round
that capital—nothing can possibly save him. And,
to add to the danger of the present crisis, not only
will the Prussian army now in the Somme be able to
detach a large portion of its forces down towards Paris
and the Loire, but I hear, from undoubted authority,
that the German army of the Baltic, which is 140,000
strong, and is composed of fresh troops. has been ordered
on to France at the rate of 10,000 men a day.