The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-27 00:00:00

TII h SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 27, 1876,

senators; Count Da. u, M. Du Puy do Lome, and the
Marquis de Talhouet, Deputies.

FIRING UPON A FLAG O 1
TRUCE.

BERLIN, AUGUST 26, EVENING.

The Berlin journals, replying to French denials,
state that it is an aset:rtained fact that the French in
_Metz have fired upon an envoy bearing a flag of
truce. Lieutenant-Colonel Verdy was present, and
was himself slightly wounded, besides the trumpeter'
who accompanied

THE FRENCH LOSSES IN THE
BATTLE OF GRAVELOTTE.
(GERMAN ACCOUNT.)
PRUSSIAN lIEADQUATERS,

PONT-ik_-1110USSON, AUGUST 22.*

The French themselves acknowledge a loss of
15,000 wounded in the battle of the 18th instant
at Gravelotte. To this must be added 5,000 killed,
and there have been besides, up to this morning,
about 3,000 prisoners brought through here
from that battle, so that the total French
loss reaches at least 23,000 men„ It has not been
possible to count the exact number of killed, as from
want of power, heaps of dead from the battle of the
10th, belonging chiefly to the French Imperial
Guard, lay unburied as late as the 10th, and the in:.
terment consequently had to be carried out at last in
a very hurried manner.
*This telegram only reached London August 26th,
10.40 p.m.

PRUSSIAN HEAD-QUARTERS,
BAR-LE-DUO, AUGUST 25 (9.45 aan.).

Besides the French wounded in the villages sur-
rounding Metz, there are in Metz itself, according
to French accounts, 15,000 wounded, and according
to our estimate 20,000. Moreover, hospital and
typhus fever have broken out amongst them, so that
a long resistance appears impossible.

THE FRENCH LEGISLATURE.

PARIS, AUGUST 26, EVENING.

To-day, in the Senate, M. Busson-Biblault, Presi-
dent of the Council of State, said no direct infor-
mation had been received from Marshal Bazaine, but
intelligence otherwise received, proved the position
of the French armies to be an excellent one. The
Minister further remarked that the advance of the
enemy on Paris appeared to be undergoing a period
of delay.

In the Legislative Body, M. Chevrean, the Minis-
ter of the Interior, said the army of the Crown
Prince of Prussia had seemed to have arrested its
march to Paris, but have resumed it yesterday and
to-day. M. Chevrean added :—"lt is duty of the
the Government to inform the Chamber and the
country of this fact. The Committee of Defence is
taking measures to meet the possibility of a siege.
The Governor of Paris and the Cabinet will do their
duty, and we count on the patriotism of the
capital."

THE PARIS BOURSE.
PARIS, AUGUST 26, 3.30 p.m.
The Bourse has been inanimate. Recites closed
at 60.60, or 33c. lower than yesterday.

REPORTED BATTLE NEAR
MONTMEDY.
It is reported that au enogement took place on
Thurslay night at Shenacli, near Montmedy, and
the Prussians have cut the rails of the Sedan
liai'way. The woun led were taken to Moutniedy,
where t .ev were closing the gates.

SOtTTHANIPTON, AUGUST 26,

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Ripon
has arrived here with 60 passengers, £638,116 in specie,
and a heavy cargo. On the 22nd, when off Lisbon, she
passed the combined Channel and Mediterranean fleets,
steaming north ; also the steamer Mauritius, towing the
steamer Paris, bound north.
MARSEILLES. AUGUST 26.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Pera
arrived at 4.30, and the mails leave at 6.40 p.m. this day
for London.

(CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.
COLLIERY ACCIDENT.

At a colliery at Bilston last night, as a skip containing
six men and a boy was being raised, it was drawn over
the pulley at the mouth of the pit, and they were all
thrown out, and seriously injured. In some instances it
is feared fatal results will ensue.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

CROYDON 'RACES.-TIIIS DAY.
(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
STAND PLATE.

Sophie
Lincoln..
Brazenose

Five ran.
WELTER STAKES,

Victoria
l3rennus
Royal Princess
Seven ran.
NURSERY HANDICAP,

C0wb0y.....:
Queen Bessie
Hilary
Five ran

SHIRLEY PLATE.

Miss Adelaide f .
Bellenden
Manrice
Four ran.
CROYDON PLATE.

Transgressor
Veda
Turn of the Tide

• CITY BETTING-17ms DAY.
LIVERPOOL CUP.
4to 1 on the field (offered)
ST. LEGER.
65 to 40 agst King-craft (offered)
sto 1 agst Palmerston (offered—take 6to 1)
100 to 15 agst Macgregor (offered-7 to 1 wanted)
100 to 7 agst Captivator (offered)
20 to 1 agst Sunlight (offered)
1000 to 30 agst Normanby (offered)
100 to 3 agst Alexander (offered)
1000 to 10 agit Wheatear (offered)
CESAREWITCH.
1000 to 15 agst Rattlepate (taken)
1000 to 15 agst Blandford (offered)
500 to 5 agst See Saw (taken)
500 to 5 agst Sylva (taken)
100 to 1 agst Cradle (taken)
CAMBRIDGESHIRE.
1000 to 15 agst Blandford (offered)
500 to 5 a,gst See Saw (taken)
500 to 5 agst Sylva (taken)

BANKRUPTS.
In London.
Allen, George William, Chalk Farm-road, Haverstock-
hill, china dealer, to surrender Sept. 15, at 1.
Amos, James, Bunhill-row, Old-street, St. Luke's, metal

dealer, Sept. 22, at 12.
Brace, Alfred Thomas, Red Lion-court, Fleet-street, book-
seller, Sept. 8, at 1.
Cotterell, Samuel, Halkin-place, Belgrave-square, horse
dealer, Sept. 19, at 12.
Harrison, George, Bedford-row, Holborn, tracer of pedi-

grees, Sept. B—, at 12k.
Juch, Ernest, Crane-court, Fleet-street, journalist, Sept.

19, at 11.
Murray, Eustace Clare Grenville, Brook-st., Grosvenor-
square,. newspaper proprietor, Sept. 15, at 11.
Wren, George, High Holborn, paper merchant, Sept. 19,
at 1.

TTIE PROSPECTS OF FRANCE.

iseturiting to the estimate taken byuur Military men
hf the 06Sition occupied by the two great armies Which
follow the fortuiieS of Bazaine and MacMahon, I em in a
position to state at great htipefUlness preVails. It is
believed that in the fierce battles of laSt week, and
peeially in that of the 18th, Marshal Bazaine deceiVecf
his enemy and drew on an attack which, he felt en-
,:rely confident, would enable him to inflict fearful
:oiiiishment upon his assailant. I hesitate to give
the reputed nithabers of the killed and wounded upon
!,,il.ll shies. But I believe that even the Prussian accounts
battle, while claiming a-g,reat victoik, aclm4 that
the vae.ers suffered more than the defenders of French
Let ritoiy. There is but one opinion here as to the ability
di h i t throughout last week Bazaine handled his force

----:olmit tedry smaller than that of his enemy. Moreover,
no one 11-.4.6 believes that the foremostline of Germans, or,
in (Aber words, the aglgregate of men fighting under the two
Princes and Steinmetz, is nearly so" large as you believe
tai state in England. To begin with, A very large force
is necessary to keep up communication with St. Avoid.
!.t is believed here that the German• armies are fed by
taco Main roads communicating with the railroad base
at St. Avoid. One of these roads leads through a very
dillicult country, and passes half-way between Vionville
and Metz—which are about twenty-two miles apart—
to the rear of the German force under General
Steinmeti. The other road passes to the south of
Metz, and fee& the army of the Crown Prince.
Although the activity and enterprise of the French
cavalry and francs tireurs have hitherto been very inferior
to those of Stuart, Morgan, and Mosby, during the great
Confederate struggle against the forces of the Union, it
is impossible that the Germans can convey provisions along
these two roads, which pais, in the, one case, between two
stroug.ly-fortified towns, and in the Other through from
forty to fifty miles of .an enemy's country, Without
Ladling a very considerable body of troops to keep off
aggressors. Secondly, the siege of Strasburg, which is
daily assuming larger proportions, must absorb no in-
significant number of Germans who are detailed to bring
for ,vard siege guns and heavy mortars, with a view to the
bombardment of the Alsatian capital. Thirdly, it cannot
but be necessary to keep a small corps of observation, to
which is entrusted the duty of watching the considerable
French forces which are advancing northward from Lyons;
Di jen, and Besancon. Fourthly, the task of carrying
oack the sick and wounded to St. Av.dd must occupy the
aintivided attention of no small number of men. You are,
Itoubtless, aware in England that, although the proposition
that the neutral railroads of Luxembourg and Belgium
should be thrown open to the German sick and wounded
was supported by the English Government, it was never
listened to for a moment by the French Generals.
Although it may seem cruel and -inhuman to make the
wounded suffer unnecessarily, it cannot but be a satisfac-
tion to those who wish to see the war confined to France
and Prussia, that the dangerous implication of any neutral
L'owers should be vigorously resisted. Reverting, however,
to the question of the numbers row at the disposal of the
G Generals, I have, I think, said enough to show that,
If I estimate the front line of the invading force at 250,000
len, it is a not an illiberal estimate. If lam rightly in-
formed, the soldiers who now follow Bazaine and Mac-
lahois amount at least to this figure. Although there-
is believed to have been heavy fighting to-day and yester-
lay somewhere in the neighbourhood of Verdun, it cannot
not be obvious to your military readers that.Metz and
St. Avoid are dangerously near each other, and that the
possession of these two strong fortresses at Vionville
and Metz gives the French a great advantage With a view
to snaking a dash upon St. Avoid. It is, of course, Ml-
poesible to say what may be the effect of the fighting now
believed to be going Cu near Verdun ; but the infuence
and area of Metz and Vionville cannot but tell for
much, as points d'appui, upon Which the French may
rest and whence they may dart out. I shall be
surprised if some effort is not shortly made to
(owe the German Generals to increase their defensive
knee at St. Avoid. Meantime the advance of the Crown
Piiner. upon Paris is, to say the least, delayed, if it is not
wholly arrested. My own belief is that the great efforts
new put forth by the Germans to take Strasbourg
a:e due to the fact that they find it impossible to
e7o v isio I their enormous armie,4 by a single line
if railroad connecting St. Avoid with the Rhine.
a pamphlet which the Prince de Joinville wrote
about the American war, shortly after accompanying
futile advance of General M`Clellan upon Richmond
in 1662, he roundly affirms that no single railroad, even
though entirely unmolested by the enemy, is capable of
feeding more than 100,000 men. And here we find Von
Moltkc trying to fees/ front three to four hundred
th..o,atat hungry men by the single line which debouc'res
st St. ! --Special Correspoinie7t of the Te!eura_oh in

wan MACMAIION'S ARMY.

13 1.1

une of the ~madard's correspondents . f with
the :olny or AfaeMahon during the last few day, , and a
Lattar i corn him is published, dated Montmedy, 24th. It
ikes not, however, much enlighten us as to the great
bf,:rut of MacMahon's doings

`• The army now under the command of Mardial Mac-
Mahon is stronger than is generally supposed. Not only
has the 'Marshal again completed his first corps, so cruelly
exhausted by the heroic fight of Gro.swillers, but his
eth-eti'-e has been brought to a force of 30,000 men, with
whiult the corps of De Failly, the corps of General Douay,
%OR. Las made a voyage of forty hours by railway to
come to elmlons, ia, Paris ; some divisions of Canrobert
(detached), infantry of marine, saint reii!!-,reements
from U south, make a force of at least 130,000 fresh
troops, looking admirably.
-

"-Since I announced to you the /era of the Camp
of Chalons and the presence of the army of the
Emperor at Rheims *I. have ascertained an im-
portant fact., and this at the moment I was leaving.
All the forces of the Camp of Chalons had not
come to Rheims when the camp was abandoned on Sun-
day morning ; the greater part of the troops went west-
ward, soaking for ltheims, but a large corps d'arm(Se left
in an easterly direction.

" So man; contradictory accounts are given of the
battle of the 18th that I have refrained from
giving mine ; but having travelled with a Prussian
naturalised Belgian subject, I have had some precise
details of the affair. lie was near the spot where it took
place, and on Sunday morning last he left the Prussian
head-quarters, which were then at St. Benoist, near Vig-
neulles, north-west from Metz, their line standing up to
Marie-aux-Chenes on that side. The Carrieres de
Jamnoilt, mentioned in the French official despatches,
are situate in that neighbourhood towards Briey.
Those quarries, about three miles in length, are a dis-
tance of ten miles from Metz, and the new fortresses built
at Metz during the last few years have been erected with
stones extracted from those quarries. To go from Metz
toJaumont you have to follow the road from Lletz to
Brie}, through the villages of. Plappeville, Waippz, and
Lorry ; you can also reach the place by the road of Don-
court, Etain, and Verdun, by way of the village of
Armanvillers. The country is very uneven to the south-
east of Jauiuont between Armanvillers and Lorry, a
forest with deep ravines ; to the north of Armanvillers
the road of St. Marie-aux-Chenes, the hills of St.
Privat, and the mountains above the valley of Montvaux;
to the north-east, towards Lriey, the fine forest of Avril,
boinnled by the river Orne, on the right of the river the
villages of Gouf and Homencourt—making more towards
the north, at the confluence of the Orne and Moselle, the
immense forest of Mozeuvre, and the road to Siercke.
It is probably through those woods of Mozeuvre
that the corps of General Steinmetz, which had been
engaged in the battle of the 16th, have made their
marsh to the enemy, and in consequence the engagement
of the 18th n.st have been principally commenced under
Stelum What was the position. of Bazaine at the
beginv:ng• of the conflict I have been unable to ascertain.
The ..attic of the 18th took place in that romantic and
uneven track of country, but which side obtained the
ad, ,aff:lge it is difficult to state just now. The Prussian
de. pttch es claim victories ; and Marsh Bazaine, it is said, is
with the progress of his plan. In another way,
stated in my last letter, the private information given
IT; me at Rheims, and coming from a high source, is far
from giving an advantage to the French general. The
departure from Chalons, the abandonment of the great
Mourmelon camp, the march of MacMahon to
the west-- all those movements taking place
since, leave a large part to doubt and sugges-
tion. An unfortunate certainty still remains—the
work of destruction has been continued, and the battle of
the 18th has made even more victims than the engage-
ments of the 14th and 16th. From the party I met, who
had visited the Champ de Bataille on the Fri ' v and
following day, I heard that heaps of dead be: . :ere
accumulated in every direction, some as as
two yards. At certain places the bodies wer
clasped together. Here, again, was the deadly
work of the initrailleuses, which I first saw al
Borny, and shall never forget. In a ravine the bodies
were so pressed together that they had not fallen, re
were buttressed one against the other. On the morning
of Friday the Prussians were occupying the Champ
d.
Bataille. Only three out of nine bodies were French
soldiers. The losses are, therefore, again heavier on thi
Prussian side, as in other battles, and having those detail'
from a man who sympathises with the Pilssian cause,
conclude they must be true.
" At the moment I write this letter I hear of a great ex
citement in the lower town of Moutmedy. The authorities

have just intimated to the inhabitants that they must pre-
pare lodgings and provisions for a number of soldiers. All
carriages and carts are put in requisition, and orders given
for cavalry accommodation. My own idea to come
back here turns out the correct one. My suspicions of
the probable movements of MacMahon are turning out
right. No doubt the army of Chalons has made for
Montmeds, iia the Ardennes-Mezieres Railway, and the
bulk of it will here to-morrow. I have been jour-
neying ahead of theiii, and nearly came by their very

OUR COTEMPORARIES—Thii Morning.

THE CONTEST FOR SUPREMACY AT PARIS.
The-Times notes that the struggle on the part of the
Left of the Chamber to have a share in the Com-
mittee of Defence, which began at the beginning of
the week, has revived, and this time the Ministry
appear to have abstained from any attempt to
check it. They have contented themselves with
publishing a futile Decree, adding a certain number
of ex-Ministers to the Committee of Defence,
But these are not the men the Left desired to
associate with General Trochu. Unfortunately for
France, the Assembly which should have been her main-
stay in the confusion of the crisis is destitute of all
claims to confidence. It was elected, as we all remember,
in June last year, at the memorable election which
revealed to the Emperor'the startling fact that one-half
the independent voters of France rejected the theory of
p3rsonaltgovernment ; but the constituencies had been so
arranged that the malcontents were massed together
in a few civic circonscriptions, or so associated with
rural districts as to be just outnumbered by the docile
peas ants who voted as the Prefects told them. Hence the
Cnamber showed a large Imperialist majority, though the
voters were nearly equally divided ; and hence also it
happened that when the 011ivier Cabinet was formed
electoral reforms and new elections were placed at the
head of its programme. The reforms were never accom-
plished, the.elections have never been held; the war was
apparently chosen as a simple mode of restoring the
stability of the old regime, and the result is that France
in her hour of peril is represented by an Assembly com-
posed of men the majority of whom would be at once
unseated could there be a fresh appeal to the electors,
The Emperor having for a time retired, the Assem-
bly ought to be supreme. It should assume the functions
of our own House of Commons. The Ministry themselves
declare that they hold their power as the servants and
executive officers of the Assembly. But no Assembly
can wield supreme authority, even when it is
thrust upon it, unless its members feel them-
selves to be the embodied will of the nation. The
majority of the present Assembly do not deceive them-
selves with this belief. There is a minority, small
in number, which, rightly or wrongly, possesses
this confidence. They do, undoubtedly, represent
one of the strongest Powers of the State, if not
the strongest, and they will not yield the claim to pre-
eminence withont a struggle, General Trochu, who
h-s been elevated to the post of Governor of Paris,
n; L., so much because he is trusted—for, indeed, he is
diztrusted as a doubtful Orleanist by the Empress-
-11,_,,,ent and the Ministry—as because it was impos-
sib'e in the temper of the capital to give the charge
to any other than this unbending soldier, may be
taken as representing the second greAt Power of the
nation ; and about these two hover the Ministry, with
their uncertain tenure of power, and the population of
Paris, capable of bursting at a moment's notice into a
flame of irresistible passion.