The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-23 00:00:00

PREPARATIONS AT LILLE.

A letter from Lille, dated November 19th, by the cor-
respondent of the 2'elcyraph, says :—ln and around the
great fortress of the Department of the North-=the key
to the possession of French Flanders—preparations to
receive the invader have been carried on vigorously during
the last few weeks. The outbreak of the war did not
find the place at all in a condition to maintain its repu-
tation as one of the very strongest places in France.
It is but fair to say, however, that the military and mu-
nicipal bodies have, since they clearly saw what was
before them, displayed a degree of patriotic activity which
has been surpassed nowhere else in the country. The
National and Mobile . Guards have been recruited and
drilled with a rapidity and a comparative
completeness which merit all praise ; and the
Moblots of Lille, when sent from home, have earned
considerable distinction in sundry minor brushes with the
enemy. A powerful contingent of sailors has been placed
under the orders of Bourbaki, and in them a considerable
amount of confidence is felt. One would have had more
faith in them still hrad the town a sufficiency of artillery
and guns of improved make; but the fact is, that the
cannon is not only in great part old-fashioned, but
also, as a rule, of very small calibre.. Within the
last week or two, indeed, an attempt has been
made to remedy this state of things, and guns of
newer construction have been obtained; but the
supply still falls short of the requirements, and the wider
extent of the fortifications becomes thus to a certain de-
gree a source of weakness. That the authorities have at
last taken measures to provide against starvation, as well
as assault or bombardment, is shown in the fact that only
last week orders were given for the cattle and stores of
corn to be brought into the town. To make room
for these, and further to remove all obstacles out
of the way of the garrison, a great number of
houses have been levelled just within the walls,
which will be found very formidable should any
attempt be made to take the place by assault. The
inhabitants generally are most sanguine of not being very
readily starved into surrender—whilst the confidence in
Bourbaki, at one time small, has been generally restored.
A great movement southwards has begun. Last
night a number of officers and soldiers took their
departure. General Bourbaki has also left. Five
thousand more of the troops leave to-night. Their desti-
nation will, it is. believed, be Tours. We have, in fact,
begun to doubt whether the Prussians are, after all our
preparations, really going to attack us at all. Their north-
ward movement, we are inclined to think, has come to its
term; and, although 8,000 of them are gathered
around *t, Quentin, we suspect that their object is not
to conquer here, but for deceive as to their designs
elsewhere.

THE LIFE-BOAT AND ITS WORKS.—Richard Lewis,
Esq., the barrister, and the well-known secretary of the
National Life-boat Institution, gave last night his popular
lecture on "The Lifeboat and its Work",at the Westminster
Working Men's Club and Reading Rooms in Old Pye-
street. The ball was crowded with working people and
members of their families, and they appeared absorbed in
the thrilling and instructive details Mr. Lewis gave them
of the great work that is being performed on our shores by
the National Life-boat Institution.

TIIE UNITED KINGDOM ALLIANCE.—A series of
highly successful meetings has just concluded on the con-
nection of the Permissive Bill with Civil Liberty, Politi-
cal Economy, and Social Reform, addressed chiefly by
Dr. F. R. Lees, ef Leeds. The chair has been occupied
on successive evenings by Mr. S. Pope, Q.C., Mr. Robert
Baxter, Mr. T. Chambers, Q C., M.P., Mr. W. St. Quintin,
J.P., Bight Ron, A. S. Ayrton, M. r., Mr. C. Reed,
M,P., Mr. W. McArthur, M.P., Mr. Churchwarden
Ellis, Mr. Alderman Lusk, M.P., and Dr. Brewer, M.P
At each meeting resolutions were enthusiastically adopted
thanking Dr. Lees for his able and eloquent addresses, and
calling upon the Government to make provision in the
forthcoming measure for the exclusion of the liquor traffic
from districts whore, by a large majority of votes, its dis-
continuance is desired,

MILUAR Y OPERATIONS IN THE NORTH
' OF FRANCE.

Writing from Amiens on the 21st instant, the corre-
spondent of the Deify News says :—Early this morning
Bourbaki paSsed through Amiens, en route for Nevers, to
assume his new command, and face Prince Frederick
Charles. He has thus quitted his " masterly inactivity."
It would be difficult to know what mark he has left on
the Army of the North; and the authorities need not be
apprehensive that their warnings as to compromising its
movements should be disregarded, however wilfully
disposed any person might be. General Bourbaki, since
his arrival at Lille, has been more or less a suspect. The
" infamy of Bazaine " threw its shadow on the brave
soldier, took serious proportions at Douai, and if he can
reap glory at Nevers, in default of working miracles, he
will recover his popular character. It is to be feared the
Army of the North has lost its chance. Had
Bourbaki made the requisitions fifteen days ago he has
effected within the last five, he could have swept the
borderland of this department from Breteuil to Beauvais,
pushed on to Clermont, and possibly occupied Soissons—
he might thus have given a moral support to the Army
of the Loire, at the same time exercising his troops.
It is not the worst strategy to have relinquished the
northern command, as to all appearannes the Germans
are advancing from two or three points and might shut
him up. I hear through an American gentleman, from
Soissons, that Von Manteuffel was there on Friday last
with 18,000 men, and that Von Goben was rapidly fol-
lowing him. There is a force moving on by Rocroi, which
seems to threaten Cambrai, Valenciennes, Douai, and
Lille. Ten days ago there was a large artillery move-
ment at Villers Cotterets. By railway from Soissons to
Gonesse, Manteuffel can strike the railway for Clermont
—thus saving a long march—and from Clermont to
Beauvais he has another line open. At Beauvais he can
make a dash up to Amiens, or turn off for Rouen. These
movements must of course be subordinate to those of the
Army of the Loire. As it is, the Prussians are show-
ing everywhere around us. La Fere may delay the
besiegers ton days yet ; the small forts have ever
proved troublesome in the campaign. A French
doctor has recently returned from La Fere. The
Germans, having bandaged his eyes, allowed him to pass
into the town with his hospital supplies ; the French
were keeping up a lively fire, but there is a height com-
manding the town, at a distance of 3,000 yards, which,
up to then, the enemy had not occupied. The
moat was flooded, and the besiegers were attempt-
ing to drain the water off. Some hot work is going
on between Ham and Tergnier, and promises to
continue. The railway has been cut to-day between
Amiens and Ham, and the goods stores of the railway
terminus here are being emptied of their contents. Coming
events seem to be casting their shadows before. Captain
Hy polite Petit, of the Volunteers of the Somme, who
was killed in the engagement at Ham on Saturday, is
deeply regretted at Amiens where he resided, and
leaves a wife and one child. He made the Italian campaign,
settled down as a photographer in this town, was captain
in the National Guard, and voluntee.sed on the let of
October last, his comrades unanimously electing him their
captain. His remains will arrive this evening, and the
citizens will give him a public funeral. The volunteers
on Saturday fought bravely ; of the Mobiles proper it is
better to wait for " explanations."