The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-30 00:00:00

THE PRUSSIANS IN CHALONS.

officers to Epernay and La Veuve. One of the heads of

detachments at the same time required the major to rive
him French money equivalent to a bank note for a
hundred thalers. The mayor having asked bywhat title these
demands were made, and whether they were under the
droit du plus fort; and being answered in the affirmative,
did what was required of him. Meanwhile the
Prussians in the rest of the town took pos-
session of the post and intercepted all letters and
papers hoping to get some official dispatches addressed to
the prefet. Sentinels were stationed at the gates of the
town, and no one was allowed to pass out. Chalons from
this moment was blockaded. A Prussian barrier cut her
off from the capital.

After seizing the mails and the money, luckily only 50
francs, and the letters from the letter boxes, they went
off to the Prefecture and made several demands. About
midday the sound of cannon caused them some
surprise. It came from the direction of St.
1114nehould, and made thorn redouble their vigilance
for the time, but they did not leave till nearly six o'clock,
taking with them several vehicles. The Prefet did not
shew himself all the time the Prussians were in the town,
and his absence was much noticed. However, it seems
he was prisoner in his hotel, the Prussian commander
refusing to treat with him. A Prussian officer, with his
cigar in his mouth, walked into the Prefet's study yes-
terday, and told him, in an arrogant manner, that he
must henceforward susp end all recruiting.

25 AUGUST, HALF-PAST ONE.

We hoped ye-terday, when the Prussian dragoons left,
that we were rid of them. Alas ! we reckoned without
the fresh troop of the enemy who has to-day come into
the town and taken possession of the gates. They
are very numerous, and we are again blockaded.

THREE O'CLOCK.

Four T.Thlans have gone to the Hotel de Ville,
and in the Mayor's absence have told his secretary
that 6,000 Prussians would be speedily installed
amongst us. The post-office and the prefecture
have been again visited. To-morrow it is said other
troops will be here, and it is thought the Crown Prince's
staff will arrive. Vitry has opened its gates, not having
defended itself. The National Guard and some artillery
troops which were there succeeded in escaping.

A telegram from Brussels says the Prince Imperial
arrived at Sedan, which is eleven miles from Mezieres, on
Sunday, and the Emperor is expected there immediately.
A party of IThlans have been at Mouzon, nine miles south-
east of Sedan.
A Paris letter says :—"As a matter of fact, the wounds
of the needle-gun heal very rapidly. Many of the men
now in hospital are almost fit for work again, as far as their
wounds are concerned, but of these many suffer in addition
from rheumatic fever and bronchial affections, contracted
from neglect and exposure on the field after they were
disabled."
The Convention of Neutrality proposed by the London

Cabinet to the neutral Governments has been agreed to
by all the Great Powers. The Cabinetiof Vienna,;waited for
some time before giving its consent, but at last commis-
sioned Count Apponoyi to sign in its name. This Conven-
tion engages each signatarynot to quit the position of neutrak
without giving notice to the co-signataries. and furnishing
explanations. Each neutral State reserves its freedom of
action ; but the Convention tends to prevent a surprise,
and to protect the Powers from being in an isolated posi-
tion either in military arrangements or in the negotia-
tions which will be carried on for the purpose of restoring
peace.

The war correspondent of the Independence Belge has
passed by the two belligerent forces, and has seen the
colossal German army advancing at a comparatively
rapid pace with a surprising regularity. Nothing stops
its course, it is like a sea which is rolling on. "On such
a day we shall be at such a place " they say, and at the
appointed time one can see the first Uhlan waving his
lance in the air. When the Uhlans arrived at Epernay
they were dispersed by some sappers and miners at the
railway station. 1,200 men of the line regiments were
sent from Rheims to defend the celebrated -caves of
Epernay. No Uhlan as yet has gained the prize
of a hundred thalers which King William
promised to the one who should secure the first bottle of
champagne. All the inhabitants of Epernay rushed about

the streets crying out, "To arms, to arms." It is need-
less to say there were none to give them. The IThlans
are well informed of all that is going on, and their system
of espionage is so admirably carried on that they can pro-
ceed with the greatest impunity ; they know that the
Imperial Government has disarmed France. The spirit
of the eastern part of the country is greatly crushed, and
people go so far as to say that they would give everything
for peace.

The Paris correspondent of the Independance Beige says
he has positive information that there are in Paris not less
than 60,000 troops, without speaking of 300,000 National
Guard and Gardes Mobiles. General Palikao gives the
total figure of French under arms as 1,94,000 men. All
the bridges on the Seine and the Marne will be under-
mined, and can be blown up at any moment. As for the
provisions of Paris, there are in the Bois de
Boulogne 100,000 sheep, and 30,000 oxen, be-
sides 500 milk-cows. Large barges have brought,
by water, immense quantities of forage. 5,000
' trains from Havre have brought flour and various pro-
visions. Unfortunately many agriculturists will not be
able to save their mills, they will be destroyed by the
French cavalry so that they may not fall into the hands
of the enemy. The delay which has taken place in
removing these mills is attributed to the bad understand-
ing which prevails between the prefets and the superior
authorities. The peasants believed their assertions with
respect to the Duc de Choiseul's exaggerated statements
and un"ounded terrors. Who would have believed on the
sixth of July, when M. Thiers was attacked and insulted
in the ChaMber, that the day would come when he would
be made a member of the Defence Committee ? This has,
however, taken place without his knowledge, the Govern-
ment which would have ignored him having been forced

The Progres de la Marne gives some additional details
of the entry of the Prussians into Chalons. They were
dragoons and not Uhla,ns who gallopped through the town
on the 23rd. and desired the Mayor, M.
Perrier, whose carriage had already been laid
under contribution, to follow them to their en-
campment. The mayor gave a positive refusal,
and said if he was wanted he could be found at the
Hotel de Ville. On the next day (the 24th),
at about ten in the morning, a Prussian colonel
of dragoons with ten officers and three hundred
horsemen came into Chalons. This time it was regularly
taking possession. When they reached the Hotel de
Ville the officer in command desired the mayer to furnish
immediately breakfast for 10 officers and 300 soldiers,
and two carriages for the conveyance of several Prussian