The Portland daily press., 1870-09-23
G0Tib0ldi q Prisoner
Dangerous Demonstrations in
Paris.
Frs Nee
PROGRESS OF TIE SIEGE.

PROGRESS OF THE SIEGE.
LONDON, Sept. % 1t is generally believed
here that the Prussians are negotiating will
France solely for the sake Of delay SO as to Sc
cure possession of Paris. During the invest
ment of the city the following engagements
have occurred: Saturday the 18th Prussiar
brigade routed several battallons of French
north of Brevanne's forest. On the next day
sharp skirmish occurred near Vitry. Monday
the French were driven from the entreuch
ments to Retray, losing seven guns. Neal
Versailles body of 1000 mobiles captured 9
number of Prussians whose protection had
Deen so1cted By Inhabitants.
THB INTERNAL CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY.
The Tribune correspondent from Lyons and
Tours brings an important account sof the
internal condition of France. The rebort of an
instruction at Lyons against the Paris gov
eminent is mot true. A municipal election
was held on the 18th and returned a majority
Of an Independent committee to the council
They were mostly members of the Ioterna.
tional Workipgmen's Association who fly the
red flag. They distrust Trochu and Favre but
do not object to the provisional government.
The town was quiet except for incessaut can
non practice. The whole male population was
armed generally with muzzle loading smooth
bore gus. Most of the battalions carried nc
flag. A few have tricolors but associate AMIGA
bly, with the others. Five thousand men are at
the Rhone valley throwing up earthworks.
Lyons has resolved to resist if attacked, There
were about 40, 900 regulars in the city, mostly
old soldiers, who have returned to the service.
frop fbA
trated at Lyons. In Movers, Bourges and
Tours there were about 10000 of these men, !
travelled with Gen. Corning from Oran, who
assured me matters were serious in Algeria.
The rising of the Spanish and Italian colonists
ut Oran has been crushed with little loss
Papers found showed that Prussia was con-
eerned in the affair. The foreign legation,
containing many Germans, had mutinied
The Arabs were blockading the frontier
towns captured several trains loaded
with powder, -four and oats. We passed
train after train with the northern mobile
guardl going south to join the army,
those from the towns wearing red those from
the country tricolors and cockades. In train af
ter train people were drawn by locomotives to
longing to the northern apd western lines 60
ing south for safety.
On reaching Varennes we discovered that
the mobile guards of Moulins, ST. German,
Les Posses and the country between were I'M
der orders to leave for Africa this day, to free
the few regular troops still within the colony
At Verzou, where we stopped four hours, in
the middle Of the night, we were halted every
hundred yards by sentinels of the natona
guard. Every hour the patrol, with officers
and lantern, in due form, went around the
town; the men altogether in plain clothes,
armed with muzzie loading cavalry carbines
At Tours learned from excellent authority
the French plan for national defence. All
mobiles and young regulars now scattered
over the southern towns are to be concentrated
in some one Of them. No open town is to he
defended in the north. but the fortified places
of Lille, AbbeSille, Dunkirk, Calais, Cher
bourg, st. Malo and Brest, are prepared to un-
dergo siege. Havre, which has an exceed
ingly strong fort on hill, is being strength.
ened with lines like those at Lyons, but
Rouen is to be abandoned to the enemy.
The southern army when concentrated is to
wait until the latest possible moment to gain
time for drill, but when one of the great outei
forts OF Paris has been taken and the lombard
ment of the tewn commenced the army will
march north against the Prussians. As to
the
MILITARY PREPARATIONS
in general, there is scarcity of small arms
and there is great difficulty in gathering even
smooth bore muzzle leaders
Further supplies are expected shortly from
England and elsewhere. Ammunition is still
more deficient. Cavalry and artillery scarcely
exist and there is 20 hope of providing either
in time for operations affecting Paris. The
French expect the Prussians will march by
Beauvais upon Rouen and Amens and cut Of
with eastern France. Mails will soon be sen,
by Cherbourg instead of Havre 1t will, how
ever. be just as easy for the Prussans to marcel
from Ramboullete on Alepcon and so cut of
the whole northern from central and southern
France. St. Malo also would remairfopen t.
the London mail
SIEGE OF STRAsBOURG.
MUNDELsHEIM, Sept. 22.-The siege of Stras
bourg is vigorously pushed. Lunette No. B.
was taken to. day by the Prussians with triflins
| loss Five guns were taken in the recent cap
ture of Lunette No So.
FRENCH SQUADRON IN THE BALTIC.
ELsINEuR, Sept PA French squadron
consisting of one armored battery and foul
steam, corvettes, coming from the south, passed
here to-day. Other FRENCH vessels of war art
signalled at Spligs
A SUMMARY OF THE POLITICAL CONDITION Ct
PARIS
PARIS, Sept 16.-[Special to Sun. lit ii
itary questions. There ara two different pow
ers in Paris, one official provsionary govern
| ernment, which satisfies nobody but acce ptet
and tolerated by everybody; the second one il
Central Republican Committee composed o
| four delegates from each ACCOMPLISHMENT, o.
| eighty delegates in all. These four delegates
| are selected from twenty-five delegates elected
| by the people in every arrondisement. They
| are in constant communication with the popu
lation during the day through the twenty-on'
delegates remaining in the ACCOMPLISHMENT, ant
at night by public meetings. A special com
mttee Of five remain in permanent session da.
and night. At the sitting Of the assembl.
these eighty delegates constitute the commune
| Of Paris.
| The International Associat ion of working
men ha. been the cradle of powerful organi
cation which is an object of concern to tn
burgoise and a source of fear to the Govern
ment, but has the deepest root in the hearts o
the people. They sent yesterday message t.
the Government asking immediate measures
First, to transfer the police from the centra
government to the municipalities, the election
of the magistracy and abrogation of every Law
or decree interfering with the absolute freedom
of speech, press, meeting or association; second
an appropriation of the necsssaries of life
wherever to be found. and their Distribute
among the families of the national guard an,
those in need, proportionately to the amorn
OF provisions and probable duration of tn
siege aud number of persons to be fed; third
immediate appropriation of all empty apart
ments or public buildings for the accommoda
ton of the defenders of the city; fourth, a lev
en- masse Of all Frenchmep, without exception
fifth, the immediate despatch of general CON
mssioners to the departments to raise the POI
ulation and send to the defence of Paris. To
Government refused yesterday to yield thes
demands. To-day delegation of 12O men
bers, comprising eighty members of the cer
trail committee and two special delegates frol
each ACCOMPLISHMENT will again present then
and if the Government persists in its refusi
the people themselves will come peacefully bt
en- masse tonight.
AT Lyons the workmen have constituted a
independent government for the defence
France. The first success of the Prussiat
will overthrow the provisional as Sedan owe