The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-12-17
OUR FRENCH LETTER,
Especial correspondence of the HERALD.)
PARIS, November %.

PARIS, November 22.
The department. OF the Seine com
prises an area of 1,170, 900 acres /; of
this surface. the city of Paris, being
that included within the Notifications,
occupies 1921 acres, and ie sur
rounded by Notifications twenty.one
miles in circumference, pierced by
sixty-tive entrances, of which ten are
devoted to railways. The Notifications
comprise q ditch or moat, nineteen
feet deep, 165 feet wide at the top,
narrowing to sixty at the bottom. To
the crest Of the psrapet all is in
solid masonry. It Was in 1881 that
Marshal Sonet, then Minister of War,
proposed the plan THE honor, rather
than the utility. of which is due to
Theirs), of these Notifications, which
cost loo, 100000 francs The works
were completed in 1841. It's only
since 1850 that the city boundaries
have been extended to the fortifca-
tons. Up to that period the limits
were the external boulsvards. The
Notifications proper occupy width
of $50 yards, and twenty.one miles in
circumferen Outside the fortifca-
tions is the military zone Of 273 yards,
wholly waste thus between the
surface occupied by the Notifications
and the military zone. there is an
srea of 433 yards, extending to a
circuit of twenty-one miles, represent
ing total area OF $500 acres, or
nearly the one-6tth OF the entire area
of Paris.
The Notifications, in a military
point of view, are useless. Marshal
SoHlt ssid 80 at the time, when min.
lister the commissioners entrusted to
examine the scheme reported dead
against the project, which would be
injurious to the capital itself, and in
case of invasion would confuse the
general defense of the nation Ia pre-
diction realized), and that it would
be better to expend the one hundred
and fifty millions in fortresses distant
from the capital, scheme DOW in
course of completion. But Theirs
was obstinate and carried the project.
He had the misfortune and bitterness
to be hoist with his own petard, as the
Notifications we're of no use against
the Prussisns, and only served the
commune to keep their organization
outside the capital. In war, the for
tifcations ase useless in peace, q
nuisance. With the present long
range OF artillery, end the new aystem
of defence for cities - distant, de-
tached forts Chinese vail is out Of
date. The Germans recognize this
truth, as they have demolished the
walls around Cologne, TheirGville,
Strssbourg. etc. The French gov
eminent has also acknowledged the
fact, as the Notifications OF Lyone,
Lille, Calais, etc., have been rszsd.
The municipality has now taken up
the project for the leveling of the for
tifcations and the utilization of the
military zone, By converting the 8. 500
acres they occupy uselessly, into
building sites, ostensibly for the Ia
boring and artisan classes; complet.
ing the boon by opening up numer-
GUS tram lines into the heart OF the
capital, pending the construction OF
the underground railway. No serial
line will be tolerated, as Parlslans
learn that experiment in New York
has led to fEightiul increase of i'm
precautions on the part OF the citizsns.
The municipality intends to refund
the one hundred and fifty millions to
the State, out of the sale OF the 8, 500
acres. which would represent an
average price Of 9 francs per square
yard for building purposes. This
vast project is supported by public
opinion, and may be set off against
the capital sins of the municipality.
Threatened folks live long: the Cab
met develops positive signs of lopgev-
ity, which in political vital statistics
may surpass the ordinary duration OF
French ministers - that is to say,
some three months. The Cabinet has
won its lsurels by breaking lance
with the arch-radicals, as the latter
by their go" have up to the pres.
ept ruled the roast. It only requires
to treat them little in the nutmeg
crater style to keep them in their
place. They displayed as ever,
eloqueuce, vigorous logic, eto, the
House spplauded them to the echo,
but voted down their resolutions to
dock the salaries of cardinals and
abolish the enthusiastically to the
Pops. The Chamber dissembled its
love, but not the less kicked the
no-suFrender, extreme members
down stairs,
A relapse has set 10 to reform the
Constitution, even before it is constr
tuted. Some points ain to nominate
q vice-presidept of the republic, so
that in future, if N. G,esy est too
freely of cartridges again, and
brought on fit of quasi-spoplexy,
his departure would be less felt. The
cut and-outeEs demand that there be
no president at all, but 8 constituted
assembly. This was the project
favored by III. GreVy himself, when
in his salad days. There are other
authorizations, too numerous to men,
ton.
1t ia generally fell thai there is