THE RELIEF OF PARIS.

Press, Volume XVIII, Issue 2490, 24 April 1871, Page 3

THE RELIEF OF PARIS.

The re-victualling of Paris has been the | most urgent work of the month. The French Government found that they had miscalculated the quantity of food remaining iv the city by five days, and were obliged to appeal to the Germans for immediate assistance. Three millions of rations were sent in by the besiegers to save the women and children from absolute starvation. It is said that on one day there was not a loaf of bread in all Paris. The awful nature of the catastrophe that might follow if there were any delay in bringing in supplies quickened all energies, and sent a thrill through all English heart*. Our national charity, not exhausted by what it has done for the wounded of both nations, and for the French peasantry and farmers iv

their desolate fields, hastened to the rescue. Funds poured in to a committee formed at the Mansion-house; Colonel Stuart-Wortloy aud Mr George Moore were at once despatched as special commissioners to distribute our EuglKh bounty, run? organise a system of relict : and the first supplies that entered Paris were fifty waggons bearing the inscription. "Gifts from the City of London to the City of Paris." M. Jules Ferry, the mayor of Paris, telegraphed fervent thanks to our Lord Mayor, in the name of the people ; but these first benefactions were as nothing to what followed. Collections were made in churches and chapels, in counting-houses and exchanges, and in a very short time | more than £ 100,000 was subscribed fortius object. The British Government, also, | promptly placed its resources in stores, men. and means of transport, nt the disposal of the ! French and German authorities, mid quantities of salt and preserved meats were sent off as quickly as possible from the vietualliugyards at Woolwich. Your Australian preserved meats, by the way, have been found most serviceable in this emergency. Great efforts have also been made by private traders to meet the various demands that have arisen. For a day or two the price of bread went up in London, the purchases of flour were so large. One well-known manti- [ factnring house dispatched in a single day I ten millions of biscuits. There was some difficulty in finding the means of distributing the Mansion-house bounty. The first plan of allotting portions to the several ma tries did not succeed. But Mr Moore promptly appropriated a large house of business to the work, and it has since gone steadily forward. Large sums have also been distributed through Paris by residents of influence, familiar with the wants of the people, and among suffering families of the middle class. The women have borne their privations nobly. One French woman. I have heard it remarked, is worth three Frenchmen now, in the qualities that go to make up true heroism. All special cases of suffering apart, the distress of the people is still wide-spread and great. A correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, writing on the 21st inst.. mentions that on the previous day alone -.'"■OO families had received food from the Lord Mayor's fund through Mr Moore's establishment. The crowds blocked the street. "At eleven o'clock at night several thousand people were camping in the streets, waiting for their turn the next day. Those who were at thc head of the column said they had been there for forty hours ; those who' were at the tail said that they expected to reach the door tomorrow. All were thoroughly good-tempered, and not only made no complaint about standing for two nights and a day in the open air, but talked of it as <i most simple and natural act. Gratitude to England was loudly expressed, and thc system of direct distribution was evidently regarded as the best. It was an astonishing spectacle to sec that enormous mob making itself up for the night. Blankets were spread upon the pavement aud in the roadway. At least a couple of thousand women w r crc lying down, many of them fast asleep ; others were sitting on chairs or stools, wrapped up in shawls; some had caudles, and were trying to read or sew." The want of fuel has been felt the last week almost more than the want of food. The difficulties of cooking are great; and Paris is still, too, almost without gas. The railways are getting iuto order. We find thc arrival of 8000 tons of food aud forage aud 4000 tons of fuel reported in one day, but still the delays are long aud vexatious." The first place is now given to trains of fuel. It will be months before Paris settles into its normal state. Social difficulties will increase as thc people are thrown upon ordinary resources. There is as yet no work to do, and the Government cannot many months continue its extraordinary payments. But the aspect of the city is not so greatly changed as was feared ; the streets already have resumed much of their wonted look. Thc diminution of the street traffic, and the number of uniforms on the pavement arc" said to be the most noticeable differences ; perhaps there may be added the number of women in mourning. Even the Bois de Boulogne is not irremediably injured, though many of its sylvan beauties are destroyed. The Jardin dcs Plantes, notwithstanding the sensational accounts which have reached us, still contains many of its most valued denizens. THE TERMS OF PEACE. [Herald cable,] Versailles, March 3. The preliminaries of peace arranged by Bismarck and other Plenipotentiaries with Thiers and Favre, are as follows : — . Article first specifies the line of demarcation. Article second provides that France will pay Germany five milliards of francs ; one milliard, at least, in 1871. and all the rest in the space of three years from the time of the ratification. Article third provides that the evacuation is to commence on the ratification of the treaty by the Assembly ; that the German troops will then immediately quit Paris and the left bank of the Seine, also the departments of Cher, Indre-et-Loire and Seine Inferieure. The French troops will remain behind the Loire till the signing of a definitive treaty of peace, except those to Paris, where the Government is not to have exceeding forty thousand troops. The Germans evacuate the right bank of the Seine gradually, after signing a definitive treaty, and the payment of half a milliard francs. After the payment of two milliards the Germans will only hold the departments of Marne, Ardennes, Mouse, Vosges, Meurthe, and Belfort. After the payment of three milliards the Germans will ouly keep fifty thousand troops in France, but if sufficient money guarantee be given, the Germans will evacuate completely at once ; otherwise three milliards will carry interest at five per cent, from the ratification of the treaty. Article fourth provides that the German troops make no further requisitions ; that the French Government will find food for the army of occupation in the ceded department ; that favorable arrangements will be made with the inhabitants and time given to them to move, if they please, and that no obstacle will be placed in the way of emigration. [Article fifth is not mentioned.—Eds. Alta.] Article sixth provides that the prisoners be immediately liberated on tbe ratification of I the treaty, and the French railroads will lend carriages and engines at the same prices as to the French Government. Article seventh provides that the treaty be definitely signed at Brussels immediately after the ratification. Article eighth provides that after the ratification the management of all the Departments occupied will be handed over to the French officers, subject to the German commanders, and in the interest of the German troops. Article ninth provides that it will be understood that the Germans have no authority over the Departments not occupied by them. London, March 3. The proffer of England's mediation has been accepted by both parties in the dispute between Egypt and Spain. A Versailles special to the Times says the Germans evacuated Paris to-day, and Prince Frederick Charles retires immediately behind the Seine. j The Crown Prince leaves in a few days for j Terrieres, or some other point near Paris on the right bank of the Seine. j The Parisian populace wreaked their yen- j geance on several men and women who were, seen communicating with the German soldiers. Beblin, March 3. The Empress has received the following despatch from the Emperor :— " Versailles, March 3. j " I have just ratified the conditions ofj peace which the Bordeaux Assembly ae-i cepted. Thus far the work is complete, which' was, through seven months of battles, to be achieved —thanks to the valor, devotion, and endurance of our incomparable army, and the sacrifices of the whole Fatherland. The

Lord of Hosts has everywhere visibly blessed our enterprises, and by His mercy permitted an honorable peace ; to Him be honor, to tho Fatherland, thanks. '• (Signed). " Wiliielm." The above was publicly read, a.?iid the booming of artillery, the ringing of bells, and the cheers of the people, wild with joy.