FRANCE. PARIS IN A STATE OF SIEGE. [From the British Banner, June 20.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 442, 27 October 1849, Page 3

FRANCE. PARIS IN A STATE OF SIEGE. [From the British Banner, June 20.]

The following report of the affair $f Wednesday has been addressed by General Changamier to the Council of Ministers :—: — " ]VEonsieur le President, — The following genera] order, which I dictated at half-past three, will make known to you what took place at the commencement of the day. At a quarter to four, the insurgents entrenched in the Conservatoire dcs Arts et Metiers, of which they had covered the approaches with barricades, were dispersed with the greatest decision by the troops of the line, accompanied by the National Guards of the 6th Legion. Other barricades, raised in the Rue Aumaire, Rue dcs Gravillers, Rue Transnonaine, Rue dv Faubourg dv Temple, Rue Notre Dame dv Nazareth, and other streets, were carried almost as soon as they were got up. Being attacked in front and in flank, they could make no serious resistance against our brave soldiers, whose great courage would have resisted many other obstacles. Everywhere seconded by the cordial co-operation of the National Guards, our troops kept in order even those quarters where the most stupid and savage of our adversaries have most partisam." The document then enters into a

detail of the positions occupied by each corps of the troops, too technical to interest the gen eral reader. It then goes on to say i — " Eight squadrons are acting outside the barriers on the northern, eastern, and southern roads, to prevent the communications between certain villages of the banlieu which in June last furnished a contingent to the rebellion. If I may judge from the number of the factions whom I opposed at noon on the boulevards, by the masses which the different generals met before them, I am sure that the party of anarchy disposed of very considerable forces, of which the efforts are at least paralysed at the present moment. The forts and barracks of St. Denis and'the Courbevoie remain sufficiently occupied. (Signed) "ChanGarKier." The tollowing particulars relative to the origin of the state of siege in Fan's will be read with interest : — On Wednesday it had been determined to form a grand procession to go to the National Assembly and' impress on the Members the fact that the Constitution bad been violated. In the mustering places several National Guards paired off, refusing to take arms, but determined to join in the procession to the National Assembly. The rallying cry of all was the breach of the Constitution on the part of the Government in ordering the attack on Rome. The grand manifestation was to start from the Chateau d'Eau, on the Boulevard dv Temple, where a large number of National Guards, students from the schools, and men in blouses, met together and formed in rows. The muster reckoned in number from 15,000 to 20,000, two-thirds of whom were National Guards in uniform, but without arms. The Chef de Batallion, Etienne Arago, marched at the head of the corttge, which directed its course towards the National Assembly. Immense numbers of workmen were assembled on the foot pavement, as well as at the Portes St. Denis and St. Martin. All the shops in the line of march were closed, but nothing like a symptom of disturbance was visible. Not a single sergeant- de-ville was to be seen, the authorities evidently wishing to avoid all excuse for collision ; but large bodies of National Guards were under arms at their respective points of muster. In the neighbourhood of the Assembly everything was perlectly quiet during the morning. About one intelligence having arrived that a large body of men were approaching, troops were sent for to the Esplanade of the lnvalides, and almost immediately lour sqadrons of lancers came down the quay, crossed the bridge, and took up positions in front of the Garde Meuble, at the same time blocking up the Rue Roy ale, Rue St. FJorentin, and the other streets leading to the Place de la Concorde. The Tuileries gardens were closed, being ! strongly occupied by the troops. At about half-past one the Chasseurs of Vincennes were seen to issue suddenly from the gardens, and run with great speed across the Place de la Concorde towards the Rue de la Paiz. A strong body of cuirassiers came up immediately after at full trot. At the end of the Rue de la Paix the body forming the demonstration were met by the troops, and, it being signified that they must disperse, the body was broken by the Iroops, one party withdrawing by the small streets leading from the Boulevard, and the rest towards the Madeline. General Changarnier was present, with the Prefect of Police, when the summons to disperse was made. The boulevards were cleared by large bodies of cavalry. Some accidents happened whilst the cavalry was proceeding down the Boulevards, one dragoon being hurt by a fall, and a National Guard having Had his face cut with a sabre. The passage re-maine-i interrupted in the neighbourhood of the Rue de la Paix. Troops of all arms occupied the Boulevards and all the places important in a strategic point of view. No less than 100,000 men were under arms. The cavalry rode up the Boulevard, hay and straw hanging on each side of their horses, ready for an emergency. Crowds lined the streets on each side waving their hats, and crying out, " Vive la Constitution ! Vive la Republique I" Now and then small bodies detached themselves from the main corps, and scoured down the streets, where the people might be seen flying frantically from the swords of the dragoons. At twelve o'clock, M. Lacrosse, Minister of Public Works, went down to the Boulevards, accompanied by an orderly. He was surrounded by several unarmed National Guards, who ill-treated him. In the Rue de la Paiz, a National Guard seeing a body of cuirassiers coming down with drawn swords opened his coat with both hands, and standing in the middle of the road, bared his breast. A cuirasssier transfixed him as he passed. On Wednesday, the insurrectionary party had their head- quarters at the Conservatoire dcs Arts et Metiers. There, after the dispersion of the procession with the petition, about twenty Montagnard Deputies met and were joined by several of the Artillery Legion. Troops were directed on this point, A

barricade had been made with some common carriages in the Rue St. Martin, but this was carried without loss of life, the doors of the Conservatoire were forced, and the 24th of the line, with M. Pierre Bonaparte at their head, entered the place. The rep r esentatives and others in the building fled. Some of the representatives and many of the artillerymen were arrested. In the course of the afternoon, barricades had been erected in different quarters of Paris, among others in the Marais, the Rues Grenier St. Laiare, Montmorency, Jean Robert, Cimetiere-St.-Nicholas, aifd Auraaire. All these were taken by the troops with little or no resistance In the vicinuy of the halles, also, barricades were formed. On the Boulevard Montmartre an attempt was likewise made to construct a barricade, by upsetting an omnibus, but the troops rescued the vehicle. At the corner of the Rue St. Marc and the Rue Richelieu a cart, loaded with wood, was upset for a barricade, but some National Guards went up at the moment, and the imeutiers contented themselves with disarming them. In the Rue Joquelet an arI mourer's shop was pillaged. Many individuals who had been engaged in the erection of barricades were wounded and taken prisoners. Between Rue Grange Bateliere and the Rue de la Paix three shots were fired ; one by a man in a blouse, at a chasseur, who returned the fire and wounded the aggressor ; a .second by another man at a National Guard, who also fired and wounded him in the hand ; a third by a man in the uniform of an officer of the National Guards, who was arrested. A few shots, it is said, were also fired upon the 62nd of the line in the Rue Auraaire. In the streets St. Denis and St. Martin, the words "Arms given up," were chalked on the shutters of the closed shops, to avoid unwelcome visitors. At about five o'clock, the President of the Republic and General Changamier, followed by a numerous staff, rode along the Boulevards. He was received with the loudest cheers from the National Guards and the troops, of " Vive la Republique / Vive Napoleon /" During the day the Legislative Assembly was strongly guarded, but in the evening the defences became truly formidable, there being in addition to a large body of troops, cannon placed on the bridges and the quays, whiles the Place de la Concorde was occupied by an immense force. M. Pouillet the Director of the Conservatoire dcs Arts et Metiers, privately gave some details of what took place at that establishment. About two, a crowd of people, having some representives at their head, came. When M. Pouillet appeared, M. Ledru Rollin told him the representatives of the Mountain, being chased by the troops, sought refuge, that they might consider what they were to do. He told him that establishment could afford them no protection ; but, finding he could not oppose so many persons, he admitted them into bis own apartments. The representatives present were twenty-five, all dressed in their scarfs, and with some of the late Assembly. The representatives commenced their deliberations in inextricable confusion. Twenty different resolutions were taken and abandoned. About three, M. Pouillet warned them that the troops were advancing, and were surrounding the establishment. This added to the confusion. But a musketshot having been heard, MM. Ledru Rollin, Felix Pyat, Boichot, Rattier, and several others, broke the windows of his drawing room, through which they escaped. The plan of the insurgents was to take possession of the Church of St. Mary and there barricade themselves. Ledru-Rojlin was forced under threats to put himself at their head. The National Guards who turned out for the maintenance of order were for the most part, volunteers. Some bad been summoned at their domicile — but no rappel was beaten. This was by order of General Changarnier, who did not wish to allow the disaffected to take arms.- A« the dragoons galloped passed the Boulevards dcs Italiens many of them shouted, Vive Napoleon I Vive VEmpereur ! as they stood up in their stirrups, and waved their swords over their heads. One of the most disgraceful portions of the events of Wednesday was the destruction of two respectable printing offices, Dot by the mob, but by the persons who ought to have protected them. The one is that of M. Proux, who is himself a captain in the 2nd Legion of the National Guards. He was all day on duty, when he was suddenly called upon to quit the head of his company to defend his property against his comrades. M. Proux tells the story as follows :—": — " My only property, my printing office, is destroyed. I was sent for to defend it against my own comrades ; but in a few minutes the National Guards of the Ist Legion (one of the aristocratic Legions of Paris), and led on by a well known magistrate, soon destroyed everything, the magistrate telling them that they were doing their duty." They then penetrated into the private house of M. Proux, and committed the most disgraceful violence, in the presence of his wife and

family. Most of the company were cpmposed of gentlemen. By this brutal outrage an honourable citizen is reduced to ruin, and nearly 100 workmen thrown out of, employment ; yet there does not appear on the part of the authorities the slightest disposition to punish the culprits, although they are perfectly well known. / The case of the other printing-office destroyed is still worse. At nine o'clock in. the evening, a battalion of the National Guards of the Ist Legion, and a battalion of the Chasseurs de Vincennes, assisted by a Commissary of police, entered the printingoffice of M. Boule, in the Rue Cog-Heron, where the Estafette> La Liberti, and several other papers are printed, and, without shewing any written authority, or having the slightest excuse, destroyed everything in the place. The destruction is complete, and not only is M. Boule ruined, but upwards of 500 workmen are thrown out of breaJ. In February and June, when Paris was in the hands of the mob, private property of every kind was respected, and there was not a single instance of such a disgraceful outrage as was on Wednesday committed by gentlemen, headed by a magistrate and captain, and assisted by a prefect of police. / During the suspension of the public sitting of the National Assembly, on Tuesday, when the Representatives met in the bureaux, to examine the proposition to impeach the President of the Republic and the Ministers, in the 13th bureaux, M. Pean put a question to the President of the Council: "If the French array enters Rome, will the Ministry allow the Roman people the right of choosing its own form of Government?" M. Odillon Barrot replied, " Perfectly. . The Roman people do what they please." Another Member then asked, "Why did you cause Rome to be attacked ?" The President of the Council replied that it was to prevent its being occupied by the Austrians. "Be candid," he added, " the question should be put clearly and it should be declared without ambiguity whether it is wished to make war on Austria."