PARIS IN A STATE OF SEIGE— 53,000 MEN REPAIRING THE RAMPARTS.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 730, 22 September 1870, Page 4

PARIS IN A STATE OF SEIGE— 53,000 MEN REPAIRING THE RAMPARTS.

The decree relative to the incorporation in the ranks of the National Home Guard of all classes between the age of 30 and 40, who do not already belong to some of the military corps, prescribes measures for the immediate completion of the re-arming of the guard with guns altered to breechloaders. Where the National Guard has not heretofore been organised, chiefs of battalions are appointed, and, thanks to the efficiency of the measures taken, the organisation of the National Guard will soon extend to every part of France. In the Department of the Seine, where that organisation is strongest, it has already given proof of devotion and patriotism which cannot be changed by the circumstances which are passing. On the demand of the Minister of War, the perfect of the Seine this morning charged the engineers of municipal service with the execution of plans for strengthening the fortifications of Paris ; the service to be organised at once and divided between three chief engineers and eleven assistants ; each chief to be in charge of an arriondisement. The perfect commits the chief supervision of the entire work to Inspector-General Alphard. At two o'ebek on the 9th, the Director of the service, in the presence of the Generals and Colonels, directors of the fortificiitions, opened negotiations with the moat considerable contractors of Paris. These contractors declared that they wish to make nothing, but placed their fortunes, personal services and materials, at the disposal of the authorities for the defence of Paris. The officials and engineers at once took possession of the workshops offered by the contractors. Last night, posters were distributed over the city, inviting citizens between the ages of 30 and 40 to present themselves within three days at the Mayoralty houses for enrollment in the National Guard. As soon as the enrollment is completed the distribution of arms will commence. There is great activity in the enrolling of voluntcei'3 in all parts of the city. Thirty-three thousand workmen are strengthening the fortifications, assisted by twenty thousand sailors from the fleet. The Gaulois says false news of a /ictory was disseminated in Strasbourg last week at the same hour as sent out here ; and it was a preconcerted attempt to deceive the nation. A report of the Minister of War, approved by the Empress, is published in the Journal. The Minister says ; Exist- [ injj; circumstances oblige us to provide for a defence of the Capital, and to garrison it with French troops, allowing all those which the Emperor keeps under his orders to contend in the open country against an enemy, emboldened by a first success to the point of marching on Paris. But Paris will not be taken unawares ; the exterior fort 3 received their arms some time ago, and we have commenced arming around the city. "A state of siege has been declared. The erection of works for it will be commenced to-morrow. The exterior forts are in condition to sustain a siege, and in a few days the whole circuit of the walls will be found in a similar condition. Neither the strong arms nor the devotion of the inhabitants will be wanting for this task. The National Guard is to defend the ramparts, which it will have helped to render inaccessible. Forty thousand

men will be tiiken from its ranks and added to the present garrison, which will be more than enough to make an active defence against the enemy, occupying an extended front. The defence of Paris will then be assured, but there is a point not less essential ; it is the necessity of filling up the void in our army ; with the health of our marine troops, with the regiments still at our disposal, in France and Algeria, with the fourth battalion of each of our hundred regiments, including those members who belong to the Garde Mobile, and with a portion of our gens d'armes, we may easily put into the field 150,000 men ; besides this, the class of 1869 will give us 60,000 men, who in a month will become soldiers. " For this struggle we can also employ the entire National and Mobile Gardes, the companies of France Tenures, who are everywhere asking to be organised. Here we have four hundred thousand men, and finally counting on the Garde Nationale Sedentaire, France can then arm two millions of defenders. Their arms are ready and a million are still in reserve. "A decree is issued organisiug the Garde Nationale of Paris to be detailed for the defence of the Capital, and that the forts will be placed in a condition to resist an attack. A project of law will be presented in the Chambers for the incorporation in the National and Mobile Gards, of citizens under thirty years of age who are not actually members."