Sallies were made at intervals by the garrison

but not sufficiently often or in sufficient | — to have any decisive effect., On the failure of the last sally the, city which had already for about three | weeks been suffering bombardment from the Germans, was in such a desperate condition that the government could no longer help seeing that a capitulation owas inevitable. The terms were settled on Jan. 28, the: chief being that all the forts around | Paris should be immediately handed; over to the Germans, and that the city | should pay a contribution of 200,000,-: 000 francs. An armistice of three! weeks was at the same time con eluded,; to allow of the election and a embImg | of a National A embly to decide on war and peace. This armistice, however, was not to extend to the scene of war in the S. E. until a separate arrangement had been made regard in it. Here the fortre of Belfort ati held out, but at last, on Feb. 16, it agreed to capitulate. The garrison, on account of its gallant defense was allowed to march out with full military honors. On the same day the armistice became general. The fortre of Bitsch (Bitche), in the department of Moselle, did not surrender till after the conclusion of the preliminaries of peace. a Meantime the elections for the as sembly had taken place on the 8th. It met at Bordeaux, and on the 17th it appointed M. Thiers head of the executive, and on the 21st he arrived at Versailles along with a diplomatic commi ion to negotiate for peace. After the armistice had been thrice prolonged the preliminaries of peace were signed at Versailles on Feb. 26, and accepted by the a embly at Bordeaux on March 1. The principal terms were the following: (1) That France should cede to Germany one-fifth part of Lorraine, including Metz, together with the whole of Alsace except Belfort and the surrounding district; (2) that France should pay to Germany a war indemnity of five milliards of frances; (3) that certain departments of France should remain in the occuof the Germans, and should not fully evacuated until after the payment of the whole indemnity. The definitive treaty of peace, which was signed at Frankfort on May 10 and ratified on the 21st, confirmed in all e ential particulars the preliminaries of Versailles. The last installment of the war indemnity was paid on Sept. ), 1873, and France completely evacuated by the Germans on the 13th of the same month.