General Trochu's despatch, dated 10-30, Bicetre, reduces matters to their real dimensions.
_October 1st._ Although the Government statistics respecting the amount of food in Paris have been published, and are consequently, in all probability, in the hands of the Prussians, I do not like to give them myself.

It can, however, do no harm to explain the system which is being adopted by the authorities to make our stores hold out as long as possible.

Every butcher receives each morning a certain amount of meat, calculated upon his average sales.

Against this meat he issues tickets in the evening to his customers, who, upon presentation of the ticket the next morning, receive the amount for which they have inscribed themselves at the price fixed by the tariff of the week.

When tickets have been issued by the butcher equivalent to the meat which he is to receive, he issues no more.