The Sun. — London, England, 1870-08-09 00:00:00

MONETARY REPORTS.--YESTERDAY, The news of the decisive Prussian victory at Woerth coupled with the belief that a repetition of the same would go far to shorten the duration of hostilities between the opposing powers of France and Prussia, has been well received on the Stock Exchange to-day. Transac tions, although they have still been confined within very moderate limits, have been more freely enteredinto. As re gards foreign bonds the principal speculative securities such as Italian, Spanish,'Turkish, and Egyptian shew a fractional improvement, whilst in United States Five-Twenty bonds the advance has been as much as fully 2 per cent. Rail way stocks, also, have been steady, at a general recovery, prices sheaving an average enhancement of quite 1 per cent. The maiket for home securities has bean in a fluctuating state At one time the quotations advanced to 90, 90i, shewing it rise of e„ but, subsequently, a reaction ensued, and the price relapsed to 90, 904, for the September account, and 89i, to 90, for money. Reduced and New Three per Cents., 90 to 90-/ ; Bank Stock, 232 to 234 ; Exchequer Bills, par to ss. prem. ; Indian Five per Cents., 107 to 108 ; and Indian Bonds par. Colonial Government secu rities sold quietly, and prices have been without change. India railway stocks have been quiet but firmer. Canadian shares have been steady. Grand Trunk have marked 11i to 12, and Great Western at 13 to 13} shew a rise of Foreign shares have been steady. Antwerp and Rotterdam have risen Great Luxemburg and South Austrian and Lombardo-Venetian For Foreign Bonds there has been an improved demand at a general advance. Brazilian (1865), Egyptian (1864), ditto (1868), Russia (1850), ditto (1862), ditto Nicolai Railway (1870) have risen 1 ; Portuguese, Spanish, Italian (1861), and Turkish Five per Cents., ; Turkish Six per Cents (1865), 2 ; ditto (1869), 11 per cent. American securities have been very firm. The Five- Twenty (1882) Bonds have risen 2, ditto (1865) 2i, ditto (1887) 2, Ten-Forty 1, Atlantic and Great Western Con solidated Mortgage Bonds 1, Erie Shares and Illinois Central 3. Bank shares have been firm. Chartered of India, Australia, and China have risen i, and Imperial Otto man i. Telegraph shares have been firm. Anglo-Mediterranean have risen and British Indian Submarine #, but Great Northern have fallen Telegraph Construction have risen The Austrian, from Quebec, has brought £lOO,OOO in specie, and the Wisconsin, from. New York, £102,50Q in specie. The bullion operations at the Bank to-day comprise the purchase of £211,000 in bars, the receipt of £44,000 in sovereigns from Quebec, the withdrawal on account of the Buenos Ayres loan of £120,000 in sovereigns, and also of £30,000 in sovereigns for the Cape. At Mark-lane to-day wheat was quiet, but prices ruled firm. At a meeting of the Provincial Bank a dividend at the rate of 6 per cent. was declared. The Paris Bourse has been closed to-day. Rather more animation has been notieed in the inquiry for English railway stocks, but business has, at the same time, not been extensive. Prices exhibit a general im provement. Metropolitan Pas risen 2 ; Caledonian, 1; Brighton, 2 ; South-Eastern, 1; Great Northern, 2 ; ditto A, 3 : Great Eastern, 2 ; Midland, 2i; North-Western, 2; Great Western, 2i: and North-Eastern, 2. The money market has continued firm, but the demand for accommodation has still lacked activity. Three months' paper has not been negotiable under 6 per cent. The steamers which left New York on Saturday, took out £245,000 in specie. The Calabria, from New York, has brought £252,400 in specie, the City of Antwerp, from Halifax, £660 in specie and the Syria, from Alexandria, £42,250, also in specie. LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE.-MONDAY. LATEST PRICES.-AFTER OFFICIAL HOURS. The prices under the lines indicate the business done. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. Three per Cent Console 891 901 DoApril & Oct 1883-85.. 107 110 90, 891, 901, 893, 900 109, 81 Do for Account 951 90, 1 8 81, 71 Three per Cent Reduced 891 901 Brazilian. 1865, 5p c . ... 86 88 901, 893 87, 51 New 3 per Cent 901, 891, 801, 893, 901 d Exchequer Bills, March par, spm Do Rail Deben 7 p .. 93 96 ss. pm Italian, 1865, 5p c Do, June par, spm Peruvian, 1865, 5p c .... 82 84 si. pm 83, 3 Bank Stock - - Portuguese, 1869, 3 p c.. 27 28 232 281, 7 India 5 per Cents - Russian, 1862, 5p c 1071, 8 84, 51. 4 31 India Bonds - -- Do Nicolas p c 63 65 Can 6 pc Jan&JulylB77-84 100 102 Spanish, 1867. 3pc 101, 100 243, 5, 41, 51 Do March & Sept. 102 105 Do, 1869. 3p c Do 5p c Jan & July .. 90 92 25, 41, 1,5, 41 92 Turkish, 1854, 6p c BO 82 Do Inscribed Stock .. 88 92 Do, 1865, 1 5 p c 91 39, 9, 40 1 . Dom of Can 5p c 1903 .. 93 93 Do, 1865, 6 , c p - - Ceylon 6 p c May and 561. 9 November 1878 lO6 108 U.S. 5-20 Bonds, 6p o 1882 851 86 Mauritius 6 p 0 Jan and 851, 6, 53, 61, 51, 6 July 1873 lOl 103 Do do 1885 85 86 New SWales 5p clB7l-76 97 99 85, 1 97 Do 10-40 Bnds, 5p c 1904. 81 82 New Zealand 6p c 1891 lO5 108 Erie She, 100 dole , all paid - - Do 5p c Do 5p o Consolidated 93 95 991, 83, 100 8 4 k 4,3, 4 Atlantic and GW R Con Do 6p c mar & Sept 1891 105 108 Mortgage Bonds l9 21 Do June & Deo 1891 104 107 191, 20, 191, 1 Vict 6p 0 Jan &July 1891 108 111 110 .. 84 se TELEGRAPH COMPANIES. Anglo-American Li 83 86 10 Great Northern .... 93 10 8.5 6 Great N. China, and 10 Aaglo-Meditrn (L) ll/ 121 Japan Extension.. 4 3 dis 111, i 25 Indo-European (L).. 13 17 100 Atlantio 12 14 n Marseilles, Algiers, 100 Do 8p c 311 10 Mediterrn Ex (L) .. 41 51 3 British Australn (Li .. 43 4 dis 2} Fnma and S. Pcf c(L) 3 2 dis 10 British IndExten (L) 5 53 8 neuter's 5 10 British Indian Sub- 20 Soc 1 4rans France (L) i4i 11/ marine (L) 63 100 Submarine 230 240 2 China Submarine (L) 51 sdis 1 Do Scrip l/ n dis 10 Wlndia &Panama(L) 51 6 10 Falmouth, Gibraltar, and Malta (L) .... 83 9i 9, 83, 9 1-16 MISCELLANEOUS SECURITIES. Pd Pd Anglo-Austrian - Bnd- 100 Do 6p c Bonds, re holders' Certificate 1 24 deemable 1870 55 60 10 BerlinWaterworks(L) 128 138 30 London Fin Assoc (L)198188 dis 121, 98 30 Bolckow-Vaughan (L) 25 35pm 4 Lon Gen Omnibus .... 28 21 100 Boston City (U.S.) 5 211-16, 9-16 p c Sterling Loan.. 88 90 2 Lon & Prov Marine (L) 11 pm 4 Brit & Fgn Marine (L) 2821 pm 100 Madras Irrig & Canal, 27 Canada Company. .. 65 70 gsp c by Ind Gov. 99 102 10 Ceylon Company (L) 51 48 dis 2 Mauritius Land (L)..1 dis, par 35 City Offices (L) .... 261 258 die Natni Dint and 101 118 20 Colonial (L) 5 Corn Union Assurnce 18 28pm Mere Agency IL) .. 11 pm 6 ( 1 5 N Zealand Loan and 10 Crdt Fonc of Eng (L) 2 21 Trust (L) 28 6/ N Britsh and Mere (L) 24 27 100 Crystal Palace 100 Do Pref 100 Do 6p c Perp Deb.. 109 114 39/, 48_ 278 Ebbw Vale Steel (L)..11 9 dis 10 Do do New, 1867 5 3fii 178 50 Rhymney Iron Egyp 9 p eV'roy Loan. 15 Do New 9l 108 guar by Egyp Gov.. 87 89 60 Royal Mail Steam 3 Fore-st Warehouse (L) 4 48pm 130 Tel Con and Main (L) 21 22 Fgn and Colonial Gov 22, 11, 1 Trust 6p c Bonds.. 87 92 2 Thames and Mersey 91 Marine Insur (L) 71 Gen Credt &Disct (L) 1 Wig St Tobacco 6p c Loan, 61, 1. 1 guar by Italian Gov. 76 81 Gen Stm Navigation 29 31 5 Trust and Loan Co of 7 Hooper's Tel Works 04 31 dis 1:T UMar i pper C .an L ada 38 ne, vpooll, 5 20 Hudson's Bay 7l 71 20 U n i on St eam ship (L) 21 6 23 pm 71 6 United Dis Corpm (L) 2 ldis 45 Indrbbr,Gut Per,and 5 Univ Marine lnsur (L' 28 31 Pm Tel Works (L) .... 36 38 100 Viceroy of Egy pt 7p o ortgage an. 20 Inter 37 nlFinan SociL) 212 dis M 7OOB, 64 1- 8 It Irrig (Can Cavour) 28 38 12 Warrant Finance.... 9 7 RAILWAYS. .... 67 69 Bristol and Exeter BO 8 2 2 Do Ist Pref Bonds .... 63 56 70 7 56, 4 Caledonian 314 324 Grand Trunk of Canada Great Eastern 32, 14, 2, 13, 2 2nd Pref Stock Great Northern `v Do 3rd Pref Stock .... 30 33 116, 14, 151, 14 Do A 119 121 Grand Trunk of Canada 1204, 3. 20, 1 4th Pref Stock Great Western 62 63 Great Indian Pen g 5 p o 102 104 62, 15, 3, 13, 23 1024, 33, 23 Lancashire & Yorkshire 125 127 Great Western of Canada 123 133 126, 1 13, 13 Lou, Brigh, and S Coast 33 35 Do 6p c 4 BondS, 1873.. 97 ,99 331, 4, 34, 41 Do 54 do, 1877-8 95 97 Lon, Chat, and Dover .. 12 13 Do 5p c pref, issued 80 par 2 pm 13 Madras guar 5 p c Lou anMort h-We 3 stern 122 123 1022, 2 122, 1, . R ailw ay of Canada Lou and South 1-W3 -Western 84 86 N 6 p c Ist Pref Bonds 851, 61 Oude and Rohilkund g Man, Shef, and Lincoln 37 39 5p c 3 6 . 81, 73, 1, 81 x a 1021 Metropolitan Midland 4, 1 Delhi guar 5 p c , 122 123 1014, 1 100 102 1221, 14 , 24 B ah i a and San Francisco North British 161 175 North-Eastern Consols.. 131 133 Belgian E Junction Buenos A / yres Gt Sthrn 22 24 1311, 1,2, 1, 2L', South-Eastern 64 66 22 641, 54 Dunaburg and Witepsk 16 17 Atlantic and St Lawrnce 75 80 Dutch-Rhenish .......... 18 20 Bombay, Baroda, and Eastern of France ... ... 21 23 Central India, g 5 p c lOl 103 Great Luxembourg .... 92 104 1011 23j 10, 91, 103 Buff & Lake Huron Pref 31 4 Lemberg Czernowitzgua Do 51 p c Bonds, 1872-3-4 - - 7 pc . Cape guar 6p c East Bengal guar 5p c lO2 104 Northern of France .... 41 43 East Indian, g 5 p c 107 Recife and San Francisco Grand Trunk Canada 12, 113 San Paulo (L) guar 7p c 19 20 Do Equip Mort Bnds, 1 SouthAustn & Lom-Ven 141 144 charge 6p c Do 2nd do Scrip .... 2 dis, par Southern of France .. . 23 25 :-... 14 15 BANKING COMPANIES. P P d d 10 Agra Bank (L) A Bl 91 20 Lon Char of Austrlia 22 23 19, 18 20 London and County 49 51 25 Alliance (L) 10 Anglo-Austrian —.. 57 pm 15 London Joint-Stock 31 33 20 Anglo-Egyptian (L) 18 20 20 Lon and Westmnster 59 61 50 British N American 51 53 59 20 Ch of India, Austrlia 151 161 10 Metropolitan 7l 81 16i_ 20 Midland (L) 25 Char Mere of India 25 27 20 New South Wales 37 39 10 City 25 Colonial Consolidated (L) 41, i 15 Union of London .. 38 37 .20 Eng. Scot, and Aus 0 17 18 351. 1 20 Imperial IL) 10 Imperial Ottoman , 11, 101, 1, i MARKETS. LIVERPOOL CATTLE MARKET, MONDAY.—The supply of cattle was much larger at this market to-day, but of sheep and lambs about the same as on last Monday. The demand for beef was fair, at the full prices of last Monday. Sheep and lambs were in slow demand at lower prices. Prices—Beef, ed. to Bd. per lb.; mutton, 71d. to 81d. per lb.; lambs, 71d. to 8/d. per lb, There were 2,300 cattle and 13,538 sheep in the market. METROPOLITAN MEAT MARKET, MONDAY.—The supply of meat has been moderate. The trade has been firmer, as fol lows : -Beef, from 35. 4d. to 55. ; mutton, 3s. Bd. to ss. 4d. ; lamb, Cs. Bd. to Os. 4d. ; 'veal, 4s. 4d. to 4s. Bd. ; and pork, 3s. 8d to ss. 4d. per 81b. by the carcase. LEEDS STOCK MARKET, MONDAY.—Great Northern A, 1201: Sheffield, 381 to 381; Great Eastern, 311 to 311; Great Western, 61 to 62 ; Midland, 1231 ; Illinois, 98 to 100. LIVERPOOL STOCK EXCHANGE, MONDAY.—Railways : London and North-Western, 122 to 123 ; Caledonian, 701 to 711; Yorkshire, 125 to 1261 ; Metropolitan, 651 ; Sheffield, 371 to 371 ; Midland 1211 to 1221 ; Illinois, 98 to par ; Great Eastern, 311; Geat Western, 62 to 63 ; Eries, 15 to 16. GLASGOW STOCK EXCHANGE, MONDAY.— Railways Caledonian, 711; South-Western, 114 ; Great Eastern, 311 ; Great Western, 611 ; Brighton, 33 ; Sheffield, 38 ; Metropolitan, 641 ; Midland, 120 ; North British, 311 ; North-Eastern Consols, 130 ; Canada, 30. LONDON OIL MARKET, MONDAY.—Linseed oil has been quiet, but rape has been firm. Other oils have sold slowly. LONDON TALLOW MARKET, MONDAY.—The market has been flat. Y.C. spot, 445. 9d. per cwt. Town tallow, 455.. Stock, 84,458 casks. COLONIAL PRODUCE MARKETS, MONDAY.—There has been very little demand for tea. Sugar has been in limited re quest, both raw and refined. Coffee has been quiet. Cocoa and rice have sold slowly. LONDON METAL MARKET, MONDAY.—There has been very little demand for iron. Tin has been in moderate request. Copper has sold slowly. LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET, MONDAY.—Opening report : —lmports per bill of entry, 22,265 bales. There is a good in quiry for cotton ; and holders are asking higher prices with less pessure to sell. The higher grades of American are becoming scarce. The sales will probably be 10,000 to 12,000 bales. MANCHESTER COTTON MARKET, MONDAY.—This market continues quiet, with prices in favour of the buyers since Friday. This morning, however, it opened with an improved tone, in sympathy with the cotton market, and producers adhere more firmly to their quotations ; some, indeed, refuse to sell except at an advance, which advance, however, is not obtainable as yet. The improved tone is entirely owing to the Prussian victory, sellers taking the view that a few more such, and the war will speedily end. CLYDE CRUSHED SUGAR MARKET, MONDAY. —This market was dull to-day. The small business that has been done was at prices against sellers. . • ' GLASGOW PIG IRON MARKET,. MONDAY.—This market was very firm to-day. Business was done up to 50s. 9d. cash. Closing—rather buyers at cash. THE WAR. THE POSITION IN PARIS. PARIS, SUNDAY. Most terrible is the woe and depression caused here by the news of the war. As was the vehemence of the previ ous exultation, so is the extremity of the present gloom. Nothing of the kind has been known here within the memory of most men ; to realise the horror of this people one must be old enough to have witnessed some of the scenes enacted at times of disaster under the first Empire. The blow on this occasion was all the more severe because the Parisians had been led to expect something quite diffe tent. Yesterday an infamous scoundrel set abroad a report that Marshal MacMahon had defeated the Crown Prince, taken him, with untold numbers of prisoners, and carried Landau without further ado. Great was the fervour of joy. The populace rushed out into the streets, as it always does, to enjoy the thing. The funds rose, flags were waved, the Marseillaise was sung. In fact the enthusiasm was extraordinary and penetrated everywhere. Perfect strangers stopped and embraced, congratulating each other on the tidings. Even business at the Palais de Justice and the Tribunal of Commerce was suspended. How utter was the change in a few brief hours ! First it became known that the report was a fraud, and a great outburst of indignation followed. A. large crowd assembled at the Bourse with cries of ` Down with the Robbers." The building was invaded, the corbeil smashed, and but for the intervention of the police much damage would have followed. At three O'clock in the afternoon two or three hundred persons assembled before the Ministry of Justice calling out for news, and exclaiming " 011ivier, 011ivier !" The Minister came up in his carriage and promised that the Govern inent should publish all the despatches which arrived. A Short time afterwards M,ollivier came out on the balcony and addressed the crowd, which was still waiting in the neighbourhood. lie declared in the most emphatic manner that the public should be informed of the nature of all the Communications which were received by the Government; and that the Ministry would place an entire trust in the wisdom and patriotism of the people of Paris. They would comprehend that a passing reverse could not cora- Promise the future of France. Much tumult followed during the night, which was altogether one of wild excite ment. But the morrow was worse. Yesterday the people heard that the news of the great victory was false. To-day they learn that two great defeats have overwhelmed the French army. The shock would have been fearful in any case ; the sudden change is overpowering. No attempt is made to conceal the facts ; the Government for once have told the whole truth, and none of the papers make any endeavour to palliate the severity of the low. The tone of the press indeed is generally ad mirable ; one and all the journalists with the best of pru dence and good feeling exhort the people to bear the stroke with fortitude, and rouse them selves to patriotic efforts. The Temps says openly that affairs at the frontier are progressing very unfavourably, and that two severe defeats have been experienced—Marshal MacMahon being cut off from the centre of the army. The Constitutionnel writes The enemy is upon our territory ; superior forces have triumphed over the heroic bravery of our soldiers. But behind the army which Prussia has defeated there is a second. Behind that there is an entire country. France, arise ! Let every one of us arm and defend our country !" Most of the others write the same strain. But the public are at present little disposed to listen to exhortations. By and bye, when it has recovered, France will do its duty. The young men are already perambu lating the streets calling out for arms, and a levy en masse is certain. fHE BATTLE OF WEISSENBURG The Courrier du Bas Rhin publishes a letter dated Hagenau, August sth (? 6), 2 a.m. :—" The reports which throughout yesterday were current at Strasburg, and in consequence of which I started off at once to Hagenau were, unhappily but too well founded. Our soldiers, we are told, have been crushed by force of numbers ; 8,000 or 10,000 men of our army fought for six hours against 80,000, or perhaps 100,000 of the enemy. The 74th and the 50th of the line, the 16th battalion of Foot Chasseurs. a regiment of Turcos, and a regiment of mounted Chasseurs encamped the previous night in the environs of Wissembourg. The scouts and tirailleurs sent to recon noitre the frontier had not reported the presence of an enemy's force, and there was no reason to expect ak im mediate engagement. This morning at dawn a violent cannonade was heard, and the immense German army, artillery, cavalry, and infantry chewed itself on the heights of Schweingen, the first village on the Bavarian frontier, and in the country round about them. The first shells were thrown into Wissembourg and set fire to the barracks and other buildings. The 50th Regiment of the line were about preparing their morning's soup when the shot was poured into the camp. The soldiers immediately abandoned their eqpipments, throwing down the knapsacks which they had begun to fasten on, and rushed into the fight. The French troops had but three guns, while the enemy had a formidable artillery, which threw shot and shell into our ranks. Our men at first took shelter behind the farmhouses near Wissembourg, but they were soon driven thence by the fire of the enemy. .They were crushed by, the number of Germans which increased every moment, and at last attained, as I have said, 80,000 or 100,000 men. The Turcos fought like lions. They. attacked the enemy with the bayonet, but their ranks were riddled by the fire. The two line regiments also performed prodigies of valour, but in officers and men we have sustained cruel losses. A dreadful event occurred to sadden our troops. General Douay was killed by a shell and General de Montmarie was wounded. The Germans continued to pour a torrent of shots upon our troops with their numerous guns, and also upon the dwellinghouses and the farm ,buildings, which were set. on fire. In the midst of the battle a detachment of the line arrived by railway, 'knowing nothing of the fight, Imit proceeding to rejoin its regiment. The train way stopped at Runspacb, and TRE stliN, LONDON, TUESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 9,187 u. W A R M A P ISSENBURG, AUG. t the men, leaking from the carriages, prepared their weapons, and at once rushed into the strife. This struggle of one against ten lasted until about two o'clock, when the French retired by the woods and vineyards, all the time pursued by the terrible fire of the enemy. The Turcos had captured eight guns, which were retaken from 'them after a desperate conflict, -in which they suffered severely, but in which they half destroyed a regiment of Prussian Hussars. There was no time to collect the arms or tents, and the wounded were left on the field. I reached Hagenau at eight in the evening. The streets were thronged with people discussing the events of the day. Then came a melancholy spectacle—long files of carts, drawn by horses or oxen, laden with articles of household furniture and bedding, and ao companied by men, women, and weeping children. These were the inhabitants of Riedseltz and Schaevenburg, two villages which lay in the route of the enemys troops, be fore whom they were fleeing. They were in despair, as they believed that their villages were in flames. Soon after there entered by the Wissembourg gate the soldiers of our regiments which had been engaged in this unequal contest. They arrived fatigued, exhausted, not having eaten for 24 hours, and lamenting a chief, a comrade. I spoke to 40or 50 of them, and they all said that the contest was an impos sible one, but they declared that had they been 20,000 in number only they would have repulsed the enemy for even their small columns had several times checked them. A sergeant-major of the line gave me the account of the battle as I have related it. Some wounded men then came in leaning upon their muskets. One Turco shewed us the arm, pierced through by a bayonet, and another carried his sword of his captain, who had been killed by his side. He kissed the arm that hal belonged to his unfortunate chief. At 11 o'clock two cartloads of wounded arrived, who were taken to the ambulances. At one o'clock in the morning the drums were beaten in the streets of Hagenau. The pompiers were assembled, and sent off to pick up the wounded and bury the dead." The Patric describes Wissembourg as being only partially fortified, being surrounded only by some works which are connected with the lines of the Lauter. Wissembourg is situate rather more than half-a-mile from the frontier, on the road to Landan, and about 27 miles north-east of Strasburg, and forms a gorge which opens into the Rhenish plains to the south, and to the Vosges to the west. About 2 miles to the west, upen the road to Bitsche, is the hill called du Pigeonnier, which rises about 800 metres above the level of the sea, and about 700 above the valley of the Lauter, upon the banks of which Wissembourg is built. The ground from Wissembourg to this peak for about half a mile rises gently, and then suddenly, at the bend to the right which the road from Bitsche makes, the ascent becomes more steep, so that the road is necessarily winding. The road from the Col du Pigeonnier to Chim bach runs through a woody country easily defended, crosses the forest of Mundat, and after running rather more than a mile beyond reaches the little village of Chimbach, which lies about 360 metres above the sea level. The road then descends for upwards of a mile to Lembach, where the elevation does not exceed 200 metres. It passes through the forest of Katzenthal, running in a small valley, and terminating at Bitsche, about 40 kilometres distant from Wissembourg.—The fol lowing is a French officer's account of the attack on Weissembourg :—" The Prussians had massed their troops in the small forest which runs near the course of the Lauter, at the foot of the Vosges moan tains. They had numerous regiments echelonhes between Landau 4a,nd Belligheim. For several days previously spies employed is reconnoitre had entered Wissembourg. It was in front of that town that the action was fought. The three- regiments of the division of General Douay, although very inferior in numbers (being about 1. to 12), , offered a protracted and heroic resistance to the bulk of the Prussian army, whose battalions, decimated by our bullets, were constantly replaced by fresh troops. Not being in sufficient force to repulse them completely it became neces sary, after a most fierce conflict, to return gradually towards the Col du Pigeonnier, in order to prel'rent the enemy from seizing the only passage of the Vosges which leads to Bitsche uponstands theo upon therslo a rock which commands peofthosemountains. the townimpregnable citadel of Bitsche. The Prussians besieged it in vain in 1797. I have not sustained even a scratch. I do not yet know the exact number of the killed and wounded. It is there fore better to say nothing on that subject at present, that I may not exaggerate or diminish the true figures. But we have to deplore the loss of our brave General Douay (Abel), which was well avenged, I can assure you, by the heavy losses which the range and accuracy of our Chassepots , inflicted upon the enemy. It is a curious, but sad coincidence, that the sth of August was the fête day of our General—St. Abel. We are told that a cannon was captured by the enemy. The following are the circum. stances ;—The French artillerymen serving that piece Showing present positions of French and Prussian Armies, with the localities of recent engagements. , tt\ t • ‘ ~„ m ~_. l i k,_ Nr\ r -i—A.. f t \'‘ L. ~,, , w t• . f n i......„. ~,„„ . • e‘ .4 ' . 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N,,. j fumo' -r Pe e nPi ?.,i 7 .., a S w 1 rTZ E LA N D 4. -- 11 'HE SCENE OF CONFLICT. had all been killed after the horses had been shot down and the wheels of the gun carriage smashed to pieces by a shot. This gun thus abandoned to the enemy was retaken almost immediatelyafterwards by our soldiers, and by them rendered unserviceable, but could not be removed because the wheels were broken. We hear, also, unhappily, that some prisoners were made by the Prus sians. The moral condition of the troops who were en gaged in the action is, nevertheless, excellent. They are burning to engage in a real fight, which cannot long be deferred, and to make the Prussians pay dearly for this trifling advantage, which they owe entirely to their greater numerical strength. Let us hope that Marshal MacMahon wl obtain a brilliant revenge, and that we shall speedily re-enter Wissembourg." Azamat Batuk, of the Pall Mall Gazette, says : Weissenburg seems to be not only a reprisal, but a simple continuation of the Saarbriick affair. It would appear that the easy victory which the Prussians, on the 2nd instant, allowed to the division of General Bataille was merely a bit of stratagem. A little behind the forests sur rounding Saarbriick, somewhere on the road from Lebach to Neukirchen, perhaps near the railway junction of Neukirchen itself, a corps of 25,000 awaited the French. If they had taken Saarbruck at once and followed the enemy they would have fallen into an ambuscade from which not a single man would have escaped. And if you take your map while reading these lines, and will remem ber that the Emperor and the Prince Imperial were present and would necessarily have followed the troops, you will be able to form a tolerably precise idea of what might. have been the result of the further entry of General Frossard's corps upon the soil of the Rhenish provinces. A movement froin Saarlouis and from Zweibriicken would have taken the French in rear, while the 25,000 were confronted by the. Crown Prince. When it became obvious that the French were aware of the sur prise prepared for them, and that its chances were over, the whole of these hidden forces were at once sent to the frontier of the Palatinate to support a strong corps already assembled there, and to attack the isolated division of Abel Douay. That the manoeuvre was a suocessful one, • and , that the defeat of the French division was complete, no one doubts or denies even here, although no one cares to say or to print much about it. I wrote to you that the number of Prus sian troops amounted to something like 30,000 ; but I am assured by very reasonable men that 50,000 is not too high 'an estimate of the troops against which 8,000 Frenchmen had to fight for seven hours without the slightest hope of having a reinforcement. Besides General Douay, who died almost instantaneously from a shell wound, General Montmarie was was also severely wounded. The Zouaves appeared to have suffered not so much as the Turcos (er more correctly the Tirailleurs Alg6riens), of whom some 500 were taken captives. They had to meet the enemy first, and were taken quite by surprise ; the majority of them were even unarmed at the moment of the first attack, being busy with some domestic or culinary works. French papers report that they were fishing ; but the accuracy of this state ment will be duly appreciated if we keep in view that there is no river south of the town of Wissembourg, and that the Arabs are not accustomed to eat fish and do not understand.angling. The loss of the Turcos is very heavy, but certainly not so heavy as a similar loss of the Zouaves would have been ; for while the latter are formed in Europe and trained in Algeria, the former can be got in any number desired; it is merely a question of pay. The defeated division consisted of the following regiments :-16me Chassurs h Pied, 50me and 78me de Ligne, ier Zouaves, and I' Tiraillenrs Alg4riens. The loss on the French side is admitted to exceed 2,500 men. A great number of the wounded could not have been carried away from the field at all. One gun is lost, of -which all the horses and men were killed and the carriage broken to pieces. The. Prussians must have lost just as much, if not more, although none of them have been made prisoners. • The fight on the part of the Zouaves and the Turcos seems to have been something indescribably wild. The great majority of the Prussian killed are reported to have died from the bayonet, while the greatest losses of the French were caused by grape fire and shells. 'FURTHER DETAILS OF WEISSENBURG. The special correspondent of the Standard, writing from Luxemburg on Sunday, gives a description of the Weis senburg affair, which, it is important to remember, was the first serious action of the war, and was fought on Thursday last. The writer says :—" The position of Weissenburg was held by a single division of the first French corps d'armee, supported by a light cavalry brigade, which acted in aid of the skirmishers from the infantry as videttes on the frontier. At the risk of being tiresome, I must repeat a French division consists of four regiment's SAARBRUCK, AUG. 2 & 6.-WOERTH, AUG. of infantry and a battalion of Chasseurs. The brigades composing the unfortunate division which was crushed on Thursday were those of General Peltier de Mont marie, consisting of the 16th Battalion of Foot Chasseurs and the 50th and 78th Regiments of the Line, and of General Pelld, one of the best fighting brigades of the army, made up of the Ist Zouaves and the Ist Algerine tirailleurs. The division was com manded by Abel Douay, and its strength—l am not violating the Prime Minister's law, which only refers to `movements of troops and military operations by land and sea '—its strength, Irepeat, was about 8,800 rank and file. I have often been tempted to laugh as I caught in stray copies of your London contemporaries estimates of the numbers at the front fkom soi-disant `war correspondents.' The strength of the French army our neighbours will be obliged to me for stating it — has been grossly exaggerated from the first ; at no moment were there more than 250,000 men at the frontier (as it is termed), just 100,000 less than the pro-Minister of War stated in the Chamber. He added that there were 1,110 pieces of ordnance and 52 batteries of mitraille ‘ uses, which would make a total of 312, taking six as the propor tion to a battery ; but when a man deceives or is deceived in one detail he is not an authority on another of the same order. We have seen that the Frenchmen in front of Weissenburg were some 8,800 strong in infantry, but to these must be added General Septeuil's Brigade of Cavalry, some 1,200 men of the 3rd Hussars and 12th Chasseurs can tonned in the neighbourhood. Against them was brought the maim of the Prussian left wing, which had been established in an entrenched camp covering the Badish Fortress of Rastadt (which itself covers Carlsruhe, the capital of the Grand Duchy), and protecting the line of railway to Darmstadt by Bruchsal, the direct communica tion with the strong seat of supplies at Mayence. The direction of this, the great army of action on the left, was entrusted to the Prince Royal of Prussia, the heir to the throne, who had under his orders a picked body of troops from his father's Royal Guard, the burly, broad-shouldered men of Pomerania and Brandenburg. The Bavarians and Wurtemburghors were also attached to his command, but do not crop up in the thick of Thursday's fight. The glory seems to belong, as well as its dangers accrued, to the splendid King's Grenadiers and the 50th, a crack regiment from the Silesian contingent. The sth Prussian Corps was engaged in company with the 11th (Cassel), under General Plonski, and the 2nd (Bavarian), so that the advance was serious, and, numerically, most formid able. The attack appears to have been made about six o'clock in the morning, while the French were preparing their early coffee. The dark masses of the Prus sians were concealed by a thicket bordering the French camp, and almost kissed- on its margin by the waters of the Lauter. Stealthily they crept along, and burst upon their enemy with a cry and a quick hail from the needle-gun. The French were alarmed, but not panic-stricken ; their troops, the most of them, were agile veterans of the army of Africa, accus tomed to these ruses de guerre. They formed up steadily in a twinkling, and met their assailants with spirit unadaunted. As a rule, Zouaves do not run without cause. Neither do Turcos. Neither ran in this instance, but disputed the ground they occupied fiercely, inch by inch, for several hours, retiring only before the crushing weight of numbers again and again reinforced. They sullenly fell back on an eminence to the rear of their position, the Col. du Pigeonnier, or Pigeon's Hill, where the Prussians ceased the pursuit, for pursuit in the end it had undeniably become. The tactics of the attacking force is reported to have been less Prussian than French. Their orders were to push ahead at any samifiee, not to mind the leaden rain from the % Chassepot, to keep, on, and by this manceuvre, this irresistible ap proach at a rim, they forced the French do retire if they would not be captured. Some of them were. We hear upwards of 500 had that fate. They had 'attempted to establish a defence in the church of Weissen burg, and in some of the vaults with- which the town abounds, were there surrounded, and had no alternative but to surrender. The general in command of the division Abel Douay, did not survive to set his teeth over his misfortune—like Latour d'Auvergne, when the roll was called, at the close of the day's bloody work, to his name the answer was ' Dead, on the field of honour.' The colonel of the 50th was killed, also, while rallying his men. But the Prussians bought their victory dearly ; the Grenadiers of the King and the Silesian 59th (of whom I have already spoken), and who took such a leading share in the hard work of the fight, suffered heavily. SATURDAY'S ~ BATTLES. _ _ i•: • The correspondent of : the Stattdard at Luxembourg has . also some remarks on the two great fights which took place on Saturday at Spicheren and at Worth. On Friday I expected the French would have taken their revenge. Therein I was wrong. The repulse of the day before was too decisive. MacMahon must have been puzzled to know what to do, and must have hesitated to push on to the aid of his derelict division at the back of Weissenburg under the impression that the advance there was a feint to mask a real attempt on Strasburg. In any case, what ever the reason of the delay, he did not go against the victorious Prussians on Friday, but sent for aid to Can robert. The enemy, meantime, moved on in force by a range of wooded hills leading from Weissenburg,by Sauer bach and Drachenbronn in a south-westerly direction, towards the forest of Haugueneau, but they moved with an inclination rather to the right, as if meditating to fall upon the French at Bitsche, The day was close, with occasional sharp showers—a hard spell for marching ; and a little after nightfall there was an angry thunderstorm, followed by a heavy, almost West Indian down pour of thick, hot rain, through which the fre'quent gleam of sheet lightning streamed like a sudden play of lime-light on water let down fr3m a sieve. it must have been trying for the healthiest man under canvas that bleak night— the sloppy ground under, and the saturated' covering above preserving him sandwich-like in uncomfort able moisture. To the wounded wretch it must have been death. An i many such creatures there were under it all; the poor boys who had traversed Paris streets three weeks before in happy thoughlessness to the cry of " A Berlin 1" and others who had quitted their homes at the trumpet-call to fight for the beloved fatherland and the Father Rhine. Down it sluiced in wet misery as they lay on their trusses of straw, the improvised ambulances, in groaning heaps, pale, weak, and bleeding from wounds of jagged lead, in and around the streets and hills of Weissenburg ! Saturday came. Marshal MacMahon's corps was no longer to be sought for at Strasburg, but in front of the wave of Prussian in fantry which was pouring by Weissenburrwith the Crown Prince on its crest. Surely now we are to have the real tug of war, and the dearly-desired satisfaction for the victory won by stealth on Thursday. Tug of war, as when Greek meets Greek, yes ; but satisfaction no ! It cannot be concealed ! it will leak out ; the disquieting whisper goes from mouth to mouth, gathers strength as it moves, and at length swells into a cry, " the French have been beaten—beaten on the whole line !" Those Luxemburgeois like the pettillants Francais, as Heinrich Heine did—they like them be cause a Prussian garrison was here over half a century, and the military behaved to the civilians as only lords and masters should behave—like them, not for love of the French so much as for hatr6d of the Prussians. And here is the dread tale that speeds from gossip to gossip ; the dear French have been beaten again, and soundly; are now in retreat ; they have forsaken the heights over Saarbruck they took four days ago, and grim, melancholy Metz is again filled with soldiers, but this time they are glum, sulky, and crest fallen. The guard had rushed off on Thursday morning because Prince Frederick Charles was coming down on Thionville from the north with a host of a quarter of a million, and now it turns out that the story was false ; and while France was watching its left, Prussia had stolen a march on its right, invaded the soil of Alsace, and flung back its choicest legions. " Unmerciful disaster follows fast and follows faster." Later we learn that on this Black Saturday there was an advance on the whole French line, that three cnrps d'armee had been overcome, that Frossard was pushed to hold his own on the centre, and that the beau MacMahon, the saviour of Magenta, he in whom the nation had such high hopes, had been foiled, beaten back towards the lines of Bitsche, some say wounded even. ORDER FOR BREECH-LOADERS. The London correspondent of the Birmingham Gazette says:—l hear that an order for 30,000 Sniders has been dispatched to Birmingham. THE MARK LANE CORN MARKET. Although there was very little animation in the grain trade last week there was a decidedly upward tendency in the quotations, owing to the delay in the receipt of the new wheats, and more particularly to the prohibiti n of the export of breadstuff s for the North German ports. As France will probably have to import largely before long, there is every reason why prices should remain steady, notwithstanding the large increase now taking place in the stocks on hand. Both factors and millers have operated very cautiously, and this seems likely to be the character of the markets during the continuance of the war, unless new features arise. Wheat may be quoted 2s. per quarter higher in the week, but Dantzic and some other foreign descriptions are even dearer. Flour has further advanced ls. per sack in sympathy with the movement in wheat. Oats ar6 is. dearer, but beans and peas have declined to a like extent. On the Conti nent the war has greatly interfered with the grain trade. ,Prices have risen daily, and this fact, coupled with the high rates of freight, has prevented any extensive operations on British account. From America a considerable movement of grain from the west is reported. Last week's imports of foreign and colonial produce into London amounted to 36,431 qrs. of wheat, 8,996 barley, 68,365 oats, 50 rye, 7,120 peas, 14,776 linseed, 4,674 rapeseed, 10,300 maize, 346 sundries, 3,389 barrels, and 6,271 sacks of flour. There was a moderate supply of English wheat , on sale here yesterday, including about 500qrs of middling produce, the quality of which in many instances was indifferent. For all descriptions the demand was inactive ; neverthe less the quotations ruled firm, and there was a tendency . to higher rates. As regards foreign wheat the receipts were moderate. Sales progressed slowly, but the value of all descriptions was maintained. With barley the market was moderately supplied. The trade was firm at full quotations. Malt was inactive, at about late rates. Oats were in request, at 6d. to Is. per quarter more money than on Monday last. Beans were firm,. and peas commanded full currencies with a healthy inquiry. Maize was steady, and quite as dear. The flour market has been quiet, but prices have ruled firm. ...••••••• CR AZtniss. Orchesi choral Adni Childre In th Englisi Pietort Needle, court Ii eI . RI 1 Amusel ROSES. Splendi and nui AL] AR' The e of the 1 the ele( pate in Music have In most ei celebrat Chef, Si i Position aaaignec W. Gra , Thomas ' tak M A JONES, CRAMS Eorrors EXCUR On 8;1 dington Stroud,Cardiff tlanelly Harbert Tenby, 1 Calin, - a] Passer August Passer New Mil .o fl Sai to at 3. will rett Fares ages, 8 For fu Paddii Giz Trai ns each day 6 . 3 5 a.n 0.50 „ 9.18 - Retu rn i, $-5 p and the Aletr d 10.9 -rassetw ( atlY Are train s to Passen (Pimlico` h tations' and g.sa' Returr To Win and 13; tICCII. Cover e d the 8 .35 12.45 an stations and Bisl Trains le Victoria, bGreat and 12.1 train on For tl Oxford, connectt at Slougl The G Course. Paddir 0 " an went of Stands, b Alabaate: and mar Majesty, Mr. T MINER./ LYell's E resting si I ° 9 ,•' if x'RAo; LOGY iF ,_ Seri ,____ Sail Sca Scli --____ SOU SCII l ‘ r allUfa( I] 9 the this put ag the n adapted IN - Ar_ clan, DI 1 etteer'ls tic Fresh This f oundat current •r I earnest' heir its S. affords esPecia for the .3 is drov Ei wick be adm trod uci Moved ,___ C I 1 gPeci Am o • Num Nu m The] Zanli ozo, METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET. There were only moderate supplies of both beasts and sheep on offer at the cattle market yesterday, andthe gene ral quality of the stock was inferior, owing to the want of pasturage, which is again making itself felt. The number of foreign beasts exhibited was compa ratively small, owing to the difficulty in ship ping the animals from the German ports. It is stated, however, that orders have been received for the despatch of the boats to Tonning—from which quarter the major part of our foreign supplies come at this time of the year—and if such is the case there appears to be some hope that the trade will be not altogether stopped. Should the shipments from Tonning be found imprac ticable the quotations for beef must rule high. To-day the total supply of beasts on sale was comparatively small, but this is the dull season of the year, and the demand was not active. Nevertheless prices ruled very firm, and ss. 6d. per Blbs. was readily raid for good Scotch and Hereford heifers. There were some very good beasts from Lincolnshire, which realised similar values. A few (49) Scotch beasts were in the market, the prices obtained for which were extreme. In the sheep market little animation prevailed in the demand ; choice mutton,- which was scarce, commanded fully last Monday's currencies, namely, ss. 6d. per 81bs. The general condition of the animals was inferior. There were a few lambs in the market, but the trade ruled dull, and values had a drooping tendency. Calves sold slowly, on barely former terms. Pigs were rather firmer. W HITWORTH SCHOLARSHIPS.—The practical exa mination of workmen and students for these scholarships has been fixed by Sir Joseph Whitworth to take place at his works at Manchester on the 30th of August andlst of September next. RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BRITISH FIELD ARTILLERY. —A committee composed of officers his been ordered to assemble immediately, for the purpose of ascer taining if there are sufficient grounds for changing our sytem of field artillery. The committee will try some ex periments at Aldershot, and then it is to•be hoped will finally lay down an equipment for our future fiield artillery. In the meantime six batteries of muzzle loading bronze guns are being made for the Imperial government. BIRTHS. On the sth August, at Tyringham, Bucks, the wife of W. B. Tyringham, Esq., of a son and heir. On the 6th August, at Champion-hill, Surrey, the wife of Egmont Bieber, Esq., of a daughter. MARRIAGES. On the 4th pAu g ust, at Carmarthen, South Wales, J. Parkinson, Esq., of Hereford-square, South Kensington, to Elizabeth CatherinetTuliana Gwynne Kraus, only daughter of the late J. Williams Morgan Gwynne Hughes, Esq., J.P., of Tregib, Landilo. On the 4th August, at Limpley :Stoke Church, Wilts, Frederick Sorby, Esq., of Springfield, Limpley Stoke, to Mary Elizabeth, only daughter of the late Robert Torre, Esq., of London. DEATHS On the sth August, at 15, Cadogan-place, Martin John :West, Esq., aged 84. - - - - On the sth August at his residence, John-street, Down shire-hill, N.W., John Douglas, Esq., aged 52. London : Printed by GIDEON ACLAND BOYCE, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, and Published by him at THE SUN Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the County of Middlesex. Tuesday, August 9, 1870,