The Sun. — London, England, 1870-08-15 00:00:00

SPECIAL EDITION. SUN OFFICE, 7 o'CLocx. THIS EVENING'S NEWS. THE. WAR. BATTLE BEFORE METZ. REPULSE OF THE PRUSSIANS. FRENCH ACCOUNT. PARIS, AUG. 15, 9.20 A.M. A despatch of the Emperor, dated Longeville, 10 p.m. yesterday, says : "The French army commenced to cross over to the left Dank of the Moselle this morning. Reconnoitring parties 6 an nounced the presence of the Prussian vanguards. When one half of the army had crossed, the Prussians attacked in great force ; and, after a fight which lasted four hours, were repulsed with considerable losses. A despatch of the Prefect of the Meuse states the Prussians to be at Vigneulles. Another despatch from the Prefect of the Vosges an nounces the approach of the Prussians on the Moselle. The French engineers had blown up two bridges. DEFEAT OF THE FRENCH. PRUSSIAN OFFICIAL ACCOUNT. BERLIN, AuG. 15. The Queen has just received the following despatch from the King, dated Hemp : A victorious battle has taken place before Metz, in which our 7th and Ist corps d'armie were engaged. No details have as yet been received. I proceed immediately to the battle field. THE EMPEROR'S DEPARTURE FROM METZ. Pyxis, Aug. 15.—The Emperor left Metz yesterday at 2 p.m., with the Prince Imperial for Verdun. Before he left Metz .a proclamation of the Emperor was published, in which he said : _ _ " In leaving you in order to fight against the invasion I trust the defence of Metz to your patriotism." ' The Journal Officiel of to-day publishes details of an attempt made to get up disturbances yesterday at La Villette (a suburb of Paris). Eight individuals, armed with daggers and revolvers, attacked the guard and barracks of the firemen. Two firemen and three policemen were seriously wounded, and one policeman was killed. These disturbances were suppressed by the active concur rence of the population, and about fifteen persons were arrested. The crowd wanted to lynch them. The Tournal Ude' adds :—" It is believed that these disturb ances were formented by Prussia." THE PRUSSIANS AT TOUL. SURRENDER OF THE TOWN DEMANDED. (FRENCH OFFICIAL DESPATCH.) A despatch from Toul, dated the 14th inst., 6.45 p.m, states that about two p.m. the Prussians were signalled to be within 1,500 metres of the town. A reconnaisance in force was made by the cuirassiers and gendarmes and came upon 200 Prussiah lancers. One• gendarme was killed. An officer with a flag of truce demanded the surrender of the place, which was energetically refused, and the officer re tired. The attitude of the population is excellent. The ramparts are being manned by the Mobile and National Guards. M'MAHON'S ARMY. The official news received in Paris of the Prussian occu pation of Nancy and the interruption of railway com munication between Metz.,and Frouard, causes anxiety co De also felt respecting WMahon's corps, which has evidently been closely pursued by the Crown Prince. 9u the 13th M'Mahon's head-quarters were at Toul. Apprehension is now expressed whether the Prussians may have succeeded in cutting off M`Mahon's communi cation with Metz, and preventing his retreat to Chalons, thus completely isolating his corps. It is believed that Bazaine may leave a strong garrison at Metz, and fight the great decisive battle of the war on the plains of Cham pagne before Chalons. Metz is now, says a telegram dated the 14th,:in a perfect state of defence, and fully provisioned for a siege. No persons are now allowed to take up residence there with out being provided with at leastforty days' provisions, and the police have commenced controlling the supply of water to the inhabitants. Marshal Lebceuf constantly makes laring reconnoissances at the head of a brigade of cuiras siers. Three thousand men of M`Mahon's corps, believed to have been taken prisoners, succeeded in making their Way to Strasbourg before the Prussians invested that invested that place. The fortifications of Lyons are being placed in a state of defence. DEFENCES OF PARIS. Six hundred guns are now mounted on those parts of the fortifications of Paris which would be first exposed to attack. The authorities are busily occupied with the necessary measures for provisioning Paris should the capital be besieged. PRUSSIA DOES NOT WISH TERRITORIAL AGGRANDISEMENT. It is stated that Count Bismark has announced that Prussia does not wish any territorial aggrandisement at the expense of France ; that Prussia will leave the four southern German States in their full autonomy, and will never take the initiative of inducing any of them to enter the Northern Confederation; that Prussia never intended, and does not intend, to extend her seaboard to the prejudice of Holland, whose integrity she respects; that Prussia, after the successful issue of the war with France, will act towards Denmark in the most generous manner, to recompense her for her neutrality. It is reported from Paris that the Empress Eugenie, with a view to eventualities, has ordered an inventory to be made of the Crown diamonds. The Journal Officiel says that the Bavarian troops are fighting with the old percussion musket. Almost all the mobiles at Chalons are now armed with the converted breech-loader. Colonel Bocher, of the 3rd Zouaves, who took part in the battle of Woerth, gives a thrilling account of the mas sacre of his regiment. He says he lost forty-seven out of sixty-five officers. They had marched over fifty miles the preceding day, and slept on the ground without tents in a Pouring rain. TEE FRENCH LAW OF NATIONAL DEFENCE. The following is the official text of the law relating to the augmentation of the military forces in France during the continuance of the war : "Napoleon, &c.—We have proposed, the Chambers have adopted, we have sanctioned and do sanction, we have promulgated and do promulgate, as follows :—Art. I.—The Corps Legislatif unanimously votes its thanks to our armies, and declares they have deserved well of the country. Art. 2.—A1l citizens unmarried, or widowers without children who are over 25, and under 35 years of age, and having complied with the law of recruiting, whose names do not appear on the lists of the Garde Mobile, are :Ailed on to serve (appelds sous les drapeaux) during the con tinuance of actual war. The military authorities will at once take the necessary steps for forwarding these men with out delay to the different corps of the army. Art. 3.—The credit of 4,000,000 f., granted by the law of the 14th of July, 1870, to the families of soldiers of the army of the Garde Mobile is raised to 25,000,000 f., and will, be ex tended to the families of citizens included in the provi sions of Art. 2 of the present law. Art. 4.—Voluntary engagements and substitutions under the conditions of the taw of the Ist February, 1868, may be accepted in the ease of 45 years during the continuance of the war. Art. 5 . Able-bodied persons of any age will be allowed to volunteer for active service during the continuance of the war. Art. 6. The contingent of the class of 1870 is com posed of all the young meh whose names are included in the Census lists who do not fall within any of the specified cases of exemption or dispensation provided by the Modified law of the 21st March, 1832. Counsels of revision will be organised in each department. These will assemble for the purpose of balloting and the formation of the contingent of the class 1870. There will be but one publication of the Census lists for this class. Art 8. The period of service of the young men of this class of 1870 will date from the promulgation of the pre sent law. Art. 9. The present law will come into force from the day of its promulgation. The present law dis mssed, considered, and adopted by the Senate and by the corps Legislatif, will be carried into effect as a law of the state. We command and ordain that these presents, sealed with the seal of the State and entered in the Bulletin des Lois, be forwarded to the Courts, to the tribunals, and to the administrative authorities, in order that they may .ascribe them and cause them to be observed. And our 6 1inister of Justice is charged with the publication of these presents. Executed at the Council of Ministers ielda t the Palace of the Tuileries, 10th August, 1870, for the Emperor and in virtue of the powers which he has 3onfided to 11B• " EUGENIE." eatrice Lady ds this tended . 14. Iterday ) upon sailing &rthur sborne ad Ad ne yes- en and nan f ursday Lng his irdwell itation ;It the To me ie War t with, on and antime ye by d add ye left se who foreign ry post owever isist as and 3reech ,,ooo in of the fficient wed in pply is turned ghton t w ill r to be bte un multed ti army eneral :anada of the ;hness return vernor- of our )out to incor- 'ay in ,ut the at the asgo NV iat ap also a ) finest ,f the Lmiliar to that Churs stport, a gun, hreata. ed for 1 irons er Ma 3arcely flitting ;s have every tillerr e their k mar bably t from ian his gland, .mana, sill be Daily are 1 hold iesday it £BO ibitors are g jhater r. W. i t 20 ;ed on !ourt i way zit on June Vood, ioner, t the the h was and head. me of called ively. arged and penal in the with THE SUN, LONDON, MOND A Y EVENING, AUGUST 15 870. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.) EXECUTION AT DORCHESTER. Thomas Ratcliffe, a convict, was executed th s morning within the walls of Dorchester Prison, for the murder of a warder, named Bly, at Portland. He was very penitent, and manifested great composure when being pinioned and while on the drop. Calcraft was the executioner. After the drop fell therewas a twitching of the muscles for a few seconds only. The body was cut down after hanging the usual time. A few days ago the convict wrote the fol lowing :—" The 15th August I die, but the Lord died even the bitter death of the Cross for such sinners as me. God be thanked, and may the Lord receive my soul when I die. Amen." L'HE PLYMOUTH ELECTION.-UNOPPOSED RETURN OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL. The Attorney-General was re-elected member for Plymouth this morning, without opposition, on his tcceptance of the appointment of Recorder of Bristol. A. threat of opposition had been held out by the Radical party, who carried a resolution it the meeting addressed by Sir Robert Collier last week, strongly disapproving of the holder of so lucrative an office as the Attorney-Generalship taking another well paid appointment. This feeling was ;o some extent shared by other classes; and Sir Robert, ther his re-election, announced that he should, in de. lerence to the general feeling, at once resign the Recorder ship. In the course of his speech he defended the Govern. alent's economical policy. ATTEMPT TO SHOOT A COUNTY MAGISTRATE. Intelligence has been received from Cambridge that an attempt to murder Captain Elliott, of Chesterford Park, near that town, a m agistrate for the county of Essex, has been made. It appears that a female servant of Captain Elliott's, has recently been married, but subsequently left her husband, who, it is alleged, suspected that she was living on improper terms with her master. Last week he arrived at Chesterford, and is said to have ineffectually endeavoured to prevail on his wife to return home with him. Captain Elliot was at the time in Lon don, and the man took lodgings to await his return. By some means he obtained information of the Captain's arrival by train akd saw him at the station. Analtercation took place between them, and Captain Elliott was knocked down with a stick. He called out for assistance, upon which his assailant drew a revolver and fired at him. His life was saved by almost a miracle, the bullet being diverted from him by the buttons of his clothes. The offender is in custody. SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO A FISHING BOAT. THREE MEN DROWNED. This morning, about nine o'clock, three men were drowned off the mouth of the Tyne, near the Soutb Shields Pier. There was a strong wind blowing from the north-east at the time, and the sea was very rough. It seems that the usual number of boats were engaged in salmon fishing, when the net belonging to one of them drifted near the shore. The occupants of the boat, in question, were endeavouring to recover their net, and, in doing so, got amongst the broken water, and the boat capsized. Notwithstanding the great danger incurred, another of the boats, containing three men, put off to the assistance of their brother fishermen, but, before reaching them, their boat filled with water, and they were swamped. They were, however, saved, two by means of a cable, and the third, an old man, by the bravery of a young fellow whe swam from the shore to his assistance. The poor fellows who bad occupied the first boat were all drowned. Theis names are Thomas Mackelvie, Andrew Cunningham, and William Barney, said to be Scotchmen. They were about 40 years of age, married, and leave families. The bod 3 of Mackelvie was found on the beach about an hour after the occurrence. The other bodies have not been recovered. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. was taken from Mr. Stokes's till. Renton also gave Dono van a cigar tube. Donovan—No, I bought it for 10d. Batten—You did not, you paid nothing for it, he gave it to you. Other witnesses were examined, and a clear case was established against both prisoners. Mr. Lushington committed them for trial at the next Middlesex Sessions, and said they would not be tried at the present sessions, which commence this day. ASSAULTING A WIFE WITH A RAZOR.—George Hunt, aged 26, 4 Adelaide-villas, Wellington•road. St. John's- wood, painter, was charged at the Marylebone Police court, with assaulting his wife, Frances Hunt, by cutting her hand with a razor. Mr. Moore, of the Associate In stitute for Improving and Enforcing the Law for the Pro tection of Women and Children, watched the case. The wife, a respectable-looking woman, who gave her evidence with much reluctance, said—On Saturday afternoon, the prisoner came home the worse for liquor. He abused her and tool: out a razor, and she tried to get it from him, and got her hand slightly cut. Prisoner said he had the razor in his possession to cut his corns as he was going to the baths. The wife said it was her fault. He was in liquor, and she excited him by not having his dinner ready as she promised. When sober he was most affectionate. He has been talking about going for a soldier to defend his country. (Laughter.) Some other evidence having been adduced Mr. D'Eyncourt asid the prisoner got drunk and then behaved worse than a wild beast. In his drunken state he had attempted to cut his wife's throat. He must suffer three months' hard labour, and at the end of that time to find two sureties for his good behaviour for a further term of six months. PHE MONEY MARKET AND COMM ERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. CITY, Two o'CLocK. Business on the Stock Exchange is depressed, but the Funds remain without variation. Foreign stocks have receded. Consols are now 914 to 914 for money, and 911 to 911 for account ; Three per Cent. Reduced, 911 to 911 ; New Three per Cents., 914 to 911 ; India Five per Cents., 1101 to 1101 ; ditto Four per Cents., 1001 ; Metropolitan Board of Works, 31 per Cent. Stock, 91ft. In the Foreign Market Brazilian Bonds of 1865 are 901 ; Egyptiaß, Seven per Cents. of 1864, 84 to 86; ditto of 1868, 70 to 721; Spanish of 1887, 254 to 251; ditto of 1869, 244 to 251 ; ditto Quicksilver, 70 to 72 ; Peru vian, 854 to 85; Turkish Five per Cents. of 1865, 42 to 421; ditto of 1869, 53 to 541 ; and Five per Cent. Italian of 1865, 77. The Railway Market—Metropolitan are 651 ; Great Eastern 344 to 321; London and Brighton, 361 to 37 ; Caledonian, 73 to 74; South-Eastern, 69 ; Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, 424 ; Great Northern, 117 to 119 ; ditto (A), 126 ; North Eastern, 139 ; London and North-Western, 1254 ; Midland, 126 4 ; Lancashire and Yorkshire, 1284 91 ; Great Western, 654 64. Canada Six per Cents. are quoted 1041 ; New South Wales _Five per Cents., 101 to 1004 ; New Zealand Five per Cents., 971 to 99; Queensland, 106; Victoria Five per Cents., 1004; and ditto Six per Cents., 1114. Anglo Mediterranean, 124 134 ; British Indian Exten• sion 54 to 51 ; Falmouth, 94 to 4; British Indian Submarine, Q. In Bank shares Alliance are quoted 13 to 14 ; Anglo- Austrian, 18 premium ; Chartered Mercantile, 27 ; Consolidated, I fprem ; Imperial Ottoman, 11i ; London and County, 51; London and Westminster, sai 59k; Lon don Joint Stock, 34 ; and Union of London, 35 37. The last price from Paris on Saturday evening was 64f. 20c., showing a further fall of lf. 15c. The market is affected by conflicting influences, the tendency of the forced currency to support prices being far more than counteracted by the contemplated creation of new stock, and the discouraging news from Metz. The expectation that the authorised amount of the forced currency of the Bank of France would soon be increased is stated already to have been fulfilled. Accord ing to report it is to be £96,000,000 instead of £72,000,000. This will admit of an increase of nearly £33,000,000 on the sum at present in circulation. £lB,OOO in bars and 20,000 sovereigns from Alexandria were taken to the Bank on Saturday, and 30,000 sovereigns were withdrawn for the Continent. The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-ship Australia has brought £112,816. The Royal Mail steamer- La Plata has brought im proved quotations of the Brazilian rate of exchange. The New York Journal of Commerce of the 29th ult. states that " Mr. Justice Brady dissolved the injunction granted by Mr. Justice Barnard against the transfer of the Erie stock of English holders to the names of Heath and Raphael," but mentions nothing as to the effective ness of this proceeding. The probability is that Mr. Justice Barnard will announce that he intends to issue an injunction against interference on the part cf that per sonage. The Levant Herald states :—" The apprehensions of more local failures have not been realised, and it is said that Messrs. Seager and Co., whose suspension was announced last week, will be able to tide over their difficulty without loss to any of their correspondents. Money is becoming easier, and though a loan is stated to have been made at 18 per cent. against a deposit of Consolidls at 30, accommmo dation can be had at 12 per cent., with a prospect of even lower rates." The Liverpool Journal of Commerce states :—" An appli cation was made in the London Bankruptcy Court on Saturday for the appointment of a receiver and for an interim injunction to stay proceedings in the case of Messrs. Firman and Wyatt, metal merchants, London and Middlesborough. The debtors have recently pre sented a petition for liquidation, in which they state their liabilities at £126,040, while the assets are put down at £113,025. Mr. John Young, accountant, was appointed receiver, and the usual order was made for restraining pro ceedings which had been commenced in bankruptcy under a debtor's summons." The directors of the Chontales (Nicaragua) Gold Mining Company have advices from Mr. Belt, dated July 7. Mr. Belt reports :—" I am carrying ont my plans of treating the large and almost inexhaustible supplies of moderate value at lower depths, and the results of the past month's operations prove how cheaply we can now deal with our ores, and fully substantiate my opinion that, with sufficient machinery and a large output of ore, we could return a fair profit on an average yield of 5 dwts. to the ton. To the westward of our present workings on San Antonio we have commenced a level on the outcrops of the lode, and I have strong hopes that we shall find a large quantity of profitable ore." In the railway market attention has chiefly been di rected to the settlement which commenced on Saturday. There was no difficulty in carrying transactions forward to the next account, and generally at reduced rates, espe cially in instances such as that of Sheffield stock, which about a month ago was at 53, and which, after a decline to 33 during the last fortnight, having been largely bought, was found on the present occasion to be very scarce. The amount of the transactions open was found again to have been curtailed as far as speculative opera tions are concerned, but the public has largely invested in all descriptions of railway securities during the last 14 days. The market closed with a general advance in prices. VIA CAIAHON AT W 0 MTH.- Tne rrince Achim) Murat has paid a flying visit to London—whither he brought his wife and children. The Prince, who returns to his duties, served on Marshal MacMahon's staff at the Battle of Woerth. At the close of that well contested battle the Marshal, ordering bis staff to remain where they were, threw himself at the head of the last charge. His staff, however, insisted on accompanying him, and it was then that General Colson and M. de Vogud and so many others Were shot down. The Marshal, who was at the storming of the Malakoff and at many other forlorn hopes and who has never been wounded, again escaped without a scratch. It is not true that he had a horse killed under him, or that he fainted in a ditch. After this last effort he lighted his cigar, and personally superintended the disastrous retreat in which his guns were lost, owing to the muddy nature of the ground, rendered too soft for the passage of artillery by the heavy rains.—Post. PRIMITIVE COOKING.—The Prussians carry no tents, and when the men arrive at the end of their day's march they select the driest and most convenient piece of ground they can find, and set to work at once to bivouac. Some go for wood, which in this country—a very woody one —is not far to seek. Some go for water, while others un load the bread and bacon waggons. Others cut trenches for the fires to boil the soup for supper. That soup is the mainstay of the German as of the French, and, indeed, of most Continental armies. The Prussian troops I have watched make this soup very simply. Each man carries a kind of deep saucepan without a handle, which serves as ket tle, water-bucket, and, in fact, generally makes itself useful. Into this pot is put pretty much whatever comes to hand, and a savoury mess, at least for hungry men. 1 soon made.—Daily ews Coreespondent. THIS MORNING'S NEWS. (CENTRAL_PRESS TELEGRAMS.) REPORTED SHOOTING OF AN ENGLISHMAN IN PARIS. There seems reason to believe that the reported shooting of Mr. John Elliot, of Braeley, Northamptonshire, by the French as a Prussian spy, is a hoax. The letter purporting to have come from his bro ther with the intelligence is not in his hand writing. It was dated the 10th, and stated that Mr. John Elliot was arrested the previous day and shot that morning, and the same post brought a letter of the same date from Mr. John Elliot himself, who said that he was enjoying himself much, and, altog ether, Paris was in a queer state. The letter supposed to come from his brother was posted at the General Post-office in London, and was written on English mourning paper. The re ported shooting was not believed in Bracley. AFTER THE TWELFTH, An attempt was made in Derry on Saturday night to renew the rioting which had taken place in connexion with the proceedings on the twelfth. The police had great difficulty in keeping the Catholic and Oange parties separate. Though they were successful in preventing a general riot • many persons were seriously injured by sticks and stones. Some soldiers of the Cara bineers, who, being off duty, were in company with ap prentice boys, were groaned at and stoned by a Catholic mob. On Saturday a county resident magis trate sat for the trial of the rioters who had been arrested, several of whom were sent to gaol, others heavily fined, and a few committed for trial. Large crowds assembled in various parts of the city at night, but the police were watchful, and there is no report of any disturbance having taken place. At a dinner of the Orange members of the Enniskillen Union Aristocratic Lodge, on Saturday night, much indignation was expressed by those who attended the demonstration on the previous day at the way in which they had been received by the members of the superior lodge, and at the absence of the aristocracy. the time by the light horse of the Germans, all the stragglers who were dispersed retreated on Strasburg, by Haguenau, losing their baggage, but retaining their arms. The two regiments of cavalry who were launched at the Prussian batteries on the heights of Gunstett were annihilated. They charged the batteries not less than eleven times. MacMahon withdrew to Saverne by Neiderbronn, with about one-fifth of the men he had brought into action; but the Prussians were so dismayed by a the resistance they had experienced, that they did not venture into the defile that night, and about six thousand fugitives rejoined the corps on Sunday. As an illustration of what a hap-hazard affair the whole busi ness was you will no doubt hear from the Prussian side that they believed the greater paA of the French army commanded by the Emperor was before them. Since the battle before Corunna no such gal lant fight has been made at such enormous odds. Having thus done justice to the French, lam bound in justice to add that their officers complain that they undisciplined impetuosity of the men made the disaster greater than it need have been. Whole brigades, entrusted with the duty of holding a valuable defensive position, charged till enemy in defiance of orders, and got cut up in consequence, whilst the Prus sian infantry, more obedient to command, were manoeuvred by their officers with machine-like precision. Had the numbers been at all equal Neider bronn would have been a great French victory ; as it is, its consequences are disastrous, but the disaster reflects as much credit on the French as the Balaclava charge on our cavalry in the Crimea. If we are to believe the latest news, though the Prussians were not at first aware of the extent of their victory, they have lost no time in turning it to good account, and in occupying the debouches of the Vosges which the retreat of M`Mahon left open to them. It is, indeed, a case of merkwerdiges gluck—such pluck as will require great skill and very hard fighting to reverse. There have been few events in the history of war in which mere chance has had a larger share. The Prussians, ad vancing in force, came up, without being aware of it, on the right wing of the French army in the act of con centration ; and so little did the Prussians know what they had done that they fancied M'Mahon was retreating on Bitsche at the time when he was half way to Saverne. The 3rd division of De Failly's corps, and especially the 19th battalion of Chasseurs, did good service in covering the retreat and concealing from the Prussians the extent of the disastrous blow they had inflicted.—Paris Corre spondent of the .standard. TATTERSALLS'-THIS EVENING. EBOR HANDICAP. • 13 to 2 agst IVlysotis (taken and offered) 7 to 1 agst Lord Hawthorn (taken and offered) 8 to 1 agst Myosotis (taken and offered) 12 to 1 agst Blandford (offered) 100 to 8 agst Cherie (taken) 100 to 81agst Toison d'Or (taken) 100 to 8 agst Torreador (taken) 100 to 7 agst Moscow (taken and offered) 100 to 6 agst Paganini (taken) 500 to 100 on the field, with a start (offered) ST. LEGER. 2to 1 agst Kingcraft (offered) 6to 1 agst Palmerston (taken) 12 to 1 agst Macgregor (taken and offered) 100 to 8 Sunlight (taken and offered) 100 to 7 Normanby (taken) 1000 to 70 agst Captivator (offered) 23 to 1 agst Alexander (taken) 20 to 1 agst Tabernacle (offered) 40 to 1 agst Champion (offered) 1000 to 15 agst Stanley (taken and offered) 1000 to 15 agst Valois (offered) 1000 to 10 agst Sweet Sound (offered) 6to 4 agst Kingcraft, with a start 6to 1 agst Sunlight and Macgregor coupled (taken to £25) • 2500 to 50 agst Baron Rothschild's lot (taken) CESAREWITCH. 1000 to 20 agst Blandford (taken) 1000 to 20 agst Capitaliste (taken) 1000 to 15 agst Lac (taken) 1000 to 15 agst Ashfield (taken) 1000 to 15 agst Gertrude CAMBRIDGESHIRE. 1000 to 20 agst Blandford 1000 to 10 agst Vintner (taken) CITY BETTING—Tins DAY. EBOR HANDICAP. 100 to 15 agst Mysotis (taken and offered) 7to 1 agst Lord Hawthorn (taken and offered) Bto 1 agst Myosotis (taken and offered) 10 to 1 agst Good Hope (taken and offered) 100 to 9 agst Blandford (offered) 100 to 8 agst Torreador (taken) 100 to 8 agst Cherie (taken) 1500 to 100 agst Miss Sheppard (taken) ST. LEGER. 2to 1 agst Kingcraft (offered) 6to 1 agst Palmerston (offered—take 100 to 5) 1000 to 80 agst Captivator (taken and offered) 100 to 8 agst Sunlight (offered—take 1000 to 70) 100 to 7 agst Macgregor (taken and offered) 100 to 6 agst Normanby (taken) 20 to 1 agst Alexander (offered) 1000 to 30 agst Champion (offered) 40 to 1 agst Fragrance (taken and offered) 1000 to 15 agst Camel (offered—take 1000 to 10) 1000 to 10 agst Stanley (wanted) 1000 to 10 agst Astolfo (offered) 1000 to 5 agst The Boy (taken) 500 even on Sunlight agst Macgregor (offered) PL ACE BETTING. • 30 to 20 on Kingcraft (taken) 10 to 1 agst Astolfo (taken) CESAREWITCH. 1000 to 15 agst Magdala (taken) 1000 to 15 agst Starter (offered) POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY.) FURIOUS RIDING IN HYDE PARK.—Mr. Frank Soulby, gentleman, of the Stable Yard, Holborn, and Mr. Leo Kelley, merchant, of No. 88, Hatton-garden, both young men, were charged before Mr. Knox at the Marlborough street Police Court with being drunk and furious riding in Hyde Park. Mr. Edward Lewis appeared for the defen dants. Mr. Lewis said he was not instructed to deny that the defendants had been guilty of very serious in discretion, and they much regretted what had occurred. Mr. Knox, after remarking that the defendants might think themselves fortunate they were not before him on a more serious charge, fined the defendants 40s. each. ROBBERY BY A SHOPBOY.—William Henry Henton, aged 15 years, was brought up at the Thames Police-court, before Mr. Lushington, on remand, charged with stealing three sums of ls. id., 125., and 10s. 6d., the money of Mr. William Edward Stokes, tobacconist, of No. 174, Mile end-road ; and Lawrence Donovan, 15, was charged with feloniously receiving from Henton a cigar-holder, value 10d., 25., and ls. 3d., he well knowing the same to be stolen. The prisoner Henton was shopboy to the prosecutor, who gave him 12s. on the 10th inst. to purchase goods at the establishment of Huxley and Co. He never expended the money as he was erdered, but appropriated it to his own use, returned to his master's shop, and in his absence robbed the till. He also took some cigar tubes and gave some of them to Donovan. A portion of the money was given by Henton to bis mother, and he told her that his master had given up business, and paid him a week's salary in advance. Henton's mother restored 10s 3d to Mr. Stokes. Alfred Batten, a boy, saw Henton give 2s 3d to Donovan to pay for excur sion tickets and 8d more for spending money. The money BOILER EXPLOSION A boiler explosion took place on Saturday at Messrs. Stableford's brickyard, about twelve miles distance from Leicester. Two persons were killed on the spot, and another died yesterday morning. Some of the bodies were frightfully mangled, and one was thrown on to the railway, about 100 yards distant. The boiler is an upright one of five horse power, and drives an engine for grinding clay. It had only been in use six weeks, and although able to stand a pressure of one hundred pounds was not worked up to fifty. On the return of the men from dinner, shortly after one o'clock, Thomas Underwood, fifteen years old, started the en gine, when a violent explosion immediately ensued the report being heard many miles off. On the steam clearing away it was found that two persons had been killed instantaneously and six others injured, three seriously. The killed are William Davis, 10 ; and Joseph Armstead, 13 ; whose bodies presented a sickening sight, being frightfully mutilated, and the intestines pro truding. The injured are Frank Underwood, 5; Thomas Garner, 22 ; Thomas Hardy, 30 ; Frank Armstead, 11; Alfred Orton, 13 ; Philip Greasley, 35 ; Thomas Under wood, 15 ; and Henry Brooks, 30. Frank Underwood, who had been to take his brother's dinner, was so seriously scalded and burnt that he died at six o'clock on Sunday morning. Frank Armstead and Alfred Orton are dreadfully hurt, the latter having his left knee shattered and his back scalded badly, and neither is expected to recover. Thomas Underwood, the youth who started the engine, and was close to the boiler, is only slightly hurt. Hardy, the brick maker, is injured in the back of his neck, and Greasley is badly bruised. Isaac Cooper, the foreman, who was blown on to the railway close by, miraculously escaped almost unhurt. So great was the force of the explosion that portions of the boiler were hurled great distances. One large piece was thrown Into the parish of Whitwick, 150 yards off, and fell through the roof of a house. The sufferers to-day are better than might have been expected, but Orton and Armstead cannot, it is thought, survive. The inquest will open to-day. The cause of the accident is unknown. DEFENCES OF THE HUMBER. The Hull Chamber of Commerce have passed a resolu tion requesting the borough members to call the attention of the Government to the defenceless state of the Humber, and another pointing out the great national importance of telegraphic communication between Hull and Spurn Point. THE LYNN AND HUNSTANTON RAILWAY COMPANY. The half-yearly meeting of the Lynn and Hunstauton Railway Company was held at the Globe Hotel, Lynn, on Saturday. The revenue account shewed an increase of £59 6s. 10d. A dividend of 5 per cent. was declared. ROYAL DONATION. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has forwarded a donation of five guineas to the Reading Rowing Club. In a letter which accompanies the donation, Generals Knolly says his Royal Highness has much satis faction in giving the donation. THE DANUBIAN PRINCIPALITIES. The Austro-Hungarian Consul-General at Bucharest gives a positive denial to some rumours current here of a concentration of troops on the frontier of Transylvania. DEATH OF ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. A telegram, dated Philadelphia, Aug. 15, says Admiral David G. Farragut died yesterday, aged 70. THE BATTLE OF WOERTH. The bare fact of the matter is that up to the nour in which they encountered each other, neither of the com manders had any idea that they were about to come to blows. The army of the Crown Prince advanced into France by way of Weissenburg without evidently having the remotest idea of what forces he had before him, and MacMahon was equally unaware that his corps d'armee was about to be attacked by an overwhelming force. He was ordered to concentrate on Bitsche: and moved his corps d'arm6e up by easy stages. Poor Douay's division he sent up via Weissenburg. Another went by Soultz, sous Forets, whilst he himself, with two divisions and the reserve of artillery brought up the rear. The march was conducted in that free and easy style which is the curse of all French armies, and which African corps are especially liable to. Now, the whole of MacMahon's infantry—at least, the greater part of it—came straight from Africa, and were, there fore, equally remarkable for their valour and for that disregard of and contempt for orders which renders the African army so dan g erous to handle before a disci plined enemy. Douay's division pushed on without concerning itself in the least as to what was be fore or behind it, and, without taking even the ordinary precaution of planting grandes gardes, en camped round Weissenburg on the night of the 3rd, and went to sleep in happy unconsciousness of what the morrow was to bring forth. It is clear that the Prussians or Bavarians on the other side of the Lauter were not aware of the prey that lay thus defence less within their reach, for otherwise by sunset they would have surrounded and captured the whole division. It so happened that the Germans marched forward before Douay's division had started, and destroyed it by sheer weight of numbers. MacMahon hearing the guns on his right as he was marching up from Haguenau, collected a few of the survivors of Douay's corps, and though he saw he had a whole army before him, determined with what forces he had in hand to oppose the passage. He sent word to Dourty and De Failly to send up supports, and retreated fighting all the way to the valley of Nieder bronn. He made a stand wherever he could, but I have it on the authority of an eye-witness, whose letter I dare not transcribe, that it was a running fight all the way. There was no rest for the French—at every halt the Prussian batteries, and those " infernal uhlans " (to use the words of my correspondent), opened upon and swooped down on them. The arrival of supports from Dourly and De Failly enabled the French to make a final stand in front of the Valley of Niederbronn. Wet, weary, footsore, half - starved—they held their own for twelve hours, and, finally, when the corps was destroyed, that portion of its debris which stuck together showed so formidable a front that even the Prus sian cavalry dare not pursue it through the narrow valley from Niederbronn to Saverne. This immunity was purchased, however, at a fearful cost. MacMahon saorificed the. whole of his cavalry to save the rest of his corps d'armee ; and looking at the odds he had to contend with, it reflects the highest credit on his generalship that he was able to rally its debris at Saverne and Saarburg. But his corps was, as a corps, annihilated. In addition to the panic-stricken crowd, which threw everything away, awl were captured by hundreds at STRATEGY OF THE CAMPAIGN. Telegrams dated from Metz early on Saturday inform us that the French troops have abandoned Nancy. The significance of this statement can scarcely be exaggerated. At Nancy, or at Frouard, some four or five miles to the north, the railways uniting Stiasburg on the one hand and Metz on the other join—continuing by Toul and Bar-le-Duc towards Paris. If the French have given up the railroad leading from Nancy northward to Metz, it can only be because they have given up Metz itself. To allow an enemy's cavalry to occupy a vital line of such communication, such as that which unites Nancy with Metz, would be simply suicidal, unless it had been determined that the line of the Moselle should be altogether abandoned. We are. therefore, perfectly prepared to accept the statement—although not yet made upon official authority—that the French army has been entirely withdrawn from Metz and Nancy, towards the line of the Meuse, and the Forest of Argonne, in the passes of which Dumouriez, in 1792, baffled a German army much less resolute and worse prepared for war than that which now invades France. Behind the Ar gonne the imperial generals have all the chances which Bene dek threw away in Bohemia in 1866. They command the debouches of the passes ; they stand at a central point from which they can act rapidly and effectively against hostile forces advancing from any portion of the frontier ; while their communications with the capital, and through the capital, with the great southern and south western provinces which really constitute France, are perfectly secure. The good front which the Imperial forces have shown around Metz inclines us to believe that they will obstinately contest the line of the Meuse and the passes of the Argonne. Dumouriez, with an army wretchedly organised and perilously enthusiastic, there held his ground successfully against the German invaders in 1792 ; it would go hard with Napoleon 111. if he could not maintain the passes against a twofold, or even a threefold, hostile force. But there is one great danger. From Luneville to Chaumoat is but four days' march ; and an army advancing on that line turns not merely the Argonne, but also the lines of all the rivers which flow north-westward through Champagne, and constitute the natural defence of Paris against an enemy approaching from the east. Mean while, it is evident that the French retreat upon Chalons signifies simply the surrender to the enemy of one-fourth of the soil of France, and that nothing but the most over whelming military necessity could explain such a step.— Telegraph. The official telegrams show that it would be practically impossible for the French to hold their position in front of Metz in the present position of the Prussian troops. In the first place, we have an official telegram from the chief Prussian headquarters at Herny, a small rail way station on the line from Metz to Bening Merbach, about 26 kilometres, or 16 miles, from Metz. This telegram says that a battalion of French troops, who had been moved by rail from Metz to Pont h Mousson, the town just half-way between Metz and Nancy, hastily withdrew, with the loss of its baggage, on the Prussian troops taking possession of that place on Saturday morning. The same telegram says that the French have evacuated Nancy, and that the Prussian cavalry has destroyed the railway line to the north of Nancy leading to Frouard. Frouard, it will be observed, is the junction of the railways from Metz and Strasbourg to Paris. Nor is this all. Other bodies of Prussian cavalry have seized a provision column " within the advanced lines of those French troops who are still in position on the glacis of Metz." To a certain extent this is confirmed by the French telegram. One official despatch announces that Nancy has been occupied by a detachment of Prussian cavalry; while another asserts that a body of Prussians, who for a time occupied Pont h Mousson, were dislodged after a short fight by the " Marguerite" cavalry brigade, with a loss of thirty prisoners. It is to be noticed that this telegram is dated Metz, as is another also of yesterday's date, saying that reinforcements have arrived, and that volunteers are coming in in great num bers. If we add to these telegrams an earlier Prussian despatch of Saturday's date, which states that the French army had taken up a position on the river Nied, which it was prepared to defend, but had notwithstanding retired over the Moselle to Metz, and that the Prussian cavalry were before Metz, Pont h Mousson, and Nancy, we have tolerably convincing proof that the French do not intend to take up a deliberate chosen position in front of Metz, but have elected to seek safety behind the Moselle. —Standard. The German army is passing Metz, and still we have no news of a battle. The line of the Moselle, as a telegram from Metz informs us, was reached by the Prussians on Friday morning, and on Saturday morning, as we learn from Berlin, the Prussian infantry appeared in force and took pos session of Pont-d-Mousson, the largest town on the Mo selle between Nancy and Metz. Thereupon the French evacuated Nancy. Such much is clear, but did Marshal Bazaine's army also fall back from Metz ? We strongly suspect it, and the world believes it, for telegrams to that effect are coming in from Frankfort and various points on the Rhine. On the other hand, there are telegrams from Metz, dated Sunday, which are silent on the subject. But it is to be remembered that the French authorities did not see fit to report the evacuation of Nancy until it had been pub lished all over Europe, or the taking of Pont-h- Mousson—this last town having been named by them only for the sake of mentioning a repulse of Prussian scouts. One of two things is certain, either the French army is staying at Metz to be enveloped, if it is not already enveloped, or it has fallen back en Chalons.— / _pay News. As to Speichern, it is wrong to say that the French were in that engages, snt crushed by for numbers. We have now a tolerably full report of u als Stein metz and Alvensleben, which shews pretty clearly what troops were engaged on the German side. The attack was made by the 14th Division, supported by our old friends the 40th Regiment in all fifteen battalions. They alone, of infantry, fought for six hours against the three divisions, or thirty-nine bat talions, which Frossard brought up successively. When they were nearly crushed, but still held the heights of Speichern, which they had stormed in the beginning of the fight, the sth Division of the' 3rd or Brandenburg Corps came up, and at least three out of its four regi ments took part in the fight—all in all, either twenty-four or twenty-seven battalions of Germans. They drove the French from their position, andit was only after the retreat had commenced that the head of the 13th Division,which had turned the French right by the valley of the Rossel, reached the field of battle, fell upon Forbach, and turned an orderly retreat into a rout by cutting off the direct road to Metz. The Germans at the close of the fight had another division (the 6th) ready to engage, and, indeed, sli;htly engaged ; but at the same time two French divisions. Montaudon's and Caatagny's (both of BazaineV, nau eume up, ULM tie outs xtegiment, wmcn corms pun, of the latter, had suffered severely. Thus, if at Wissem bourg and Woerth the French were crushed by superior masses, they were beaten by inferior numbers at Speichern. As to their common report that they were outnumbered, it is not to be forgotten that individual soldiers in a battle cannot possibly judge of numbers, and that it is the common assertion of all beaten armies. Besides, it should not be forgotten that the solid qualities of the German army are only now be ginning to be recognised. We have it officially from the French head-quarters that the German fire is much supe rior in steadiness and precision to the French, and MacMahon insists that the French have no chance against the Germans in woods, because these latter know so much better how to take advantage of shelter,—PallMcall Gazette. WAR NOTES. THE Two SOLDIERS.—The Prussians are certainly model soldiers. Their discipline and perfection of drill far exceed even our men. I saw at Cologne yesterday a regiment going through the manual and platoon exer cise in a manner that would put our Guards to shame ; and those were men of the Landwehr, only just called out. Taking man for man, the German soldier is vastly superior to the French ; and, if it is true that the needle-gun is not inferior to the Chassepot, I am not in the least surprised that the Prus sians have had the best of it. The officers express great contempt for the mitrailleuse. They say it may be use ful for clearing a street in a riot, but it is of very little use in the field. Our train reached this place at eight o'clock this evening.—Correspondent of Tgegraph. THEREBY HANGS A TALE.—Weissenburg, the first German prize in this war, has an ominous sound in French ears. It was on account chiefly of his having lost it against the German army under Wurmser and the Prince of Waldeck, in 1793, that Beauharnais, was guillotined by order of the Convention—Beauharnais, the grandfather of the third Napoleon. Having been raised to the rank of one of the ten Reichsstadte of Alsace in 1247, Weissenburg was first conquered by Louis XIV., in 1673, and handed over to France at the peace of Ryswick. Twice it was reconquered by Germany, in 1744 and 1793 ; but France laying immense stress upon its fortifications, which guarded Alsace from the north, each time recovered it by immense efforts. These fortifi cations date chiefly from the beginning of the eighteenth century, when Marshal Villars constructed the formidable lignes de la Latter, which run along nearly the whole length of the river Lauter.—Pall Mall Gazette. AN ENGLISHMAN FIGHTING.—At Forbach, in the hottest of the action, an English tourist, happening to be there, fought on the French side. When Frossard's division retreated, that gentleman fought like a lion. British proverbial courage and energy, was there shewn as a glorious example even amongst those brave columns of Frossard's divisions, retreating with regret before an overwhelming number, and when their freres d'armes were nearly exter minated,not only the English gentleman fought gallantly, but he saved the life of a wounded soldier, and he is now in Metz, modestly stopping in his hotel, where I intend to go and ascertain his name.— Metz Correspondent of the Standard. THE LOSSES AT WOERTH.—Froeschwiller will be, I believe, the name given to that battle, so fatal to the French opening of the campaign; for it is useless to disguise it, the defeat has been complete; encampments, material, treasury, a great deal of artillery, including four mitrailleuses, have fallen into the hands of the Prussians, the wounded have been left behind, and, without exaggeration, 12,000 French, including several generals and officers, are killed wounded, or missing ; 24,000 Prussians have been killed or put hors de combatt. I have these details from a brigadier general, and can vouch for their unfortunate veracity. We have just begun the contest, and about 60,000 men, French and Prussians, have already gloriously fallen, killed, or hors de combat.—Metz Corre spondent of Standard. THE FRENCH ROOT.—The utter rout and demo ralisation of MacMahon's army exceed all previous antici pation. The number of killed and wounded is now set down at 10,000. Prisoners continue to be brought in, the number up to the present time being computed at 8,000. Among these are many officers of distinction, who appear greatly dejected. The Spahis suffered severe losses. The Prussian corps, chiefly Polish and Silesian, whom I saw en route at Mayence a week ago, are greatly cut up, having three times bee n driven back. The latest telegrams from Paris report that MacMahon has rallied some 18,000 of his shattered army, which is to be reformed at Nancy. One of the captured French officers, on the way to Frankfort, remarked to his guard, " Our losses are beyond all descrip tion. The entire Army Corps of MacMahon are almost as good as destroyed. It was a fight of which I never saw the like. As often as we repulsed the enemy, so often fresh troops appeared, as if they sprung out of the ground. It is incomprehensible to me where you Germans can have .found such a horde. All our baggage is lost."— Times Correspondent at the head-quarters of the Crown Prince. IMPERIAL PREPARATIONS AT PARlS.—Prepara tions are, it is much more than whispered, being there fore made to carry off national treasures of !every des cription. A siege, people say, is absolutely nscessary to cover the retreat of the Imperial family into state of private opulence which Lucellus or any Pro-Consul retired from business might envy where he alive. The blouses and the bourgeois, when they see the covered waggons of the Garde Mobile taking " mattresses for the wounded soldiers " from the Tuileries, growl significantly, and with bitter irony wonder how many pictures of the Louvre Collection will remain toFrance ; where the crown jewels, the bronze, the tapestries, the malachite tables, the rare porcelains, and other valuables belonging to the nation, will be against the treaty of peace comes to be signed between Prussia and the French Republic.—Paris Correspondent of Daily News. WRY THE GARDE MOBILE WERE BADLY DRILLED.—It will hardly seem credible that the different detachments of Moblos (a nickname for Mobile), sent to fill gaps in the army of the Rhine have not had any ball practice whatever. They were drilled to handle broom sticks instead of Chassepots, though destined to oppose an army which the Emperor himself admitted is one of the finest in Europe. " Why was this so?" Englishmen may ask. Because the Emperor saw France through the eyes of M. Pietri. He fears his young Mobiles, who are too well educated and independent to stand the treatment the clod puts up with. M. Pietri's spies covered reams of paper with reports of odds and ends of seditious conversations which they overheard between Moblos in cafts, on parade grounds, at the dinner tables of private families, at soirees, and in the Bullier Dancing Gardens—tending to shew that, if by arming the flower of French youth, the Empire escaped the Scylla of Prussian conquest, it would be wrecked on the Charybdis of Revolution.—Daily News Paris Cor respondent. A PRELUDE TO THE WAR.—It was shortly after the battle of Sadowa, when Bonaparte's demand for a rectification of the Rhenish frontier had just been re jected. The Luxemburg question then came on the tapir. But here, too, unexpected difficulties arose. Under these circumstancess the influence of the mili tary party at Paris increased ; the Emperor entered into confidential deliberations with Niel ; at last the question of an immediate commencement of hostilities against Prussia was brought before the Council of Ministers. The arguments of the war party gained the upper hand ; Marshal Niel saw himself on the eve of accomplishing his cherished plan. Various measures, preparatory to war, were fixed upon in the Council. It was decided, for instance to throw an army of 80,000 men into Luxemburg. When the Council separated the Marshal and one of the Ministers were radient. The others, even those who had given their assent, felt impressed with the sad importance of the situation, and were depressed. The fol lowing morning, according to previous stipulation, one of the Ministers had an audience of the Emperor on the subject of the grave resolution which had been taken on the previous evening. Special orders were expected, and the Minister presented himself in a state of considerable excitement. On being admitted he was struck by the even more than usual phlegmatic and impassable attitude of the Emperor. His astonishment increased when he found Louis Napoleon studiously avoided even the slightest allusion to the proceedings of the evening before. At last the Minister took heart to ex press his astonishment. The reply of the Emperor was, "It is impossible ! We are not sufficiently prepared; we have neither men nor means enough for the present 1" On hearing this quiet reversal of a resolution to which he himself, together with Niel, had mainly contributed, the Minister could not repress his astonishment, and reminded Louis Napoleon of the discussion which had taken place on all these objections, and how, in the end, they had beets overruled. "It is impossible !" the Emperor once more quietly repeated, and the Minister had to make his bow. Great was the revulsion of feeling and the uproar which followed in the circle of the initiated. " The Emperor is very ill !" some said sneeringly. Others broke out in the exclamation " That man dishonours us !" But there was no appeal from Ciesar sobered down; the war party had for the nonce to subside.—Letter from Carl Blind in the Rh einsch,e Zeituna. IT Then ca is pre ening chief llent d for ning for raise raise :ious loess