The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-02 00:00:00

LA TEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

STEPHENS IN PARIS.

" Stephens," says a correspondent, " the Fenian
' Head Centre,' is in Paris, where his brother, a
dentist, lives, and where he met Mitchel."

BOMBAY AND MAURITIUS MAILS.
MALTA, DEC. 1.

The Ripon leaves at noon to-day for Marseilles.
The Syria left at 8 p.m. yesterday for Southamp-
ton, where she may be expected about the 9th inst.

CALCUTTA AND CHINA MAILS.
SOUTHAMPTON, DEC. 2.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Nyanza, with the heavy portion of the above mails,
has arrived here. She brings 64 passengers, £792
in specie, 5 boxes of valuables, and a general cargo,
including 1,300 bales of raw silk, valued at £95,000.
At Alexandria a large number of merchant steam-
ships are lying in harbour.
On the 24th ult. the Nyanza spoke the English
barque Viking, and on the 29th ult. the steamer
Amazon. Both vessels wished to be reported.
On the 27th ult., when in the Straits of Gibral-
tar, the Nyanza passed an American line-of-battle
ship.
Gibraltar has been declared a clean port by the
Lisbon Board of Health, and is now also in land
communication with the ports of Spain.
At Gibraltar, on the 27th ult., Exchange on
London was quoted 493 ; on Paris, 5.23 to 5.24 ;
and on Madrid, ato dis.
SPAIN AND CHILI.
CIRCULAR OF MINISTER OF MARINE
UPON CHILIAN PRIVATEERS.
MADRID, Nov. 29.

The circular forwarded by the Spanish Minister
of Marine to the captains and commanders of naval
squadrons, stations, and departments relative to the
treatment of Chilian privateers, a summary of
which has been received by telegraph, is as follows :
" Excellent Sir, —According to intelligence re-
ceived by the last mail from the Pacific, the
Chilian Government, after the rupure of dip-
lomatic relations with Spain, and the de-
claration of the blockade of the ports of
the Republic by the commanders of our squadron,
sent various agents to England and the United States
with letters of marque, in order to arm vessels
against the national flag. It is not to be expected
that any foreign subject violating the laws of neu-
trality will accept the Chilian letters of marque ;
but to provide against the least contravention of
the conditions of international law, which the
constant practice followed has farther sanc-
tioned, the Queen (whom God preserve)
hereby designs to declare, in accordance with
existing law, that those vessels whose captains
and officers and the greater part of the crew are
not Chilian subjects, and have not received their
letters of marque direct from the Government of
the Chilian Republic, will be considered and treated
as pirates, with all the rigour of the law.
" I communicate the above to your Excellency
by Royal order for the due circulation and exact
fulfilment of the same.

" God preserve your Excellency many years,

" ZAVALA.
"San Ildefonso, 26th November, 1865."

MEXICO.

NEW YORK, Nov. 23 (Evening).

Advices received here from Matamoras to the Bth
inst., via New Orleans, announce that the Republi-
cans have raised the siege of Matamoras iu conse-
quence of the Imperial troops marching from
Monterey to attack their rear. They dispersed in
different directions, pursued by the Imperialists for
about five miles, having been previously badly cut
up. Generals Pensa and Gallenda were killed, and
Cortinas, Himajosa, and Garza wounded. A French
squadron had arrived at the mouth of the Rio
Grande.

Washington despatches state that Meijla had
informed the Emperor that half the forces besieging
Matamoras were Federal troops, and that Maxi-
milian, fearing complications with the United States
might arise therefrom, had abandoned his intended
journey to Yucatan. The Empress would visit
Yucatan, and afterwards proceed to Europe.
The New York papers arnounccd the receipt of
authentic intelligence stating that Maximilian
had ordered all the Imperial forces to be withdrawn
from the outposts and concentrated at Vera Cruz,
city of Mexico, and San Luis Potisi, there to await
the arrival of reinforcements. It was believed that
the people would rise in favour of the republic upon
the troops being withdrawn ; the republicans, it is
added, having received encouraging advices from
the United States.

The Matamoras papers announce that a conspi-
racy had been discovered, formed at Brownsville, to
capture Matamoras and the forts, and assassinate
Gen. Meijla. Two of the conspirators, formerly
Confederate officers, had been captured and sen-
tenced to be shot.

It is reported, via New Orleans, that the French
Admiral demanded of Gen. Weitzel the surrender
of the steamer captured by the republicans, which
was refused.

Intelligence via San Francisco announces that the
Imperialists bad shot Arteaga, Parapachos, Gomez,
and Saluzar, recently captured in Michoacan. Gen.
Alvarez had consequently proclaimed the life of
every captured French imperial general to be for-
feited.

Despatches from Mazatlan to the Bth, via San
Francisco, state that the French had entirely aban-
doned Sinaloa, except the town of Mazatlan, where
800 troops were stationed. The Republicans,
vaguely estimated at several thousands, had cut off
their communication with theinterior and threatened
the city.
Advices from Acapulco to the 3d report the ar-
rival of a reinforcement of 500 Imperial troops from
Mazatlan.

General Carrajal and other Republican Mexican
officers in the United States are purchasing arms,
ammunition, and uniforms for shipment to Mexico
via Brownsville.

The Royal Mail screw steamer Cuba, from Hali-
fax and Boston, arrived at Queenstown at 1.45 p.m.
to-day (Dec. 1) with 62 passengers and $112,100 in
specie. She landed all the mails but the Liverpool
and Scotch and three passengers, and proceeded at
2.10 p.m., all well.

PORTUGAL.

LISBON, Nov. 28.

Since the time of Ponibal, who flourished a cen-
tury ago, the Oporto wine trade has been subject
to restrictions quite at variance with the free trade
principles of the present day. The Ministry, much
to tis credit, recently brought forward a bill to
make the trade perfectly free three months after it
should become law, and the House of Deputies yes-
terday sent it to the Peers, approved by a large
majority, with a modification that the law is to take
effect immediately after its approval by the Peers
and the Crown.

It appears the wine trade at Oporto were quite
prepared to dispense with the three months' grace,
and, dotibtless, the result will be that those English
gentlemen who enjoy their old port will continue
to get it equally good, guaranteed by the brand of
their favourite shippers, while the less brandied and
purer wines of the Douro will soon freely pass the
Oporto bar, and find their way to those consumers
who prefer wine to alcohol. With this freedom all
parties ought to be satisfied, and particularly the
general interests of Portugal which will derive
great benefit from this further step in the removal
of restrictions upon its commerce.

The Lower House yesterday commenced the

lity.