The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-05 00:00:00

The Royal Mail steamer Shannon, from the
Brazi!s, has arrived, and brings a fortnight's later
news from the River Plate and the scat of war in
Paraguay. Our papers and letters received ,by this
packet state that no alterat!on whatever had
taken ',place at th 3 se it of war, nor ha,-I there
been an encounter between the Allies and the Para-
guayans, in which the Litter lost 1,200 men, as re-
ported by the telegram published a few days ago.
The particulars of the two fights, of which the news
was brought by the French packet a fort-
night since, and which the Allies claimed as a vic-
tory, turns out to have been a regular defeat,
and over 3,000 Brazilians were killed. An expedi-
tion was talked of to go to Tayi, and from thence
to march to Asuncion, but it was very much
doubted if the Allies could spare so much of their
force, being exposed to the daily attacks of the
Paraguayans. The Allied fleet remained still en-
closed between Malaita and Curupaity, and it is
admitted that they are unable to force the
pass of Malaita, and that the only means to carry
on the war was by land. Cholera had greatly di-
minished in the camp, but it was feared would re-
appear with the warm weather just setting in. The
revolution in the interior provinces of the Confede-
ration was still alive, and trade was paralysed.
A revolution, it was said, had also broken
out in Uruguay, which, it was feared,
would spread rapidly over the country, as
the people are very much dissatisfied with the Go-
vernment of Flores and the dictatorship of Brazil
At Buenos Ayres great frauds had been detected in
the Custom-house, and it was currently reported
that the Government had threatened to arrest
several of the leading merchants of that city.
The new crop of wool had commenced arriving at
the market, but it was in very bad condition, and
prices ruled very low. Money was very easy, and
bank rates were from 6to 9 per cent. National
Bonds had again declined to 52k, but with very little
doing, as the public was afraid to deal in native
securities, with the uncertainty of the war still be-
fore them.

A meeting of the China Steamship and Labuan
Coal Company (Limited) will be held this afternoon
to consider the present position of the company,
and determine what shall be done to protect the
interests of the shareholders.
An extraordinary general meeting of the National
Provincial Marine Insurance Company (Limited)
is convened for the 18th inst., when a resolution
will he proposed in favour of the undertaking being
wound up voluntarily under the supervision of the
Court of Chancery.
The creditors of Mr. John Baynes, of Black-
burn, whose estate shows a ;satisfactory surplus,
have agreed that he shall carry on business and
again present them a statement at the end of the
next six months. The liabilities reach about
£BO,OOO, while the assets are expected to show a
surplus of at least £B,OOO.
The directors of the St. John d'el Rey Mining
Company (Limited) have received, per the
Shannon, thd following report, dated Morro Velho,
29th October, 1867 :—Produce, second division of
October—Eleven days, 14,903 oitavas ; yield,
7,645 oitavas per ton.
At the meeting of the Scottish Union Insurance
Company,at Edinburgh, the new life policies of the
year were stated to have been 887 for £474,205,
yielding, in new premiums, £13,336 19s. 41 The
results of the fire business had been satisfactory, the
net surplus on that account being £14,021. The
invested funds now exceed £1,000,000.

The last week's railway receipts, ascertained up
to this day, are in round figures as under :

1867. 1866.
Groat Western ... ... 70,417 67,347
North Westoru ...123,788 119,372

South Western ... ... ... ... 21,716 21,960

Brighton ... '22,106 20,759
Midland ... _ 54,191 50,073
Great Norther* ... ... 43,385 41,326
South Eastern ... ... 22,691 21,013
Lancashire and Yorkshire_ 45,150 43,786
Bristol and Exeter... 6,469 6,169
North Eastern ... 73,180 70,465
Manchester, Sheffield, and. Lincoln 22,134 22,041
Great Eastern ••• _ 35,769 33,698
London, Chatham, and Dover ... ... 9,390 8,542
North British ... 25,849 24727
Metropolitan... ••• 4,221 4,015
Great Southern and Western of Ireland... 8,781 9,134
Midland and Great Western of Ireland 5,751 15341
Glasgow and South Western ... 10918 10,191
These returns, when compared with those of the
corresponding period of last year, are, with a few
exceptions, of a very satisfactory character. On the
Great Western there is an increase of £3,070 ; on
the North-Western, of £4,416 ; on the Brighton,
of £1,347 ; on the Midland, of £4,086 ; on the
Great Northern, of £2,059 ; on the South-Eastern,
of £1,678; on the Lancashire and Yorkshire, of
£1,364 ; on the Bristol and Exeter, of £3OO ; on the
North-Eastern, of £2,715; on the Manchester, Shef-
field, and Lincoln, of £B9 ; on the Great Eastern,
of £2,071 ; on the London, Chatham, and Doter,
of £B4B ; and on the North British, of £1,122 ;
while the South-Western shows a decrease of £244.
The biddings for bills on India were held yester-
day at the Bank of England. The amounts allotted
were to Calcutta 18,05,000 rs (£180,400), and to
Madras 1,95,000 (£19,500). The minimum price
was fixed at ls. 11d. per rupee on Calcutta and
Madras. Tenders on these Presidencies at ls.
will receive about 89 per cent., those above that
price will be allotted in full. No tenders on Bom-
bay were invited.

Two O'CLOCK.
According to Neuter's telegram this morning the
French Relates were 69f. 23c. Flat.
Business in the English Stock Market remains
inactive owing to the dealers and speculators being
chiefly engaged with the completion of the settle-
ment. No change can be reported in prices, Con-
sols being 93 for money, 93k I for the account
on the 7th January.

The return issued from the Bankers' Clearing
House by Mr. J. C. Locock, deputy inspector
of the paid clearing, for the week ending the 4th
Dec., is as follows :
Thursday,
Friday,
Saturday,
Monday,
Tuesday,
Wednesday,

Total

£71,203,000

The New Threes and Reduced Annuities are
92i 3 ; Bank Stock, 243 5 ; India ditto, 223 ;
ditto 5 per Cents., 112. 113 ; ditto 4 per Cents.,
100 k 100 ; Enlaced 5 per Cents., 1034 ; ditto 51
per Cents., 1034 ; and ditto Bonds, 58s. prem.
More activity has been experienced in the Foreign
Stock Market, but the result has not improved
quotations. Turkish 5 per Cents. have advanced
to 33;1, 34; but Spanish 5 per Cents. have de-
clined to 251 26 ; the New 3 per Cents. 4, to
351 36/ ; and Mexican f, to 15,i 16 ; while Italian
are weak at 464 ; and Greek at 131 ; the New
Egyptian 9 Per Cent. Loan continues steady at
1 1 prem. ; and the New Honduras Loan is firm
at 14 lf prem.

In American Securities there is an advance of 1
in Illinois, which are marked 90 91 ; and of f in
Fries, at 471 48i ; while United States 5-20 Bonds
havo declined f, to 71 1.
In the Foreign and Colonial lines there has been
no material variation. San Paulo are dealt in at
161; South Austrian and Lombardo-Venetian at 14 ;
East Indian at 112 ; Great Indian Peninsula at
1101- a ; and Great Western of Canada at 168 I.
Atlantic a❑d Great Western Railway Deben-
tures remain firm at 214 224 ; and the Consolidated
Mortgage Bonds at 191 191.
More activity has been apparent in the Railway
Share Market, and prices generally have improved.
Great Northern A Stock have advanced Cale-