The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-06 00:00:00

MEXICO.

It is stated that General Grant will shortly visit
the Rio Grande in the flagship of the Gulf squadron.
Doubtful Mexican advices, received via San
Francisco, but bearing no date, report that a revo-
lution had broken out against the Emperor Maximi-
lian.

Intelligence received in New York by direct
steamer from Vera Cruz on the 13th Dec. mentions
rumours that Juarez had resigned the Presidency.
Matamoras papers assert that Colonel Jeannin-
gros had, as a ruse, permitted Escobedo to occupy
Monterey, and afterwards surprised and totally
routed his army with great slaughter. The Repub-
licans claim that Escobedo withdrew from Monterey
with the loss of 30 men.

Doubtful advices, via New Orleans, represent
the Juarist General Diaz as carrying all before him.
The whole State of Oaxaca was in arms against the
Imperialists, and the Liberals were masters of the
whole coast between Vera Cruz and Tuspan, as well
as the sputh of Vera Cruz.

Intelligence from Brownsville to the 7th inst.
states that additional correspondence has been ex-
changed between Weitzel and Mejia, urging mutual
grievances. Weitzel intimates to Mejia, by General
Sheridan's authority, that if outrages upon Ameri-
can citizens, such as he complained of, were con-
tinued, no excuses for such conduct would be
accepted. " You will not be permitted," says
General Weitzel, "to commit acts against the
United States which are not accidents. The Federal
Government will not accept your personal apology
for your bad faith." Mejia returned Weitzel's letter
with a verbal message. The latter informed Mejia
that he considered his letter unanswered.

• CANADA.
1110xTREAL, Dec. 26.
The Merchants' Exchange iu this city has been
totally destroyed by lire.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
(From the Neto York Journal of Commerce.)

Tho money-market is moderately active. Capital is in
good supply, and call loans are readily obtained on miscel-
laneous securities at 7 per cent. There is no change in the
rate of discount for business paper. The best class of
signatures pass at 7 to 9 per cent., and other good names,
at short date, at 10 to 12 per cent. per annum. Gold
opened at 1461 touched at 1461, and fell off to 1461 under
free sales by the Government. Silver is offered more
freely. The demand is less active, at some decline in price.
It is bought by dealers at 510. to 6c., and resold at 41c. to

sc. below the price of gold.
Foreign exchange is firm at 1091 net for bankers' C')
days' sterling bills. We quote :—Bills at 60 days on London,
1081 to 1091 for commercial ; 1091 to 1091 for bankers ;
ditto, at short sight, 110 to 1101; Paris, dt 60 days, 5 171
to 5 134 ; ditto, at short sight, 5 llf to 5 10 ; Antwerp;
5 17} to 5 15 ; Swiss, 5 15 ; Hamburgh, 361 to 361 ;
Amsterdam, 404 to 41; Frankfort, 404 to 41; Bremen, 79
to 791 ; Prussian thalers, 711 to 721.
We understand that the regular Stock Exchange Board,
at a meeting held Saturday afternoon last, resolved to give
no order for stock directly or indirectly to any member of
other stock organisations. Stocks were ready on the street,
and firm at the first session of the open board. At the
regular Board prices were strong on the first call, and soon
after showed some improvement. There was afterwards a
little decline, but the market generally was well sustained.
The demand for Government was fairly active at the quo-
tations. At the 1 o'clock Board sales of Erie were made at
an advance, but most of the Western railway shares showed
some falling off from the morning rates. At the half-Past
2 o'clock Board Erie lost the advance of the previous
session, and some of the Western stocks partially reco-
vered the decline. Prices generally were firmer towards
the close. The closing prices at the First Board show the
following changes as compared with the latest previous
sales. Advance.—United States s's 10-40 Coupons, 1 ;
;
Virginia Sixes, 11 ; Missouri 6's, ; Erie, sth m.,
Central Coal Co., 1; Atlantic M. S. S. Co., 1; Ashburton
Coal Co., 1; Schuylkill Coal Co., 1: Spring
Mountain
Coal, 11; Hudson R., 1 ; Chick and R. 1., 1 ; Mich. So.
and N. 1., 1}; Cleveland and Pitts., 1; Chic, and N.
W.
11; Chic. and N. W. Preferred, 1 ; Pitts., Ft. W., and
Chic., 4. Declined.—United States Sixes, 5-20 Coupons,
1862, 1; United States' Sixes, 5-20 Coupons, 1865, i;
Treas. 7 3-10 Ist, 1 ; Ohio and Miss. Cert., 4 ; Western
Union Tel., 3 ; New York Central, 1; Michigan Central,
; Cleveland and Toledo, 2.
At the 1 o'clock Board the following further changes
were noticed :—Advanced.— Ashburton Coal Company,
I ; Western Union Tel., 2 ; Erie, 1; Cleveland and Tol.,
1. Declined.—Ohio and Mis. Cer., ; Reading, 1; Cleve-
land and Pitts., 11 ; Chic. and N. W., 1; Chic. and. N.
W. Pref., ; Pitts., W., and Co.; i•
At the half-past 2 o'clock Board :—Advanced.—Cleve-
land and Pittsburg, 1 ; Chicago and N. W., 1. Declined.
—United States' Sixes, 1881, coupons, 1; Ohio and Miss.
Certificates, 1 ; Canton Co., 1 ; New York Central, 1 ;
Erie, 1 ; Michigan So. and N. 1., 1 ; Chicago and N. W.,
Preferred, ; Chicago and Rock island, I ; Pittsburg, Fort
Wayne, and Co., 1 ; Quicksilver Mining Company, 1.
The total receipts to-day at the Sub-Treasury were
$5,514,638 52c.; total payment; $7,308,199, leaving a
balance on hand in specie and paper money of $77,265,972
46c. Amount of gold certificates issued, $492,940. The
receipts for dnties to-day at the Custom-house were
$367,000 59e., of which $lOB,OOO were in gold and the
balance in gold certificates.

The Marine National Bank has declared a dividend of 6
per
cent.,
free of Government tax, payable 071 the 2nd of
January next.
The Clark and Sumner Tarr Farm Association has de-
clared a dividend of 5 per cent., payable on demand.
The bank statement for the week, as compared with the
preceding returns, shows an increase of $1,358,655 in
specie, $615,799 in legal tenders, $154,112 in circulation,
$4,433,191, in net deposits, and a decrease of $24,988 in
loans and discounts. _ .

The Chicago Times of• Saturday has the following :-
44 The recent depression, resulting from. the proposed
contraction of the currency, is gradually chsappearin.g, as
business men realise the impossibility, with the existing
condition of the public debt, of carrying such a policy into
practice; and we notice a general restoration of confidence
in commercial circles, and a general revival in trade. This
changed condition of affairs is more strongly exhibited in
atheyrotdutice markets than elsewhere, and operators are
dgegramee tarn
neg hotct o
'reelY, and manifesting a tolerable
confidence as future." to the course of matters in the

Free Press saysßeviewing the business of the past week, the Detroit
:
" Lake navigation has finally closed, is fact; although

Providence Printing Cloth Market, Dec.l6.—Cloths have
advanced during the week about 3c. per yard. Goods very
active. Most of the goods sold have been contracted to be
made in January, February, March, April, May, and June.
Many of the mills are running short time on account of
scarcity of water. The following are the sales :-5,000
pieces 56x60, 15c., early in the week ; 5,000 ditto, 56x60
15ic., early in the week; 25,000 ditto, 56x60, 16c.; 8,000
ditto, 56x60, 18c., at the close ; 12,000 ditto, 60x64, 171 c.,
early in the week; 12,000 ditto, 60x64, 1810. 34,000 ditto,
60x68 and 64x64, 17c. early in the week; 20,000 ditto,
64x64, life.; 6,000 ditto, 64x64, 18c.; 48,000 ditto, 64x64,
181 c. ; 11,000 ditto, 64x64, 19c. ; 18,000 ditto, 65x64,
; 2,000 ditto, 64x64,20c., heavy ; 10,000 ditto, 61x64,
21ic., 30 inches. Total, 216,600 pieces.
Annexed are the comparative earnings of the Detroit
and Milwaukee Railroad for the second week in De-
cember: 1865, $28,889; 1864, $26,728. Increase,
$2,161.

(By Telegraph to Boston.)

New York Stock and Money Market, Dec. 19.—Second
Board.—Gold, 1464 ; 11. S. 5-20's, 1031 ; 11. S. 10-40's, 921 ;
Treasury 7 3-10's, 971; Missouri States, 77 ; Cumberland
Coal Company, 441; New York Central Railroad, 961 ;
Erie Railroad, 941; Reading Railroad, 1071; Michigan
Southern Railroad, 761 ; Cleveland and Pittsburg Railroad,
894.

New York, Dec. 19.—Flour sc. lower; sales 6,000 bar-
rels State and Western ; State, $7 to $8 45c. ; round hoop
Ohio, $8 40c. to $9 85c. ; Western, $7 to $ 845 c. ; Southern
—sales 400 bbls. at $8 75c. ; Canada—sales, 250 barrels,
at $8 sto $ll. Wheat dull; sales, 39,600 bushels; Chi-
cago spring, $1 68c. to $1 82c. ; Milwaukee Club, $1 70c.
to $1 82c. ; amber Milwaukee, $1 83c. to $1 85c. ; amber
State, $2 40c. Corn dull ; sales, 31,000 bushels ; mixed
Western, 95c. to 95ic. Oats dull. Beef steady. Pork
lower—sales, 9,000 barrels; new mess $3O to $3O 50c.
Lard lower—sales, 745 barrels, at 151 c. to 191 c. Whisky
dull—sales, 145 barrels, at $2 31c. to $2 32c. Cotton firmer

—sales, 2,900 bales ; middling, 49c. to 50c. Sugars dull.
Coffee dull ; Rio, 2,600 bags on private terms. Molasses—
sales at $1 100. to sl2sc. Naval stores dull. Petroleum
quiet ; crude, sales, 1,000 bbls., at 41c. to 411 c. ; refined,
bonded, 2,500 bbls., at $6 70c. Freights to Liverpool
quiet.

New York Weekly Cattle Market, New York, Dec. 19.
Beef, c. lower; receipts, 6,400 head; quotations, 9c. to
18c. Sheep quiet, at 310. to Bc. ; receipts, 15,000 head.
Swine lower; quotations, 9ic. to lllc.
Cincinnati, Dec. 19.—Flour dull and unchanged. Hogs
weak at $lO 20c. to $lO 50c. nett, asked. Receipts, 6,200
head. Provisions tending downward. Mess pork declined
$26 50c., closing dull. Lakl offered freely at 17c., with
small sales; prime city, 161 c. Whisky dull, at $2 25c.
Gold, 145 i.

Chicago, Illinois, Dec. 19.—Flour dull. Wheat dull, and
declined 1 to 1/tc. ; sales at $1 28i to $1 281 for No. 1, and
90 to 91c. for No. 2. Corn active, at 46c. for No. 1, and
40 to 42c. for No. 2. Oats dull, at 25/c. to 26c. High wines
dull. Provisions dull and almost nominal. Hogs in mode-
rate supply ; sales at to 9}c. for medium to choice ;
dressed hogs not so firm ; sales at 10 to 11c. Receipts-
-9,500 bbls. flour, 12,500 bushels wheat, 14,000 bushels
corn, 10,000 bushels oats. Shipments-6,000 barrels
flour.

(From Messrs. E. F. Satterthwaite and Co's Weekly Circular,

January 3rd.)

Our advices from New York by the Asia are to the 19th
ult.; they report an active and good demand for all Go-
vernment securities, resulting in an improvement of quite
one per cent. on almost all descriptions of stock. The
Railroad Share market had been excited with numerous
large speculative transactions, but investors appeared to
hold aloof; the last quotations were from $1 to $2 higher
than previous quotations. State Stocks had also in most
cases improved in value. .

Money was reported easy at six per cent. on prime se-
curities, but the Bank return showing an increase of over
four millions of dollars appears to indicate caution on the
part of lenders. Gold remained steady.
The following is the return of the New York Banks :

Disco Bunts. Specie. Circulation. Deposits.
8
Dec. 9. 227,839,344 15,621,780 16,570,613 176,480,562
Dec. 16..227,814,356 16,981,435 16,724,725 180,913,753
TRAFFIC RETURNS FOR NOVEMBER.—Erie : 1865,
$1,451,217 ; 1864, $1,222,568 ; increase, $228,648. Nor-
wich and Worcester: 1865, $60,098; 1861, $53,726 ; in-
crease, $6,372.• Pittsburg, Fort Wayne, and Chicago :
1865, $712,000; 1861, $691,556 ; increase, $20,441.
ATLANTIC AND GREAT WESTERN.—The following com-
munication was posted in the Stock Exchange to-day :
" The Consolidated Bank (Limited) has received the sum
of '.£19,055 3s. 6d. from the earnings of the month of
NOvember of the Atlantic and Great Western Railway, for
the credit of trustees' coupon account."

It may not be generally known that the chief portion of
the merchandise traffic upon American railroads is con-
ducted by express companies, which, by a well organised
system of agencies and receiving offices, collect and de-
liver goods all over the Union, and use the railroads
' as one of the means of transportation ; these express
companies- frequently have privileges accorded, which
enable them to pay very large dividends to their
stockholders ; they are often able to take " time
freight," as it is called, that is, they undertake to deliver
it within a given and usually a quick time, such "time
freight" trucks having precedence over ordinary ones run
by the railroad companies themselves. We find in the
New York Trtbune of December 15th, 1865, the following
paragraph, which seems to point to some very exceptional
arrangements as being made with a company called the
Erie Transportation Company :
"We are asked the nature of the Erie Transportation
Company. Its capital, we have been told, is nominally
$500,000, and was originally distributed among the lead-
ing officials of the Erie Company, and of several Eastern
and Western lines, forming what is known in legislation
as a 'ring.' This company for its services,' was to re-
ceive 6 per cent. upon all Western bound freight delivered
to the road, and 41 per cent. upon Eastern bound, and the
chief labours of its officers were to collect the rent and
divide it among the shareholders. If its present and past
shareholders' names could be given they would include
parties fully paid by salaries from the Erie Road, and
without any claim in the form of subsidy upon traffic
under their charge."

At a meeting of the directors of the Michigan Central
Railroad Company, held at Boston, the 14th day of Decem-
ber, 1865, the report and account of the treasurer was pre-
sented and accepted, and thereupon it was

Voted —That a dividend of five dollars per share, free of
Government tax, be, and the same is hereby declared, pay-
able on the Ist day of January next, to holders of stock at
the close of business on the 20th inst. Payment to be
made to stockholders residing in Michigan and registered
at Boston, at the office of the General Receiver in Detroit ;
to holders of stock registered in the city of New York, at
the office of the Farmers' Loan and Trust Company, in
said city; and to all others, at the office of the treasurer,
in the city of Boston.
Voted—That the transfer books of the company be closed
from the 20th inst., until the Ist Jan. next.

*** The balance of income account., let De-
cember, as per report 5641,973.77
Deduct amount of dividend declared this day,
including Government tax

Leaves a balance to income account of ~. $279,831.67

We wish to draw the attention of our friends to the
absolute necessity of immediately sending out to New
York for registration any Illinois and Erie shares which
they may hold standing in other than their own names.
If this precaution is not adopted, we fear much difficulty
may be experienced in obtaining the forthcoming divi-
dend.

I 2tmnhsfinerstb.ooks of the Illinois Central will be closed
nn the ot

ERRATUM. —We take occasion to rectify an error which
inadvertently occurred in our circular of last week, in
giving the length of the Illinois Central Railway as 756
instead of 706 miles. Thiswould in some measure alter the
comparison between the relative earnings of this road and
the Atlantic and Great Western, as the former would
show £127 per mile for the month against £212 for the
latter.

NOTICES. —We are prepared to cash the following cou-
pons, subject to recourse:—United States Government
Bonds—Erie Fifth Mortgage, 1888, payable Ist December;
Pennsylvania First Mortgage, 1880, payable Ist January ;
Philadelphia and Reading, 1886, payable Ist January ;
Pittsburg, Fort Wayne, and Chicago, 1912, payable Ist
January; Chicago and Rock Island, 1870, payable 10th
January.
The Great Western of Canada traffic is, for week ending
Dec. 15, 1865, £12,914 7s. Bd. on 345 miles, or £37 Bs. Bd.
per mile per week. Dec. 16, 1864, £12,576 10s. 6d. on 345
miles, or £36 9s. ld. per mile.
The Grand Trunk of Canada traffic is, for week ending
Dec. 8, 1865, £26,933 on 1,377 mile; or £l9 11s. 2d. per
mile per week. Dec. 9, 1864, £24,754 on 1,335 miles, or
£lB Bs. 11d. per mile per week. Dec. 16, 1865, £26,448 on
1,377 miles, or £l9 4s. 3d. per mile per week. Dec. 17,
1864, £23,280 on 1,335 miles, or £l7 6s. 10d. per mile per
week.

The Detroit and Milwaukee traffic is, for week ending
Dec. 14, 1865, £5,936 ls. 11d. on 189 miles, or £3lBs. 2d.
per mile per week. Dec. 13, 1864, £6,380 9s. 4d. on 189
miles, or £33 15s. 2d. per week.
Since our last the London market for American securi-
ties has, as is usually the case at this time of year, been
very inactive. On higher quotations from New York,

the river has been almost entirely free from ice for the past
week no vessel has hadthe temerity to venture on a voyage
to any distant point. An important channel of trans-
portation being thus closed, shipments of 1 roduce to
eastern markets have been in great mem e suspended.
Trade, accordingly, very dull, with hardy transactions
enough to establish a market in anyth:ng. This is the
season of the year usually devoted to gat& ring in the hog
crop, but it seems to have been delayed this year. The
packers have not yet appeared in the market, as they have
no confidence in the present prices of bogs. On the other
hand, the farmers are quite as firm in their views. Having
plenty of corn, which they can dispose of to no better ad-
vantage than by putting it to the use of increasing the
weight of their hogs, they are content to let the packers
lie idle and bide their own time.

United States 5-20 Bonds have improved nearly $l, dosing
651 to f. Illinois Shares are now quoted (ex dividend) 77f
to 78, equivalent to an advance of a half per cent.; but Eries,
after improving $l, close flat at a half per cent. under last
week's price ; viz., 561 to 7.
OFFICIAL TRANSACTIONS FOR THE WELL—United States;
6 per Cent. 5.20 Bonds, 1882: Thursday, 641 1 1 51.
Friday, 651 5 1; Saturday, 651 1; Tuesday, 654 1 If,
Erie Shares, $lOO, all paid : Thursday, 571 1 Friday,
571 ; Saturday, 571 I ; Tuesday, 58f ; Wednesday,
571 f 7 61; do. 6 per Cent. Debenture Scrip : Thursday,
pm. ; Friday, pm. ; Saturday, 11 pm. ; Tuesday, 11 pm. ;
Wednesday, pm. Illinois Central Shares, all paid: Thurs-
day, 801=1 f 14 ; Friday, 781 ; Saturday, 794 xd. ; Tues-
day, 791 8+ 1 xd. ; Wednesday, xd.

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.

The usual meeting of the Metropolitan Board of
Works was held yesterday at the office in Spring-
gardens ; Sir John Thwaites in the chair.
FINANCE. •

The financial statement was presented, which
showed the following cash balances in the hands of
the treasurer :—Current accounts, £154,409 9s. 3d. ;
deposit accounts, £178,000. Total, £332,409 9s.
3d. Payments were ordered to be made to the
amount of £2,204 is. Bd.
ELECTION OF MEDICAL OFFICERS TO THE FIRE
BRIGADE.

The first business brought before the Board was
the election of medical officers to the Fire Brigade
for Districts A, B, and C. For the A division, ex-
tending from the Strand to Hampstead, there were
26 candidates, but the election fell upon Mr. John
Lumsden Propert, of No. 100, Glocester-place,
Pcrtman-square. From the B division, extending
from the city to Islington, there were 26 candi-
dates, but the election fell upon Dr. Saunders, of
No. 13, Queen-street, Cheapside. For the C divi-
sion, extending from the city to the east part of
London, there were •17 candidates. The election
fell upon Mr. T. G. Woodforde, of 5, Lansdowne-
terrace, Bromley. The successful candidates seve-
rally returned thanks on their appointment.
CONCESSION OF SEWAGE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE