The Sun.
London, England, 1868-11-24 00:00:00

PARAGUAY.

The Buenos Ayres Standard, of October 11, gives
some particulars of the bridge fight at the Picig-
fires. The Allied commander, de,iiring t) ascer-
tain the exact position of the enemy, ordered the
advance guards to reconnoitre the lines. The
Brazilians at once pushed out west, and came on
an immense lagoon surrounded by woods, in which
the enemy were concealed. To the right of the
lake the Allies attacked and took by storm a Para-
guayan picket, but the Paraguayans had help at
hand, for suddenly a large body came up, and the
fight became general. Some accounts state that
the Brazilians had 300 men placed " hors de com-
bat," but there was a subsequent report that there
had been twe fights, and the loss was not so heavy,
the second affair being a mere skirmish. The truth
appears to be that when the Allies move in
west or north they fall in with the enemy,
and the country is so densely wooded and
surrounded with quagmires, that it is believed
that the advance by land will be abandoned ;
but that all available gunboats, steamers, and
sailing vessels will follow the ironclads, and
25,000 men at once be thrown into Ascuncion to
outflank Lopez. It is said that the Marques Caxias
is but waiting for the arrival of some cargoes of
jerked beef from Montevideo. The position of
Viletta is declared to be stronger than anticipated.
The Paraguayans are posted on high hills, upon
which they have mounted their artillery. All the
passes through the lagoons, all the paths through
the woods, are within range of Paraguayan guns,
Iso that as long as the supplies hold out, and his
soldiers stand by him, Lopez may defy his ene-
mies. The pass at Viletta is defended, but the
ironclads can go through without much trouble.
Steamers and sailing vessels, however, cannot at-
tempt to go up till the batteries are silenced. BY
the latest accounts it appears there had been
two engagements after the fight at the bridge.
The position of the Allies was critical, and the
Marques Caxias had sent for Gelley and Obes to
come up with Argentine forces. The army con-
tractors were finding great difficulty in supplying
beef, and an effort was to be made to tow it fruni
the Paso de la Patria, as great loss occurred in
driving the animals up through Paraguay. - The
Brazilian outposts had captured some Paraguayan
cattle, and although the animals were poor, they
bad supplied the men with meat several days. The
squadron rode at anchor at Palmas, abreast the en-
campment of the Allies, which faces Villeta. Mar-

ques Caxias had obtained information from a Para-
guayan deserter that Lopez was fortifying Villeta,
the key to the position. The river Palma is net
wide, and the anchorage of the fleet is in about 6 to
7 fathoms ; the river still keeps high ; the rains are
incessant, and the heat is unbearable. Mercedes is nog
the base of operations. The last fight at the bridge
of Picignires was sanguinary. The bridge is over
a deep, narrow stream, and is a drawbridge to ad-
mit small craft from the Paraguayan river. When
Commander Neves came up, he found the bridge
all right, and took across 700 men. Facing was
small body of Paraguayan infantry, which the ad-
vancing columns charged and drove back; but in the
rear and concealed by the woods was a strong divi-
sion of Paraguayan cavalry. As soon as the Bra-
zilians were across, and were chasing the Para•
guayans, the cavalry deployed from the woods and
commenced the real fight. The Brazilians wheeled
round and cut their way to the bridge, but with
serious loss. The expenses for supplying the army
are now so heavy that the contractors would
give it up ; but every effort has to be made
till the force reaches Asuncion, which will take
SUILIU Buie tv ay. The following ne,ro 10 firvm
York :--" The report that American vessels of war
had been sent up the Paraguay river to Asuncion
is confirmed. They have orders to demand the
immediate surrender of members of the United
States Legation held prisoners by the Para-
guayans."

There was a meeting of the Copyright Associa-
tion, at the Astor House, New York, on Saturday'
the 31st October; Dr. Lieber in the chair. There
does not appear to have been any business of ilia"
portance transacted beyond the election of officers,
which were as follows :—William Cullen Bryant,
Esq., was elected President for the ensuing term-
The Vice-Presidents are Professor Longfellow,
Horace Greeley, G. 11. Baker, of Pennsylvania ;
W. G. Simms, of South Carolina; G. W. Curtis,
and A. P. Barnard, of New York.

Mayor Hoffman is the object of much affection'
ate attention at the hands of expectauts of office, novr
that his election to the Governorship is beyond doubt. 011
the sth inst. he was literally mobbed by visitors, at the city
Hall. It is said to b 3 his intention to resign the mayor-
alty in season to allow of the election of a successor nest
month, thus obviating the necessity of the President of
the Board of Aldermen (Mr. Co wen) assuming the posi-
tion of acting mayor. _

General R)secrans will sail for Mexico on the
10th instant.

James Anderson, an American, was brought
before Lord Chief Justice Bovill and several judges in tho
Court for the consideration of Crown Cases Reserved, No"'
16, indicted for murder on board a vessel belonging 1°
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, registered in London, and sailing
under the British flag. She was in the river Garonne/
bound to Bordeaux, and had proceeded half of 90 miles
from the sea to the city when the murder took place. It NO
within the influence of the rise and fall of the tide, but 1‘
was objected to on the part of the prisoner, that as di()
offence had been committed in France, while tb°
vessel was colonial, and the prisoner an American, the
Court had no jurisdiction. Tha Lord Chief Justice'
with the concurrence of the other judges, said that as tb°
prisoner formed part of the crew of a merchant shiP:
though in foreign waters, ho was under the protection 0`
British law and amenable to its provisions. Though sub;
ject to American jurisdiction and French jurisdiction, P);
for some purposes ho was within British jurisdiction, an t
that couniry had power to legislate for all who brongb
themselves within its allegiance. The offence was coin'
witted on board a British vessel by ono of her crow, and
A.
it made no difference that he was a foreigner. If on 0';
high seas it would be within the jurisdiction of the Ad'
miralty, but it was on a navigable river, below any bridge'
in a place where the tide ebbed and flowed, and " where
great ships did go." What difference was there betvo3°,.;
that place and the high seas?—and it was such a place
was within the jurisdiction of the Admiralty. If so, it vti',
as if it had been committed on the high seas. He sheaf''
therefore, say the prisoner was amenable to British lavi•

Births.
„Ago
HOARE-0 n the 22d inst., at 1, Upper Hyde-park-s""
the wife of Samuel Hoare, Esq., of a daughter.
PEEL —On the 21st inst., at Whitehall-gardens, '
Emily Peel, of a daughter.
Marriages.
COGHLAN—bIoLLoY—On the 21st inst., at Ramsgate, '9.
M. P. Coghlan, 8.C.5., to Mary Josephine, only ditati,
ter of the late Kelt) Molloy, Esq., of the King's Cou'i
Ireland.
SPILLER —PLOWER —On the 21st inst., at Hampstert-
A dot
Church, William Hutchinson Spiller, Esq., Grossredot
House, Ifighbury New Park, to Sarah Annie, the o%,se,
daughter of Thomas Flower, of 801 l Moor 111'
Hampstead.

Deaths.
ADAMSON—On the 21st inst., at Thaydon Garnoni
James Adamson, Esq., late of the Inland Revenue, 3'"e
72. don,
BOYLE—On the 20th inst., at the Military Prison, Ave„ ' b•
Cavendish Spencer Boyle, late Captain in the 72d
hinders.
BURROWS —On the 22d inst., at Saffron Walden, "'
Mr. Wm. Burrows, aged 74. siboO•
BROWN—On the 21st inst., at 11, Tavistock-square,
Brown, Esq., aged 74. cfreeri-
GREENHILL —On the 21st inst., at Ramsgate, Fred. '"
hill, Esq., of Finehley-common.

London : Printed and Published by WILLIAM A-10,r 11'1,,
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Tao SUN Olic?' 'fn/ 0'
Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the 'o2""'
Middlesex.—Tuesday, November 24, 1868.