LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1191, 2 February 1864, Page 1

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

AMERICA. Intelligence from New STork down to No vember 14 has been received this morning: Nothing beyond unimportant skirmishing is reported from Virginia. One day's later news from Charleston i received by the arrival of the Federal stea mer Massachussets at Portress Monroe. Th ! Confederate flag was shot away every day but immediately replaced. The whole nura ber of shots fired at the fort during the pre sent attack is 9340, of which 7700 have take] effect. No casualties are reported. All is quiet at Chattanooga. The government has impressed all th steamboats and railways at Cincinnati fo the transportation of troops to Genera Grant, who is to be immediately reinforce* by upwards of 30,000 men. The defeat of the Confederates in Wester] Virginia and the occupation of Clarksbur; by Generals Averill and Duftie have beei officially confirmed. The Federals capturei 100 prisoners and a large quantity of wa material. The Confederate Generals Rhoddy, Fergu son, Chalmers, and Richardson are ii Northern Mississippi, co-operating agains General Sherman's line of communications. In Tennessee General Forrest, with i large body of cavalry, has been detached t< luirrass General Grant's transportation o supplies. Letters from New Orleans to the 4th o November states that no news of Genera Bank's expedition had yet been received Speculation pointed at Point Isabel, Texas as its real destination. The further progress of General Franklin's army had been found impossible, owing t< the impassable state of the Roads, and it wa believed that the expedition would be aban doned. On the 11th General Foster turned ovei the command to the departments of Vir ginia and North to Genera Butler. General Canby has been replaced in tin command of the troops in and around th< harbour of New York by Brigadier-Genera Stannard. A military force, which it was fount necessary to send into the Pennsylvania coai regions, has restored order and the exercisc of authority. The provost-marshals are collecting the conscripts. Lord Lyons has officially notified the government at Washington of his receipt ol information from the Governor-General oi Canada, of a plot among the Confederate refugees in Canada to seize certain steamer* on Lake Erie, liberate the Confederate prisoners at Johnson's Island, iu Sandusky Bay and attack the principal Lake cities. Secretary Stanton has warned the authorities of those cities, and advised the arrest of all suspicious vessels in the different ports. An extra regiment of soldiers has been dispatched to the island, and an armed steamer is reconnoitring the north shore of the lake. Mr. Stanton has ordered General Dix to proceed to Buffalo, and adopt such measures us he may deem necessary for the protection of the frontier. It is reported from Washington that on board the Confederate steamer Robert E. Loo, captured a few days since, were Mr. 0. E. Stewart, Belgian consul, H. H. Webjer, and 11. W. Rooke, of the British army. Important dispatches from the Confederate igents in Europe were found in the vessel, )r picked up in the water. These latter are (aid to express an entire hopelessness of any issistanee for the Confederacy from either England or France. Chief Justices Lowrie, Woodward, and Thompson—the first two Democrats and the ast a, Republican, together constituting a najority of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania—have declared the Conscription -Vet o be unconstitutional. Marshal Forey had sailed for France in he French gunboat Panama. THE SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN QUESTION. Prince Frederic of Augustenburg lias proiosed through his representative at the federal Diet that measure should bo taken or the protection of the functionaries in lolstein who have refused to take the oath f allegiance to the King of Denmark. Colonel Du Plat has arrived at Gotha from lamburg, and assumes the direction of the lilitary affairs of the prince. Emphatic denial from a reliable source is iven to the statement of the Vienna papers hat Prussia and Austria had sent identical istructions to their representatives at the 'ederal Diet, that, as the offspring of a lorganatic marriage, Duke Frederic of Lugustenburg had no hereditary claim to be Duchies. The committee of the National Verein. as sent Herren Bennigseu and Fries to totha as a deputation to the Prince of aigustenberg. The prince and his advisers eceijred the deputation, and in reply to their 1 . ■ '■

address his Highness said:—'" In the affair of the Duchies there must be 110 distinction between governments and peoples, nor any party difference among nations. The people's sense of right is the best guarantee for the rights of princes. It has been possible to oppress the people of Schleswig and Holstein ' in the name of the rights of princes, and in the name of the rights of a prince I shall !■' deliver them, and by the help of God will soon do so." i The committee of the National Yerein has • also issued an address to the German people. 3 The address reminds the princes of their > responsibility, implores the German nation " to act for itself, calls upon the friends of the country to furnish men, money and arms, 1 and to hold all resources in readiness. It promises application of the funds collected for the German fleet in a manner corres- ? ponding with the emergency, and demands l ' self-taxation by the people. The address 1 finally exhorts the nation to firm organl isatiou, and states that the National Yerein has formed an auxiliary committee for that 1 purpose. ? FRANCE. 1 The ' Patrie' of November 25, asserts that the Mexican Government will pay to France r an annual indemnity calculated upon the footing of 1400f. for every man left in Mexico. 1 The ' Nation' believes itself able to state that diplomatic efforts are being made to prevent a conflict between Denmark and 1 Germany, and says : — £ * The Cabinet of St. \ Petersburg, by an amicable intervention, ' seeks to prevent a struggle which might involve all Europe." 1 THE PROPOSED EUROPEAN 1 CONGRESS. ' La France' and £ Pays' of November 24 ' announce that the reply of Russia to the invitation to a Cougress has arrived, and been * sent to Oompiegne. The same journals state ' that this reply is conceived in very concilia- ' tory and courteous terms. The former paper says: —" All the Continental Powers have acceded in principle to the proposed Congress, with the exception of Austria, who has not " yet made known her decision." ' The ' Morning Post' announces that the British Cabinet has decided upon declining the invitation to join the Congress proposed ! by the Emperor Napoleon. The Cabinet 1 first required explanations, and not finding them satisfactory, determined to decline the Congress from a- practical conviction of its inutility. THE POLISH IXSURRECTIOX. Intelligence has been received this morning that the insurrection in Lithuania is again extending. Fresh bands have appeared in Samogitia, in the districts of Rossieue and Grodno. In the forest of Zywewody, near Sinvalid (government of Augustowo), a Russian detachment fell info an ambuscade, and was defeated by the insurgents. Bodies of Poles are continually being reported from the government of Augnstowo to Siberia. Advices from Warsaw state that the son of the banker Rawicz has been hanged at Siedlec by order of the Russian General Maninkin. A company of infantry and two sotnias of Cossacks have been defeated by the insurgents near Lenizna, in the government of Lublin. In the district of Gostyu, Tyrewiczs cavalry corps has been dispersed by the Russians. The' Czas' of November 25 announces that General Prince Wittgenstein has gone to the government of Kalisch to extort addresses of loyalty to the Czar. Numerous arrests of high public functionaries took place at Warsaw 011 Nov. 21. Among the number of these were MM. Miszynski, Luszczenski, and Pietkowski, directors of departments of the civil administration. A proclamation of the national government was issued on Nov. 24 at AVarsaw, denying the rumours, proceeding from Russian sources, that the Poles were on the point of laying down their arms. The proclamation announces a continuance of the war as the only means of saving the country. It also states that the forces of the insurrection are 011 the increase, and that the Russians have proved themselves unable to j govern otherwise thau by fire and sword. RUSSIA. Russia is increasing her army in the Southern provinces. 160,001) men are said to occupy the country from the Crimea to Galieia, under llio command of General , Luders. 1 During the last three months much has ] been done, not only in strengthening Cron- 1 stadt, but also in fortifying the entrances to ] the Neva, in building gunboats, batteries, &e. Cronstadt is being strengthened under ! the superintendence of General Todleben and General Yareva, by placing the old forts in a hotter state of defence, and at many points covering up the masonry by earthworks. By June J, 1864, the marine department expects to have at Cronstadt 16 iron-clad vessels. AUSTRIA. The claim made by the Duke of Augustenburg to the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein greatly disturbs the equanimity of Austrian Government, as it foresees that it will lead to political complications fraught with danger to Germany. All the independent organs of the Yienna press express unqualified approval of Duke Frederic's address to the inhabitants of Schleswig-Holstein, but neither the official nor semi-official papers have yet made known their opinions on the subject.

rjtraiA. Two divisions of the Prussian army, the 6th and 1-Hli. have been ordered to hold themselves in readiness to take the field, which can only have reference to a possible approaching conflict with Denmark. ]n Berlin, since the acceptance of the new constitution by King Christian, the tone lias become warlike, and a conflict with Denmark seems inevitable and imminent.

In the sitting of the Chamber of Deputies on November 21, a government bill was laid on the table relative to military service. With the exception of some changes in the wording, it is the same measure as was presented last session. The article stipulating for three yerrs' service is maintained.