The Press. — London, England, 1855-11-24 00:00:00

1128 NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE. SIR COLIN CAMPBELL reappeared at the United Service Club on Saturday, and was warmly welcomed by many of his old companions in arms in the renin• sular and Indian campaigns. A late camp anecdote is going about that the gallant general, a short time since, was offered the command at Malta, which he declined in the following words, "If I am in the way, say so, and I'll go at once ; but if you ask me whether I choose to give up the command of my divi sion while it remains in front of the enemy, I answer, No." COLONEL CAMERON, C. 8., has succeeded to the command of the Highland Division in the Crimea. THE MARTELL° TOWER, off the Spit Isle of Grain, Sheerness, is completed, and has been officially given up to the Ordnance authorities. The construction of this tower gives it the facility of firing the guns (which are to be of the largest calibre) on traversing centre pivots, so as to do execution in the fair-way of the rivers Thames and Medway. The estimated cost is about 14,0001., exculsive of its foundation of piles, which support solid balks of timber, with York landings, being filled in to a depth of six feet with cement. The extreme height of the tower is forty-one feet six inches. From the exposed situation of the tower, which is subject to the sea and weather, great difficul ties were experienced during the winter months in proceeding with tha work. SIR W. CODRINGTON, K.C.8., as Commander-in- Chief of the Army in the East, forwarded his first despatches to the Government this week. MAJOR-GENERAL COLLINGWOOD DICKSON, R.A., who behaved so gallantly at Alma and Inkermann, accom panied by his aide• decamp, Captain Lyons, R.A., and other officers of his suite, left town at the close of last week en route for Kertch, to take command of the artillery of the Anglo-Turkish Contingent. LIEUT.-COLONEL GoonwiN's name was accidentally omitted in the official despatches relative to the assault of the Bth September. One of the last acts of Sir James Simpson was to call the attention of the War-office to the omission in the following words :—" Lieutenant - Colonel Goodwin is a most deserving officer, and I should be glad that his name were remembered with others mentioned." Lieut.- Colonel Goodwin commanded the 41st Regiment, in the 2nd division under General Markham. MAJOR-GENERAL THE HON. G. ANSON, now serving st Bombay with the local rank of 1 ieutenant-general, has been promoted to the local rank of general in the East Indies, a preliminary step to his appoint ment as commander-in-chief, vice Sir William Gomm. SIR PERCY NUGENT, BART., the oldest commissioned officer of the Westmeath Rifles, resigned his company, it is rumoured, in consequence of the Earl of Gra nard, a captainmany years his junior, being appointed t ) the majority ; other officers have followed Sir Percy's example. A DEPOT, 800 strong, of the Royal Sappers and Miners, is to be formed at Chatham. ginutg giariat anb tit FWD/a EVZNINO. TREILE has been great buoyancy on the Stock Ex change this week, the rise in Consols from the lowest point of depression having been equal to one and a half per cent. The market was heavy on Monday, partly through arrangements for paying the ten per cent. instalment on the 16,000,0001. loan the next day, and at one time Consols for money sunk to 871. Subsequently they rallied, and were quoted at the close 87/ After business hours there was • further improvement, and the last price for money Was 881 1, and one-eighth higher for 6th December account. The advance has since been more than main tained. On Tuesday the market was animated—for money the last price was 881 and 881 to 89 for account. On Wednesday a brisk demand for money and a desire to realise profits rendered the market weaker, the quotation for money sinking to 881 4, and for account an eighth higher; but there was again a recovery on Thursday, notwithstanding the prepa rations for payment of the fifteen per cent. on last quotations h higher for ac in tone, though Consols were improvement, Cents. yesterday to 3 discount. .nand for money, discount. Railway we last wrote, rsiuu.. ..... r .-. ' —_—_ __ Turkish Scrip the next day. The last quotations were 881 1 for money, and one eighth higher for ac- count. To-day the market was firm in tone, though 1 not so well maintained at the close ; Consols were 881 1 for money, and 881 1 for account. In other Stocks there has been an improvement, particularly in Turkish : the Six per Cents. yesterday advanced to 81, and the New Scrip to 3 discount. Exchequer Bills, owing to the demand for money, are still heavy, being 12s. to Bs. discount. Railway Shares are slightly better than wh en we last wrote, l though still greatly depressed. The improvement noticeable this week must be mainly attributed to the growing conviction that the I probabilities of peace are increasing. The subject is now dismissed with great keenness, — the speech of 4,' Illh THE PRESS. the Emperor of the French being taken as an indica tion that there is great likelihood of a pacific nego tiation being opened at no distant period; and, after the disappointments of the last year, it is assumed that the Governments concerned would not venture to negotiate again without a clear understanding on the main points to be settled, and a moral certainty that they could be pacifically arranged. Against the favorable influence of pacific prospects, however, we have to set the delays which would inevitably occur during a fresh negotiation—the doubts which must always be felt as to its course—and the certainty that a large loan will be required by our Government early in the ensuing year. From the accounts which reach us, we infer that the expenditure of the Government is proceeding at an almost unparalleled rate at the present time. The French funds have decidedly improved this week, the closing price of the Three per Cents. yesterday being 65f. 95c. The Bank returns in last night's Gazette show scarcely any noticeable variation from those of the previous week. The bullion has increased between 20,000/. and 30,0001. The item of " Other Securities " has declined to the extent of 100,0001., but the amount is still unusually large (17,787,1501.) showing that an active demand for accommodation still exists, and that the Bank would not at the present time be justified in lowering its rate of discount. There will probably be more ease, however, now that the loan instalments have been paid. But while the country is so heavily drained for war expenditure, we must expect that it will command a high rate for com mercial purposes,—the Government in fact is now competing with commercialists and others for ob taining it. The Colonial Produce Market has been much quieter this week, and prices have declined. Sugar has been dull, the West Indian descriptions having receded 2s. to 3s. in value. Tea hes had a dull sale, and coffee has been unaltered in value. We imagine that speculative excitement in colonial pro duce, especially in sugar, has now ceased, and it remains to be seen whether holders will succeed in realising at the present high rates. We see no reason to doubt our previous assertions that the general trade of the country is in a healthy, though not a buoyant state. We see no symptom of any such pressure for money as need cause alarm, and this appears to be the view now taken by persons whose position best qualifies them to form a correct opinion. One of the most distressing features of our manu facturing state at present is the strike in Manchester. Between 3,000 and 4,000 operatives are now thrown out of employment. Hard as the course pursued by the masters in attempting a reduction at the present time must appear, it really seems that they had no choice. Their case is concisely stated in the follow ing paragraph The employers say that they are paying an average of nearly twenty-five per cent. more than the country employer is paying for the same work, and propose to take off ten or twelve per cent. The operatives do not deny the fact of extra prices, but allege that the cost of living is greater in a large town like Manchester. The masters, while admit ting the extra cost of living, reply that the question is not one of goodwill towards their workpeople in a time of bad trade and minimum profits, but a question of sheer existence for both masters and men. They can only compete with other manufacturers in the market by paying something like the same wages; and to show that this is no idle talk they point to the gradual, decay of coarse spinning in Man chester for some years past. It is said that in ten years past, while numbers of mills have been springing up in Ashton, Stalybridge, Burnley, Bacup, and other towns, only one single mill has been built in Manchester, the owner of which has become recently bankrupt. Of those that existed ten years ago one is now used as a sugar-mill, one as a bonded warehouse, and some that have been burnt down, or partially burnt, have been abandoned and lie waste. They further point to the numbers of large capi talists during the time who have sunk under the difficulties now crushing themselves, including a Guest, a Pooley, a Marsland, a Thompson, a Morris, the Potters, a Yates, a Burton, Sibson and Rigg, and others. Some of these were the largest spinners in Manchester ten years ago. Of those now carrying on business the allegation that they are working at a loss, though laughed at by the operatives in a late meeting, is supported by the fact that three of these large firms are working under inspection. Should the workpeople succeed, by a combination, in forcing masters to pay higher wages than is paid in other towns, coarse spinning will be driven out of Manchester into the country, it is said, and one large and highly successful firm carrying on business in the country might be men tioned as having been compelled to abandon a mill in Manchester some years ago. Their successors in this mill have since been bankrupt, while the previous firm have prospered in the country. To this plain statement, the operatives are unable to make any satisfactory reply ; and distressing as a reduction of their wages must appear at the present time, it would seem that they had much better face the necessities of the case than continue out on strike at this pinching season. The gold now overdue from Australia may be esti mated at from 600,000/. to 1,000,000/. The silver brought by the last West India steamer has been sold at 611 d. per ounce, being an advance of ed. on the price realised for the previous arrival, although in several instances higher prices were paid the week before to secure shipment by the overland mail. According to the reports of the trade of the Prus sian port of Memel it appears that great quantities of sulphur, saltpetre, and other articles contraband of war continue to be sent over the frontier to Russia. The parties engaged in the traffic undertake for a very small premium to insure the delivery of the goods on the Russian soil. There appears to be no doubt as to the wide extent of the failure in the wine districts both of Portugal And France this year. In many instances the crop is reported to be ktally destroyed. BRITISH Fl rNDS. Closing Prices. OFF[C; 3 per Cent.Consols Ditto for Account 3 per Cents Reduced 3 per Cents Long Annuities Bank Stock, 7 per Cent _ Omnium Exch. Bills, Sid. per die laths Bowls, (1,0001.) FOI Per Cent. Brazilian I, Danish 5 Dtah. (Kz 12 Ouil )2i French 3 Do. 4} [AL Q 1 i Mond. JOTATION. Tread. Wed. ' Thurs. Friday —.)-I—. 111 l 8) 8 a 87 try 'I . 87} 87f 84 84 I 71 88Y 8 84 202 8 208 / 209 20) 10 — 8 19 81 10 119 84 ad 88711 II ,8611 Do. Bank Stook Mexican 3 Peruvian 44 Portuguese 4 Russian Spanish 3 Tarkiah 4 lEIGN FUNDS. ,Alond.,Tueed. i Wed. dab: i~ )0!26c t L9l k 6"% f Ulf c - f. I :165181 91; a lOU Ti dl 1. rriday. 100 99 d BANK OF ENGLAND. An Account, pursuant to the Act 7th sod Bth Victoria, cap, :ig for the week ending on Saturday, the 17th day of N0v.,18b15. ISRUIC DIPANTIIIENT. Notes issued .... 144,601,700 Government Debt £11,011,100 Other Securities .. 2,984000 Gold Coin & Bullion 10,661.,760 Silver Bullion .... -- /24,661,"80 I BANKING Db;PLETYZNT. Proprietore'CapitalBl4,s63,ooo Government Seen* Rest Public Deposits* Other Deposits Seven Day it other Notes 4,23V,530 Bills 133,782,992 • including Exchequer, Savings Banks, Cr National Debt, and Dividend Accounts. Antw. et Rttrdm. Belgian East. J. Dutch Rhenish, FOREIGN RAILWAYS. Mond.lTuesday. Wanes. 1 Thurs. I " I I 4 I Tt I 21 d2l . d d 11 Id 14 04 dl4 04 d 14 1 I 1 .:414 1 204 1 254 1 201 I 11b 1 5 1 211 1 214 2 11 2 214 1 5 6p 5 6 } p 5 eip 5 64p 19 4 19 4 1 4 IV 41 64 41 51 . 44 54 41 . 51 . 341 a 341 A 344 54 344 . 54 tle 71 61 !I 61 71 61 .4 ,444 444 I 41. al4 44 } 5/ 143 5 5 5 East Indian Gt. Indian Pen G. W .of Can..Bh Lyons tt Geneve Madras Na. R Lge.(w.tn ) Nrthru.of Frnet Norw. Truk. Prf. Paris lc Lyons Paris it Orleans Paris a Rouen RA I LWAI a-- Aberdeen Binn. \Vols.& StourVal Bristol and Exeter Caledonian Chester and Holynead Az 3 71 80 3 6 114 2t 511 4ij loi 1T 9 ZOiliiunciliandon... Dublin* Belfast Jun( Anglian Eastern Unioc (II) East Lancashire Eastern Counties , Great Northern Ot. Sth. and Wet of Ire. Great Western Lancashire& Yorkshire Lon., Tilbury, &Sthend Lon.,Brightou,aa London and l3lackwall London and Nrth-Wear. 444,661,700 X 2 M.) 5 11$ 24 4 40 10; 17 9 41 84 i 5 101 8, 48! Ot Nlidland Newmarket. Newry and Enniskillen Norfolk . Nrthrii. Counties Uniou :North British North Staffordshire lul . 31 : 491544 74g 511 North•W esters Oxf., W roily., and Wolv Scottish Central Scottish Midland South Devun South• Eastern and Dov. South. Western 94 1 di i (i2i 3i i ii 43 5 Ti'ed. 22 8 .. a 4i 61 26 et en 41 of :7* ►r e 167 8 South Wales Waterford it Limerick $1 ' 66 / 192501 75 9411 6 i.. t. 471 6 /39,7 b i,992 intoner' of 1 11 43 0 126 7 2 Itur. 122 3 M ISCILLANEOIIB — A gricultur. 1 " 80 5 ia6 111 1 2l 151 11d 11 2 Canada Crystal Palace Crystal Palace of France North BritishAus. Laud Feel ktiver Land J 6 Scottish Aust. Invest, B: - 8 8e 1 S 6 . 100 4 1 14 6 10 2 i4)4 19 21 26 7 127 83 Q. f liii' 100 4 74 0 10 2 561 74 l 4 8 1 B U4 14 100 3 I kit I 9si !62/ 43 b e 8d 4i 64 100 4 74 S 10 !!, 564 7:4' 16 7 180 Fridery g 7l 1 1} 201 1 5 911 61 6tP 13 1 51 6 1 7 i 4 , 4 51 43 5 I 34 13 D 22 3 71 80 5 Gi ne 24 8$ 4 io 11 2 17 9 G 7 8$ 1 58 7 101 $ 491 41 75 93 5 6 1 18$ 4►il 8 } 2 } i 11 a 1 4 1 1% 43 b d 4 iil 13 26 7 E_ 4 4 if 42 Po 4 74 A Io4if 54 Ti 850 61 10, 14 19 21 South Australian Land Vaa Dieniea's Land SHARES. Mond.rfuead.