The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-09-25 00:00:00

put into the meters, he had only been able to make an
approximation to the amount actually put in.
In reply to Mr. A. C. Stewart, he said the meters which
are represented as fast, are against the interest of the
consumer.
In answer to the Chairmain, Mr. TAUNTON said he had
adopted every suggestion which had been thrown out to
him by any of the Gas Company's officers, as to the
mode of testing the meters, as his only object was
to ascertain the exact truth. He further said that in
the investigation of between 300 and 400 meters he
had only found two or three which were correct ; some of them
being as much as 9 per cent. too fast, and others of them slow
to the extent of 10 per cent. The exact amount of fastness
in a meter is not an accurate test of how much it may operate
against the consumer or the contrary. He had not made any
experiments as to the quality of the Liverpool gas, as he had
no opportunity of doing so. He also stated it as consistent
with his knowledge that some meter-makers voluntarily make
meters to measure fast, with a view to securing the custom of
particular gas companies. This applied chiefly to the opera-
tions of small companies in the country, where any means of
testing the meters was difficult of access. He also stated that
the errors of measurement in the meters were nearly as often
against as in favour of the company.
Mr. CLINT moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Taunton, which
was passed unanimously. The committee then adjourned till
to-morrow, at eleven o'clock.

COMMERCIAL and MONETARY NEWS.

MONDAY NIGHT.

THE pressure upon the Money-market, on account of
the demands of the loans, and the advance in the rate
of discount which it is expected will be still further in-
creased, has had a depressing effect on the public
funds, though not to any great extent, as, notwith-
standing the desire to realise on the part of large
holders, there has been a general disposition on the
part of the public to make investments. Indeed, as we
remarked on a former occasion, there is often more im-
portance attached to monetary movements than they
really deserve. The returns of the Bank of England
on Friday show another diminution in the stock of
bullion to the extent of rather more than half-a-million;
but as the circulation has also diminished to very nearly
the same amount, the decrease in the reserve of notes
unemployed is only £129,100, leaving an abundant
margin to remove any apprehensions, at least for the
present. The operations of the Bank Directors have
had the effect of improving the foreign exchanges so as
to discourage the exportation of gold; and as there have ,
been subsequently several large arrivals of specie, there
is no reason to anticipate any continuance of depression,
particularly as the recent fine weather is having a fa-
vourable influence on the corn markets. We extract
the following remarks from the Money article of The
Times on Friday :

Although there was no general expectation of a further ad-
vance in the Bank rate of discount to-day, there was sufficient
uncertainty upon the point to cause the breaking-up of the
Court to be waited for with interest. The demand at the
Bank during the past week is supposed to hare been as heayy
as during the two preceding weeks, in which it was found ne-
cessary to resort to a rise, but for the circumstance that much
of it was believed to be caused by the caution of the discount-
houses in refusing large transactions while there might be a
prospect of a further immediate change, as well as by the de-
sire of the public to provide themselves against such a contin-
gency, there would have been ground to entertain the proba-
bility of a fresh movement. Whether it will yet have to be
resorted to must still depend in a great degree upon the state
of the corn-market, the arrivals from Australia, and the course
which the government may pursue regarding the instalments
on the Turkish loan.

The return from the Bank of England for the week
endingthelsth of Septembergives the following results,
when compared with the previous week :
Public Deposits ... £7,838,531; Increase ... £247,194
Other Deposits ... 11,146,762 ; Increase ... 176,409
Rest ... 3,644,704; Increase ... 7,364
On the other side of the account :
Government Securities £12,799,368; Decrease... £231,720
Other Securities 17,388,784; Increase ... 751,557
Notes unemployed

The amount of notes in circulation is £19,713,470,
beinc, a decrease of £428,635, and the stock of
bullion in both departments is £13,698,455, showing
a decrease of £518,921, when compared with the
preceding return.

Ir3SLTE DEPARTMENT.

Notes issued ... £27,110,270 Governmt. Debt £11,015,100
Other Securities 2,984,900
Gold coin & bu11'n.13,110,270
Silver bullion ...

£27,110,270 £27,110,270
BANKING DEPARTMENT.
Prop. Capital ... £14,553,000 Gov. Securities £12,799,368
Rest . 3,644,704 Other Securities 17,388,784
Public Deposits 7,838,531 Notes ... 7,396,800
Other Deposits 11,146,762 Gold & Silver Coin 588,185
7-day & other bills 990,140
£38,173,137 £38,173,137

Our SHAR-MARKET, has continued during the
week in a state of extreme depression, with scarcely a
momentary rally. For railway shares the market is
very heavy, there being no buying to take stock
offered. eal stocks are more steady, especially
those likely to profit by a more tight Money-
market---bank and insurance shares. We annex
prices :---Blackburn, 5 ; Lancashire and Yorkshire,
761 ; London Stock, 91: ' Sheffield
Stock, 231 ; Midland Stock, 65 ; North-Western,
51; South-Eastern, 17+ 3-16; Aberdeen 6 p. c. in perp.,
9t; St. Helen's C. and R. 5 per cent. B, 102 ; Liver-
pool United Gas Company, 185.
COTTON.---The market during the week has been
depressed, from the absence of speculation, owing to
accounts of greater supplies and lower prices on the
other side. The demands of the trade have also been
confined to the requirements for immediate consump-
tion, and prices have given way from Id. to N. per lb.
The sales for the week up to Friday amounted to
32,750 bales, of which 1,390 were taken on speculation,
and 4,710 for export, leaving 26,650 for the trade.
TO-DAY, the advices by the Canada were to hand, but
they had little effect on this market. The sales were
6,000 bales, including 500 for export, and prices
remained unaltered. The following is a comparison
of present rates with those of the corresponding period
last year :---

New Orleans, ;m.iddling
aUpland:middling
„ fair

1854 1855
. 5 3-16 6k
. 61 61-
. 6 1.16 5'
.. 6 6i