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 .11'RWS.

MONDAY NIGHT.

THE pressure upon the Money-market, on account of
;he 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
pait 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 have 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
prosbect 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 ... 3,614,704; Increase ... 7,364
On the other side of the account :
Government Securities £12,799,368; Decrease... £231,720
Other Securities
Notes unemployed
The amount of notes in circulation is £19,713,470,
being 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.

ISSUE 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 ...

afternoon.

£27,110,270
BANKING DEPARTAIENT.

£27,110,270

Prop. Capital ... £14,553,000 G. 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
catty .6 nth pr
£38,176,137

£38,173,137

Our SITARE-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. Local 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,
7611 if; London Stock, 911 211 4 82; Sheffield
Stock, 231 ; Midland Stock, 651 IT; North-Western,
51; South-Eastern, 171 3-16; Aberdeen 6 p. c. in perp.,
98 ; St. Helen's C. and R. 5 per cent. B, 102 ; Liver-
pool United Has 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 2d. to id. 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, middling .

1854 1855
.. 5 3-16 61
.. 61 6
.. 5 1-16 5
.. 6 8k

, ' fair
Upland, middling

i SA 1.115. I MPORTS. STOCK
r---A.._....._7, r___./...____, —.
up.scairriox. riticks.l Week Previ. Week This
Year
ending onsly ending
Sept.2lithis yr. Sept.2l • Sep. 21
—-- -- --
Sea Island
Stained
Boweds .... 54 7 75201 587610 343650
Mobile 54 61 39501 258290 126883 781878
New Orleans 34 74 10170 925940 1
Pernams, &c 6* 74 13401 36300 1856 48559' 22860
Bahia, &c.
Maranham 64 64 180 39640 1818 24531 16770
Demerara, &c 94 40 390 13 701 520
Egyptian 6 9* 1450 93570 2499 81836; 51040
c0in.w.i.,...
Surat
Madras
I
Bengal 34 34 220
.. —_-- 2210 ....1 ....1 970
--- .:—_. —. —.—.

32750 23574301

63180

11680987

547150

LATEST NEWS.

THE ALLIES' AND THE SIEGE OF
SEBASTOPOL.

TUE Moniteur publishes the following :
The capture of Sebastopol has caused the greatest joy in
England as well as in France. In fact, it was just that, after
having shared the dangers and the sacrifices of this war, the two
people should take an equal share in the glory of the triumph.
Since the commencement of the struggle, France and England,
united by an intimate community of views and efforts, have
shown a sort of emulation in providing each according to its
resources the means of assuring success. If France was able
to send out more soldiers, England provided a greater num-
ber of ships, and, nevertheless, sent successively to the Crimea
80,000 troops, collected from all points of her immense empire-
Thanks to the prodigious naval armament of the Allied
Powers, their flags rule on every sea, and exclude Russia from
it. The enemy has seen his ships blockaded or burnt in his
ports, his coasts devastated, his commerce annihilated, his
foreign relations destroyed. From the Sea of Azoff to the
White Sea, from the Baltic to Kamiesch, Russia is imprisoned
by our fleets. While, by force of courage, our soldiers tri-
umphed over the desperate resistance of the Russian army,
the combined fleets destroyed their provisions and intercepted
their communications, at the same time that they kept up
abundance in the allied armies, and brought them daily new
reinforcements.

Our own maritime resources would scarcely have sufficed
for the transport of our troops and of the enormous quantity
of materiel which such a war at a distance of 800 leagues from
the country demanded. The English Admiralty placed fifty
vessels of the Royal and commercial navy at the disposal of
France, which conveyed to the Crimea nearly 40,000 of our
troops, with 2,000 horses, and 7,000 tons of materiel. Every
one knows, moreover, that if Bomarsund fell under the blows
of our soldiers, it was chiefly the English navy that took them
there.

In all the phases of this war, at Alma and at Inkermann,
as at Bomarsund and at Sweaborg, the armies and fleets of
England and France have mingled their blood together and
emulated each other in bravery for the common cause.

At the Tchernaya our allies hastened up to our support as
we hastened up to support them at Bakklava. In the last
and victorious efforts against Sebastopol English and French
equally fulfilled their heroic task. Of several different points
of attack one only was conquered at first ; but the triumph is
not the less due to all the corps of the allied army, which,
mutually supporting each other and sharing the resistance of
the enemy, finally compelled him to abandon the walls of that
town which even his despair could no longer defend. Thus
the Commander-in-Chief of the French army was only just
when he attributed to the English army a large share of glory
in the success of that great day's work.
As regards the pecuniary sacrifices which our allies have
imposed upon themselves, they are equal to ours, if they do
not exceed them. Without speaking of the Turkish loan of
100,000,000 f., guaranteed, it is true, by France as well as
England, but contracted for entirely by our neighbours, nor
of the fifty millions advanced by them to the Piedmontese
Government to enable it to give us the so useful assistance of
her brave soldiers, England has spent in this war nearly
400,000,000 f. last year, and has provided so that she can spend
this year more than a milliard, if necessary.

This enormous burden and all these sacrifices the English
people know how to support, like the French people, not only
with resignation, but with that energy which proves that it
will spare nothing till its object is attained; and it may be
said that, with our neighbours as with ourselves, the nation
is not satisfied with following and supporting its Govern-
ment, but goes in some measure beyond it, by providing it with
all the means for assuring the triumph of a cause the justice
and grandeur of which are equally understood by both peoples.

IBY ELECTRIC & INTERNATIONAL TELEGRAPHS. J

LONDON, Monday Night.
A Cabinet Council was held at the Foreign Office this

THE CRIMEA.
MARSEILLES, Sept. 20.

It is said that the Russians had connected the mines in
Sebastopol with Fort Constantine by electric wires, in the
hope of destroying any of the Allied troops who might enter
"'Meat" dataityt/Vitv.alfeli'V""tarsentes iu Lae billplll.ll4 Vl
military stores and the embarkation of troops for the East.
150 quay porters were sent by a steamer to Sebastopol, for
the purpose of clearing the ruins.

NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE.

The Times' Vienna correspondent writes on the 20th :

The only positive information which can be given respecting
the state of the Eastern Question is that England and France
have not desired, and will not desire, Austria to make any
propositions to Russia.

It is related that the Austrian Government is about, in its
own name, to urge Russia to accept pure, and simple, the four
points as interpreted by the Western Powers ; but its zeal is
likely to be checked by the news that the Emperor has gone
to Nicolaieff.

It is not doubted here that a considerable part of the
Russian fleet is safe and sound in the Bug, which is so deep
that men-of-war can be moored close to the Admiralty.

An Odessa correspondent observes that the Russian Go-
vernment showed its wisdom when, twenty-seven years ago,
it made Nicolaieff the principal depot and dockyard of the
Russian fleet Nicolaieff is the great Black Sea arsenal. Se-
bastopol was the war port, in which the fleet passed the
winter.

INDEMNIFICATION FROM RUSSIA.

The Times' Vienna correspondent also says :—The Austrian
papers mention a new arrangement made between the Western
Powers and Turkey, respecting indemnification from Russia

Well-informed persons greatly doubt the details given
relative to the arrangement between the Western Powers and
Turkey for indemnification from Russia. " I have been posi-
tively assured," says The Times' correspondent, " that Russia
will not, at present, at least, consent to pay any indemnifi-
- I cation."

40,000 men of the Militia of the Empire are now assembled
in the neighbourhood of Nicolaieff and Cherson.
Cholera is declining at Vienna.

OPERATIONS IN THE CRIMEA.

SEBASTOPOL, September 16.

The Russians are fortifying the north part, and are con-
structing new batteries. The French are advancing cavalry
and a column of infantry towards Bakshiserai, by the Baidar
road.

A fearful tempest has occurred at Sebastopol, accompanied by
torrents of rain,
Sebastopol is to be razed, and the basin filled up.

THE WAR.

MARSEILLES, Monday.
The steamer Cannel has arrived. She left Constantinople
on the 17th, and brings Crimea advices to the 15th.
General Dulac has arrived. Despatches leave at 9, a.m.
Shell and cartridges are being shipped.

THE PENINSULA.

SOITTIIIMPTON, Monday.

The steamer Madrid has arrived. Dates :—Gibraltar, Sept.
14; Cadiz, 15 ; Lisbon, 19 ; Vigo and Oporto, 20. She brings
specie value £7,000.

At Lisbon money was scarce. Exchange on London, three
months, 541 to I.

DESPATCH FROM PRINCE GORTSCHAKOFF.
(From the Express.)
ST. PETERSBURG, Sept. 23.
Prince Gortschakoff reports from Sebastopol, that the Allies
have attempted nothing yet on the north side ; also, that the
enemy is concentrating his forces between Balaklava and the
Tchernaya, and constantly reconnoitres our left wing from
the Baidar Valley.