The Express.
London, England, 1852-05-13 00:00:00

London and North Westerns...

Great Westerns
Midlands
Lancaabire and Yorkshires
South Westerns
South Eastern
Caledonians
Blackwell' 9 „ 19

The settling will not be so heavy aslant time, the
account being a short one, and the transactions far
from active. French shares were not quite so scarce
as last account, yet the rates of continuation ruled
moderate.

In the market for Bank shares an increased busi-
ness has been done this week, and prices show a
general upward tendency, especially for banks whose
operations are in connexion with our Australian
colonies. Australasian Bank shares have further risen
21. during the week, and other stocks in proportion.
Sales aro recorded as follows :—Austislasia (40/.
paid), 451, 461, 47; British North American (501.
paid), 53t, 55; Colonial (251. paid), 13; London
and Westminster (20/. paid), 291, t, ) ; Oriental
Bank Corporation (251. paid), 36; Provincial of Ire-
land (251. paid),. 4.51, - ; Union of Australia (251.
paid), 43, 1; Union of London (101. paid), 151. The
market value of nearly all the joint stock bank
sham in the kingdom is experiencing a rapid rise,
this description of property feeling even more sensi-
bly than other enterprises the effect of the abundance
of money. In the above list there is only one instance
in which the present market value of the shares is
below the amount paid, whilst in some cases the
shares have nearly doubled in value.
•

Dock stocks continuo in brisk demand, and prices
are still rising. East and West India Stock, com-
pared with last wk's prices, has advanced 2/. 10s.;
St. Katharine, 21.; and London, IL 10.. The latest
prices are subjoined: —Commercial Stock. 004 S
;
East and West India 1571 160; London, 127 ; t.
Katharine, 831, 84, 831 ; douthampton, 281.
- - -

. _
In steam boat shares, Peninsular and Orientals are
still actively inquired for at rising prices, whilst
Royal Mail Steam shares, on the contrary, are de-
clinieg. General Steam Navigation are quoted 29;
insular and Oriental, 81 t, 81, 1, 82 ; ditto, New!
(13i. vaid), 331, 33; Royal Mail Steam, 771, 77, 761,
77, 761 ex div. The shares of the Australian Royal
Mail Steam Company have this week been introducedl
into the Stock Exchange list, and business is marked
in them at 31, or 11 prem.
Insurance shams remain firm, with a moderate!
inquiry. Globe, Rock, and English and Scottish i
Law Aaron are looking up. The latest quotations
of the market arc as follows : Albion, 86; Alliance, I
22 ex div.; ditto, Marine, 411 ; Atlas,lBl; British
Commercial, 61; Church of England, 31; Clerical,
Medical, and General, 19, 1 ex. bonus; County, 100,
ex div. ; Crown, 161; Eagle, 71; Equity and Law
Life, 31; English and Scotch Law Life, 3;; Euro-
pean Life, 12; General, ; Globe, 141; Guardian,
:In; Imperial Fire, 2.113 ; ditto, Life, In; lndemnity
Marino, 50; Law Fire, 31; Law Life, 461; Legal
and General Life, 11 ; London Fire, 23 ; Marine, 111;
Medical, Invalid, and General, 2t •, Monarch, ;
National Loan Fund, 21; Palladium Life, 21;
Pelican, 45 ; Phoenix, 160 ex. div. and bonus ; Pro-
fessional Life, 1; Provident Life, 40 ; Rock Life,,
71; Royal Exchaoge, 2251 ; Ban Fire, 213 ; ditto

MINCING-LANE—THIS DAY.
SI/GAIL—The market has become rather dull, and prices
are a shade lower, but holders appear firm, and buy in
largely at tho public sales. To-day, 10,000 mats were
offered, and all bought in ut 315.t0 345.; 6,000 mats Manilla
were also bought in at 315.t0 3L.; 1,000 mats Zanzibar sold
at 30s. 6d. to 345. The refined market firm, and rather
higher prices have been paid. Grocery lumps, fair to fine,
47a. to 48s. Od.
COMPEL—The public sales are going off well, at full
price.. Good ordinary native Ceylon, quoted 445. to
445. M.
Taa.—There continues a fair demand for 91 to 11
Coltgoiu..—
le The public sales went off steadily & former
prices; good to fine white Bengal sold at in. to Us. tid.
Semis remain steady.
In other articles ao material alteration.

TALLOW

DAY.

The mullet is arm, and prices &till lock up. Town
Tallow is worth Ws. 6d. nett cash ; Petersburg Y.C. on the
spot, 365. 9d. to 375.; October to Decetnber 0952), 375. 9d. ;
on or before the end of May, 365.9 d.

HAY MARKET.-THIS DAY.

Mauro. Cooper-
and Davis report a dull trade. Prime
Meadow Hay, 78a. to 855.; inferior ditto, M.. to 75e.;
Romeo, Gie. ; Clover, 88s. to 1(10s. ; second cut, 80a. to 88a. ;
Straw, 236. to 276.

COALS.—LONDON, MAT 12. CLORE, or TRH MAR.
arr. Davison'. West Hartley, 14s. Rd. ; Redheugh
Ham, 11s. ; Townley,l2s.; West Wylarn, 12s. 6d. ; Wylam,l3s. 9d.; Walls End Harvey Wylam, unscreened, 11$.;
Walls End Peareth, unmreened, 12s. ; Eden Main, 15e. ;
Walls End Hetton, 165.; Walls End Lambton, 15s. 04. ;
Walls End Richmund, 15s. ; Walls End Russel's Heston,
1.5 e. 9d. ; Walls End Stewart's, IGs. ; Walls End Hello.,
15s. 9d. ; Walls End South Hartlepool, ISa. 6d. ; Wale
End Snuth Kclloe, 14.; Walls End Thornier, 15s. ; Walls
End Backhouse, 14%. 3d.; Walls End WoOdhouse Close,
13s. Gd.; Cowpen Hartley, 14.. ; Nixon's Merthyr
and Cardiff, 215.; Port Talbot Steam, IBs. ; Skiborwen
Merthyr, Ilia—Ships at market, 167; sold, 37.

SERVANTS' ROYAL PROVIDENT AND BENEVOLENT
SociETY.—The fifth annual meeting of this society took
place yesterday at the office, in Great Marlborough-street,
Harry Chester, Esq., in the chair. It appeared from the
report which was read by the secretary, thatdeering the past
year, 16,4111. 13s. 7d. had been paid by servants to the
provident Lund of the society, 12,164/. 19s. 9d. being on ac-
count of new contracts 1.., government annuities. The
total amount paid by servants to the provident tend of the
see sty since its commencement has been 43,3211. 9s. 6d.,
the greater portion of which has been for annuities. The
report also gave the partieulon of a successful prosecution
for false character giving, which was lately undertaken by
the society against an old and notorious offender, who went
by the name of Mrs. Aust. The statement of accounts was
then read, and directors and trustees tier the ensuing year
appointed, and after a few observations from the chairman,
who pointed out the fact that the society had negoriated
more than one-third of the whole number of annuities
which had been granted by savings banks 21111 parochial
societies since the passing of the act, the meeting broke up.
EXTRAORDINARY CELESTIAL PHENOMENON.—Tho
South Jutland paper, the Freia, has the following para-
graph :—" On Easter Monday, a fiery light pillar, which
reeve 20 or 30 degrees high tram the platy where the sun had
set, and stood perpendu ular en the benison, was observed
at Obenroe and many other places. The air was that day
thick and heavy, and round the sun were rings and by-suns
(called sun-wolves by the peasantry). It would therefore
appear easy to attribute this light pillar to the same class res
its aceempanime-ta. But we see by the papers that this
phenomenon has been seen in North Jutland (at Thisted),
in Mecklenburg (near Kro(tlin), etc., and it can therefore
scarcely be a mere optical illusion caused by the state of
the atmosphere ; for it seems impossible to autistic the
existence et the necessary conditions for this in so many lo-
calities. It must then be cosmical, and belong to the aye-
tem of the universe. That it is the zodiacal light we must
be allowed to doubt, for in Me ckleuhurg the phenomenon
was observed before sunset. Without ourscle CS venturing
to propose any hyputhe is we would beg to point out, that
comets which approach very near the sun have been seen
in open day."
MIDLAND RAILWAY.—A special meeting of the
shareliolelen of this company was held at Derby yesterday,
' ter the purpose of submitting the bills now berme parliament
for the approval of the proprieion, Mr. Ellis, M.P., in the
• chair The chairman, in the tiret place, directed the atten-
tion
of the shareholder. to the Wi reester and Ueretonl
itoil-
way. which connected the Midland Railway with districts
of North and South Wales. The bill would enable the
London and North-Western to work the line. They were
in no other way inter did in it, and uo erg gement what--
est'. had been entered into by the Midland Cumin tny.
The mat was a permissive bill, enabling the NI andiester
and Boston Company to sill or Vase their line to the Mid-
land or London and North-Western Company. The next
was the moist important business of the day—the real. 'op-
tion of the Leeds and Bradford lease. The hoard had roma
to the cuuclusion that the lease ought to be redeemed upon
the tonna which they now renin'. They had already
provided the means. The scheme, if approved of, would he
sin eddy carried into effect. He then moved a resolution to
the following effect Th:d. under the powers of the Mid-
land (Leeds and Bradford) Act the sum of 1,84)0,0004
be now raised by the creation of 18,000 shares of
100 i. each in the undeitaking of the Midland Rail-
way (to be called Bradairil straits), and that the amount
of such shares he, for tie flint use years, after the tate of
V. 10s. p. r cent per annum, ate! thenceforth V. Aud the
directors of the Midland Company be authorised to acquire
shares ite the Leeds and Bradford Railway under the ;ewers
of the act. The whole of the bills, after some discussion
upon
doff
the lett of them, were ogre ed to, and the meettAl was
than adious.