The Press.
London, England, 1854-09-16 00:00:00

giourg glarlat ditg

FRIDAY EVENING.
ME week opened well, with a slight improvement in
Consols on the closing prices of Saturday. The
rise was maintained on Tuesday, but prices drooped
on Wednesday, with some of the symptoms of a
reaction. Political considerations had not much weight
on the market, it being understood that little impor-
tant news could be expected for some time. The
public, who had been looking for a favourable time
to sell, rushed pretty freely into the market: this,
and the report of a fresh French loan of 10,000,0001.,
caused offers more general than the market could
sustain at its price, and it gave way accordingly.
Even the change in the weather took away from
the buoyancy of the market : speculators began to
feel that the harvest had produced its effect, and
that nothing further was to be expected from it.
Consols for money, which opened on Monday at
95} to I, and closed on that day at a full advance of
a quarter, gaining on Tuesday a further advance of
an eighth, fell on Wednesday for a short time to 951,
and left off at that price on Thursday, after a heavy
market all day. Yesterday the closing price was
951. The report alluded to of the French loan
pressed especially on yesterday's market, although
the rumour was discredited in the best-informed
quarters. The cost of the public improve-
ments was assigned as the ostensible cause of the
loan ; but the municipal system of France, and
more especially of Paris, where the chief expense
has been incurred, relieves the general public from
the greater portion of the burden attached to these

improvements.
The funds might have fallen still further but for
the arrival on Thursday of several large parcels of
gold from Australia, which had been for some time
expected. The total value was estimated at 509,2711.,
besides about 337,4001. arrived yesterday. There
have been other arrivals from America during the
week, and the entire sum which has entered the
country is estimated at over a million, part of which
is, however, destined for the continent.
FOREIGN FUNDS.
The French funds during the early part of the
week were unexpectedly heavy, and have declined on

the whole nearly # per cent., notwithstanding a par-
tial recovery on Wednesday.
There are symptoms of uneasiness in the corn.
mercial world ; and the failure of the firm of David
Scott and Co., of Manchester, is by some regarded
as the harbinger of further calamities. It is asserted
that commercial difficulties are not instantly felt at
the commencement of the war, and that a continu-
ance of the present unsettled state of affairs will pro-
duce mischiefs from which we have too easily fancied
we had escaped. True or not, this opinion is not the
less held, and has injurious effects.
RAILWAYS.

The railways have suffered by the prevailing de-
pression, but not to the same extent as Consols.
Even during the rise at the beginning of the week,
the advance VMS not maintained in many of the lines,
and on Thursday and Friday prices ruled decidedly
lower. The aggregate receipts are favourable, espe-
cially in the Scotch and Northern lines.
The half yearly general court of proprietors of the
Bank of England was held on Thursday, J. G. Hub-
bard, Esq., the governor, in the chair, who said he
had to inform the court that the net profits of the
half year were 025,3261. Os. Id., making the amount
of rest, on the 31st August, 3,054,0121. Bs. Id.
After the dividend now proposed of 41 per cent. for
the half year, free of income tax, the rest would be
3,000,017/. Bs. Id. The dividend was agreed to
unanimously.
The anticipations of the reduction of the Bank
rate of discount have been again doomed to disap-
pointment. Bank and Mining Shares have been on
the whole well sustained.

BRITISH Ft
OFFIC.

3 per Cent. Consols
Ditto for Account
3 per Cents Reduced
3 per Cents
Long Annuities
Blink Stock, 7 per Cent
India Stock, 101 per Cnt.
Rich. Bills, 21d. per diem
India Bonds, (1,00014.

IUOTAI
.ITuesd.

1-
. 8p

SIG -9

I 6 -4

- -I
6P
BANK OF ENGLAND.