The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-10 00:00:00

Of this amount 400,000/. have come from Australia, and
175,000/. from South America and the Pacific, by the West
India mail. The large amount of silver from Mexico,
estimated at fully 000,000/., is still detained there by the
unsafe condition of the rustle to the port of shipment ;
consequently its non-receipt caused some disappointment.
It is, however, expected by the packet due on the let of
February. The exports, so far, have been considerably
below the imports. They have been exclusively to the
Continent, and were partly in payment fur silver purchased
there. The Bank of France and the Credit Mobilier have
both been buyers of gold. They have absorbed about
80,0001. this week ; and it is believed that nearly the whole
of the 400,0001. (brought by the Montmorency) has been
secured by their agents.
The exchanges are pretty much as they were last week.
There is certainly no improvement. But it should be
known that by the system adopted upon the Continent of
buying gold here and in New York without reference to
what is called the balance of trade, or to anything else
except the object of procuring it, is causing the state of
the exchanges to be partially disregarded.
Business in English Securities has scarcely been more
active than it was last week. This has been owing in a
great degree to the arrangements for the settlement in
Consols, which were brought to a final close today, and to
an indisposition on the part of dealers and others to en-
gage in transactions for the future until political and
monetary matters assume a more definite aspect. Nor
has there yet been time for the dispersion of the dividends
to produce any effect either upon business or prices. The
last price just at the termination of the account was 04 to
/, being exactly the same as at the final close this day
week, the market not having varied beyond the merest
shade from Monday up to yesterday. Yesterday the open-
ing price for the new account on the sth February was 941
to 1, the rates for carrying over having been a half per
cent. throughout; but in the afternoon the absence of busi-
ness caused general dullness, from the effects of which
quotations receded one-eighth, and they closed at 941 to 1.
This morning they opened at 941 to 1, and were tolerably
steady at that quotation until the Bank Directors made the
change described above. Prices declined gradually to 941
to 1, but a rally occurred of 1, and at the official close
they stood at 9l} to I. After regular hours rumours
prevailed that the Bank return would be unfavourable ;
and they returned to 941 to 1, looking steady.
Exchequer Bills have recovered since our last. In the
early part of the week they were dealt in at 2s. prem. ;
but subsequently they were more pressed, and they went
to par. The present price is Is. to 4s. prem. This is
ls. better than they were last Friday.
Railway Shares are, on the whole, about the same as
when we last wrote, although some descriptions are rather
higher, and some rather lower. But as to business there
never perhaps was a duller time. The market, however,
appears to be bare of stock, for the public are offering none,
evidently holding back under the impression that as the
half-yearly dividends will be good there will be an advance
before they become payable. French lines have obtained
some improvement, and Canadians are better. To-day,
however, they receded with Consols, and left off at a reduc-
tion ofd per cent.
The Foreign Market has teen destitute of interest.
Turkish Stocks have obtained a slight improvement.
Joint-stock Banks, Miscellaneous, and Mitring Shares
have all been inactive, without any noticeable features.
A company has been formed under the Limited Liability
Act to carry on Mr. Mare's works at Blackwell. The title
of it is to be " The Thames Iron Works and Ship-building
Company." The capital is 100,0001., in twenty shares of
5,0001. each, the whole of which has been subscribed pri-
vately.
An outside dealer in shares is stated to have ab-
sconded, against whom a warrant has been issued for
forging a power of attorney for the sale of 5501. Console.
The same individual is alleged to have obtained an advance
of 2,0001. upon forged certificates of 400 shares in the
Peel River Company.
Negotiations for the transfer of the fleet of the General
Screw Company to a new company have been conditionally
concluded. Eight vessels are to be transferred of an aggre-
gate capacityof 18,001) tons, at a nominal value of 320,1)001.,
to be paid in shares. They will be employed upon a line
between Bremen and New York, Havre and New York,
and Hamburg and Brazil ; Southampton being, in each
case, the port of call.
Mr. H. Brown, M P., has been adjudicated a bankrupt
on the debt duo to the Royal British Bank ; but the hon.
member has appealed against the adjudication.
Certain English capitalists have obtained the concession
of an Imperial National Bank in Turkey, without any
conditions for raising a loan. The hank, under limitations,
has an exclusive right of issue for thirty years ; and it will,
probably, redeem the old and debased currency by its own
convertible notes.
The Joint-stock Banks' half-yearly dividends are be-
ginning to be announced. The Union have declared a
diviend of five per cent., and a bonus of two and a half per
cent., for the six months ending December 31, being at
the rate of fifteen per cent. on the paid-up capital.
Several failures, principally of manufacturing firms,
have been announced during the week.
The Trade Reports of the week are on the satis-
factory ; but complaints of the increasing prices of raw
materials are almost general.