The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-10 00:00:00

MONEY MARKET.-(TBIS DAY.)

Two o'CLocz.

The stock rnarketa,to-day are generally firm. The
funds are quoted quite as good as they closed
yesterday. A further alight improvement has taken
place in several of the principal speculative foreign
stocks. As regards home railway securities,
scarcely any movement is observable. Business
generally is inactive.
Consols are now quoted 91 to 1 for money, and
914, "sellers," for the account (April 81. The
official business report is as follows :-Three per
Cent. Consols, for money, 91,1; ditto for account,9lg;
Three per Cents. Reduced, 894, 4, it ; New Three
per Cents., 894, 4 ; Bank Stock, 238, 240 ; India
Five per Cent. Stock, 1041, 1 ; ditto Bonds, Bs.
dia. ; and Exchequer Bills, par, se. dia.
Foreign stocks are firmer. Turkish Bonds of
1862 are about 4 per cent. better, at 691 to ; the
Consolidda likewise 1 higher, at 504 to 51; and
Spanish Passive and Mexican severally * to / per
cent. better, at 34/ to 35, and 431 to respcc-
tively. Greek Bonds are unaltered, at 221 to 4.
Transactions are reworded as follows :-Brazilian,
1852, 1858, 1860, 871, 4 ; ditto 1863, 871; Co-
lombian scrip, 4 dia. ; Dutch Two-and-a-Half per
Cents., 64 ; ditto Certificates, 101, 4 ; Egyp-
tian, 991, ex div. ; Italian, for account,
661 ; ditto Maremmana Railway, 73 ;
Mexican, for account, 43/, 44, 434 ; Peruvian,
1862, for account, 86, 851 ; Portuguese, 1856,
&c., for acct., 484 ; Russian, 1862, 881,89 ; Spanish
Passive, for account, 35, 34/ ; ditto Certificates,
for account, 134 ; Turkish, 1858, for account,
681, 4, 68, ex div. ; ditto 1862, for account, 691,
4, 69 ; ditto 1001. Bonds, 691, 69.
International Financial shares are now quoted 61
to 71 prem.; General Credit, 3 to / prem.
London Financial, 91 to 101, ex div. and ex new ;
Mercantile Credit, 7 to 8 prem. ; Hudson's Bay,
181 to 1 ; and Thames Iron Works and Ship-
building, 31 to 44 prem. ; Credit Mobilier, 1 to
14 prem.; Imperial Financial (New), 21 to 34 prem. ;
Financial Corporation, 11 to 2 prem. ; Credit
Foncier (Great Britain and Ireland), 1 to 11 prem.;
Queensland Sheep Investment, 4 to 1 prem. ;
Australian and Eastern Navigation, 44 to 51
prem. ; South Eastern Bank, par to 1 prem. ;
Central Argentine Railway, 1 to 11 prem. ; and
National Provincial Marine, 1 to 14 prem.
Gold to the amount of 30,0001. was purchased by
the Bank yesterday, making a total for the week of
303,0001., while the week's withdrawals have
reached 411,0001. in sovereigns for Brazil and
Alexandria.

The telegrams just to band report that the ship-
ments of gold from Melbourne to England du'-iug
the month reached only 195,0001., being tousi-
derably below the average.
The quotation of exchange received from Bom-
bay yesterday shows a rise of id., or 2 per cent., and
that from Calcutta of id., or i per cent., com-
pared with the quotations last to hand. The Can-
ton exchange, ou the other baud, exhibits a fall of
lid. , or 2} per cent. The movement in the two
former instances is adverse, and in the latter
favourable, to this country. The Shanghae
exchange is unaltered.
The dividend on Great Western Railway stock
is officially announced at the rate of 3 per
cent per annum, against the same rate for the cor-
responding period of 1862. That on West Midland
(Oxford) is at the rate of lj per cent. per annum
against ; Newport, 1} against ; and South
Wales, 3 against 3,1. These announcements have
been received favourably.
The Grand Think Ra;lway Company have an-
nounced the payment of the half-year's interest
due on the 16th inst, on the Atlantic and St. Law-
rence sterling shares and interest certificates.
An important undertaking, which has been
looked fur for some time pant, is announced
under the auspices of the General Credit and
Finance Company and the London Financial
Association—a combination which, being the first
of its kind, will be regarded with interest. It is
entitled the Central Argentine Railway Company
(Limited). This line will be no less than 247 miles
in length, and will connect Rosario and Cordova,
two of the moat important cities iu the Argentine
Republic. It will pass through a large tract of
fertile country, the development of which is only
checked by the want of means of transit. Rossi io
stands on the shore of the river Parana, at a point
whence a navigation of more than 2,000 miles is
available. The Argentine government, in promo-
tion of this national undertaking, has given a con-
cession conveying many privileges. Amongst these
are the grant of the railway in perpetuity, without
any right of pre-emption on the part of the govern-I
client ; the free grant of land; timber, &c., under
the former head being included a total of 900,03
English acres ; and a guaranteed interest of 7 per
cent. per annum for forty years ou an expenditure
not exceeding 6,4001.' per mile, taking the working
expenses at 45 per cent. The line is to be completed
in sections, the government guarantee taking effect
from the opening of each section ; and any advances
under the guarantee are to be repaid to the govern-
ment out of subsequent surplus profits. An im-
portant feature of the enterprise is described as
follows:

Mr. Thomas Gamey, Mr. George Wytbes, and Mr. Wil-
liam Wheelwright, in coesideration of receiving in payment
one-half of the lands granted, and the sum of 6,400/. per
mile--the amount on which the interest guaninteed by the
government is calculated—have nodes taken the construc-
tion of the railway in conformity with the provisions of the
ootioessiott—the erection of stations sod other necessary
buildings—the supply of rolling stock—the payment of
expenses incidental to the formation of the company—and
the charges of management. The contractors also under-
take to pay 7 per coot per annum inte-est in half-yearly
payments on the deposit sod calls until the govei.iment
geventee comes into force es respects each section ; to
work each section from the time of its completion at the
rate allowed by the government ; and to maintain end work
the entire line foe two your after its oompletion at the
same rata; whereby the govetentent gunman '3 of 7 per
cent. interest is secured to the ehareholders.
The capital is 1,600,0001., of which it is now
intended to raise 1,000,0001. in 60,000 shores of
201. each, and it is apparently proposed to issue de-
bentures to the extent of 600,0004 The names
connected with the undertaking are highly re-
tpectable.
Another new project is the tmzinto Plantation
and Trading Company of Natal (Limited). The
capital is 125,0001., in 5,000 shares of 251. each, of
which it is not intended to call up more than 121.
per share. The object is to work the Umxinto
estates, embracing upwards of 12,000 acres of well
selected sugar and coffee lands, and to extend the
operations of the existing Colonial Company. It
is stated that the experiment of sugar production
on these estates has proved a complete success,
but additional capital is now required. Of
the 5,000 shares to be issued, 1,500 are
to be assigned to the colonial shareholders,
and of the remainder a large number have already
been applied for. The direction is composed as
follows :—Mr. John Barry, of the firm of Barry
and Nephew, of London and the Cape ; Mr. Wil-
liam Duthie, of East India-avenue ; Mr. Alfred
Jarvis, of the Cape and London ; Mr. Brinsley
Nixon, of Queen's Oak-gardens ; Mr. William D.
Ryrie, of East India-avenue ; Lieut.-Col. F. A. V.
Thurburn ; and Mr. Robert White, of the Cape and
Riches-court.

The London and North Western Railway traffic
return shows this week an increase of 4,9721. over
last year ; the Great Western an increase of
1011. ; the Great Eastern a decrease of 567 L ; the
Great Northern an increase of 3,1191. ; and the
London and South Western a decrease of 2,052&
Mr. W. W. Cargill, M.P., who is intimately con-
nected with the province of Otago, has joined the
board of the Bank of Otago (Limited).
The eorew-ateamer Justitia, belonging to the
London, Italian, and Adriatic Steam Navigation
Company, cleared on Tuesday for Italy with a full
cargo. The Italia and Clotilda, belonging to the
same company, have both made quick runs out to

I Genoa—the former in nine days nine boars, the
latter in nine days 22 hours, being, it is believed,
the quickest passages on record.
The mond call of 21., making 51. called, is to lw
paid on the shares in the Neath and Brecon Rail-
way Company by the 7th of April.
It is announced that the share list of the Queens-
land Sheep Investment Company will be clueed va
Tuesday next, the 15th instant.
The mails from Calcutta, China, and Auatralia
are expected to be distributed in London about the
14th instant. . .

---- ---
The following, on the silk market, is fmm the
circular of Messrs. Durant and Cu., dated March 8:
Still aothing favourable as to silk. Another month Itss
passed without any impaovemsot in the position of taw
market. The deliveries continue upon the same very
limited scale, and buyers act with the greatest caution ea
under cambium' apprehension—their difficulty of venter(
their manufactured goods bass. we fear, undiminished. la
the meantime the accounts of small settlements and @wage
exports are more and more confirmed, 14 that importerssee
deterred from making any decided eort to force bosisses,
and prices remain nominally without change. Japan af
the doer sixes is probably more depressed than any edam
Our of silk ; the continued absence of Tayseam aka
enabling the coarser pinta to maintain a high relative post
tics. Bengal silk shares to the full extent is the general*
depressed feeling.

WZDIMMAT Evomps.

Consols, which closed yesterday at 91 to k foe
money, and 911 to g for the Bth April, opened and
closed to-day at the same quotations. The ofticiat
business report is as follows :—Three per Cent.
Consols, for money, 91, ; ditto for account, 91(
Three per Cents. Reduced, ; New Three per
Cents., fB9g, 1 ; Bank Stock, ,ZBi, 240, ;
India Five per Cent. Stock, 1041, g.
The India Five per Cent. Stock remains steady-
For Exchequer Bills the quotation is still ss. dis.
to par.
In the foreign stock market Mexican Bonds
continue to attract chief attention.

The closing (but, in some cases, merely nominal)
quotations for shares in new undertakings are
subjoined, viz :--Credit Foncier of Mauritius, f dia
to prem. ; Land Securities, 11 to 11 prem. ;
Contract Corporation, 3} to prem. ; Credit
Foncier (Great Britain), 1 to prem. ; Aus-
tralian and Eastern Navigation, 41i to & prem. ;
Ottoman Financial, dia. to par ; Consoli-
dated Discount, 1 dis. to par ; Financial Cor-
poration, 1/ to 21 prem.; London Gas Meter, 2 to If
prem. ; South Eastern Bank, par to >4 prem.;
British Colonial Steamship, to 1 prein. ; Nava/
and Military Bank, Ito 2 prem. ; English, Irish,
and Foreign Rolling Stock, to prem. ;
In-
ternational Agency, 21 to 31t prem. ; Financial
Discount, 11 to 21 prem. ; Credit Mobilier, 1 to 1}
prem. ; Kentish Rotel, 1 to 2 prem.: Queenslaod.
Sheep Investment, 2 to 1 prem. ; Thames Iron
Works, &c., 3to 4 prem. ; Gellivara Company,
to 1 prem. ; Lnulon and Liverpool Hotel, to
prem. ; National Provincial Marine, / toll prem.;
and Albion Bank, 1 to 2 prem.