The Express.
London, England, 1864-10-20 00:00:00

THE COMMERCIAL CRISIS IN BRAZIL.

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A severe shock has just been given to our
oommercial community, which for a whole week
completely paralysed business in all its branches,
and threw our population into a state of panic and
confusion.

On the morning of the 10th, the old established
and colossal banking-house of A. I. A. Souto and
Co. stopped payment, their liabilities being esti-
mated at 60,000,000 dols., or about five millions
sterling.
As soon as this became generally known, an im-
mense crowd of small depositors assembled in front
of that and other banking houses, and so great was
the anxiety of the people to withdraw their bard
earned savings from those establishments, that the
government judged it prudent to order a strong de-
tachment of troops to the Rua Direita. So great was
the run on the houses of Domes Brothers, Oiiveiro
and Bello, Montenegro and Lima, that all three
firms were also obliged to suspend payment—and
on the following day, a run commenced on the
Bank of Brazil, the people clamouring for
specie payments in return for their notes.
The directors of the bank, seeing that if
some extraordinary measures were not adopted,
universal bankruptcy meat follow memo-
rialised the government, and several councils
of state were held to consider the best remedy to be
adopted. The first was a decree, ordering the sus-
pension of payments in gold, and giving a forced
circulation to the notes of the Bank of Brazil ;
secondly,
universal stoppage of all payments for
the space of sixty days. . . .

. .
Those and some other measures traded greatly to
allay the panic, and on Monday last our Exchange
returned to something like its usual state ; large
transactions took place in exchange and coffee, and
we may now say that the panic is over, but its
effects will nevertheless be severely felt.

- -
We have before us the cheering prospects of large
crops of produoe—coffee, cotton, and sugar—and
though the commercial thunderstorm was terrific in
its effects, yet it has cleared the atmosphere, and
sunshine and prosperity will certainly follow.
The Saintonge brought no important news from
the River, except that Paraguay had protested
against the crossing of the frontier by the Brazilian
army, under the pretext that it would disturb the
equilibrium of the Riverine republics.
The marriage of the Princess Imperial with the
Count d'Eu la fixed to take place on the 15th of
October.

Since the last packet sailed 130,000 bags of
coffee have been sold for Europe at an average de-
cline of about 300 rein per arroba. We quote--
superior, 6,200 to 6,400 ; good Ist, 6,000 to 6,100 ;
stock, 50,000 ; supplies, 5,000 per diem. In ex-
change about 550,0001. have been passed at 27d.,
no., and 270. Stock, 99i to par. Discounts,
9 to 10 per cent.

TRIAL% or New LlFEBOATS.—Yesterday some
harbour male of three new lifeboat., to be stationed on the
Liao°lashing coast, took place in the Regent Canal Dock,
Limehowie. A large number of moms bad amernbled te
witness them. The boatel are all of the same size, being
respectively 30 feet long and 7 feet 3 loch's wide, and row-
ing eight oars, doable basked. Their self-righting qualities
were fully and satisfactorily tested on the occasion. The
water each boat shipped was seU-ejected through patent
valves in 23 seconds. The boats were built by Menem For-
restt and Son, of Limehomie. The trees ding carriages of
the boats, which were built by Mr. J. Robinson, of Kentish-
town, were also tried on the occasion, and were found to
enamor admirably. Much interest was excited by a motor
making some experiments in the water with one of the cork
jackets supplied to each man forming the mews of the
institution's lifeboat.. The sailor seemed to be able I. do
what he liked with the belt on in the water, for its buoy-
ancy was so great that be could not possibly sink, even if
be could not swim. It is a remarkable fact that although
the lifeboat of the society were manned last yew
by about 6,000 persona, not • single life wee
lent from them during the fearful weather they
were often exposed to what afloat. The cost of the
lifeboats (amounting to about WWI has been per-
meated to the National Lifeboat Institution by different
benevolent person. The negates lifeboat is named the
Herbert Ingram, after the late much respected representa-
tive in Parliament of Boston, who with his eon lost his life
from a oollisioe or ehipwro ken an American lake. The
mot of this lifeboat was raised by Mn. Ingrain's Irked&
The lifeboat will be publicly exhibited at Boston on Moods
y
next, on her way to Skates's. The Donna Nook lifeboat im
called the North Breton, after a ship ea board which the
dooms bad madri• loos and prospomsvoyage. The Theddle-
thorpe lifeboat is named the Dorinda and Barbara, and is the
gift of two attached Monda."Cosnomodioom and entotaatial
brot•homes have been erected for the lifeboata. The Great
Northern Railway Company have readily promised a free
conveyance for the boats over their line. The Rev. R. W.
Cmcroft, of Harrington, has bees most sealous, in timjaao
Lion with other friends in Lincolnshire, in rendering to the
Notional Lifeboat forlitation every wistarias in the reon
venom of tee Lineoloshire lifeboat orlabliamienta, whisk
were last winter treader:ld to the inetitutice. The fourth
lifeboat, to be stationed at Suttee, will be on her 'tattoo In
December next. The Natimaal Lifeboat Distitatiost bee new
137 lifeboat. under ire immementent,