The Press.
London, England, 1858-12-18 00:00:00

THE PRESS, DECEMBER 18, 1858.

end, as a prominent attraction amongst the male
vocalists, that of M. Emon, of the Paris Open Co-
inique ; whilst, as stars of ltsser magnitude, though
of remarkable brightness, if rumour may be trusted,
shine conspicuously forth in all the effulgent glories
of ornate typography the names of Mlle. Celine
Matthieu, from the Grand Opera of Bordeaux, and
M. Fougeres, from the Court Theatre of Amsterdam.
Remusat himself will, we presume, officiate as
conductor.
The season will, it appears, commence on Wednes-
day, December the 29th, with Auber's sparkling and
delightful opera, Le Part du Diable, in which Mme.
Faure is to sustain the principal character.

qt girama.

HAYMARKE'r THEATRE.

WE are glad to be able to congratulate Mr.
Buckstone on the perfect success of his new comedy
The Tide of Time; a success attributable almost as
much to the manner in which it was presented to the
audience, especially by Mr. Buckstone himself and
Miss Reynolds, in the characters of Molehill and
Mildred Pendarvit, as to the talent with which Mr.
Bernard has conceived the piece and sketched the
characters. The play consists of a clever and
animated sketch of the incidents which naturally
attach to the position and career of an enriched Man.
chester man trying to grow into a Country Gentle-
man. The comedy, which is full of dramatic effects
and of productive collisions between characters whom
present position and previous education render often
antagonistic and always incongruous, has had an un-
precedented success, and continues to be repeated to
crowded Houses.

THE FRENCH NEWSPAPER PRESS RETURNS show
that at the present moment the leading organs stand
thus in point of daily circulation :—Le Siecle, 36,000
per diem ; Le Constitutionnel, 24,000; La Presse,
18,000; La Patrie, 14,000; Les Dibats, 9,000; Cour-
Tier de Paris, 12,000 ; La Gazette de France, 3,000 ;
Charivari, 3,000; L'Univers, 4,000; Gazette des
Tribunaux, 1,200.

LONDON BRIDGE is the oldest in London. It
was originally built of wood, but at what period is
not known, though it must have been prior to ;he
year 10:6, when, the passage of Canute's fleet up
the Thames being onstructed by the bridge, he
caused a canal to be made round the south end of it,
for conveying his vessels further up the river, and
subsequent to 993, when Anlaf the Daue sailed up
the Thames as far as Staines, with 93 ships, and
ravaged the country on both sides. This wooden
bridge was, in a great measure, destroyed by tire,
in the year 1136, and notwithstanding the reparations
then made, it was in so ruinous a condition in the
year 1163, that it was thought necessary to build a
bridge of stone, the superintendence of which was
first given to Peter, the curate or minister of St.
Mary, Colechurch, but was finally committed to Sear!
Mercer, and two other merchants of London, under
whose inspection the first stone bridge was com•
pleted in 1:209.

The unanticipated reduction in the minimum rate
of discount by the Bank Directors last week, has, so
far, most certainly fulfilled the purposes for which it
was adopted. If its primary object was to draw
business to the establishment, that has been effected,
as is shown by the above comparison ; and on the
other hand, if its subordinate purpose was to indicate
that the market price of capital is really no more
than 21 per cent., that has been accomplished, for at
21 per cent. any man in London possessing good
bills may obtain as much as he needs. The principal
effect of the movement, however, has been to place
the Bank in the discount market just at a time when
from various circumstances there was a commercial
demand for money. Ilad the change been made a
month earlier, when it was generally looked for, it is
doubtful whether the Bank would have much enlarged
its business, whilst it is tolerably certain that it might
have been taken to indicate the prospect of a less
inquiry for money than actually exists. We are
therefore constrained to repeat that the Directors
exercised a wise discretion in abstaining from the
reduction at the time we, with others, expected it ;
and that they manifested equal wisdom in adopting
it last week. We now hear no complaints of their
proceeding in that respect, for all parties have
adapted themselves to the change.
• In the Money Market this week there has been a
very active demand. At the Bank the daily applica-
tions have been numerous, increasing as the week
has advanced ; and in the open market the inquiry
has been sufficient to cause a practical assimilation
of the rates, inside and outside, to 21 per cent.—a
circumstance of rare occurrence. The minimum in
Lombard street to-day was 21 per cent. The
consequence necessarily is that the highest
class of bills are taken to the Bank; but, meanwhile,
the c onimercial inquiry arising from enlarged opera-
tions, and from the arrangements connected with the
close of the year, maintain the demand upon the
Lombard-street houses and joint-stock banks. The
supplies are very large, and, as may be expected,
this fact has induced the proposal of several
undertakings, some of which have lain dormant
for a Img time. The most important proposal,
however, and that which will affect the Money
Market longest, of any yet introduced is the placing
of 7,000,0001. of the bonds of the Government of
Victoria for railway works in that dependency in
the course of the next four years. About
700,000/. of these bonds have already arrived, and
they are being disposed of by the London and West-
minster and the London Joint-stock Banks. If the
operation be prudently conducted, as no doubt it will,
there will be no serious difficulty in placing the full
amount; but it is a large aggregate, its influence will
unquestionably be widely felt in the Money Market
during the whole period, and it ought to constitute one
of the first elements in the calculations of those who
contemplate embarking in enterprizes dependent
upon the contingencies of the market for capital.
During the week the imports of bullion and specie,
including about 317,0001. by the Orwell from Mel-
bourne, have amounted to 511,0001. The exports
have been 122,7201., principally on avcount of the
Chili Loan, most of which was withdrawn from the
Bank, and about 200,0001. are already engaged for
export to Calcutta and China on tLe 20th. All this
is in silver, for which there is a demand at higher
prices. Very little gold is now coming from the
United States.

Until yesterday the general tone of the Stock and
Share markets was one of extreme firmness: in shares,
particularly, a decided advance was established, the
traffics being nearly uniformly favourable, and the
public being ready buyers of some of the heavier
stocks. The reaction, which was continued to day,
was owing to the announcement respecting! the
Bonds of the Victoria Government, the sensitive
members of the Stock Exchange being of opinion
that so long as they are hanging over the market,
speculative operations for a rise must be conducted
in the dark. They therefore have been selling,
partly to realize the profits of the previous advance
and partly in the expectation of a lower average of
prices than is yet settled. In the Funds the decline
has taken place, notwithstanding a fair absorp-
tion of Stock and of daily purshaaes on public

1.43

account by the Government Broker. The public, as
such, that is they who are not speculators, are now
waiting to see the effects of the present unexpected
state of transition. To-day the reaction made
further progress and the market was very unsettled.,
Consuls, which left off this day week is 071 t x div.
have averaged a fall of per cent. To-day they
opened at 90i to 07 ex div., and closed at 00} to j.
The fall auring the week has therefore been per
cent., and from present appearances it is not likely
to be immediately arrested. The purchases on
public account have been altogether in Reduced.
In the Foreign Market very little business has been
done during the week.

Railway Shares were buoyant in the early part of
the week, but the reaction referred to above has
since completely changed the tone. The difference
in quotations since this day week is about one per
cent. upon the average, with few exceptions.

Miscellaneous, Banking, and Mining Shares have
presented no unusual features.
In consequence of certain statements recently
made in one of the Bankruptcy Courts and elsewhere
the East and West India Docks Company, the London
Duck Company, and the St. Katherine Dock Com-
pany have officially annourced that no person can
obtain possession of any mei chandize for which those
companies have issued warrants without lodging those
warrants duly endorsed by the parties to whom, by
such document:, the goods are deliverable; and that
the Dock Companies are responsible to the holders
for the goods represented in those warrants or the
value of them.

The great meeting of the shipping interest held at
the London Tavern on Wednesday is referred to
elsewhere. It was one of the most important ever
held in the City, and its claims for consideration can
hardly fail to be admitted. Since it was held the
accounts from India are very bad.
Mr. T. M. Weguelin, M.P., and Mr. W. C. Curtis,
have become partners in the banking firm of Messrs.
Robarts, Curtis, and Co., the future designation of
which is to be " Roberts and Co."

Colonel Sykes has been elected chairman of the
Court of Directors or the East India Company.
The Provincial Trade Reports, considering the
period of the year, are upon the whole rather more
favourable than we described them last week. At all
events there is no change for the worse.

BIRTHS.

BROWNE—On the 11th instant, at Exmouth, the wife of Lieut..
Colonel Browne, Military Train, of a daughrt•r.
CHI rwysi.).On the 12th inst..nt, at :ipringfield, South
Queensierry, N. 8., the Hon. Mrs. Henry Chetiv)ud, of a son.

MARRIAGES.
OAST—LANCHIAM—On the 13th instant, at Hastings, Wm.

John, son of the late Lieut.-Colonel Gant, to Augital.s Caro-
line, daughter of James George Lanham, Esq., of Hastings.
HOitsFALL—OGILVY—On the 9th instani, at Coventry.
Thomas Marsh Horefall, Esq., 15th King's Fluasars, son of
Thomas Horefall, Esq., M.P., to Emily Sarah Lingard Ogilvy,
daughter of James Ogilvy, Esq., M. 0., of Coventry.
TIDY —EDWARDS--On :the 11th instant, at Paddington, Col.
T. Holmes Tidy, Deputy Adjutant-General, Jamaica, to Mar-
garet Jane, daughter of the late John Edwards, Receiver.
General of Jamaica.