The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-03 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL AND MARKETS

MARK LANE.—TRIS DAY.
The weather continues unusually mild and damp for the
season, which materially affects the condition of new Eng-
lish wheat, and renders its sale the more difficult. There
was a very short attendance of buyers in Mark lane this
morning, and the limited business transacted in wheat and
flour was at prices about equal to those of Monday la.t:
Barleycontinues neglected, and its 'value is with difficulty
supported.
Oats were a retail sale at Monday's quotations.
Beaus and pus very dull at the late decline.
ARRIVALS INTO LONDON FROIL JAN. 1 TO JAN. 11.
Qrs. I
English. Scotch. Irish. Foreign.
WLeat 790 I I 6950
Earley 4040 5 0
Oats 670 6910
Yalu NO
Flour, 720

...... 5460
and 2450 barrels.

MINCING-LANE.—THIS DAY.
At: GAIL—The public sales of 9,000 bags Diann's, went off
heavily at yesterday's prices. Unclayed, 275.; Bayed,29s. 6d. to 30s. 1,800 baskets of Java also sold at about
previous rates, 30s. to 361. 6d. The refined market firm.
Grocery lumps, low to flue, 30s. to 365. 6d.
COPFEE.—There he. not been • public sale, and the
market bu been quiet.
TEL.—Fine sorts only are In request ; other description.
dull of sale.
SALTPILTRI.-1,600 buts IFeell offered la public sale aid
all bought to; vatemesieneele Mfifw t seleassies 7j, Na.
Nivaevn OP Sons. quoted steady at 18s. 6d.
Rvx remains in limited demand.
In other articles no material alteration.

TALLOW MARKET.-THIS DAY.
The market is quiet to-day, at the following quotations,
tie. —Town tallow, 63s nett cash ; Petersburg Y.C. on
the spot, 645. 3d. ; January to March, 645.

BOROUGH HOP MARKET.—THIS DAY.
Messrs. Pattenden and Smith, hop factors, report that
there is an improved demand for fine coloured hope, which
are scarce, and are held for higher prices.

COAL MARKET.—THIS DAY.
Hsstiag's Hanley, 18.1.; Tanfield Moor, 175.; Walls End
Hearn, 20s. 9d.-45 huh ships at market.

THE TALLOW MARKET.

(Prom P. J. Smith and Charles's Meder.)
The fluctuations in the tallow market, whieh in
the course of the past year have been violent end sometimes
very sudden, have been chronicled from week to week in
the circulars we have addressed to our correspondents. It
is therefore only necessary, in reviewing the events of the
year lfia, to mention the chief causes of these fluctuations.
The year opened with daily increasing anticipations that
war was inevitable, and the 'nice of tallow gradually ad-
vanced from GOs., until just previously to the declaration of
war it reached 70t, sod for future deliveries 725. The
" Orders in Council" of April opened up the direct trading
between British and Russian subjects through neutral states,
and the consequence was the commencement of the overland
trade through Prussia. At first it was not supposed that
this business could be carried on successfully to any great
extant ; nevertheless, the price of tallow receded,
and as it became more and more evident that
larger quantities of tallow would be conveyed overland
than bad at first been anticipated, a panic took place, and
the price rapidly declined to 00s. again; a re-action, almost
as sudden as the decline had been, however, took place, and
the price again reached 675. ; from this point, after many
fluctuations of 2.e. and 3s. each way, there has been again •
decline, and the closing price of the year was 64.. There
can be no question but that these fluctuations have arisen,
in a great measure, if not wholly, from political causes.
First of all the decline, which took place immediately after
the declaration of war, and which assumed, subsequently.
the shape of panic, was produced by the state of uncertainty
in which merchants and dealers were kept, as to the block-
ade. of Russian ports in the Baltic. The subsequent re-ac-
tion took place when the official announcement of the
blockades was made, and it became then a question of cal-
culation of cost of carriage overland through Prussia. This
was variously stated, both in respect to cost, sad facility of
transit, and the result of the best information we could col-
lect, anewhich we communicated in our circular at the
time, was, that the cost would be about 20/. p.r ton,
and the quantity to arrive at the end of the year won'd be
probably 20,000 to 25,000 casks; exclusive of the 3,000
casks shipped by way of Archangel, before the blockade of
that port. Both these estimates have turned out very
nearly correct. The actual arrivals have been about 25,000
casks, and the cost is certainly not under 20/. per ton ; some
parties estimate it considerably over that amount. The ab-
solute amount of business done, however, for despatch
overland, has considerably exceeded, as we have stated
above, the estimated quantity, and the remainder of the
tallow is still in process of carriage overland to Prussia, or
has already ' dat port, in that country. We have said
that the market has assumed very much of a political
character, and we have ascribed the fluctuations mainly to
this fact. There is every reason to anticipate that this will
continue to be the case, for the same kind of political events
which produced our greatest fluctuations (the uncertainties
as to the blockades) are again agitating the minds
of our merchants, in the shape of the position
of Prussia, both in respect to her own political position and
to the course the allies may deem it necessary to pursue with
regard to the transit trade she has been following aim the
declaration of war. It appears that the attention of our
government has been drawn to the extent of the business in
Russian goods, which be. been conducted through Prussia,
and official as well es semi-offioial intimations have been
given to the effect that the subject is under the considera-
tion of government. The views we entertain on this sub-
ject ere well known to our correspondents. We have con-
stantly, for six months past, urged that the war we fare
engaged In is encouraged and supported by a trade which is
furnishing British capital to the enemy, to an extent nearly
equal to that supplied to Russia in times of peace ; and be-
lieving, as we do, that the stoppage of this trade, absolutely,
both by sea and land, would be a powerful blow to the
enemy, and tend very largely to cripple his resources (espe-
cially by the reduction in the value of the paper currency
of the empire), itl is no discouragement to us to find our
views warmly opposed by parties interested in the overland
trade, whilst, on the other hand, it is a great encourage-
ment to ns to find that the attention of government is
directed to the subject, end that the press which at first
applauded the wisdom of the "orders in council," now
advocates, almost without exception, the adoption of prohi-
bitory measures. We shall, therefore, continue to advo-
cate this course of action, as a means of bringing the
struggle more rapidly to a close, and we have full confidence
that, when the subject is brought fairly before parliament,
it will be demonstrated that such will be the effect of a
stoppage of the trade of Russia, and that the consumer, of
Russian products will find supplies of all these articles,
from other quarters, quite sufficient to prevent any mate-
rial inconvenience, which is as much as we can hope for is
a state of war. Delay in the decisions of the governments',
however, most injurious to all parties interested, (or, whilst
on the one hand, it Keeps merchants absolutely engaged in
commercial transactions with Russia in auspease as to thinee
operations, it prevents the energies of the capitalist being
exerted for the supply of goods (hitherto drawn from
Russia) from other quarters.

TILE EAST KENT RAILWAY.-Mr. David Salomone
has resigned his seat as deputy-chairman of this company,
in consequence of want of accord between him and the
board and the contractors, ir C. Fox and Co.)
RAILWAY LAW EXPENSES.—Haring glanced at
the enormous amount of "law expenses" charged to the
London and North Western Company, exceeding one mil-
lion of money in a few years, we turn to the Great Western
Company's accounts, and find (according to the valuable
" Brougham Returns") that that company had charged on
their accounts the following sums, up to 1849, in respect of
the Great Western proper, the Cheltenham Union, the
Berke and Hants, and the Oxford lines, the total sum of
10.5,2681. for "law expenses," and 245,137/, under the heed
of "parliamentary expenses." These are independent of
the sums charged on nine other
"companies
' accounts in
alliance with the Great Western Railway. From 1849 to
1853 (four years) the Great Western Railway accounts;
show further "payments," amounting to 29,5631. for
"
"law," and 223,2195. for "parliamentary" expenses
(which include 158,121/. for expenses on the projects of
11845.7, and expenses as to the Rugby, the Windsor, and
the Wilts and Weymouth lines united to the Great Western
Railway). These sums make a grand total of payments
for " law" out of the corporate funds of the Great Western
Railway proper of nearly three quarters of a million, inde-
pendent also of the coats charged to the other corporate
bodies now united to the Great Western Railway, and in-
dependent of sums for law charged under the head of " ma-
nagement," incorporation, capital, land, &a., not appearing
in the printed accounts under the head of " law."—Nesh ow
Railway Management.
SEABORNE MAILS.
issued from the General

Watch of the Retriever
Jiffies , &c , has been pi
mails tor Anstralia,&c.,
Lightning, which i.
sth inst. with the

4th inst.

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