The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-22 00:00:00

TO THI IDITOK OP Till IXlPlille.

Sir,—As ioei-have;ecasienelyf7i;Oure7your readers
with interesting and correct accounts respecting Mezican
&friars, allow me to ask you if yon can inform me for what
purpose the about 63,000 dollars are intended which Messrs.
Baring Brothers and Co. announced last week havii.g re-
ceived from Mr. Falconnet For, if you will read the
announcement again, you will find that neither they nor
the committee state that the money is intended for the
dividend ; but I am told that in their letter to the commit-
tee they say "that they will follow Mr. Falconnet's in-
structions respecting it." What does this mean ? Has Mr.
Falconnet any right to give instructions, er is he not rather
to receive instructions from the committee, his masters
And why did not Mr. Falconnet, in his long letter to the
committee, make any mention at all of said remittances
having been sent by him to Messrs. Baring and Co./ Why
all this mystery? If you can clear it up, you will greatly
oblige, A BONDROLDBIL
Loi.dori, Jan. 20.
Messrs. Palmer, Mackillop, Dent, and Co. have ad-
vertised the payment of the half-yearly dividends
duo the let February on the Five per Cent. and Six
per Cent. Bonds of the Camden and Amboy (United
States) Railroad Company.
The half-yearly interest on the investment stock of
the National Assurance and Investment Association,
being at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum, is adver-
tised as now in course of payment. The dividend on
the capital stock of the Western Life Assurance So-
ciety is also advertised.
'I he first instalment of 101. per share is advertised
es payable by the sth February on the shares of the
Pacific Steam Navigation Company, incorporated by
charter in 1810. This is a Liverpool association.
The movement in pig iron has received a decided
check. To-day the price was only 60s. to 625., a
considerable reaction from the top price of 80s.
Other descriptions of iron, however, are well sup-
ported. Large quantities of iron are now being
applied to a new use, viz., that of making iron
houses for shipment to Australia, the demand for
which is very brisk. All the large establishments
in the metropolis are fully employed, and many of
them have taken on double and treble their usual
complement of hands, in order to meet the demand
for this quarter.
The meeting of the Australian Agricultural Com-
pany was held to-day, and, in consideration of the
remarkable mutation which the affairs of this asso-
ciation have undergone, naturally excited great in-
terest. The surplus of revenue over expenses for the
last three years was stated as follows, vie., for 1849,
4.2301.; for 1850, 11,4951.; and for 1851, 15,7501.,
showing a progressive increase. Out of the surplus
for 1831, the directors recommended the declaration
of a dividend of 11. lls. 6d. per share, being at the ,
rate of 4; per cent. on the paid up capital. The
nominal capital of the company is to be reduced
from 1,000,0001. to 600,0001.' and the number of
shares to be raised from 10,000 to 20,000. The effect
of this will be that the shares will become 251. shares,
instead of 1001. as at present,vrithl7l. 105. paid on each;
and they will be liable only to possible tutnre calls of
71.105. per share, instead of 651., whilst each proprietor
will have two shares instead of the one he now
holds. The main features that transpired at the
meeting were the confirmation of the rich auriferous
character of the Peel River district ; and a lease of
640 acres of the gold field to an independent com-
pany, at a rental of 5,0001. a year, with a large
royalty in addition, to the Peel River shareholders.
The Australian Cordillera is stated to be the leasing
company, and the shares consequently rose to
prem. Australian Agricultural advanced from 201.
to 251., rising to 2571., and closing 2451. to 2551., the
details afforded being regarded as highly eatisfac-
tory. I'eel River Land and Mineral shares ascended
to 12 prem., and left off 101 to 11; prem. For fur-
ther details of the proceedings reference may be
made to another column. _ _

Miscellaneous stocks were generally neglected to-
day. There were dealings in Colonial Bank shares
at 161 ex div.; Southampton Docks, 381; Australian
Royal Mail Steam, 41 ; Royal Mail Steam, 81, 82 ;
Ebro Canal shares are quoted 2 to 2 t, prem.; Chiriqui
Road, par to t prem; Beziers and Orausessac Railway,
4„ to 1 dis.; French South-Eastern Railway, 1 to k
dia.; City Railway Terminus, die. to par; London
Bank of Australia and India, par to ; prem.; North
British Australian, 1; to 11 prem.
The quotations of stocks at Amsterdam on Thurs-
day are thus reported by telegraphic express:—
Dutch Four per Cents., 94.1; ditto, Two-and-a-
Half per Cents., 64 5-16; Spanish Deferred Three
per Cents., 221; Mexican New, 23; ; Portuguese
New, 37; ; Austrian Five per Cent. Metallize, 801.
These prices are again lower, especially for Austrian
At Vienna on Thursday the Five per Cent Metallics
were quoted 941, and the exchange on London,
10.45. This last quotation shows an unfavourable
re-action.

In the market for foreign exchanges to-day the
rates on Paris and Hamburgh, the places to which
gold is chiefly sent, were unaffected by the continued
movement of the [lank of England. For both these
places the demand exceeded the supply of bills, and
money remained over. If anything, the rate on
Paris was a shade lower. The chief improvement
was in Amsterdam. Vienna and Trieste, which are
affected by peculiar circumstances, were also higher,
and so wus Frankfort, probably in sympathy with
these two last-named markets. Business was by no
means considerable. The prices nertiVed
arc
shown below t
lute. negotiated tale day.
"tls and M. Money.
I dibeierdent par Phsrt 1!I. 16ittr. „. 17totv.
Ditto
ttotterdnin
Antwerp
uttiverb
I damning and Alton& „ „ If seal. t3t0e..6 soh,
Peterrborg . per ruble „ 953 ~enee 4' pence
Paris par it Short 25fr. Os. 25fr. Oia
Ditto ,, 9 slonthe2sfr. 024 e. ... 115 fr. 251.
Umatilla§ .• itSfe. 55c. ... 27.10.
,
Fraaktort-on.thallame per Sie „ MA kr. ... 1190. kr