The Express.
London, England, 1865-02-06 00:00:00

abstainers from alcoholic liquors, the number d
whom in the Gaited Kingdoms is stated to be now
3,000,000, and a sintiiar course is to be adopted is
the case of bormepathic assurers.
It is stated, with reference to the forthcoming
report and balance-sheet of the Estates Bank, that,
after placing 2,004)1. to the reserve fund, and writing
off 20 per cent. of the preliminary expenses, sea
defraying the whole of the current expenses, a
dividend will be declared at the rate of 7* per ceat
per annum on the paid-up capital
An extraordinary general meeting of the Oriental
Financial Corporation will be held on the 14th
inst., for the purpose of oonfirming (or otherwise)
the resolutions paired at the extraordinary general
meeting held on the 27th ult.
The half-yearly meeting of the South Eastern
Railway Company is convened for the 23rd inst. ;
that of the Great Eastern Railway Company for
the 28th iust. ; and that of the London and North
Western Railway Company for the Stth inst.
The adjourned general meeting of the Weat India
and Pacific Steam Ship Company (Limited) is to
take place on the 22nd inst.
The annual meeting of the Berlin Waterworks
Company (Limited) is called for the 15th Met.
Notice is given that a petition for the winding
up of the Alexandra Park Company (Limited) is to
be heard before the Master of the Roll on the 11th
instant.
Mr. L H. Evans has been appointed official
liquidator of the Littlehirmptem, Havre, and Roe-
flour Steam Ship Company (limited).
The following is from the circular of Messrs.
Joseph Travers and Sons:
The large investments made dsriag the het par or twe
in public works or commercial sadaAaalsp dillsecereitale
oceasionally the payment of heavy elle. and ea the weals(
profits of the country, owing to the meetest deelise in Me
prices of goods daring the yew 1864, have base very mall
oarapared with Mom which sera being realised Musa the
speculative mania arose, the mass ter three permute On
DOW in many mos only to be derived from males of Coral.
Hence, although the rate of diseeese, whisk was 8 per amt.
at the corresponding date of lest year. is sow only 5 pee
cant., and the position both of the Bask of Eogland eel
the Bank of France, sod also of Wee' polities, is
Lowsei
superior to what it was at that period, tbe price of
is more than 1 per out, lower, {cessations having taken
place this week at 891, while ors the 3rd of February lei
year the quotation was 90f.
The accounts from nearly all the principal foreign pro-
duce usarkete are such as to favour the possibility of the
beak rata of discount remaining for some time at its pre-
sses point. even if it should not deposed to a lower one.
la Egypt, labs, Brasil. sad elsewhere the quistatiees
the principal articles of export smell higher than those es
this side. Each ows t may therefore involve leas
and a few mouths of that kind °lmperious* will effectually
check shipments, and lessen the amount of drafts ups
Ibis country. Looking at the isamensity of the trade that
now centres her* it will be understood that the effect of
this emend restriction or discouragement on the
mousy market intuit be very sudilso stud powerful ;
and it was from circumstances of this descrip-
tion that after the pressure of 1847 and 1357 the
rats of discount in each case stood for a year or
two Melrose 21 and 3 per met. At the present time the
=
iLtz of any such reaction is prevented by the Mesh
commitments to foreign sad colonial WAIF.
takisp ; but the question is doubtful whether the aortal
meet of trade may not fora short further period prove
more powerful in meatier a supply of unemployed money
than the drain for loos. Ac., Is meeting nrervit7-
With reference to the duty on currants, the cir-
cular of Messrs. R. Witherby and Son contains the

following :
The question of a reduction of tie duty is attracting is
little attention, though as yet no active steps have been
taken by deslers in the matter. A sanguine •iew is enter-
tained by some that it may be an inducement to the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer to alter the duty of 7e. per cwt., in
consequence of the large stock existing in the United Bing-
dam: the fact of a supanbusdant supply in banked ware-
booms was a favours bU feature in the year 1860, when lad
• reduction took place.

EUTOILDAT
Consols, which closed yesterday at 894 for next
Thursday's settlement, opened and clotted to-day at
894 to 4, both for money and the account. For the
March settlement the last price was 8911-16 to 13-16.
or 891. The official business report ism' follows :
Three per Cent. Console, foe money, 894, i • ditto,
foe account, 894, ; Titres per Cents. Ee:dueed,
884, ; New Three per Cents., 884, p ; India Five
per Cent. Stock, 103;, • ditto Four per Cast.
Debentures, 1866, 984 ; ditto Bonds., 10s., 15e.
prem.
Indian government securities were quiet, at
former prices. India bonds were dealt in at 10s.
to 15e. prem. Exchequer Bills remain at par to

41.1Phr:koreign stock market was very quiet. Spanisk
Passive Bonds and Certificate's, however, improved
ito per cent., some demand being apparently
prompted by the publication in this morning's
Daily News of en interesting letter from Madrid.
Moorish and Confederate Bonds also unproved
per cent., while Greek declined and Torkisk
Como f.
Egyptian Loan scrip was last quoted to-dsy
14 to prem.; Montevidean scrip, 4i to 5 prem. ;
Danubian Principalities earip, par to f prem. ;
and Italian Loan scrip, par to prem.
The Liverpool cotton market to-day was buoyant.
The rise in Egyptian kinds amounted to I Ad. per
lb., and in American to id. The trac4actions
comprised 12,000 bales.