The Express.
London, England, 1851-01-07 00:00:00

AMERICAN MARKETS.

(From the New Fore Courier and Enquirer.)
NEW YORK, Dec. 23.
The advises per Africa, from Liverpool, which were re-
ceived yesterday, are considered favourable in a commercial
view, arid our cotton market haa improved accordingly. Go-
, verieweat sett. r tttt and State stocks are also to better re-
quest, and prices have an upward tendency. We have seldom
if ever witnessed ao buoyant a stock market at this seam of
the year ; the " fancy" descriptions partake of the impulse,
and a speculative feeling appears to be increasing in them,
descriptions. For a correct list of prima we reter to our table
of sales, also the quotations of prices offered and asked for
the different descriptions. The demand for foreign exchange,
so far, as has not been active, we quote:—London, 1101 to
1101; Paris. 6 10 to 5.124; Amsterdam, 411 to 41$ ; Ham-
burg, 361 a 37 ; Bremen, 80.
In the mosey market we have nothing new to notice.
Since our report of the 21st instant the rates continue easy,
and the supply quits abundant for all the wants of trade.
First class short paper is in demand at 6 to 7 per cent.;
long, same character, 7 to 74 per cent. ; auction passes freely
at 7 to 9 per cent., and names not as well known at 9 to 12
per mut. Loans on call, sto 7 per cent.; a few favourite
signatures could be negotiated at a tell* under these rates.
The old year is rapidly drawing to a close, and many firms
are busying the/amino in closing up the accounts of the old
yeas, which has a tendency to dimish the supply of certain
kinds of paper on the market, and prevent new traneactions.
The high rates for Foreign Exchange attract attention, lest
gold to a cot siderabla amount to meet the old indebtedness
on our last year's foreign trade, may yet have to go forward.
The price of hills, when the movement in our great staples
for export is the most setiye, are generally lower than at any
other period of the year. We now me the reverse, and rates
ruling as high as at any point daring the season.

(From Tema and Brothers' Circa Oz.)
Curios —Our last circular w's written on Friday, 20th
instant, for the Arctic steamer of 21st. Oa Saturday, 21st,
the sales amounted to 600 bales, and the war panic had set-
tled down to a calmer feeling—one of res.goation to the fate
impending on the advice' per Africa, hourly ezpected. These
came to hand on Sunday morning, and the effect thus tar
has been shown today in 'Weser( upwards of 4,000 bales, at
very irregular prices, varying from I to 9 advance, and in
some instances, in Uplands, which were the most depressed,
eves le. above the rats, accepted on the ever memorable
M•incley, 16th December. We revise our quotations, tieing
as our basis the moderate sales of the day. This reaction
proves that the &cline on this side was produced by no
°Our cause than a feeling of distrust arising from the ur.set-
Ced state of political affairs on the continent, greatly allayed
by the advice, per Atria.

New Orleans Other
Atlantic COMP. and Mobile. Gob Cotton.
:ardor none on sale. none on sale. none on sale.
Ordinar3 to good ordinary 121 to 13 do. 12, to 121
Mid. to good mid. 134 to 131 IS, to l 4 134 to 131
Mid. fair to Mir
Folly fair to good fair
Freight to Liverpool, 3.162.; to Havre, IC.
We have as vet no answer per telegraph from southern
markets to the Africa's advice,. _ _

When we estimated the crop on the sth ult. at 2,07.5,000 to
2,153,000 bales, we fully (mowed to see the receipts on or
before the 1.4 of January 50,000 to 75,000 bale. in excess of
last season, for we knew that the comparatively high prices
ruling would induce *very planter to use his utmost exer-
tions to market his crop. Contrary to expectation, the
receipts are materially behind times of last season (58,565
bales), the deficiency being now greater in the aggregate
then before the rise in the Alabama Rionfe, the lowness of
which had previously delayed the receipts at Mobile ; and
the stocks at the interior towns were also light. With all
the Jaen before us bearing upon the question, and guided
only by the d • to furnish reliable information, we
r, iterate our full and unshaken confidence in the opinion
that our estimate will prove a full ore.
FLOM-The market has settled into its usual winter
quiet. There is a moderate demand for home use, but for
export less inquiry. Prices have not changed much for some
days past ; common brands of stale can be purchased at
4 doll. •811 c. to 4 dole. 871 c. ; Michigan and Ohio,
4 dole. 871 c. to 5 dole.; pure Geneasee, 5 dole. 61e. to
5 dole. 121^. ; Canadian ie in few hand., and held at
4 dole. 871 c. to 5 dole., in bond ; Baltimore, Georgetown,
Alexandria, and other southern brands range from 5 dole. to
5 dole. 121 c. ; rye flour, 3 dole. 44c. to 3 dole. 50c. ; corn
meal dull at 2 dole. 94c. to 3 dole.
GRAIN.-Wheat is firmly held at 120 e. to 122 c. for prime
Genesee@ ; 10Gt.. to 108 c, for good Ohio ; Canadian bond,
106 c. to 108 c. Barley is scarce, and sells at 86c. to , ac-
cording to quality. Rye is saleable at 76c. to 77c. Oat, twee
slightly improved, and bring 461 c. to 471 c. and 42c. to 41c.
for Jersey. Corn is in fair request for home use at 652.. to
d6c, for new southern flat, and W. to 65c. for new nomern
and Jersey ; old is held at 68c. to 70e.
Puortstoste.-The market for pork is dull. Mese may
he quoted at 12 dole. 60c. to 12 dole. 75c., but there are few,
if any, buyers at the latter price ; prime is nominal at
8 dole. 75c.; country mesa beef, 8 dols.lBlc. to 18 dole. 371 c.
City prime ditto, 8 dole. 73c. to 9 dole. 24c. ; extra ditto,
9 dole. 50c. to 10 dole.; lard, 71 dols. to 7 dole. 3 4c.;
dress- d hogs, 51e. to sic.
NAVAL STOKES.-Spirits of turpentine hes advenced to
40c., with sales of 400 bbl.. at that price ; rough turpentine,
to strive, has been sold at 3 dole.; common rosin may be
quoted at 1 dol. 371 c. to 1 dol. 40c.; white ditto, 2 dole. to
3 dole. 75c.

OIL AND BONE.—WO have no alteration to notice in the
market for ei:a or whalebone ; the sales since the taus of

our last prig current bate been unimportant.
Asitas.—Pots ars steady at 5 dols. 60c. to 5 dots. 561 e. ;
pearls, 5 clots. 75c.
SPllllll.—Bales of whiskey base teen made to moderate
extant in State Prison bbls. at 27e.

Elmira—To Europe are very firm. We quote :—To
Liverpool: Cotton, 3-I6d. per lb. ; flour and meal Is. 6d. per
bbl.; turpentine, North County, le. 6d. ; heavy good., 16a.
to 20,. per ton ; grain, in bulk, 4d. to 44.1. per bushel—To
London : Tobacco, 225. 64. to 255. per bbd. ; flour, le. 7ed.
par barrel; turnentine,:2a.; oil, 20s. per 252 gallons ; measure-
ment goods, 271. 6d. to 301. per ton ; hear, goods, 20s. to
301. ; beet and pork 41. per tierce.—To HMO : Cotton,
square bales, 10, psr Ib. ; mhos, 6 to 7 dot.. per ton ; dee,
7 dole. ; quercitron bark, 8 doll.; measurement goods 10
dots. ; whalebone, &e., ge. per lb.

Deepatebei from the Governor of Gibraltar wen
received on Sunday at the Colonial-office.

ANNUAL RETURN OF FIRES IN LONDON.—Yeattir-
day morning Mr. Braidwood, the superintendent of the
Ludon Fire Engine Establishment, laid his report of fin s
which had occurred in the metropolitan district during the
past year, before the managing committee, at the chief sta-
tion in Watling street Mr. Braidwood described the Lumber
of premises totally destroyed and considerably damaged as
being 247. Of these the moat exteneive was that which occurred
in Mark-lane, City, and which was not entirely extinguished
for nearly two months. The property destroyed on that
occasion was roughly estimated at upwards of 200,0001., bat
the precise amount of lots has never been accurately
learned. Neither could anything likely to be depended
upon be gleaned as to the origin of the misfortune.
The next fire of any importance was that which co tuned on
the night of Thursday, the 3rd of October, in the Southwark
Bridgeroad. Although the engines of the brigade were
stationed immediately opposite, and the Num& was on the
spit in less than two minutes after the alarm wee given, the
whole of Messrs. Brookes' candle works were burned down,
and several bonus seriously damaged. The next district
which suffered, and that to • serious extent, by fires, was
Bermondsey. From the 17th of October to the 25th of
December, a great number of very alarming and de-
vastating conflagrations happened, which laid in ruins
a vest amount of property. Amongst the kuildiage
described as considerably damaged was the Travelless'
Club. The report returns the number of buildings
slightly injured se being 621, whilst in the preceding year
they were only 582, showing an increase et 39. The total
number of premises entirely destroyed and seriously damaged
in 1849 wee 256, being 9 more than lest year. The twat
number of fins of all kinds last year was 868, whilst is 1849
they were only 838, showing an increase of 30 fins during
the put twelve months. The feu alarms during the lest
yesr were 91, whilst the year before they were only 76. The
chimneys on Ilse lest year were 79, whilst in 1849 there were
89. The number of fatal fires last year was 17, and the
number of lines lost 18, whilst the number of persons who
perished from the same cause in the preceding year was 28,
which shows a decrease of 8 last year. The total number of
calls for assistance during the peat year was 1,038, whilst in
1849 the calls were 1,003, showing an increase of 35. The
origin of a great many fires cannot be accounted ter; • great
amber, however, are returned as being caused by sparks,
gee, huller matches, smoking tobacco, clinakinuess, and ex-
plosion of fireworks. By the latter nearly 100 houses were
enienely damaged, aa well as the parochial school and a
spacious abash is Bpitsliteltio a few masks ism