The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-16 00:00:00

private parties. The Carnatic, which sailed from
Sydney, for London, on the 28th February, bad on
board 19,668 ounces (worth 78,700/4, of which 10,000
ounces are for the Union Bank of Australia, and
7,000 for the Commercial Banking Company. In
fact, the larger proportion of the Australian
gold lately imported has been on account of the
banks. Of the amount brought in by the Adelaide
from South Australia 15,000 ounces were for the
Bank of Australasia, 6,000 ounces 'for the Union
Bank of Australia, and 14,200 ounces for the South
Australian Banking Company. In each case the
profits secured by the purchase and remittance of
this gold must be very considerable. Of the last-
named amount 12,000 ounces consisted of the stamped
ingots, which were circulating some time back in
Adelaide at 71s. per ounce.
Notice was issued from the East India House this
afternoon of another reduction of id. per rupee in-
the rate at which the company will receive cash for
their bills on India. The rate is fixed, until further
notice, at 2s. the company's rupee for Bengal and I
Madras, and 2s. 0;d. for Bombay.
The letters from St. Petersburg received by to-
day's mail report a fall of fully Id. in the exchange
on London, which had receded to 371 to 38d. This
rate is sufficiently low to allow of a profit on remit-
tances of gold to this side, as the expenses of this ope-
ration are much less when the steamers run direct
than in winter. Few transactions are reported in
produce, business being paralysed by the political
uncertainty prevalent, and to this influence the fall in
the exchange is in a great measure attributed. Ship
room continued scarce.
An order has been issued by the government of
Porto Rico, subjecting all foreign vessels arriving at
the ports of the island, after the 16th August next,
to a fine of 55 dols., besides the usual detention of
24 hours, anless they are provided with a bill of
health, verified by the Spanish Consul, Vice-Consul,
or Consular Agent, at the last port from which they
may have taken their departure.
Miscellaneous shares, though less buoyant than
yesterday, have generally maintained a firm appear-
ance. 'the chief feature was in Australian Agricul-
turals, which, rose fully Si. per share, closing 73 to
75, on real and influential purchases. The shares of
both this and the Peel River Company are favour-
ably affected by the intelligence from Australia of
the upward tendency of land and produce. The late
fall in this property, which appears to have been
mainly caused by over speculation, has led to in-
creased investments on the part of the public; and,
the market being strengthened by the gradual clear-
ing off of the floating stock, a rise is quickly induced
on any revival of demand. All the other land shares
were good, especially South Australian and British
American, but some sympathetic flatness pre-
vailed at the close. At four o'clock the former
ruled at 43 to 45, and the latter at 71 to 73. Aus-
tralian Bank shares were well supported at yester-
day's advance, and those of the South Australian
and London Chartered Bank of Australia were again
higher. Crystal Palace shares closed pretty steady
at 2; to 3„ prem. London and Westminster Bank
_ shares have been done at 36 ; Union Bank of London,
181 ; Peninsular and Oriental Steam, 76. Shares of
the Grand Central Railway of France closed 11 to
• prem. ; and Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, 1 to tt
dis. _ _

At the 39th annual general court of members of
the Scottish Widows Fund Life Assurance Society,
just held at Edinburgh, a very satisfactory report
was presented. This is one of the oldest assurance
associations in the kingdom, and has very extensive
ramifications, and its transactions are correspondingly
extensive. The number of policies passed during the
:est year was 834, covering insurances to the extent
of 351,339/. The society's realised and accumultded
capital has increased during the year to the extent