The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-04 00:00:00

MONEY MA

The stock and share markets opened at an im-
provement this morning, chiefly upon the state-
ment made in the French Chambers by M. Rouher,
that Italy has declared she will not attack Austria.
The Budget is also regarded favourably. The
advance in the funds amounted to to 3-16 per
cent., and in the Italian Bonds of 1861 to
as much as IR. A reaction, however, has since
taken place, and Consols have returned
to the closing prices of yesterday, but Italian Bonds
arc still per cont. better. Brazilian scrip and
Spanish securities are lower, as well as some of the
British railways. Financial shares are also very
flat, and a further serious fall has occurred iu
Imperial Mercantile. The accountant's report with
reference to the affairs of this company is expected
to be issued almost immediately.
There is a fair demand for money to-day, but
some transactions have occurred in the best paper
at below the Bank minimum. The rate for short
loans in the Stock Exchange is 6 per cent.

The Bank of France return shows this week an
increase of 368,0001. in the coin and bullion, and
of 1,264,0001. in the bills discounted.

Consols are now quoted 86} toe for money, and
861 to for the account (May 9).
The foreign stock market was firm at the com-
mencement of business, but prices have since de-
clined, with the exception of Italian Bonds,
which are per cent. better than yesterday.
Brazilian scrip has receded e ; Spanish Certificates,
; and Spanish Passive and Mexican, Some of

the present prices are as follows :—Turkish, 1862,
62i to 63i ; ditto, 1865, 30i to ; Greek, llf to
12} ; Spanish Passive, 25 to ; ditto Certificates,
15} to k ; Italian, 1861, 43i to f ; Brazilian scrip,

6 to 5 die. ; and Mexican, 19 to I.
American securities are rather firmer. 5-20
bonds are now quoted 68if to ; Erie Railway
shares, 49 to ; and Illinois Central, 77/$ to 78.
International Financial shares are now quoted
lit to dis. ; London Financial, 8 to 77

die. ; General Credit, 1 to of die. ; Imperial
Mercantile, 7} to 6} die. ; Credit Foncier and
Mobilier, I to 7l dis ; Overend, Gurney, and
Company, If to I die. ; and National Discount,
7! to 8 prem.

HALF-PAST THREE o'CLoea.
Consols are firmer, at fibil ton for money, and

86! to / for the account.
About 13,0001. in gold has been sent into the
Bank.

At Paris this morning the Three per Cent. Rentes
opened at 65.15, showing a rise ofd per cent.
Hopes are entertained that the demand for money,
so far as it depends upon internal causes, and is ag-
gravated by the prevailing vague distrust, will now
subside. At the same time, the diminution in the

demand for the means of remittance to the

East, the reduced price of cotton, and the rela-
tively higher value of money here, as compared with

that current on the Continent, combine to eimm-

rage a belief that the exports of specie from this
country will be checked.
The last alteration in the Bank rate of discount
was on the 15th of March, when a reduction from 7
to 6 per cent. took place. The coin and bullion
were then 14,327,6181., or 818,4781. more than
now, and the reserve of notes and coin was
8,804,5431., being 3,168,1731. more than now. The
last occasion on which a rise from 6 to 7 per cent.
was made was on the 28th December last, when the
coin and bullion were 13,403,102/., or 106,0381.
less than now, and the reserve was 7,591,267/., or
1,954,8971. more than that now held.
The steamer Ceylon, which will leave South-
ampton to-day, will take only about 30,0001. in
specie for India and China.
The bar silver by the Mexican packet was sold
yesterday for transmission to the continent (there
being no demand for the East) at ss. I,d. per ounce,
showing a decline of id. compared with the price
obtained for the supply by the previous vessel.
In the interval a few transactions have taken place
at ss. lid. and ss. Id.
A private telegram dated Bombay, the 28th
April, states as follows :
Exchange on London for a first-class bank bill, six
months sight, 2s. 1 9-16 d. per rupee ; the Calcutta rate for
ditto, 2s. 2d. per rupee ; exchange on Calcutta at sight,
101 to 101 t ; Government Four per Cent. Paper, *I rs. ;
ditto Five per Cent. Paper, 102 rs. ; ditto Five-and-a-Half
per Cent. Paper, 108 rs. ; Bank of Bombay rate of dill-
count, 13 ; bar gold, 996 touch, 16.2 rs. per tole ; bar
silver, 17 to 174 betterneas, 14:0 rs. per 100 Lulea ; 52.000
bales of cotton sailed from Bombay during the fortnight.
The failure is announced of Messrs. Henry Birt
and Co., wholesale tea dealers, of Mincing-lane.
On the first announcement of the difficulties of the
firm it was fully believed that the estate showed
fully 20s. in the pound, and that it was intended
to form a public company to carry on the business.
The investigation then made, however, resulted in
the discovery that acceptances had been forged to
the extent of about 5,0001. by one of the partners,
and a formal stoppage was at once determined
upon. The liquidation is ex to be unfa-
vourable. The books have rcecrdplaced in the
hands of Messrs. Quilter, Ball, and Co., the
accountants.
The North Eastern Railway traffic return shows
this week an increase of 4,8021. over last year ; the
Lancashire and Yorkshire an increase of 6,134/. ;
the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire an in-
crease of 2,608/. • the North British an increase of
1,680/. ; the London, Chatham, and Dover, in-
cluding the Metropolitan Extension and branches,
an increase of 6851. ; the Metropolitan Extension
an increase of 2721. ; and the Kent Coast a de-
crease of 1201.
A general meeting of shareholders of the lonian
Bank will be held on the 25th inst.
A special meeting of the Metropolitan District
Railway Company is convened for the 17th inst., to
consider a bill now before parliament
The Court of Chancery has appointed Mr. Charles
Lee Nichols to be official liquidator of the London
Cotton Manufacturing Company (Limited).
Creditors of the National Horse Insurance
Company (Limited), are required to send the parti-
culars of their claims by June 1 to the official
liquidator, the Master of the Rolls having
appointed the 15th of June for adjudicating upon
them.
Holders of debentures of the Ottoman Rails

Company are requested to deposit them at the
company's office for endorsement.
The Emigration Commissioners have accepted the
ship Prince of Wales 'for the conveyance of passen-
gers to Adelaide, S.A.
The return of the Bank of England for the week
ending Wednesday, May 2, compared with that
for the previous week, shows the following changes :
Circulation issue £27,712,020 Decrees £293,300
Circulation active 22,872,770 Increase 711,6.55
—0,990 Incresoe 505,843