The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-23 00:00:00

MONEY ILIRKET.-(THIS DAY.

Ora o'Ozoos.
The stock markets are slightly firmer to-d►y,
owing chiefly to the satisfactory tone of the Speech
just delivered by the Emperor of the French. The
transactions, nevertheless, continue limited, and
prices generally have not varied. Consols
exhibit a rise of per cent. for the aeoount. There
' is also a slight recovery in some foreign bonds, but
English railways and banking and financial shares
are mostly without variation. Great Eastern Rail-
way stock, however, has further receded.
The demand for money continues moderate, and
the supply large. The rate for the beat three
mouths' paper is i to 7} per cent., or to below
that at the Bank of England.
_ .

Consols are now quoted 86; to 87 for money,
and 871 to j for the account (February 8).
The foreign stock market is rather firmer, and
a slight recovery, ranging from /to per cent. has
occurred in Spanish Certificates, Brazilian scrip,
and Mexican. Italian Bonds of 1861 have receded 1.
Some of the present quotations are subjoined, viz. :
Greek, 14 to 14 ; Turkish Five per Cents.
of 1865, 391 to 1, ex div. ; Spanish Passive, 25j
to a ; ditto Certificates, 14 to ; ; Brazilian scrip,
ato prem. ; and Mexican, 211 to j, ex div.
The scrip of the new Egyptian Railway Loan
is steady, at I to iR pitaus.
American securities are steady. 5-20 bonds are
now quoted 661 to j ; Erie Railway shares, 57j to
; ; and Illinois Central, 751 to 76.
The Ben Lomond has arrived from Port Phillip

with 36,000/. in gold.
International Financial shares are now quol

to prem. ; General Credit, 11f to 2 prem. ;
London Financial, 3g to g prem. ; Imperial Mer-
cantile, 21 to prem. ; Credit Fonder and Mobilier
of England, 311 to prem., ex all, being lower ;
Overeni, Gurney, and Company, hto prem.
The shares of the English and American Bank
are now quoted 1 to If prem. ; London Steam
Towing, I} to 2 prem. ; and Charles Laffitte and
Co., 21 to prem.
HALF-PAST THREE O'CLOCK.

Consols are quoted 861 to 87 for money, and
871 to It for the account, being k per cent. lower
in the latter instance compared with the price
current at 1 o'clock. No bullion operations have
occurred at the Bank. . .

Vv
It has often been remarked before that, though
the prices of public securities may be supported with
considerable.steadiness in face of even a sudden
rise in the value of money, the maintenance of that
value at a high point for weeks together discourages
holders, and causes stock to fall from their hands.
All experience proves, however, that that is just
the time when the bond Ale buyer has the best
chance of investing on advantageous terms.
The new rules of the Committee of the Stock
Exchange were confirmed yesterday, with a few
slight alterations, which do not affect their general
sense.
The Stock Exchange Committee have appointed
Thursday, the 25th instant, a special settling day
in the shares of the following companies :—Gale's
Protected Gunpowder (Limited), to be marked in the
twice-a-week list. Accidental and Marine Insurance
Corporation (Limited), not to be marked.
The Brighton Railway traffic return shows this
week an increase of 1,1691. over the corresponding
week of last year, and the South Eastern an in-
crease of 1551.
At the meeting yesterday of the London Financial
Association (Limited), the chairman mentioned that
the advance to a tirm of railway contractors
(Messrs. Watson, Overend, and Co.), whose diffi-
culties have already been referred to, amounted to
402,0001., but the whole is amply covered by
securities. Several shareholders complained of,
the reduction in the dividend from 15 to 10 per
cent. per annum, urging that the difference ought
to have been made up from the reserve fund. The
directors' report, however, was ultimately adopted.
The meeting of the Consolidated Discount Com-
pany (Limited) took place yesterday. The chairman,
in moving the adoption of the report, expressed his
regret that the accounts are not more satisfactory,
but reminded the shareholders that a profit of
8,0001. has been made during the pant six months,
although it has been used to cover losses previously '
incurred. The company are unable on the present
occasion to pay a dividend, yet be has every reason
to hope that the future results will be more favour-
able.
It is notified that an extraordinary meeting of the
shareholders of the Bank of Egypt will be held
immediately after the annual meeting on the 2nd
of February, when "the directors will submit a
resolution authorising the increase of the capital of
the company by the issue of five thousand new
shares of the nominal value of 251. each, and pro-
viding for the terms of issue, and for the allotment
and disposal of such new shares."
The following is the report of the directors of the
National Provincial Marine Insurance Company
(Limited), to be presented at the second annual meet-
ing on the sth of February :
In submitting the annexed statement of amount" apper.
taming to the operations of this rompaey daring the year
1865, the directors an enabled toreport to the shareholders
the steady sad satisfactory program of their undertaking.
By rderenee to the balance-sheet now presented it will be
observed, that not only the premiums realised, but also the
balance of revenue, after deducting all carnet contingen-
cies, are etesiderably in exam of the Ism items for the