The Express.
London, England, 1856-12-18 00:00:00

REDUCTION OF THE BANK RATE OF

DISCOUNT.

Two °Twos.

The directors of the Bank of England have to-day
reduced their minimum rate of discount from 6f to 6
per cent.
All the Stock Exchangemarkete opened with in-
creased strength, and this announcement has im-
parted great buoyancy. The funds are now quoted
f per cent. higher than they closed yesterday-
Eoglish and French railway shares and Turkish
Stooks have all advanced.

Consols stood during part of the morning at 931
to 1, and are now quoted 931 to 94 ex div. for the
Bth of January. The Three per Cents. Reduocd
have been dealt in at 931 to 931; the New Three
per Cents. at 931 to 94; Bank Stock at 2171; Ex-
chequer Bills at 3e. to Be. prem.; Exchequer Benda
at 981; and India Bonds at Is, die. to 21. prem.
Turkish Six per Cents were first marked 941, and
have rims to 961 to /. The Guaranteed Fear per Cents.
have advanced to 1021 to 103. Other foreign securities
ars firm, but quiet. The sales Waled. Belgian Four-
&W4-Half per Cents. at 98 (exch. 12tr.); Dutch
Twoand-a-Half per Cents. at 861 (exch. 128.); F.ench
Three per Cent-Bente% at 87fr. 60c. (exch., 26(r. 20c.);
Mexican, for the 31st Inst., at 211; Sardinian, for
seeonat, at 881; and the Spanish Coupon Certifs.
at 6 per Gent.
The steamer Alhambra has brought in 21,4891. in
specie. and the Spanish screw steamer Ramberg°
20,000 L, both from the Peninsula.
It is now estimated that the shipments of specie
and bullion by the steamer Indus will reach the sum
of 460,0001. or 600,000 L, nearly all in silver. This
amount if very mach larger than was anticipated a
day or two ago.
It is apprehended in some qriarters that the
threatened war with Persia will tend to stimulate the
efux of silver to the Bast.

The own market yesterday was aOn depressed.
Had bayers come forward, holden of wheat would pro-
bably have consented to a farther redaction of le. to
2a. per quarter from last Monday's rates. The arrivals
of of wheat and Bone in London this week have
been lugs. Since Friday the arrivals of Boating
cargoes off the coast have been limited to seven of
wheat, two of maim, and one of beans. No tramp-
dons were practicable in this department of the
market ; and maize, which oontinnee in demand on
Spanish account, aloes maintains its prise. The
country markets yesterday were generally lower,
and in France the tendency is she decidedly down-
wards.

A half-yearly dividend at the rate of 8 per cent.
pe annum is to be payable on the stock of the
National Provincial Bank of England on the 16th of
January.
An extraordinary general meeting of the Times
Fire Assumes Company is called for the 24th inst.,
to confirm the purchase of the business of the
Atheneum Fire Assumes Society, in addition to that
of the Been Life and Fire Assumes Company ; to
increase the capital by 160,000 additional shares, and
to authorise an application to parliament for an act.
The arrangements are notified in connexion with
the payment of the meal interest on the shares of the
Rae Kant Railway Company.

Subjoined are the late stquotations of inanrance,
cam], and other miscellaneous shares, ea given in the
last Stock Exchange List :
Leaman, Shares :—Argas Life,23; Albion,9o; Atlas, 161/.
1; Allianse,• British and Foreign,l7l, t ; ditto Manses, 42 ;
4 British Coontereial, 6 ; Church of England, it; City of
Leaden. 2} : Eagle, ; Equity sad Law, 61;
se,
Life, 18; Globe, 1 , 101; General, 61 ; Gasidian, 62t ;
Ladenusity Marine, ; Imperial Pin, 870 ; legal area
General Life, 6 ; London and Provismial Law, 3; Leadoe,
30; Law Life,-82; &LlN'', 31; Nadas, 621,62; Medical,
invalid. and General Lib, si ; Monarob, IL • Bock Life,
ft ; United Kingdom, 41; Union, 315; Vistores Life, 6t.
Canal Blares : Birsantshass, 911 ; Derby, 84 ; Grand
laacties, 43 ; Kennet and Ave., 61 ; Loughborough, 660 ;
Lemmata, 491; Maceltsfirld, 61; (bind, 103; Stafford
and Worcester, 440; Btourbridge 300 ; nab Forst,Wl;
•ent'a, 161; Warwick sad Bausiagitam, 26; Warrekk
ni
anti Napoli, 9; Wilts and Barks, 4}, Worcester an Mr-
-19. fliessksan. Coke Companies: Brighter, 16 ; City of Loaeloc.
86, 86; Imperial, 88; ditto new, 29; London Parlamen-
tet, Premium, 26; Pbonix, 441 ; Ratcliffe (20L—shun194 Pad). 16; 3aragy Consumers, llt ; Westasiaster Char.
tared, en, I ; ditto Now, 101, I • ditto Wester' A, 71.
Waterworks Stocks: Berlio, 4i; Grand Joan,.., 76;
Kest, 81; Lambeth, 96; West Middleton, 101; ditto ditto,
24 rein.
____

WIDIIIIIDA7 i‘iltllllo.

The &oak Exchange markets to-day have been
subjected to some disturbance. The funds opened
with a dell appearance, being still influenced by the
recent serious fall at Paris. Towards the middle of
the day there was • sudden pressure of speculative
sales, to the extent, it is stated, of about 400.0001
An unfavourable interpretation being put upon the
note in the Afeeseeor relative to the Neufchatel
question, and an erroneous report of a fresh fall at
Paris being circulated, a reduction of 1 per cent.
was temporarily established in the funds. Upon
the receipt of the official telegraphic despatches
from Paris, announcing a sensible rally, the market
here resumed steadiness. Consols finally aimed only
per cent worse than yesterday, although the fill
extent of the improvement on the Paris Bourse bad
not transpired. In the other departments of the
Stock Exchange heaviness prevailed. Preach and
other foreign railway shares, after being depressed
daring the greater part of the day, recovered towards
the close. English railway stocks and Terkish secu-
rities left off lower than yesterday. Throughout the
home, however, the feeling at the close was more
favourable.

In the discount market today there was a good
demand for money, but the supply was ample, owing
partly to the feet that a number of the brokers
obtained • supply from the Bank yesterday. In
exceptional ones, however, good bills continue to to
discounted below the Bank minimum.

Consols opened at yesterday's closing quotation of
931 to 1, fell to 931 to 1, and were last quoted 931 to
lex div. for the Bth of lan. The official business
report is as follows :—Three per Cent. Consols, for
Islooey (shut), 94j (with die.) ; ditto, for account, Bth
Jas., 931,1 X 1,1 ex div. ; Tugs per Cent. Reduced,
931, 1, 1. 1; New Three per Cute., 931, 1.
Thirty Years Aonaities, expiring in April, 1686,1
18 1.16, 18. Three-end. a-lialf per Cent. Exchequer
Bonds, felling payable in 1858, 981. India Bonds,
2s. prem.
Exchequer Bills were quoted 4s. to 7s. prem.;
and Exchequer Bondi. 981 to /.
Turkish stocks have been sensibly prejudiced by
the disturbance observable today in the Stock Ex-
change. The Six per Cents., which opened as they
closed yesterday. at 95 to 1 for the 31st instant, are
narked u low as 941, and cloud at 941 to 1, showing
a fall of 1 percent. on the day. Thethuranteed Four
per Cents. opened at 1021 to 1, and left off at 1021 to
for the account, bele g per oen t. worse than yesterday.
Mexican Bonds were rather weaker, and other foreign
securities dull.

Ottoman Bank shame closed to-day at 11 to 11
dia.; Bank of Egypt, st Ito 1 die.; National Dis-
count, at jto 1 prem. ; ditto, new shuts, at to
prem.; London Discount, at I die. to prem.; and
General Bank of Switzerland, at 11 to 01 die. Bank
of Australasia stock was quoted rather lower, but
that of the Commercial Bank of London was again
inquired for, owing to the highly satisfactory expla-
nations made at the meeting yesterday. Canada
Land shares were spin firmer, and North British
Anstraluian flat. _

The Admiralty have accepted the undermentioned,
ships for the conveyance of stores, viz. :—The
foe Cape Town; Ravel, for East London ; SivalgrY•
for Jamaica ; and the Dorothy, for the Mauritius.
The nominal closing quotations for the newly pro.
looted railways are subjoined, viz.: Eastern Bengal
Railway, f to pram.; Ceylon Railway, to
prem.; Calcutta and South Eastern Railway, par
to pees.; Riga and Dunaburg Railway, f to I
wem.l Coptapo Railway, dis. tot prem.; Italian
'autism Railways, 2 to dia.; uphrates Valley

Railway, to prom.; Metropolitan Railway Chm-
ranteed shares, 4to dis.; New Brunswick and
Canada Railway and Land A shams, di& to Pori
ditto B shares, I to of die.
The nominal quotations for some other new pro-
jvcts are es follow :—European and Indian Junction
'Telegraph Company,l.l6 dia. to 1-16 prem. ; Bernard's
Potent Machine Boot and Shoe Company, dis. to
pu ; West Rain Distillery Company, dia. to par;
Levant Mineral, I dia. to par.