The Express.
London, England, 1861-09-23 00:00:00

Total la Oct. C827.910

Total called In tin months of 1d61...

£10,810.189

A general meeting of proprietors of the Oriental
Bank is convened for the 29th October, to declare
au interim dividend for the half-year ended the 30th
June last.

With regard to the uncertain prospects of the
consumption of imported articles, Messrs. Joseph
Travers and Sous observe as follows :

Although the state of the money market and the healthy
position of the country u regards its internal affairs war-
rant the most cheerful feeling on the part of the mercantile
community, every one is sensible that all transactions
must now have • speculative element, in consequerice of
the impossibility of forming an opinion as to the turn that
American affairs may take before the approach of winter.
Already the wise movement is favour of a general resort to
short time throughout Lancashire has made great proems,
and the result cannot fail to become observable in the con-
sumption of moat of the leading articles of food and luxury.
Should the auessity for this contraction soot assume a
more decided form, and the fact be made evident that two
or three millions of our operatives must for several mouths
be supported wholly or iu part by public aid, it is scarcely
possible to suppeoe that our markets for imported pro-
duce mu experience any continuous rise, such w would an-
swer the hopes of ardent operators. But, on the other
hand, a settlement the war in America would undoubt-
edly lie followed by an upward movement of unusual ra-
pidity and force, although, perhaps, soon to end in reac-
tion. It is likewise to be admitted that, owing to the
wonderful elasticity of the resources of the United King-'
dom, the forebodings of the results of temporary reverses
affecting special curses of the population are generally
found, so far as the nation at large is concerned, to be
greater than are ever realised. Ou the whole, such are
the uncertainties of the time, that it evidently behoves all
persons to be careful as to the quarters in which they give
credit. If prudence is exorcised in that respect, there will
be no reason to doubt that, whatever may be its ultimate
solution, we shall puss through the pending crisis, not only
without injury, but with the certainty that it will have
paved the way for • vast augmentation of the prosperity
of India, and of other British possessions.

SATURDAY EVIDID[O,

Consols, which closed yesterday at 931 toe for
the 10th October, opened this morning at the
same quotation, and closed at 931, " sellers." For
money the last price was 931 to a. The official
business report is as follows :—Three per Cent.
Consuls, for money, 931, 1, 4 ; ditto, for account
(October 10), 9.11, ; Throe per Cents. Reduced.
911, 1 ; New Three per Cents., 911, a ; India
Five per Cent. Stock, 104; ditto, for account, 1041 ;
ditto scri 1041 ; ditto, Four per Cent. Debentures,
1863, 98 ; Five per Cont. " enfaced" rupee
paw, 961, 4 ; ditto Five-and-a-Ralf per Cent.,
Iltet'ltdia Five per Cent. Stock was flatter, at
1031 to 104, and the Scrip at 1031 to 104.
Exchequer Bills were more inquired for. The
March issue closed at Is. dim. to 3s. prem., being
slightly dearer than yesterday, and the June at be.
to Bs. prem.
In the foreign stock market the principal feature
was a rise of I to 2 per cent. in Buenos Ayres Six
per Cents., consequent upon the announcement that
an agreement has been come to for the peaceful sepa-
ration of that state from the Argentine Confedera-
tion.

o the absence of Liminess, Bank shares were ne-
t, inally quoted the same as yesterday. There were
iequiries for ChArtered Bank of India, Australia,
and China. In miscellaneous shares, Oriental In-
land Steam were firmer, and Van Ditlllllll'll Land
Eat. Great Ship ['reference Shares were weaker.
The closing quotations for shares, in new under-
takings to-day were as follows :--oers.ii Marine
Insurance, Cs to prem. ; Thames and Mersey
Marine, 15-16 to 11-16 prom. • Universal Marine
Insurance, Ito of ; London and Provincial
Marine, dis. to par ; Oriental and General
Marine, f to p prem. ; Mercantile Fire, 5-16 to 7-16
prvni. ; Commercial Union Fire, dis. to par ;
Bahia Steam, par to prem.
United States Five per Cents. were more i turd rod
for, and were quoted 74 to I.