The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-19 00:00:00

MONETARY AND COMMERC!AL.

LIVERPOOL, TIIttRSDAY EVENING.
There is still an active demand for Cotton, but
we cannot note any change in the prsce of any
description. To- day sales to the extent of 12.000
b Iles were reported. The rates paid were 61 to
71d for Brazil, 411 to 51d for Surat, and 62c1 to l ld
per lb for Egyptian. The market closed with an
advancing tendency.
We have t ) renort an improved feeling in our
Stock and Share Market to-day. At both meetings
on the Stock Exchange there was a considerable
business, and in some of the leading lines more
money was paid The transactions comprised
Caledonian, 311, 1 ; East Lancashire. 24, 1;
Lancashire and Yorkshire, 968, . 1, 2-, 64, 2.- ;
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, 330,
1, I-, 1, I; Midland Stock, 821. -1-, 1,1, 4, 1
Berwick Capital Stock, 201 St. Helen's Canal and
Railway, A. 56. Dovers, 22, 221, 1 1. Grand
Trunk of Canada, 111. Great Western of Canada,
24 1. The'market left off with a firmer feeling, and
closed at the best point of the day, namely :
Aberdeen, 13 131. Blackburn. 7 71. Chester and
Birkenhead, 171 171. Caledonian, 311 311. Chester
and Holyhead, 19 191. Eastern Counties, 9 5-16
9 7-16. East Lancashire, 220 221. Great Northern,
22 22k. Ditto A shares, 9k 91. Great Western,
69 691. Lancashire and Yorkshire Stock. 97k- 971
Liverpool, Crosby and. Southport, 184 18a Lon-
don and North Western' Stock, 1051 106.
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln, 33 33k. Mid
land Stock, 821 821. North British, 10 101
North Staffordshire, 51 - 51. South Eastern
and Dover, 22* 221 York, Newcastle, and
Berwick, 201 21. York and North Midland,
291 30. Leeds Capital Stock 18k 181. Buffalo
and Lake Huron, 1 ip. Dutch Rhenish, 11p
Great Western of Canada, 211 241 Do. New
cit
Shares. -21 2 5-16 p. Great 1.0 .mburg, 10-1 101-d.
Our Produce Markets 13ave ' .-unifergone any
improvement during the last or two. Sugar
remains in limited request, and to day prices were
rather easier. The dealings in rum, molasses, aid
coffee are without much spirit. Rice sells steadily
at full prices, and the sales of saltpetre reported
are said to be at fully late quotations.

The impression, yesterday afternoon, was gene-
rally against the idea that the' Bank of England
Directors would, at their meeting to-day, make any
alteration in the rate of discount. But when the
subject came to be more carefully considered, and.
it was recollected that, unless they availed them-
selves of the present opportunity, no modification
could be effected this year (next Thursday being
Christmas Day) some change of opinion ensued,
and during the early part of this morning a
reduction to 6 per cent. was spoken of
as certain. This view has proved correct, for,
after a very brief discussion, the directors separated
with the announcement that the minimum was
lowered to that quotation. The general position
of the establishment was known to have improved
in a degree that would warrant increased discount
facilities being granted, especially as the Reserve
of notes on the 6th inst., when the last return was
completed, had risen above 5,000,0001., but it was
thought that the active demand for money, the
tenacity with which the authorities of the Bank
of France retained their restrictive regulation, the
continued influx of gold to the continent, and the
advance in the rate of discount at Hamburg, might
have induced them to defer the measure until the
commencement of the new year. This relief,
therefore, coming as it does earlier than was
expected, cannot fail in affording the greatest
satisfaction to the mercantile community, whose
confidence. in a revival of business- early in the
spring will consequently be greatly increased.
The steamer Alhambra has brought in 21,4891.
in Specie, and the Spanish screw steamer Ham-
burg() 20,0001, both from the Peninsula. It is
now estimated that the shipments of specie and
bullion by the steamer Indus will reach the sum
of 450.900/. or 500,0001, nearly all in silver. This
amount is very much larger than wits anticipated
a day or two ago. It is apprehended in some
quarters that the threatened war with Persia will
tend to stimulate the efflux of silver to the East.
Owing to the reduction of the rate of interest alluded
to, the Consol Market opened firmly at a slight im-
provement, and after the decision of the Bank
Directors was officially made known, a further
advance took place, and prices remained buoyant,
although the transactions were not very numerous.
Consols have been 931 93i I, and 937 to 94.
Exchequer Bills have declined to 3s and 4s prem
The Bonds were 981, and India Bonds is discount
to 2s prem. Bank Stock ruled heavy at 217 k. The
'New Three per Cents 93t to 91, and the Reduced
93i I The tone of the-market at its close was one
of firnmess with an advancing tendency.
The business transacted in the London Share
Market to-day was not extensive, but !Dives have
in most instances shown a slight upward move-
ment, hawing been influenced by the reduced
charge for discount announced this morning by
the Bank of England. South Eastern advanced
10s. to 155., Caledonian 155., Manchester, Sheffield,
and Lincoln, 10s., and South Western about 5s
Paris and Lyons advanced 11., Namur and Liege
5s , and Grand Trunk of Canada ss. The East
Indian lines rule firm. The transactions of the
day comprise the following: .Caledonian, 629 3;
Eastern Counties, 91; East Lancashire, 89 ; Great
Northern, 889; Great Western, 699; Midland, 82;
Berwick, 83i ; Dover, 731- 4.a
We take the following from the freight circular
of an eminent shipbroker's house in London :
The freight market is quiet, as customary at this season, but
on the whole the enquiry for tonnage is more active than usual
so near the end of the year. There is less demand homewards
from the East India ports, notwithstanding the improvement
in rates advised by recent mails, the large number of vessels
(about forty) taken up at Bombay for the purposes of tho
expedition to the Persian Gulf having given an impetus to
freights, and high rates are expected as the season advances.
Outwards in this direction there is much firmness in rates,
and for coal cargoes we note an advance, say Aden, from
Birkenhead, 303: Wales, 31s ; North, 36?; Bombay, from
Birkenhead, 18s; Wales, 19r; North, 201; Calcutta, from
Liverpool, salt, 27s 6d without, or 31s, with consignment ;
coals, 20s; Wales, 21s; North, 241, or 50a per ton from
Wales for machinery ; Wales to Shanghai. 25s ; Suez. 506 ;
Cape of Good Hope, 225, &c., &c. Homewards there is still
some demand from the continent, the quotations current being
Bombay to United Kingdom, 62s 6d, or 82s 61, with option of
continent at 853, and Cronstadt at 1003. Ships to arrive
by Ist May : Batavia and one other port in Java to United
Kingdom or Contment, 80s; Calcutta to London or Liverpool,
80s; Manilla, 803; Moulmein, 110 s (teak), Chartering from
the rice ports has ceased, owing to the lateness of the season,
except for vessels on the way out. In the Australian trade
there is still an active demand for tonnage, to load on the
berth at about 606 per regiseer ton for British, and 50a for
foreign flags. For coals the rates are 33s Sydney from
Birkenhead; 37s ad from Wales, or £37 10s from the
North; Melbourne, from Wales, 40s iron, coals, and coke;
or 40s per ton from the Tyne, for coals, coke, and bottles.
The last ships taken up by the Emigration Commissioners
were the Eugenie, for Sydney, at £l3 9s, and the Grand
Trianon, for Melbourne, at £l4 2s 10d.
The advance in the rate for guano from the Chinchas has
brought forward a large quantity of tonnage, especially Amer-
ican, and upwards of 40,000 tons have been engaged within
the last fourteen days. The rate is still firm at 41 10s for
English vessels to United Kingdom, or foreign vessels to the
continent, the restriction as to size being no longer insisted
upon. Far the copper ore trade the quotation is 51 15s per
ton for the round—Swansea to West Coast America and
back to Swansea or Liverpool. Outward freights to
the West Coast have materially declined, owing to the
large number of guano ships seeking outward employ-
ment. The latest engagements have been at 25s flagstones
and 20s iron, Liverpool to Callao ; 35s iron, Wales to Val-
paraiso, &c. In the West India trade freights are weak, owing
to the large supply of tonnage. The rates current are 70s for
the round—Tyne or Wales to Havannah and back—or 50s
home only; Pot,to Rico, 503 ; Barbadoes, Trinidad, .or
Jamaica, 70s to 751 for the round ; Belize, 60s (timber) 10s
additional from the settlements; St. Domingo, 60s, &c. To the
West Coast of Africa from Wales the rates are—for coals,
32s for St. Paul de Loando ; 28s Fernando Po ; 23s
Ascension ; 21s Sierra Leone, &c ; and homewards, 55s
for barwood from Corisco, ; 80 palm oil from the Coast, &c.
In the Brazil trade there is a quiet business, the rates at which
charters have been effected being—Wales to Pernambuco,
with iron and sugar back, 70s for the round ; Bahia, 70s
for the round, or 50s home only ; Rio Janeiro, 42s 6d ;
Rio Grande, 52s 6d hides, with salt from Cape de Verds
at 25s ; River Plate, 455, with coals from the Tyne at 301
per keel. In the Mediterranean and Black Sea trades
business continues very limited ; Odessa, 45s ; Azoff, 555;
or 82s 6d to 92s 6d for the round are the nominal quota-
tions ; Danube, Ws 6d, with iron out from Wales at 40s