The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-18 00:00:00

THE COURT

The Earl of Clarendon bad an audience of the Queen,
on Friday, at Buckingham Palace. Lord Cowley had
also an audience of her Majesty. Prince Albert rode on
horseback with the Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred,
attended by Captain Du Plat and Mr. Gibbs. Prince
Leopold visited the Duchess of Gloucester at Gloucester
House. Her Majesty and the Prince honoured with
their presence. in the evening the performance of the
oratorio of Eli, by the Sacred Harmonic Society, at
Exeter Hall. The Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal,
Prince Alfred, and the Princess Alice accompanied the
Queen and Prince.
SATURDAY, FEB. IG.—The Queen walked early in the
garden of the palace. In the forenoon her Majesty,
attended by the Hon. Miss Bulteel, maid of honour in
waiting, rode on horseback in the riding school. Their
Royal Highnesses the Princess loyal and, the Princess
Alice also took equestrian exercise in the school at the
same time as the Queen. Prince Albert rode out on
horseback attended by his equerry in waiting. The Prince
of Wales and Prince Alfred walked out in the afternoon
Mr. Gibbs, the tutor of the Prince of Wales was in
attendance. Their royal highnesses rode on horseback
in the forenoon. At four o'clock her Majesty and his
Royal Highness Prince Albert left the palace in an open
carriage for a drive, accompaniel by the Princess Royal
and the Princess Alice. The equerries in waiting were
in attendance on horseback. In the evening her Majesty
had a dinner party, which consistedlof their Royal High-
nesses the Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary,
the Turkish Ambassador and Ambassadress, Dervish
Pasha, the Minister from the Hanse Towns, the Marquis
of Lansdowne, the Countess of Desert, the Marquis of
Breadalbane, the Hon. Miss Byng, the Hon. Miss
Bulteel, the Earl and Countess Grey, Lorl Panmure,
and Lieut.-gen. Sir George Bowles.

CABINET COUNCIL.—The usual meeting of Min isters
took place on Saturday afternoon at the Foreign Office.
The time of the summons was two o'clock, but it was
near four before all the Cabinet were assembled. The
Prime Minister arrived at the Foreign Office a few
minutes before three o'clock. All the ministers were
present, with the exception of the Foreign Secretary,
who had taken his departure at a very early hour, to be
present at the Paris Conferences. The Council sat a
considerable time in deliberation. Lord Palmerston
gave a grand dinner on Saturday evening, at his resi-
dence in Picadilly, to a numerous party, chiefly members
of the House of Commons and official personages.

The queen has been pleased to approve of Mr. Jacob
Willink as consul at Liverpool for the Free Hanseatic city
of Hamburg.

ESCAPE riot SLAVERY.—The Asterian, Captain Gay,
arrived in this port on Saturday evening, from New Orleans
On overhauling the ship as usual, one of our customhouse
officers discovered a slave girl concealed in the boatswain's
hunk, where she had been fed and taken care of by the
gallant tar, unknown to any other individual on board.
Previous to the ship leaving New Orleans, a reward of 500
dollars was offered for the apprehension of the fugitive, who
was safely landed from the vessel Sunday afternoon.
TEE MILITIA.—The following appointments and pro-
motions appear in the Gazette of Tuesday last :-Ist Regi-
ment of the Duke of Lancaster's Own Militia! John Paris
Bradshaw, Gent., to be Ensign ; Feb.ll.-4th or Duke of
Lancaster's Own (Light Infantry) Royal Lancashire Militia
—Edwin Richard Lloyd, Gent., to be Ensign ; Feb. 11.-
sth Regiment of Royal Lancashire Militia : Henry Drury,
Gent., to be Lieutenant, vice Lomax, appointed to the 3rd
Light Dragoons; Ensign William Henry Ogden to be
Lieutenant, vice Ford, appointed to the Scots Fuiilier
Guards ; Ensign Sumner Mitchell Sumner Brockh nrst to
be Lieutenant, vice Brockburst. appointed to the 53rd
Foot ; Robert Hall, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Ogden pro-
moted; Francis Ironside Rawlins, Gent., to be Ensign, vice
Brockhu-st, promoted ; Feb. 11.—Royal Lancashire Militia
Artillery : Second Lieutenant James Sothern to be First
Lieutenant, vice Lynam, appointed to the 10th Foot ;
Feb. 11.

PUBLIC LIBRARY AT BIRKENHEAD.—A public meeting of
the inhabitants of Birkenhead was held on Saturday evening,
in the Town-hall, for the purpose of taking into considera-
tion the propriety of adopting the provisions of the Free
Public Libraries Act of 1855, for that township. Mr. John
Laird, chairman of the Birkenhead commissioners, was
called upon to preside, and there were also present many of
the leading and influential gentlemen of the town. Mr P.
M. Dove, after an eloquent address, in which he showed the
benefits that were to be obtained by the working classes
from the establishment of such an institution, moved a re-
solution to the effect that, in the opinion of the meeting, it
was desirable that a free public library should be opened in
the township, under the direction of the commissioners. Mr.
J, Green, as an amendment, proposed that the subject be
not entertained ; but there being no seconder, the amend-
ment fell to the 0-round. The meeting was afterwards
addressed by Mr. Harrison, Mr. Bailiff, Mr. Townsend, Dr.
Walker, and Dr. Baylis, all of whom warmly supported the
proposition moved by Mr. Dove. The motion was then put
to the meeting by the chairman, and was carried almost
unanimously. A vote of thanks was passed to the chair-
man, after which the proceedings terminated.

LMINCH.—A splendid new ship, named the " Aladdin,"
was launched on Saturday week from the building yard of
Messrs. Robert Ritson and Company at Maryport. She
was constructed to order for John Aiken, Esq., of this town
at a cost, when rigged, of £22,000. Her dimensions and
tonnage are as follows :—Square length, 175 feet, 2 inches ;
breadth of beam, 32 feet, 8 inches ; depth of hold, 21 feet,
6 inches; tonnage, 863, old measurement; by the new
system of government tonnage, 866. She has a full poop
and forecastle ;is coppered up to the 21-feet mark ; has a
three-quarters bust for her head, representing " Aladdin,"
with the lamp. She is thoroughly copper-fastened, and will
be classed A 1 at Lloyd's for 13 years. The model is
perfect, the materials are first-rate, and the workmanship,
as we have hinted, cannot be excelled. Her timbers and
planks are of English oak, East India teak, and green-
heart. The " Aladdin," is expected to 'stave Maryport in
about a month for Liverpool, where she is chartered to take
a valuable cargo to Calcutta. After the launch, a splendid
dejeuner at which the owner of the new craft, Mr. John
Aiken presided, took place in celebration of the event, and
was attended by a goodly array of the rank, beauty, and
wealth of the neighbourhood.

MONETARY

AND COMMERCIAL.

LIVERPOOL,

SATURDAY EVENING

There has been no change in the tone of the
Cotton Market to-day, and with a moderate busi-
ness, prices have been steady. The total sales
reach 8,000 bales, and include 3000 taken for
speculation and export.

The Liverpool Share Market has been decidedly
firmer in tone to-day, and an advance of -zt, per cent
has taken place from the lowest point of yesterday.
The firmer tone of Consols, upon the expectation
that the loan will be issued in! instalments, caused
the share market to close with great steadiness.
The final quotations were as follows:—Aberdeen,
121 12i. Chester and Birkenhead, 14 Mi.
Caledonian, 27,2; 28. Chester and Holyhead,

13 131. Eastern Counties, Oi 10: East
Lancashire, 18 184-. Great Northern, 221 23.
Ditto A Shares, 9.a. Great Western, 551 50k.
Lancashire and Yorkshire Stock, 81' 811,-.

Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport
and North Western Stock, 11
chester, Sheffield and Lincoln

15 15k.
1007-f

London
Man-
Ditto

Preference, 11

Ditto N

per cent

Pref.,

Midland Stock

North

British,

North Staffords-hii

South Eastern and Dover, MI 19i1. York,
Newcastle, and B"rwick, 19 19,1. York and
North Midland, 251 26. Leeds :Capital Stock,
1476 154. Dutch Rhenish, 9-16 11-16 p. Ditto New
Shares, 224 p. Great Western of Canada, 26 26k.
Ditto New Shares, 34 3d p. Great Luxembourg,
98;d.
By way of Panama we have dates from 'Mel-
bourne to the 20th of November, being within five
days as late news as the James Baines will bring
when she arrives. The Emma was announced to
leave for Liverpool on the 10th of December. The
price of gold had declined 6d per ounce, and the
yield still kept up. Exchange on England was
quoted at par. The price of flour was quoted at
491 to 501 per ton. From Sydney the dates are to
the 14th of November, and by them we learn that
the Steam Postal Bill had passed through com-
mittee in the house ; 20,0001 having been inserted
as the contribution of New South Wales towards a
general line for all Australia. The ships Forest
Monarch (from Glasgow), and the Rajah of
Sarawak (from Bristol), had both arrived out at
Melbourne.

The imports of specie during the week were by
the Lord Burleigh, from Sydney, 290 ounces of
gold and 100 sovereigns, or 980/. ; the Ravens-
bourne, from Antwerp, 17 cases of bullion ; the
Pollux, from Hamburg, 20 packages of bullion; the
Baltic, from New York, 35,000 dols. or 7,0001. ; the
Madrid, from the Mediterranean, 3,0831.; the Avon,
from the Brazils, 7,025/. ; the Baron Osy, from
Antwerp, 11 cases of bullion ; the Magdalena,
from the West Indies, 2,900,249 dols., or 580,000/.
. .

The following is the official return of the exports
of the precious metals from the port of London for
the week ending February Bth, I.Bs6:—Silver Coin
to Boulogne, 410 ; Ditto to Rotterdam, 1,200.
Total Silver, 1,610 ozs.

The quotation of gold at Paris is about 4 per
mille premium, and the exchange on London at
Short is 25.35, or about 0.32 per cent. dearer in
London than in Paris. The price of gold in Ham
burg is 4262 per mark, and the exchange on Lon-
don at short is 13.7, making gold 0 64 per cent.
dearer in London than in Hamburg.
In Mincing-lane, the Colonial Produce Market
this week, the dealings have again been limited.
Sugar has been dull, and to effect sales holders
have been compelled to accept reduced prices.
The stocks in Europe are rapidly increasing, and
are nearly as large as at this time last year. Coffee
has been less inquired for, and the quotations
have tended downward. Cocoa has been steady,
and also tea, but rice has ruled flat. Rum has
continued depressed ; saltpetre is rather cheaper,
and spices have not varied particularly. The pub-
lic sales, of indigo have proceeded at a material
advance, Bengra qualities having realised 8d to ls,
Kurpah 6d to 10d ; and Madras 4d per lb. more
than in October last. Wool, at the public sales, is
realising on the average 2d per lb. advance ; about
40,000 bales will be offered. Tallow has been
dealt in to a fair extent.

The following are the Gazette average prices of
Muscovado Sugar, for the week ending Feb. 12th,
1856, exclusive of Custom's duties payable thereon
on the importation thereof into Great Britain:--
From the West Indies, 22s 5/4 per cwt ; East
Indies. 21s 9FI per cwt. Average price of the two
foregoing descriptions, 22s 3cl per cwt.
We quote the following resume of the business
of the London Stock and Share Market for the past
week, from the circular of Mr. William Avens:—
The approaching conferences for peace, and the better
accounts from the United States with regard to the pacific
solution of our differences with that government, pro-
duced a continuously good effect upon the market up to
Thursday; so that a considerable advance upon Consols
and most other Securities took place. Some further
improvement did not seem improbable then ; but a com-
plete change came over the market yesterday morning,
caused by the announcement of a new loan and the fund-
ing of a portion of the outstanding Exchequer Bills.
Not the slightest idea was entertained that either of
these operations were contemplated at present; and,
consequently the surprise which followed was exceedingly
great. It was attended, too, by some peculiar circum-
stances. Sales of Stock had been effected by a leading
jobber to a very large extent, both before and immediately
after the opening of the market ; and a suspicion was
thereby created that the bank broker had improperly
allowed the fact of the loan to transpire. An inquiry was
instituted before the committee, which, after full investi-
'ation, resolved that there was no foundation for the
imputation. The amount of the loan is estimated at
10,000,0001. by some, and at 15,000,0001. by others, and
the funding of the Exchequer Bills, it Is thought, will
absorb from 5,000,0007. to 9,000,0001. of these securities
out of the market. Money is very dear, while the demand
is in excess of the supply. The rates consequently
remain exceedingly high. The discount houses are doing
little or nothing under the Bank terms, and the average
minimum rate upon the test bills is 61 per cent. An
extension of manufacturing and commercial operations in
different parts of th. country, together with increasing
on foreign and colonial account will explain the pressure
for accommodation upon country bankers, and its reac-
tion on their agents here. Besides this partial revival
in the ordinary business of the country, a considerable
number of new Joint Stock undertakings, intended to
take advantaga of the openings which returning peace will
afford for obtaining large profits, are projected. Some of
these undertakings have been at a good premium,
but they are now lower. Up to the present moment suc-
cessful efforts have been made to prevent the Banking
class of these projects assuming a merely speculative cha-
racter ; but there are others in which the same caution is
not directly manifested. These undertakings are, on the
whole, sufficiently numerous and important to perceptibly
increase the call for money, so that when added to the
great pre-existing demand, the tightness of the market,
and the dearness of the rates, in the almost immediate
prospect of peace, are at once accounted for. At the
same time there is less capital waiting employment, while
it is probable that large reserves will be made in prepara-
tion for the new loan. About 600,0001 in specie, chiefly
in silver, has 'arrived during the week ' • and 400,0001
is due from Australia. The Continental demand is not
yet satisfied. Some expectations have been held
out of an outflow of gold from the seat of war
in the East ; but though the exchanges are favour-
able to its return, none has yet come back. Consols
opened yesterday at 9U to 1, being I per cent lower than
on Thursday; bat owing to the announcement of the loan
and the'dearness of money, they fell: to 90 to 1, at the
close. Business has been but moderate in amount. Rail-
way. Shares are all lower, the decline averaging V. per
share. The Settlement, which is now concluded, showed
a light account. The rates of continuation were com-
paratively low on Wednesday; but on Thursday they
were very heavy. For instance, Great Westerns were
*tol on Wednesday, and next day Ito ; on Midlands
they increased to ; and on Lancashire and Yorkshire
in the same proportion. Foreign Securities are all rather
firm, but lower. Joint Stock Banks, which have lon.-
shown an upward tendency, still keep up. Bank Shares
are still a very favourite security, and they are likely to
keep in demand.

in London to day, the excitement caused by the
announcement of the loan having passed away,
the Stock Market was quiet, and without any mate-
rial fluctuation in prices. The opinion now is that
the amount of the Loan will be very small—so
low as five millions ; but on the other hand it is
not very probable that the Chancellor of the
Exchequer would ask for so comparatively small a
sum, at a moment when it is considered necessary
to impress upon Russia that we are making great
preparation for continuing the war if the forth-
coming nogociations break down. The uncertainty
as to the amount discouraged operations this
morning, still the tendency was rather towards an
improvement upon present prices than otherwise.
Private letterf from Paris this morning describe the
operations upon the Bourse as having been in a
state of panic at the sudden fall in Consols yes-
terday, and it was attributed to all sorts of causes
except the true one. There seems, however to
have been a good deal of selling, so that it is likely
the fact of the loan was known to a few at an
early hour. Consols opened this morning at 90
to 1, and for a time they stood at 90-: to '4; they
then relapsed to 901 to I, and they closed firm at

90-a to I. Railways are a shade better, but witY
nothing doing. Foreign Securities shew no parti-
cular change, but they are all good. Joint Stock
Bank Shares have recovered the slight faT],
which occurred to some of them yesterday, and the
demand continues to increase. The prices are.
Alliance, par to prem ; Western, a to 11 prom •
National Discount, s to -1- prem ; Ottoman, 11 to
prem ; Bank of Egypt, 1 to 2 prem. Money
again been in great demand. The Discount houses
are taking any amount for three months at 51 Peg
The French Three per Cents., which fell
per cent, yesterday, showed a tendency to recover
this morning. They opened at 73f. 50., or ihigher
than the closing price yesterday, and at noon thel
The recovery, so far, is equal to

were 73f. 90e

nearly -a per cent.
We have authority for contradicting the report'
that the agency of the Tipperary Bank has boo
transferred from Messrs. Glyn and Co. to the
London and County Bank. The specie by the
Magdalena is £375,400. Nearly the whole of this
is believed to be in silver. This supply is veil
opportune as it will meet the Indian demand, an
thus for the time obviate the necessity of drawing
upon the Continent for silver. The total value
the week's reports is estimated at ab°,llA
•
but scarcely any of this is in goT
;C70,070, chiefly

consist