The Express.
London, England, 1861-04-05 00:00:00

Exchequer Bills are in better demand to-day.

Transactions to a moderate extent have taken
place in the foreign stock market. Prices are ge-
nerally steady. Mexican Bonds are well supported.
The Turkish Loan of 1864 is quoted 73} to
74, and that of 1868, 531 to tot Spanish Passive
Bonds are heavy. Sales are recorded as follows :
Brazilian Four-and-a-Half per Cents., 1860, 851 ;
Buenos Ayres Deferred, 28/ ; Dutch Two-and-a-
Half per Cents., 631 (exchange 121) ; Mexi-
can Three per Cents., 241, 1 ; Portuguese Three
per Cents., 1853, small, 47, 44 ; Russian Four-
and-a-Half per Cents., 91i, 91 ; Sardinian Five
per Cents., 821; Spanish Three per Cents.,
for account, 481; ditto New Deferred Three per
Cents., for account, 411 ; ditto Passive, 161 ; the
Committee's Certificates, 51, ; Turkish Six per
Cents., 1854, 731; ditto Six per Cents., 1868, for
account, 831 ; ditto Guaranteed Four per
Cents., 991._

In face of the recovery in the American ex-
change to a point at which there is even a pros-
pect of a reflux of some amount of sovereigns to
this country, combined with the addition of half a
million to the Bank's stock of bullion (the total
of which was stated in the last return at the satis-
factory sum of 12,855,85614, it would have been
absurd to have kept the rate any longer at 7 per
cent. A delay of a week would have been regarded
as • sign that the Bank intended to got as much as
possible out of the public for the use of the public
balances. In well-informed circles there seems to
be little difference of opinion as regards the pro-
bable future course of the market. Considering
the gradual contraction of mercantile engagements,
the satisfactory level of the exchanges, and the
influx of gold, it is generally considered that the
Bank rate will be lowered to 5 per cent.
within the next three weeks. The release of the
dividends will probably bring • good supply of
money into the open market : and, should the Bank
persist in asking 6 per cent., its discount business
will then probably fall away from it, under the
influence of the competition of other dealers in
money.

There was a moderate demand for money yester-
day at the Bank and in Lombard-street. Being the
4th, a large mass of bills connected with the internal
trade of the country fell due. It is satisfactory to
notice that they were, on the whole, very well met.
The best bills were discounted yesterday at 51 per
cent., or I below the Bank minimum.
The amount of gold taken to the Bank yester-
day was 75,0001.
The private commercial advioes from America
are marked by a decidedly more cheerful tone. The
prospect of civil war is evidently considered to be
much fainter. The recovery in the exchange to
107} is the more worthy of remark, because it has
been occasioned principally by purchases of bills by
the importing interest, and not by an sudden
arrivals of English gold in New York. Taking the
exchange at 107} and the English rate of discount
at 8 per cent. (the latest rate reported at New York
from this side at the date of the departure of the
accounts now to hand), sovereigns were a more ad-
vantageous medium of remittance to this country
than bills.

The Mexican dollars by the last packet were sold
yesterday at 4a. 110. per ounce, showing no
change. The silver fias not yet Leen disposed
of. The 130,0001. in gold by the Tasmanian will
probably be sent into the Bank after being refined.
In the Liverpool cotton market yesterday full
rates were quoted. The sales comprised 12,000
bales.

The Bombay mail, yid Marseilles, will be de-
livered in Loudon to-morrow.

In the Bankruptcy Court yesterday a second-
class certificate was awarded to Mr. Joseph Hooper,
leather factor, of Bermondsey, to be given at the
end of one year from the date of the bankruptcy,
with protection in the meanwhile. The youth of
the bankrupt was assigned bey the Commissioner as
his principal motive in giving this lenient judg-
ment. _ _ _

The Eastern Counties Railway traffic return
shows this week an increase of 2527/. ; the Mid-
land an increase of 1331. ; the Manchester, Shef-
field, and Lincolnshire, an increase of 1,3511 ; the
Lancashire and Yorkshire an increase of 3,1751. ;
and the North Eastern an increase of 2,0191.

The traffic receipts of the Grand TrUnk Railway
Company of Canada for the week ending March 9
were 14,2241. sterling, being 1,035/. more than in
the corresponding week of last year.
The traffic receipts of the Great Western Railway
of Canada for the week ending March 15 were
10,3631. sterling, being 1,1301. more than in the
corresponding week of last year.
The usual half-yearly dividend of Bs. 6d. per
share is announced on the shares in the Alliance
Life and Fire Office.

Mr. J. Jackson has been appointed agent for
Lloyd's at Whitehaven.
The Janet Willis has arrived from China with
875,1001b5. of tea.
The Emigration Commissioners have engaged the
Bowden to take passengers to Table Bay, and the
Atbenais liberated Africans from Sierra Leone to
Jamaica. The Scoresby is to take government
stores to Calcutta.

TB UREIDLT AMMO,

Consols, which closed yesterday at 9-16
for the 10th of April, opened this morning at 914
to I, touched 914, " buyers," and closed at 914 to
4. For money the last price was also 914 to 4 ;
and for the 9th of May, 91 15-16 to 92. The "con-
tinuation "to the May account was 6-16 to 4 per
cent. The official business report is as follows :
Three per Cent. Consols, for money, 914, 4,
S; ditto for account (April 10), 91g, 4 ; India
tock,72l* ; ditto Five per Cent. Stock, 1859,
991, 1001 ; ditto, for account, 10C ; ditto Four
per Cent. Debentures, 1868, 954, ; ditto, 1859,
954 ; ditto, Bonds, 30e. dis. ; our per Cent.
" enfaoed" rupee paper, 77 ; ditto Five per Cent.,
93} ; ditto Five-and-a-Half per Cent.. 100.
The scrip of the New Indian Loan was quotes.
991 to I.oo* ; the Five per Cent. rupee paper 93
tc
94 ; and the Five-and-a-Half per Cent, 994 tc.
104.
Owing partly to the fall in the rate of discount,
Exchequer Bills recovered to the extent of 34 ,
closing at 9s. to 4a. dia.
The foreign stock market was somewhat firmer.
There was a further improvement to-day in Lon-
don and Westminster and Oriental Bank shares.
The inquiries extended to London and County
Bank. Au improvement also occurred in Peninsu-
lar and Oriental Steam and Crystal Palace shares.
The closing quotations for shares in new under-
takings to-day were as follows :—Ocean Marine
surancie, 24 to 34 prem. ; Thames and Mersey
I Marine, 4 to 1 prem. ; Universal Marine Insurance,