The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-04-02 00:00:00

TAB rifAE-if HERM TIMES.-LIVERPOOL2 WEDNESDAY, APRIL t 1

MONETARY AND COMMERCIAL.

LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY EVENING

There has been a mo'erate demand for Cotton
to-day, and with an ample supply—prices have
been steady. The total sales reach 10,000 bales,
of which 4,000 have been taken for speculation and
export.

The Liverpool Share Market again opened with
considerable firmness, and throughout the day
gained additional strength. Closing firm at
the highest point as follows :—Aberdeen, 132 14.
Chester and Birkenhead, 151 16. Caledonian,
30i 301. Chester and Holyhead, 15* 152. Eastern
Counties, 10Z 10g. sli ast Lancashire, 192 191 Great
Northern, 23* 231 Ditto A 91 10. Great
Western, 641 65. Lancashire and Yorkshire
Stock, 887-, 88*. Liverpool, Crosby, and South-
port, 16 162, London and North Western
Stock, 102* 1021 Manchester, Sheffield, and
Lincoln, 292 291. Ditto Preference, 11a 112.
Ditto New 6 per cent. Pref.,* ,2-Ip. Midland Stock,
75 75k. North British, 89 9. North Stafford-
shire, 6 52d. South Eastern, 222 22 546. York,
Newcastle, and Berwick, 20 20 1-16. York and
North Midland, 282 29. Leeds Capital Stock,
15* 16. Dutch Rhenish, 15.16 p. Ditto New
Shares, 38 32p. Great Western of Canada,
248 24. Ditto New Shares, 2* 24p. Ditto 2nd
issue, 22 gp. Great LuxQmbourg, 7* 7 d.
There was a good attendance of buyers at the
Liverpool Corn Exchange to-day, and the price of
wheat was a shade higher than on Friday, but the
business done in flour was at the bare quotations
of Friday.
We copy from the New York Shipping List the
following returns of Exports of Grain and Flour
from all the ports of the United States, from Sept.
Ist to March, 18th in each year, to British and
Continental ports, from which it will be seen that
the Exports of Wheat and Flour are still less than
for the season 1853, 1854, viz. :-
1855, 1856 Flour. Wheat. Corn.
To British Ports 698,568 brls. 454,800 qrs. 370,600 qrs.
Continental do. 608,119 „ 267,600 „ 20,900 „

Total.. 1,306,687 722,400 391,500

1853, 1854.
To British Ports 1,489,810 brls. 622,000 qrs. 353,777 qrs.
Continental do. 767,000 ~ 232,400 „ 8,170 „

Total.. 2,256,810 854,400 361,947

The above table shows that America has shipped
950,123 brls. of flour, and 132,000 qrs. of ;wheat
less, and only 29,553 qrs. of corn more, than in
1853-1854, notwithstanding the very high prices
paid this season over those of the preceding one
under review.
The returns of the Irish banks of issue for the
four weeks ending the 15th of March, show a
falling.off in the circulation, as compared with the
preceding month, of no less than 261,1271. The
February returns were 117,5501 lower than those
of January, so that in the short space of two
months there is a contraction in the circulating
medium of very nearly 400,0001. A limitation in
the issues invariably takes place at this period of
the year, but it is much more strongly marked in
the figures now before us than is usually the case.
Last year there was a falling-off on the month of
130,0001, and on the two months of 70,0001. In
1854 there was a decrease on the month of 80,0001,
but an increase on the two months of 170,0001;

anti ii 1853 there was a decrease of 160,0001 on
the month, and the same on the two months, the
January and February returns of that year being
nearly identical. In the coin held there is a

decrease on the month of 75,848/. To show the

position of the banks in the aggregate now, and at
the same period of the last four years, we subjoin
the following returns from the Gazette .
Four Weeks Average Average
ending. Circulation. Coin held.
March 20, 1862 ... £4,562,494 ... .W 1,263,488
March 19, 1853 ... 5,520,544 ... 1,538,910:
March 18, 1854 . . 6.710,778 ... 2,155,742
March 17, 1855 .. 6,657,571 ... 2,066,790
March, 15, 1856 ... 6,591,513 ... 2,213,341

. .
It will be observed that the precautions taken
by the several banks to be prepared for any run
which might have ensued on the failure of the
Tipperary Joint-stock Bank have exercised a very
sensible influence on these returns, and that, with
a lessened circulation as compared with last year,
they had in coin a larger available sum by 150,000/
The Irish Banks, as a whole are now 237,0191.
above their certified issue, but, taking into account
the coin they hold, the amount is 1,976,3221. below
that allowed by law.
The Trade and Navigation Returns, published
this morning. exhibit further gratifying indications
of the expansion which the cessation of hostilities
will cause in commercial affairs. The two years of
war appear to have simply arrested our onward pro-
gress while it lasted, and it is scarcely too much to
hope that we may henceforward resume that
steady progress which began to be somewhat
checked, though not reversed, in 1854. The
returns before us show that the value
of British produce exported in February, .1856, was
7,725,7471.; in the corresponding month of 1855 it
was 5,032,416/. ; and in 1854. in time of peace,
7,502,912/. During the first two months of the
three years the returns were—in 1854, 14,195,4541.;
in 1855, 11,497,2121, and in 1856, 15,700,5331. The
present year shows an increase of more than
a million and-a-half over the last corresponding
period of peace, and of considerably more than
four millions over the same two months in the
middle of war. These figures are a perfectly
satisfactory and unmistakeable index of our posi-
tion. While they show how slightly our commerce
has been injured by-a war of the greatest magni-
tude, they foreshadow the important extent to
which it will be improved when once more fostered
by the reign of peace among all nations. The
increase in Exports is perceptible in beer
and ale, butter, candles, coals and culm, cor-
dage, cotton manufactures, cotton, yarn, earthen-
ware, glass manufactures, haberdashery, hard-
wares and cutlery, leather, linen manufactures,
linen yarn, metals, silk manufactures, worsted
manufactures, woollen and worsted yarn ; but there
was a falling off in refined sugar, &e. The impor-
tations of the principal articles were larger for the
month this year as respects live animals, animal
charcoal, brimstone, cocoa, coffee, corn, cotton,
cotton yarn, cotton manufactures, dyes and
dyeing stuffs, flax, glass manufactures, leather
manufactures, linen manufactures, metals,
provisions, rice, spices, spirits, sugar,
tea, tobacco, wine, sheep and lambs,
wool, and woollen manufactures. There was a
diminution, compared with the same month last
year, in embroidery and needlework, fruits, hemp,
hides, gloves, raw silk, and timber. The shipping
accounts show that a larger aggregate amount
of tonnage was employed in the foreign trade,
both as regards the entries inwards and the clear-
ances outwards.

The funds maintain great firmness. The closing
quotations were almost as good as yesterday, and
closed at 93 1.16 to 93 3-16. In the other Stock
Exchange Markets, there is still considerable dis-
position to operate for higher prices, but this ten-
dency was rather kept in check today by the
realisations which have been prompted by the late
marked rise. The hope of an easier money
market affords great support. The opinion gains
ground that the Bank of England will shortly
admit to discount at 6 per cent, first class bills,
having 95 days to mature, instead of charging 7
per cent., as at present. With this prospect,
which is strengthened by the very favourable
state of the exchanges, and by the large
arrivals of specie, the knowledge that Governmen
will require another loan during the present ses
sion fails to check the firmness of the Stock
Market. The Discount Market was to-day quieter.
In the Stock Exchange the demand for money
continues good, and may grow brisker in the event
of speculation for a rise becoming more extended.
At Paris to-iay the Three per Cent Rentes closed
at a fall of to -1- per cent, following yesterday's
decline of -I,x per cent. It being recognized
that this collapse of the French Market is solely
attributable to the inordinate speculation for
higher prices which has so long been fostered
there, our Stock Exchange does not respond to the
movement. The influx of specie continues large.
The amount brought in by the La Plata is about
566,0001, of which six-sevenths is stated to consist
of silver. Including about 800,000 dollars brought
in by the Africa, from New York, the arrivals re-
ported to day reach the extraordinary total of
726,0001. In the Foreign Exchanges, this after
noon, the only feature of interest was a decline in
the quotations for three months' bills on Paris.
The subjoined are the closing quotations of the
Foreign Exchanges: Amsterdam short, 11 1.9 b to
12 0. Do., 3 months, 12 2to 12 21. Rotterdam,