The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-16 00:00:00

AMERICA.

The Inman steamer City of Edinburgh, from
New York on the 2d instant, has arrived, after an
unusually stormy passage.
There is very littie of real interest transpiring in
financial circles, and the usual holiday of quietude
is the ruling feature. A comfortable feeling is every-
where manifest, and the New Year is ushered in
under circumstances which are highly favourable.
Our financial affairs are in a healthy state, and pro-
mise a steady improvement. The apprehensions
which prevailed ons year ago are no more felt, and
it is the general belief that there will henceforth
be a steady growth in prosperty. The advent of
the National Banks has marked a new era in the
financial world, and there is no question that this
new system of banking will tend to the good of
the country.

Mr. Charles Christmas, of the firm of August
Belmont and Co„ representatives hero of the Roths•
&tilde, retires from the firm after an experience of
❑early half a century in Wall-street. Mr. Mat-
thiessen also withdraws from the house. The busi-
ness will hereafter be conducted by Mr. Belmont.
The movement in general trade has been light,
though fair for the season. Oa Thursday there was
but little business done, the merchants being more
desirous of squaring up than of assuming new obli-
gations. We hear of many proposed changes, some
of which are of the oldest and best known firms in
the city. The markets were firm for the most part,
at the close—merchants generally anticipating an
active movement soon. The stock of some kinds of
goods on hand were not fully made up on Thursday,
but they will appear in our next 1138116.
Gold has not been subjected to any very violent
changes since our last, though the bulk of the sales
have been at rather lower rates. The closing rates
at 5 p.m. may be found below.
Foreign'exchange ihas been dull, and the busi-
ness for the steamer was light. Sterling bills have
been sold at 1661 per cent.

legal tender interest-bearing Treasury Notes will
The telegraph afinounces,
soon be delivered to the public. 'they are to be
that 35,600,000 of
negotiated through the
National Banks. The
notes under 100 dols. will be without coupons, and
payable in one year from January 1,.1864, with
interest at maturity. The note of 100 dols. and
upwards will have coupons, and payable semi-
annually, and the principal will be redeemable
in two years from the Ist of January, 1861. These
notes will bear a uniform date. 50,000,000 dole. of
these notes were sold in advance to the Associated
Banks in September last, Which will be paid before
they are delivered to the public.
The loan market has been rather more active, but
rates are the same. Call loans are quoted 7 to 8,
but regular borrowers have no difficulty in obtain-
ing accommodation at the inside figure. There
is much speculation concerning the probable effect
of the proposed negotiations through the National
Banks of the interest-bearing legal tender Treasury
Notes at par and interest.
The market for Government securities remains
without decided change. The twenty-year six per
cent. bonds are rather
firmer, as likewise the certi-
ficates and coupon sixes,

The biddings for £40.0,000 Government bills on
India were received at the Bank of England on the
16th. The applications within the limits amounted
£,OO on Madras. The
to £1,240,000. £210,000 were allotted on Calcutta,
£170,000 on Bombay, and 20
minimum price was unaltered, is. llid. per rupee
on Calcutta and Madras, and is. 1 lid, on Bombay.
Tenders at is. 111 d. on Calcutta receive about 9 per
cent.; on Bombay at 2,. old., in full, no allotment
being made below
that rate; and at le. 113,-d. on
Madras, about 60 per cent. On the Continent money
is rather higher in Paris, and at St. Petersburg
rate° are merely nominal.
There has been
an active movement in stocks
since our last, though the market has not been very
buoyant. Some
few shares have sold largely on
speculation, but at irregular prices. On the whole
rates are rather lower. Some kinds, however, are
considerablyhigher. Government stocks were
steady. The principal sales at the Board were of
the Five T
vrenty Year Sixes at 101 - to 1014. There
was no second session of the Board on Thursday
afternoon, it having
been voted to adjourn over
until to-day.

THE IMPERIAL SKATERS.—To see the Emperor
daily indulging his favourite exeroise of skating. or
being pushed along in a sledge on
the ice of one or other of
the ponds of the Bois de Boulogne, one would never imagine
he had just escaped so imminent a danger I But Louis
Napoleon is a man of no common nerve (with all due respect
to Mr. Kinglake be it said) and his fatalism, which is said
to be one of the leadint features of his character, in so far
stands him in good stead. Whilst driving a few weeks ago
at Compiegne to a meet, a gun was fired off in the imme-
diate proximity of the Imperial carriage. The Emperor
'fixed his glance sternly on the Empress, as if to enforce on
her side an appearance of calmness and indifference, and
succeeded so very far that, although the Imperial Eugenie's
cheek was blanched into deadly paleness, she suppressed
any cry which could betray emotion, and continued the con-
versation which had been so untowardly interrupted. This
anecdote I can vouch for, having heard it from the lady
who accompanied the Imperial pair on this particular
occasion.