The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-31 00:00:00

MONEY AND COMMERCIAL NEWS.

• CITY, Two o'Cnocx.
The sales of cotton at Liverpool yesterday were
estimated at 4;000 bales, of which 300 American
were taken on speculation. The market closed
heavily with prices of all kinds, a shade in favour
of the buyer. The sales comprised 3,000 American,
390 Pernam and Maranham at 6/d. to 'ad., 50
Bahia at 61d. to Cid., 200 Egyptian at 60. to 6id.,
and 700 Surat at 3,1 d. to 4d. per lb. Railway
Shares were flat.

Privately there has been business done in many
staples this week, at very full prices. Of Sugar
the quantity consumed this year shows a great in-
crease. ,Prices are expected to open firmly in
January. Native Ceylon Coffee has been brisk at
475. for good ordinary. Tallow has been dull and
Cotton steady. In Hemp, Oils, and Tea there is
not much doing.
The year that this evening closes has been one
of almost unexampled commercial prosperity. Mer-
cantile transactions have been conducted upon a
profitable basis. Money has been plentiful ; cre-
dits have been remarkably short. The artizan has
received better wages ; and the necessaries of life,
while they have paid the producer or importer,
have been, notwithstanding, obtainable at com-
paratively low rates by the consumer. Such has
been commerce generally during the year 1852.
The New Year will open with even brighter
prospects, owing to the last news from the land of
gold—a land included in the British Colonial Em-
pire, concerning whose future destiny, in a commer-
cial sense, it would be speculative to make any cal-
culation, and whose political future it would be
hazardous to predict. To the mother country the
consequences are obvious. A surplus population
that has hitherto been ill-requited for its toil,
launched into fields of wealth, the description of
which, but for evidence that has put a veto upon
doubt, would have found a congenial place in fabled
story. The end of the emigration that is daily
increasing is to transmute the idle into the indus-
trious, the dependent consumer of others' earnings
into the independent enjoyer of his own. In other
words, the labour market is relieved, and the de-
mand for the productions of the artisan increased.
The effect, consequently, is twofold on our hives of
industry. Gold, of itself, neither feeds nor clothes,
but it can at all times command the necessaries of
life. Two millions of the precious metal were
shipped in a few days from the Australian ports.
A very insignificant proportion of this enormous
export was drawn against. It is to be inferred
that the bulk is sent here to cover orders for
provisions and manufactures to be shipped
to these possessions. It will not come
here to be warehoused. If people send
gold, it is because they require something returned
—not to have it invested here permanently. The
disposition of an agricultural people is to obtain a
status by laying out their surplus moneys in lands.
The old country offers no inducement for such pur-
chases. The attention of the colonists is, there-
fore, turned to their adopted country. It is to be
perceived that this movement is not only by rapid
strides producing an equilibrium of the labour mar-
kets of England and her southern territories, but
also equalising the values of their respective lands.
The opinion of those who, trom their experience
and disinterested position, are able to give an un-
biassed judgment, is, that purchases on English
account of Australian lands are still likely to attract
a large amount of attention, although some lands
have already advanced 1,000 per cent. in value.
We refer not so much to the Gold Companies
proper, they being purely corporations of mining
adventurers, subject to all the freaks and vi-
cissitudes that characterise every mineral specu-
lation. These undertakings, as a whole, will
no doubt amply repay the spirit with which they
have been set on foot ; but we allude specially to
those simple associations that have purchased lands
to wait the effect of the enhanced gold value upon
such properties. Such companies as the Australian
Agricultural, the South Australian Land, and the
Australian and the Australian Consols, whose lands
are in the auriferous districts, will derive large in-
comes from their gold royalties, and not small ones
from their agricultural leases, since it is quite clear
that all farming produce will find their most remu-
nerative markets where the easy gold getters are
located.

It is reported that the Adelaide. steamer will not
be able to get away to-morrow, but no notice to
this effect has been given at the Post-office.
The English Stocks are rather heavy again, but
with very little doing ; Consols are at 100# to
The New Three-and-a-Quarter per Cents. have
been marked 1041 to , and the Three per Cents.
101/ to 1. Bank Stock is worth 2231 to 2241.
Exchequer Bills of March have been quoted 695.
to 725. premium.
The Foreign Securities ;have been rather brisker.
Mexican are worth, however, only 23i to #.
Grenada Deferred are up to 13* Equador
Stock is at si. Peruvian Deferred have been at
65, being steady. Portuguese 4 per Cents. are up
to 40 and 41, because of the proximate payment of
the dividend. Spanish Certificates are at 4/ and
very firm. Sardinian Bonds have been at 95i to
Russian 5 per Cents. keep firm at 1211. Dutch
21 per Cents. bring 68/.
The Railway Share Market is firmer, but with
limited dealings.
Gold Mine Shares are at full rates, but the Land
Companies of Australia are not generally in de-
mand. The Banks look up.

BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY.
(From the Official List.)

Business cone
Bank Stock
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities lOll
New 34 per Cent. Annuities 1046
Long Annuities, Expire sth Jan., 1860..... 6g
Consols for Opening 18th January
Exchequer Bills 1 Ad. March. June,
£lO00.
£5OO 69 72
Small 69 72
PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY.
Buenos Ayres Bonds, 6 per Cent 73
Equador Bonds N
Grenada Bonds, Deterred,
Mexican 3 per Cent
Ditto for the Account 23i
Peruvian 6 per Cent.
Ditto for the Account
Peruvian Deferred 3 per Cent
Portuguese 4 per Cent.
Russian Bonds, 5 per Cent.
Ditto for the Account
Sardinian Bonds, 5 per Cent...................
Ditto for the Account 9si
Spanish Bonds, 3 per Cent 514
Spanish Committee Cert. of Coup not fun, 44 p
Turkish Loan, 6 per Cent., 1852 1 Oil 1 p
Dutch Exchange 2i per Cent
Ditto 4 per Cent. Certificates...
THREE O'CLOCK.
Consols for Opening 18th January 1003 gex d.

104
65 4 4i
41 40)
.....
121

UNDER SECRETARY FOR IRELAND.—SORIe very ani-
mated discussions have already taken place respecting the
appointment of an Tinder Secretary for Ireland. One
section of the Cabinet insist on the appointment of Mr.
Anthony O'Flaherty, the member for Galway, to the
office. Another section are equally resolute in their as-
sertion of the superior claims of Sir Thomas Redington,
the former Under Secretary under the Whig Adminis-
tration ; while a third section of the Cabinet are opposed
to the appointment of either gentleman. It is thought
probable that the result will be that a third party, not
yet named, will be the happy man.—Morning Advertiser.
DEPARTURE OF THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND.
—The Dublin papers of yesterday, contain the official
announcement of the departure of the Lord Lieutenant
and Countess of Eglinton on Tuesday next, when an
undress levee will be held at Dublin Castle. Few chief
governors have left Ireland more sincerely regretted
than Lord Eglinton. He has discharged the functions
of his high office with singular impartiality and discre-
tion, and by no section of Irish people will his removal
be more felt than by those who disapprove of the policy
of his Excellency's political friends and associates.
FIRES YESTERDAY.—A great loss of property was oc-
casioned on the premises of Messrs. Green and Co.,
clothiers, 13, Bevis Marks, St. Mary Axe, through the
outbreak of two fires in their warehouses in eight hours.
The first alarm took place about a quarter past twelve
in the morning, in the cutting rooms. Two powerful
engines soon subdued the flames. The stock of the
rooms, as also the staircase, was, however, damaged.
At the hour of eight the contents of the third floor had
ignited, but the firemen left on duty on the premises
from the previous alarm soon extinguished the latter.
The property destroyed is insured in the Sun Fire-office.
SERIOUS ACCIDENT BY FlRE.—Yesterday a fire broke
out at 10, Wellington-street, Pimlico, by which three
young persons were seriously injured. The sufferers
were William Street, aged 17, and his sisters, aged re-
spectively four and six. Their parents had a few days
before received some fancy fowls, for which the young
man was preparing a coop, the roof of which he pro-
posed to cover with gas tar. Yesterday he was heating
a quantity of this material over the kitchen fire, when
the liquid became ignited and blazed up with great fury.
In order to prevent, if possible, the premises from taking
fire, the lad laid hold of the vessel containing the tar,
and was in the act of carrying it into the yard, when the
inflamed liquid ran over the children and over the lad,
setting the three in flames, and also igniting the furni-
ture in the basement and stair's. Had it not been for
the prompt attendance of the neighbours the whole
building must have been levelled with the ground, and
several other persons seriously if not fatally injured.
When the fire had been extinguished the three sufferers
were found quite blackened with the flames, and with
the flesh burned off here and there in patches.
FATAL APPLICATION OF CHLOROFORM.—A poor fellow
named Henry Hollingworth, a factory operative from
Newton-moor, near Hyde, has fallen a victim at the
Manchester Royal Infirmary to the use of chloroform,
administered to nullify the pain consequent upon a
serious operation. No blame was attached to the
medical men present (most of whom are very eminent
in their profession), and the jury returned a verdict of
" Died from the effects of chloroform."