The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-30 00:00:00

AND

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.

The accounts from the manufacturing districts
for the past week have in some instances been
more satisfactory. There has been a larger inquiry
for cloths and yarns at Manchester on account
of the Indian demand, and prices have slightly
Edvanced. In the woollen districts, however, little
change of importance can be reported—prices re-
maining steady at Leeds, Bradford, and Hudders-
field. The hosiery and lace trades of Leicester and
Nottingham have undergone no change, while
a more cheerful tone has prevailed in the hard-
ware districts, viz., at Birmingham, Sheffield,
Walsall, and Wolverhampton.
The half yearly meeting to-day of the proprietors
of the Bank of Australasia was held to-day. The
report stated that an improvement had taken place
in the business and the profit of the bank during
the past year. The directors intimated that they
intend to extend their business to New Zealand.
They also declared a dividend at the rate of 6 per
cent. per annum, or 249. per share, and a bonus at
the rate of 8 per cent. per annum. or 325. per share,
free of income tax, being together £2 16s. per
share, or at the rate of 14 per cent, per annum.
A new financial institution for the Metropolis has
been snnminced, entitled the Westminster and
Southwark Bank. The managers are highly influ-
ential, and in their prospectus the testimony of the
utility of the enterprise is circumstantially put
forth, and the great success achieved by the prin-
cipal metropolitan joint banks is referred to as
evidences of the remunerative character of bank-

ing business. The nominal capital required is
£l,ooo,ooo,and the first issue is to comprise 5,000
shares of £lOO each, upon which however it is not

however intended to call up more than £25. Owing
to the respectability of the undertaking it is fully
believed that the capital will be easily obtained.

Two o'CLocK.

The Board of Trade returns relating to the trade
of the United Kingdom for the two months
ended the 28th February have just been issued,
from which it appears that the total declared value
of the exports have been £17,343,731 against
£16,759,114 in the like period of 1862, showing an
increase of X 584,617 ; the chief increase has been in
beer and ale, haberdashery and millinery, hard-
wares, linen manufactures, and woollen and
worsted manufacturers.

The importations of the principal articles were
larger as regards raw cotton, coffee, sheep and
lambs' wool, sugar, tea, tobacco, and wine.

The shipping accounts exhibit an increase in
the tonnage of vessels employed in both the foreign
and co :sting trade during the same period, for the
entry increases and the clearances improve.
A further rise of per cent. has taken place in
Consols, Consols being 920 1, for money and ac-
count. Very little business has been negotiated,
bat sales have been effected, and considerable buoy-
ancy has prevailed. The New Threes and Reduced
A•inuities are last quoted 91 s, being steady. Ex-
ch( qtn:r Bills are 4s. to ls. dis. ; India 5 per Cent.,
1082 4; and the 5 per Cents. Enfaced, 114.

Turkish Consolides are the chief centre of attrac-
tion to day in the Foreign Market; they have been
as high as 49 *, but are now a little flatter on sales
in • realisation of profits. As will be seen by the
official lists, the 6 per Cents. of 1854, 1858, and 1862
have been dealt in at higher quotations. Greek
Bonds have risen 11, viz., to 261 27, while the
Coupons ate I above the quotations of Saturday,
being 11 The Confederate Loan is lt 2 prem.

In the Railway Share Market th 9 operations have
been limited, and chiefly connected with the half
monthly liquidation, prices, however, have, in some
instances, been a shade flatter. London, Chatham,
and Dover, have declined £1; North Easterns,
51, ; North Westerns, however, improved 15s. ;
and South Easterne, 15s.
The Foreign and Colonial lines continue dull at
about previous quotations.

Joint-Stock Bank and Miscellaneous Shares con-
tinued in moderate favour, at about previous quo-

tations.

BRITISH FUNDS—ONE O'CLOCK.
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities
3 per Cent. Consols Annuities
lv,ew 3 per Cent. Annuities
India Stock —
Ditto 5 per Cent
Ditto Enfaced Paper, 4 per Cent
Ditto 61 per Cent.
1) i,) Bonds El,i m 0
Ditto under £1,000..
Consols for Account, April 8 92s
klxchequer Bills, £lOOO, 21 per Cent 1 4 dis
Ditto £SOO

FOREIGN FUNDS—ONE O'CLOCK.
14ilian 6 per Cent
f :,itto 41 per Cent
!;,,yptian 7 pet Cent 96, 71
Greek 5 per Cent., 1824-5, ex-Coupons 251 61 i
Ditto Account 26a 7 6/
Ditto Coupons
Mexican 3 per Cent
Ditto Account
19.,3w Granada
Ditto Deferred
P ~,,,, 41 per Cent. . ..
Ditto 4 per Cent ~1862 ...
Ditto Account
Portuguese 3 per Cent., 1853
Ditto 1862
Russian 5 per Cent., 1822, £ St —
Ditto 5 per Cent., 1862
51.,,,,i,h 3 per Cent
Ditto Passive
Spanish Cert. of Coup not funded
7.`uraish 6 per Cent. 1854
Ditto 6 per Cent. 1858 -
I)itto Account ..
Ditto 6 per Cent. 1&32
Di,lo Account 7Ol 69a 701
Ditto Guarar teed, 4 per Cent
'enezuela, 3 per Cent
.),..tto 6 per Cent., 1852
Dividends on the above payable in London.
Itali.in, 5 per Cent., 1861, Ex. 25 francs —
iiitto Account
TWO O'CLOCK.
Consols, Money
Ditto Account 92a I

Y.sterday morning Cardinal Wiseman assistel
4t high mass at the Roman Catholic chapel at
door fields, and at the ceremony of blessing the palms, a
Proceeding which is always observed with great solemnity
°II Palm Sunday. A large number of persons assembled
for the purpose of witnessing the ceremony.

The forthcOming exhibition of paintings, says
the Reader, at tale Royal Academy, is likely to be
°F more that, average importance and interest. Among the
orltributors who have works already completed are Stan-
-451d, Roberts, Millais, and Faed. Stanfield will contribute
a Painting, expected to be one of his most successful works,
under the title of " The Morning after Trafalgar." A se-
,nd will be called '• Dover C,,stle," and a third is now on
113-=! easel. ()avid Roberts has completed two large works.
zrillais will send a work of great power under the some-
‘vh,it eccm rie title of "The Maiden All Forlorn." F.
flodhall has two paintings completed, one to be called the
Tambourine Girl," and the second (a picture of a Black
"The Pipe-Bearer." A third is in a forward state.
-vlooks also c ntributes two paintings, "I he Wedding
t,trty,,, and "On the Shore." Dobson has one. " Feed-
-1:g Fowls," and Elmore one, "A Sister of Mercy." Cal-
u -,•cri has also an important picture ready for the Exhi-
bilion.
rft e National Portrait Gallery, 29, Great George-
!freet, Ives!m:nster, will be open to the public on Easter
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, from 10 to 6 o'clock.
OUTWARD AMERICAN MAIL. QUEENSTOWN,
4YNDAIT.—Ttie Royal Mail 0(34m-ship Africa ar-
r„ived here at 3.50 p.m., embarked mails, passengers, and
`4f) latest telegrams, and proceeded at 4 p.m. for New York,
Ftii
well. The steamship Corsica, bound west, passed at the
-line time.

ITAEmoNIC SOCIETY, EXETER-HALL ---
44e usual Passion-week performance ot Handel's " Men-
-411" takes place on Wednesday evening next, April 1,

lONEY MARKET

A large amount of business was negotiated in the
general discount market to-day, and the applica-
tions at the Bank of England are understood to be
rather numerous. The current rates for first class
bills continue at 3-; 4 per cent.
About £52,000 in gold was taken into the Bank
on Saturday.
The report to be presented at the forthcoming
meeting of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia,
and China, states the profit for the pact year to
have been £70,792, but that the losses from the
opium frauds at Hong Kong have amounted to
£50.323, so that the available balance is only
£20,409, out of which a dividend at the rate of 5
per cent, for the half-year ended December last is
recommended, leaving £4,368 to be carriers
for ward.