The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-24 00:00:00

BRITISH FUNDS-CLOSING PRICES.

----
Bank Stock--- -
237 6
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 93/ '3 I
3 per Cent. Consols Annuities
New 3 per Cent. Annuities 93l3tii
New 24 per Cent. Annuities 76
Annuities, 30 s expire bth Jan., 1880 —
Ditto for 30 yrs, expire sth April, 1885 l5l
India Stock
Ditto 5 per Cent. lOBl 71 Sk
Ditto Enfaced Paper, 4 per Cent —
Citto 5 per Cent
Ditto 5t per Cent .... 100/ i
Ditto Debentures, 4 per Cent., Oct., 1863 100/
I)itte Bonds £l,OOO
Ditto under /1,000
Consols for Account, Aug. 7 93
Xxchequer Bills £l,OOO, 3 per Cent l7 20
Ditto aoo
Ditto Small

FOREIGN FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES
Brazilian, 5 per Cent.
Ditto 41 per Cent., 1852-58-60
g'Yptian, 7 per Cent., Scrip
Ditto Paid-up Scrip
rttalian 5 per Cent. (4aremmana Railway) 73 21
Ditto Scrip lh
Mexican, 3 per Cent
Ditto Account
'Moorish Imperial 5 per Cent 961 7
Portuguese 3 per Cent., 1863 —
Ditto Account
lire:siert 5 per Cent 1822 £ St ..
Ditto 41 pei Cent. 9O
Ditto 1862 (Scrip) i R i
Ditto, Paid up Scrip 931
Sa dinian 5 per Cent.
Ditto Account
Spanish 3 per Cent —
Ditto New Deferred
Ditto Passive..
Spanish Cert. of Coup. not funded
Turkish 6 per Cent. 1854
Ditto Account. B5
Liu° 6 per Cent. 1858 .. 7n 3
Ditto Account
Di ttc, £lOO Bonds
Ditto 0 per Cent., 1862, Scrip l4 2 11
Ditto, Paid up Scrip 694 MI
Ditto Guaratteed, 4 per Cent.
"Venezuela, 3 per Cent
jDitto Account
Dividends on the above payable in Loudon.
Dutch 21 per Cent., Exchange 12 Guil.
Italian, per Cent., 1861, Ex. 2sf.
THREE O'CLOCK.
93k i
Consols, Money
93k
Ditto Account ..

Two o'CLocx.
REDUCTION IN THE BANK RATE OF

DISCOUNT.

Another reduction to the extent of 1, per cent.
has been made to-day in the minimum rate of w
now
at the Back of England. The qutio
stands at 2 per cent., and it is exceedingly probable
that further facilities will be offered
'n the open
market, which will still preclude the Bank
of England from active participation In
ordinary discount business. The extraordinary
plethora of money and the limited requirements of
the public naturally create active competition among
the joint stock and private establishments. There
Can bo no doubt that a further important accumula-
tion of bullion has taken place, and that the direc-
tors have experienced a diminution in the other
securities. Under the circumstances, therefore, the
policy adopted by the Court of Directors is justi-
fied, not only by the immediate situation of their
resources, but also by the general tendency of
Monetary affairs.
In consequence of the reduction of the Bank rate
:Messrs. Overend, Gurney, and Co., and Messrs.
Alexander and Co. have altered their allowance for
deposits to 1 per cent. at call, and to 1-1-- per cent.
with seven days' notice of withdrawal. The Joint
Stock Banks, it is expected, will give 1 per cent.
The tenth half-yearly meeting of the Arica and
Tacna Railway Company took place to-day ;
J. P. Heywood in the chair. The report presented
to the proprie,Wrs stated that the cash in hand oil

the 31st March, when the London books were
closed, was £5,114 14s. 2d., which had increased by
the receipt of subsequent remittances to an amount
that justified the distribution of a 9th dividend of
2 per cent., less income tax, which was now recom-
mended.

The English Stock Market opened this morning
with a steady and quiet appearance, and a few
transactions took place on previous terms. When
it transpired, however, that the minimum rate of
discount had been reduced purchases were effected,
which led to an improvement of 71,- per cent; Con-
sols being 93 for money and the 7th proximo.
The New Threes and the Reduced are steady at
931- ; Exchequer Bills, at 17s. to 20s. prem.;
Bank Stock has improved to 237; India ditto to
227 ; ditto Five per Cent. Loan remains at 107'4
1081.
Foreign Securities are well supported, but the
dealings are restricted. Turkish 6 per Cents.,
1851, have improved to 85 ; ditto, 1858, is firm at
724 73/ ; ditto New Loan Scrip at 11, 2 prem. ;
Egyptian Scrip is steady at 8d 9/ prem. ; Italian
51 per Cents. are 704 ; ditto Railway Loan, '73 ;
Spanish Certificates are flat at 91. The New Por-
tuguese Loan is 11 s prem.
The operations in the Railway Share Market
have been limited, but a firmer tone has prevailed.
Eastern Counties, Lancashire and Yorkshire, and
South-Easterns have improved 55.; and Great
Westerns, 10s. ; 'Manchester, Sheffield, and Lin-
coln, however, have receded ss.
In the Foreign and Colonial Markets busi-
ness has remained inactive, and prices have
not varied to any important extent. Great
Luxembourg are dealt in at 14:4,/ ; Namur
and Liege at 8 ; Sambre and Meuse at 101 ;
Grand Trunk of Canada have improved to 21 i;
Great Indian Peninsula are steady at 102,1-4 ; East
Indian at 1041; Bombay and Baroda at Mt 101;
and Madras 5 per Cents. at 1001

Joint-Stock Bank and Miscellaneous Shares con-
tinue in fair request at about previous rates.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, JULY 22.
MURDER OF MR. JOHN HERDMAN.

The grand jury have just returned a true bill
against William Herdman, for the wilful murder
of the late Mr. John Herdman, of Belfast.

At the Longford assizes John Masterton, a small
farmer, was indicted for sending a threatening letter
to Peter Donohoe, on the 16th of June last, threat-
ening to shoot him if he did not give up a farm for-
merly in possession of the prisoner, and from which
he had been dispossessed for non-payment of rent.
Tho prisoner pleaded not guilty. He was unde-
fended. The jury found the prisoner guilty, with
a recommendation to mercy, on the ground of his
advanced age. Judge Hayes said he could not en-
tertain the recommendation, If it had been offered
on account of the prisoner's youth he would have
attended to it, but not in the case of a person who
knew well the effects of his proceedings. The sen-
tence of the Court was penal servitude for four
years.

ALARMING ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH
WALES RAILWAY_

NEWPORT, WEDNESDAY.

Last evening one of the most remarkable accidents that
has ever taken place on the South Wales Railway hap-
pened near this town upon that line. The railway crosses
the Ebbw river about 3 miles from Newport, the estate of
Lord Tredegar lying adjacent to the railway, on which Mr.
Henry Collins holds the Duffyn Farm. Yesterday the
marriage of one of Mr. Collins' daughters to Mr. Winter-
botham, of Bridgewater, having taken place, the work•
people on the farm—their " wedding feast" being reserved
for a future day—were leaving the hayfields early, and re-
turning in a large waggon to the number of 1.6. There
were three horses drawing this human freight of 16 lives.
They had to cross the South Wales Railway on a level
crossing at a point where a high bridge on the land pre-
vented them observing the approach of the train. They
neared the railway, threw open the gate, drove on the line,
the leading horse of the three drawing the waggon being
on the rails. Suddenly the people heard the rushing sound
of the approaching train. No whistle signalled its ap-
proach. The people, however, were not the less certain of
the train being close upon them. Shouting to the man lead-
ing the fore horse, they alarmed him just in time to draw
the animal off the line; but the waggon had approached so
close to the rails, that the train as it dashed past cut down
an.d killed the two hinder horses, tore away the near shaft
of the waggon, and actually carried away a portion of the
side of the waggon, nearly crusting the people who were
riding. Had the waggon been drawn on a few feet farther
only the frightful sacrifice of human life that would have
been inevitable is terrible to contemplate. The bodies of
the horses were quickly removed from the railway, and the
waggon got into a place of security, the people being almost
insensible through the great fright and peril they had so
miraculously escaped.

MARKETS-THIS DAY.