The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-24 00:00:00

Ai ON P, 211,4 1? (31-1."17 NEWS.

CITY, Two o'CLocK.
The accounts from the manufacturing districts
(luring the past week state that little change of
importance has taken place in the general progress
of business. At Leeds moderate transactions have
been entered into in light cloths for the home demand,
while at Bradford, Halifax, and Huddersfield there
has been little variation to report. At Manches-
ter the receipt of favourable accounts from India
has caused increased firmness in the value of both
cloths and yarns. The hosiery and lace trades at
Leicester and Nottingham, however, have been
more active, and in the hardware districts—viz., '
of Birmingham, Sheffield, and Wolverhampton,
symptoms of returning animation have appeared.
Continued quietude prevailed in the Liverpool
Cotton Market on Saturday, but prices were well
supported. The sales were estimated at 3,000 bales.
A further sum of £46,000 in gold was purchased
by the Bank authorities on Saturday.
There is a steady demand for discount accommo-
dation in the general Money Market, but no alte-
ration of importance is perceptible in the current
quotations, which are still kept sufficiently below
21 per cent. to prevent much of the paper on offer
being taken to the Bank of England. Owing to
the excessive supplies of floating capital, it is stil
thought that the directors of that establishment may
soon be induced to adjust their minimum at 2 per
cent., especially as the available resources of the
Market will be shortly augmented to a large extent
by the payment of the April dividends.
At the annual meeting of the British American
Land Company to-day, the report of the directors
stated that the sales of unimproved lands were
16,417 acres for £12,034 15s. 9d. sterling, being at
the rate of 14s. Bd. per acre, showing an excess in
both acreage and price over the preceding year,
and in price alone, over any former year: The
Purchases of the year have been 4,937 acres for
4984 19s. Bd. sterling, or at the rate of about 4s.
Per acre. They are all well selected lands, in good
situations, and of good quality. Of these 4,000
acres, consisting of lands intermixed with those of
the company, were bought of the Crown at public
tsale in November last. The profits of the year
'Jaye increased the surplus of assets over liabilities
to the sum of £39,129 15s. 11d. sterling.
The half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of the
'auk
of Australasia took place to-day, The
directors' report, which was carried, recommended
a dividend at the rate of 6 per cent. per annum, or
248, per share, and a bonus at the rate of 6i per
cent• per annum, or 265. per share, free of income
tax, being together £2 10s. per share, or at the
rate of 12k per cent. per annum.
The contractors for the new Turkish Loan have
,nccv completed their arrangements, and the terms
have just been made known. Shares at 2-1 to 3
Per cent. prom. _ .

A decline of fully per cent. has taken place in
the English Stock Market to-day owing to several
!ales on speculative account, partly based upon the
Impending negotiation of the Turkish Loan. The
Intimation that the necessary preparations have been
Completed, has induced some of the operators who
bought at lower prices to realise profits, and Con.
1301 s have receded in consequence, viz., to 94, 94k,
both for money and account. The New Threes
are .at at 921 t, the Reduced, 92a ; and Exche-
quer Bills at 17s. to 21s. prem. ; India Stock is firm
at 224 and 226; ditto 5 per Cent. at 1082- 109.
A fair amount of business has been transacted
in the Foreign Market. Turkish Bonds have been
buoyant, the old 6 per Cents. being 86 to 86i; and
the Loan of 1858, 721 4 ; the 4 per Cent. guaran-
teed have improved to 103 ; Venezuelan to 25 ; and
SPanish to 531 ; ditto Passive are 19f ; and the
Certificates 6i 7 ; Italian 5 per Cents. are 661 67.
A moderate amount of business has been recorded
In the Railway Share Market, but a pressure of
ePectilative sales has caused less firmness in quota-
tions. Eastern Counties and Great Westerns have
receded ss. ; Lancashire and Yorkshire, and Cale-
donian, 10s.; Midlands, 15s, ; and South-Easterns,
41.

The Foreign and Colonial undertakings have
remained at steady prices. Bahia and San Fran-
cisco have advanced to 181 1 ; San Paulo to 71;
Great Western of Canada to 131 1; East Indian
realise 1041 1 ; Great Indian Peninsula, 1021.
Joint-Stock Bank and Miscellaneous Shares
generally support previous values. Ottoman Bank
are dealt in at 241 25 ; Union of Australia at 464 ;
Bank of London, 801 81 ; Crystal Palace Stock,
571; and Peninsular and Oriental Steam, 681 69.

BRITISH FUNDS CLOSING PRICES.
Bank Stock .. • —
3 per Cent. Redu"c ** * r.n.u.ities
8 921 a 1
per Cent. Consols •Ann "t*
New 3 per Cent. Annuitiesw leB
921 it I
India stock
Ditto 5 per Cent.
Ditto Enfaced Paper, 4 per Cent 9l
Ditto 5 per Cent. lO3/
Ditto Debentures, 4 per Cont., Oct., 1863 100 1
Ditto ditto April 1864 100
Ditto Bonds £l,OOO
Ditto under £l,OOO
Consols for Account, April 10 9411 1 4 31
Rxchoquer Bills £l,OOO, 3 per Cent lB 17
Ditto £SOO
Litto Small
FOREIGN FUNDS—CLOSING PROS ICES.
1
Chilian 6 per Cent
Ditto 41 per Cent .. B7 1
Italian, 5 per Cent. (Maremmana It. Scrip) 11 1
Mexican, 3 per Cent
Ditto Account .. 341
Imperial Moorish Scrip
New Grenada, 2 per Cent
4'eruvian 41 per Cent ..
Ditto Account
Ditto 3 per Cent, —
Ditto Account
Portuguese 3 per Cent., 1853
Ditto Account
Russian 5 per Cent. 1822, £ St —
Ditto Account
Ditto 41 per Cent.
Spanish 3 per Cent
Ditto Account
Ditto Passive
Spanish Cert. of Coup. not funded
Turkish 6 per Cent.
86 5i
Ditto Account
Ditto Now Loan —
Ditto Account
Ditto £lOO Bonds
Ditto Guaranteed, 4 per Cent. •.. 103 21
Venezuela, 3 per Cent
Ditto Account
Dividends on the above payable in London.

Dutch 21 per Cent., Exchange 12 Gull
Ditto Account 64i
Italian, 6 per Cent., 1861 66; 7 63
THREE O'CLOCK.
Consols, Money
933 4
Ditto Account

A further heavy batch of correspondence on the
Subject of the revised educational code, forming parts 2,3,
and 4, was issued on Saturday front tho parliamentary
Printing office.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY.—A return has
II"? been issued stating the attendance at this gallery. In
18A
9, the first year of its being open, admission was by
tickets- only, and the number of visitors in the year was
sl3°e. Early in 1860 the admission was made free, and in
that
year 6,392 persons visited the gallery. In 1861 the
somber rose to 10,907. It must be remembered that this
.
as Mr. Disraeli has remarked, an infant institution, and
that it is inconveniently lodged in temporary apartments,
411(1 open only twice a week.
It is said that some Australian speculator has
offered Mr. Charles Dickens £lO,OOO, with etceteras of com-
fortable board, travelling, &c., to give a series of readings
in that colony.
It is said that the Pyne-Harrison opera company
'47.11 transfer itself to Drury LIMO during the Exhibition
7440 n, and will commence its operations with the now
°Pera by Mr. Wallace.
The Admiralty have issued letters calling upon
liessrs. Jones, Quiggin, and Co., of Liverpool, Messrs.
rapier, of Glasgow, Messrs. Palmer, of Newcastle•upon-
TYne, and Messrs. Samuda, of London, to tender for the
construction of an iron ship on Capt. Cowper Phipps Coles's
13,1 an• The tonnage of the intended ship is 2,529 tons, and
being armed with two 100-pounder Armstrong guns.--
Army and Navy Gazette.
LAMB SEASON.—The lamb season this year tip-
Pears to be unusually prolific. There aro many cases in
Which ewes have three and four lambs each, and in some
,Larße flocks the entire number of ewes will average two
lambs each.

TUE FIRST "RED BOOK."—Tho ancient register
book belonging to the corporation of Lynn, known as the
"Bed Book," from the original binding having been of
that colour, has lately been rebound. This is thought to
be the oldest English paper book in existence, and the
leaves had from age become reduced to a loose cottony sub-
stance, which threatened to fall in pieces when handled.
Bach leaf has been carefully 'wiz :A, and the book will now
last for many years to come. It numbers 150 leaves. The
first entry is a transcript of the will of Peter de Thornden,
*Ness of Lynn, dated 1309 ; the latest entry is on page
40o; with the date of 15 Richard li,—§talnfcro Atercury.
•