The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-21 00:00:00

MONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL

INTELLIGENCE-(THIS DAY.)

CITY, TWO 0 CLOCK.

The sales of cotton at Liverpool yesterday were
estimated at 6,000 bales, of which 1,000 American
were taken for export. The market closed
heavily, and, compared with Friday's rates,
American under 6d. per lb. were fully 1-16 d. per
lb. lower. The sales comprised 4,000 American,
150 Pernam and Maranham, 61d. to 7id. ; 400
Bahia, 6d. to bid. ; 350 Egyptian, 7id. to 9d. ;
600 Surat, 31d. to 40. ; and 150 Sea
Island, at Is. 9d. to 2s. 6d. per lb. Railway
shares were dull.

The six weeks' average price of wheat is 458. 11d.,
and the last week's sales were 75,972 quarters.
The scarcity of seamen is experienced in various
ports of the Continent even more than here. In
Belgium there is the greatest difficulty in filling
up the crews, and many vessels are unable to pro-
ceed to sea in consequence. The same complaints
are made in Holland, although wages have been in-
creased there as well as at Antwerp. The desertion
of sailors from vessels arriving at the ports of India
has occurred to some extent.

The steamer Franklin from New Ycrk brings
200,000 dollars, mostly for the Continent. Trie
steamer Tennessee, with 600 passengers, had been
wrecked off San Francisco, but all the passengers
were saved.

The sailing vessel Ballarat has arrived with ac-
counts of January 7 from Melbourne, and 78,114
ounces in gold. The following extract from a letter
gives the impressions of a party recently arrived

"After the glowing accounts of Australian climate
and Australian scenery, as well as of the beauty of the
town of Melbourne, I must say I was completely dis-
appointed as were all our passengers, with one excep-
tion. This was a gentleman who had imported wine
and had effected some very good sales. The first im-
pression is unquestionably cooling ; so much so, that
anxious as I was to leave the vessel before I had landed,
I subsequently discovered that the old ship, and the
narrow bunk, and the company even—heartily tired as
I was of them all—had a charm, till then undreamt of.
These are the antipodes of England in every respect.
Masters are servants, and servants masters. The men
employed on the steamer are getting 161. a month and are
as independent as the worst Americans. Melbourne is
situated, as you probably know, to the north of the
Yarra Yarra river, which empties itself at the extreme
point of the bay, and taking a circuitous wind again brings
Melbourne to overlook the sea, rather from the east than
the north. As far as this river extends towards Mel-
bourne it can scarcely be said to possess any features of
interest, and is, indeed, more like an East Indian creek,
a swamp, in fact, than a river. It has no banks for a
couple of miles up, but furnishes a water gum-tree '
plant, sufficiently pretty, but growing out of the water
like bulrushes. As you proceed, the river gets more
narrow. The bank is low and unsightly, the scenery
sterile ; and the melting down and slaughtering sheds
are filthy looking and offensive. In proceeding up
the river you find that Melbourne is built on
low ground, much of it considerably below the level of
the sea, and has to the south-east a few miles of low
bush swampy land. On landing you are struck with
the coarse manners and independent impudence of every
one— tradesmen and draymen alike, and with the enor-
mous price of everything. As you walk along the
streets you meet most ill-looking fellows, and observe
that no one smiles or is apparently happy, but looks with
mistrust and suspicion at all who come near them. You
see men walking about with 'guns and pistols, and feel
that you are not altogether safe from outrage. You find
diggers with their blue serge shirts and short pipes,
driven about drunk, in open barouches of elegant ap-
pearance ; another carriage will probably contain
in two
diggers' wives and children, with coarse, Ratcliffe-high-
way-looking faces, and decked out all the finery of
jewellery, silks, and satins. These seem. to share the
infirmity of the colony, and slake their thirst with alco-
holic " nobblers." No face is lighted with a smile, as
I have said.

" There is no poetry here—no sentiment, and appear-
ance goes for nothing. It is a money-grubbing, sus-
picious, innocent,pleasant,
amiable existence,
weaknesses, whh as
i
but boasts
the naked truth through an illusive drapery. Give
me the agreeable self-delusion, the imaginary, and the
ideal, along with as much of the real as is re-
quisite to make the outline of beauty. I enter a
protest against so disgusting a state of society at once.
No one ventures out after dark in town, for fear
of being ' stuck-up,' which means plundered. It is sur-
prising how one can leave pride behind one here. To-
day I have seen several of the most respectable of our
passengers, well-educated, and sons of gentlemen, selling
their superfluous clothes, linen, &c. on the open space
outside the wharfs. They open their boxes and stand
behind them like any stall-keeper in London. You have
heard that peaches, grapes, and all fruits are remarkably
cheap in Australia, and plentiful withal. I have not
seen any grapes and peaches, and you may conceive
what prices these would fetch when apples are sold at
is. a lb.

" Many of our fellow-passengers have pitched their
tents outside the town, and do not complain of their lot,
although the nights are very cold and wet, this being
the spring time of Australia.'

The following is the programme of the Confer-
ence to consider the state of mercantile law and
the judicial system of the United Kingdom, to be
held in Liverpool, at the instance of the Liverpool
Chamber of Commerce, on the 28th and 29th
April, 1853 :

"On Thursday, 28th, a meeting will be held at the
offices of the Chamber—President or Vice-President of
Chamber in the chair :-1. To receive reports and sug-
gestions from the members of the deputations. 2. To
arrange proceedings of the meeting on the following
day ; to agree 'to resolutions founded on propositions
circulated herewith •; and to appoint speakers.
3. On Friday, the 29th, formal meeting of Conference,
consisting of the directors of the Liverpool Chamber of
Commerce, deputies from commercial associations, and
other invited parties. Members of the Chamber invited
to attend. Reporters present. The Mayor in the
chair. A statement of the special objects of this Con-
ference, and the resolutions founded thereon, will be
submitted. Further subjects of consideration, if time
permit :—Law of partnership and the question of limited
liability, and the law of bankruptcy and its adminis-
tration."

The funds are much duller this morning, and
the pressure of stock upon the market for imme-
diate realisation has subsided. Consols have been.
quoted 1001 to s for money, and 1001 to for ac-
count. The New Three-and-a-Quarter per Cents.
have been marked 1031 to and the Three per
Cents. 99i to Bank Stock maintains the rise to
227. East India Stock is at 2624. Exchequer Bills
of June are 45., and India Bonds 365. to 425. pre-
mium.

The Foreign Securities have been weaker and
there is a decline in prices. Mexican have been
only 27i and the Spanish Certificates have drop-
ped to 6. The Swedish Loan has been at 1 dis-
count. Dutch 21 per Cents. have been heavy at
66th owing to the political excitement concerning
the Papacy in Holland.
The Railway Share market has exhibited a little
more firmness this morning, and upon yesterday's
decline there is a rally of about per cent., and in
some cases rather more. The North-Western,
South-Western, and Great Western are all looking
up. The Great Northern is much the same, with
the exception of the B. stock, which is 11. higher.
Caledonian shares are steady. Oxford and Wol-
verhampton continue weak, and are lower than
yesterday by 10s. The York and Berwick are
heavy, and slso the York and North Midland.
Eastern Counties about the same. French Shares are
tolerably well supported, but Northerns are a shade
lower. South-Eastern are rather dearer, and
Westerns are good.
In the Gold Mine Shares there is very little
doing, and they support the previous rates. There
is no further decline in the Land Companies, but
business is rather dull. _ _

The Australian Bank Shares are weak, in the ab-
sence of any transactions, except in those which
have obtained charters.

BRITISH FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK THIS DA.v.
( From the Official List.)
Business done.
Bank Stock
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities
3 per Cent. Consols Annuities
New 3,1 per Cent. Annuities
Long Annuities, Expire sth Jan., 1860
India Stock
India Bonds, £lOOO **************************
Ditto, under 21CD ... •
South Sea Old Annuities
Consols for Account
Exchequer Bills lAd. June. March.
£lOOO 4
£5OO
Small 4 8

PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Brazilian Bonds, 5 per Cent.
Ditto New, 1852, 4a per Cent lOO i
Dutch Exchange, 2i per Cent. ... .........
Equa,dor Bonds
Buenos Ayres Bonds, 6 per Cent
Mexican 3 per Cent.
Ditto for the Account
Spanish Bonds 3 per Cent —
Ditto New Deferred, 3 per Cent 24i 4
Ditto Passive (Converted)
Spanish Committee Cert. of Coup. not fun 64 p e
Swedish Loan .... ..... .........••• ••• ••• ••• •
DivAends on the above pay•tble in London.
Dutch Exchange, 2} per Cent. 12 Guil.
Ditto 4 per Cent. Certificates..........

HALF-PAST TWO.

Consols looi tl
wog
Ditto May Account

THE POLICE DAGUERREOTYPE.—The first specimen of
the illustrated " hue and cry " containing the portrait of
the individual "wanted," in addition to his verbal
description, has just reached Scotland-yard. It is issued
by the Manchester detective police, and the likenesses
are so striking that an intelligent officer would have no
difficulty in recognising his man by their aid.