The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-19 00:00:00

TILE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 19, 1854.

MONEY MARKET

AND

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

CITY, TWO O'CLOCK.

The sales of cotton at Liverpool yesterday were
estimated at 5,000 bales, including 1,000 American
taken for export. The market closed with a hard-
ening tendency for solid American and Surat, and,
compared with Friday's prices of all kinds, are
quite as high. The sales comprised 4,500 American;
50 Pernam and Maranham at 6d., 20 Bahia at
6d., and 400 Surat at 3d. to 3d. Railway shares
are quiet.
The communications received yesterday from the
United States were of an interesting character, as
showing the first sensible influence of the state of
war in Europe, and we expect that this will be still
more manifest ere long. Money will probably be-
come dearer, and specie will have to be sent to
England, and already this year, up to the latest
date, nearly four millions of dollars were shipped to
Europe.
The letters and papers by the Harbinger steamer,
being of an earlier date than those per Overland
Mail, supply only a few items of intelligence not
previously noticed. A river, twenty miles long,
had been discovered in Van Diemen's Land.

The agents of the Sovereign of the Seas, which
left Melbourne after the Harbinger, and has per-
formed the passage in 83 days, had advertised that
the vessel would make the voyage home in 65 days,
or return part of the passage money.
To the numerous parties who hold scrip in abor-
tive schemes, or even in undertakings which have
legislative sanction, but, from the present adverse
condition of the money market, are unable to pro-
ceed, it will afford great satisfaction that the share-
holders, about two-thirds in number, of the Char-
tered Bank of India, Australia, and China, have
filed a bill. in Chancery to restrain the directors
from making the call of 2/. per share, as advertised.
It is quite true that the directors have had
considerable trouble in obtaining a charter, but un-
fortunately this charter is of but little intrinsic
value, and after all would not be much respected
in the Colonies which assume now the fair right to
exercise a greater 'tontro/ over their own resources.
Moreover, several of the new banks having already
commenced business, it is most prudent that a new
competitor should retire from the field and avoid
the risks inseparable from an undue extension of
banking facilities. Another Banking Company,
the Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide, we believe
is the name, have a local charter for Sydney, and
a virtual official recognition at Adelaide, but the
capital not being entirely subscribed, it would
offer a reasonable opening for amalgamation. Un-
less some measure of the kind be adopted, the
wiser course will be to wind up both, and to this
complexion the obstruction thrown in the way of
the proprietors seems to be tending. There are
many other companies which must be vigorously
dealt with, unless the directors recognise forthwith
the altered state of the money market. The Aus-
tralian Coal Mining Company is an honourable
exception, having already announced a meeting
early next month for the purpose of taking the
sense of the shareholders in favour of a dissolution.
The Carson's Creek, which has not purchased the
mine for which it was formed, is loudly complained
of, not the slightest explanation being given, while
is suffered to " drag its slow length along."
There can be no pretence for continuing a Cali-
fornian scheme that has not become so far involved
in engagements and leases as to make retreat costly
and undesirable, and many large shareholders are
resolved to agitate the subject, and we expect the
same will be the case with many other concerns.
Yesterday afternoon there was a decline in the
rate for Bills of Exchange on Trieste
.; and on other
places, except Hamburgh, the quotations were
feeble.
The demand for gold to be shipped to the Con-
tinent continues, and all the amount per Ellen-
borough was taken yesterday, besides a small sum
withdrawn from the Bank of England. The So-
vereign of the Seas brings 37,334 ounces from
Melbourne.
The English Stock Market has been firm, with
less doing, however, this being "pay-day" after
the settlement of the Account. Consols have been
871 to 88k for transfer, and 87i to for the 11th
of. May. The scarcity of Stock has been partially
got over by borrowing the amounts required, and
it now remains to be seen whether speculators for
a fall will venture upot renewed Bear opera-
tions. Bank Stock is heavy at 212. Exchequer
Bills have remained at par to 4s. premium, and
East India Bonds at 3s. discount to par. The
New Three-and-a-Quarter per Cents. have been'
.871 to
Foreign Securities continue very inactive. Mexi-
can Bonds are dull at 24, and Brazilian small have
been supported at 944. Grpek Reduced Bonds
have been done at 6. Russian Four-and-a-Half
per Cents. are 79/.
There has been very little doing in railway shares,
but the prices are maintained at the advance which
occurred yesterday afternoon, viz., to 4 per cent.
upon the previous rates. French Shares have been
nominal.

The Gold Mining Shares have been inactive, the
banks are firm, and the Land Companies' without
alteration.

BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
(Brom the Official List.)
Rtudness done.
Sank Stock
_ _ _

3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities' ' B6i g 7 6i 7
3 per Cent. Console Annuities ' BB 7 iiii
New 31 per Cent. Annuities B7
Long Annuities, Expire sth Jan., 1860
India Bonds, £lOOO 3 d u par
Ditto-01114er £lOOO 2 p
Consols for Account 11th May
Exchequer Bills, 2d. 8711 i
£lOOO ... par 4 p
2500 Pox 4 P
.Small par 4 p
PRICE OF FORBIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK.
nrazilian Bonds, 5 per Cent. _

Ditto Small
Greek Bonds, Red
Mexican 3 per Cent. • 24
Russian Bonds, 1822, 5 per Cent. £ St
Ditto 4i per Cent. 791
Dividenla on the above Payable in London.
HALF-PAST TWO.
Consols BB
Ditto May Account

MALTA, APRIL 13.—The Colombo, with Commissary-
General Filder and spite, has arrived.
COURT OF BANKRUPTCY—OFFICIAL NOTlCE.—Notice
was this morning posted at the Court of Bankruptcy,
in lieu of one previously issued, stating that, in conse-
quence of the order of Privy Council for the observance
of Wednesday, the 26th inst., as a day for religious pur-
poses, the court will be closed. The meetings appointed
for that day, before Mr. Commissioner Fonblanque, will
be taken on the Ist of May, and those before 14r. Com-
missioner Goulburn On the 3d May.
ARRIVALS OF GOLD.—The Harbinger steamer from
Australia has brought 73,000 ounces of gold, and the
Sovereign of the Seas, from Port Philip, 37,300, making
a total of 110,300 ounces, valued at 441,200/. With
the 40,000/. brought from New York by the Africa the
arrivals yesterday reach an aggregate of 481,200/.
THE SEASON.—About sixteen years since, such a
season as the present was known in the south of Eng-
land. A very severe winter was succeeded by a beau-
tiful but rainless spring. A very thin crop of hay was
got in very early in the summer.
THE LONDON DOCKS.—The new premises erected by
direction of the Lords of the Treasury for the wine and
spirit department of the Customs establishment at the
London Docks are entirely completed, and were occupied
yesterday for the first time. An important feature in
the new arrangements consequent upon the removal of
the wine and spirit establishment to this new building
will be, that the accounts and deliveries of spirits will
be kept entirely separate from wines, instead of being
together, as before. This will simplify business, and
facilitate deliveries.
HANDSOME PRESENT.—The Ordre et la Liberte of
Caen says :—Lord J. Russell has just made a handsome
present to one of the churches in this neighbourhood.
His lordship is of Norman origin ; his family having
before the Conquest been in possession of the estate of
Rosel. The curd of the place having applied to his lord-
asi
commune,
lesubhscisription, lordshiph replied,
that shin
itno
psulabesecroifbseesnodminegthing towards the purchase of a
bell for the church of the
pay for the bell itself, and that he wished it to be of the
weight of at least 1,2001b5.
WARLIKE ALARMS. -- On the appearance of her
Majesty's ship Tartarus in the Bay of Cromarty, a short
time ago, the good peoplelof Balintraid and Barbaraville,
taking it into their heads that they were to be " im-
pressed" to fight the Russians, took to their heels, and
concealed themselves in the neighbouring woods for
several days, till the disappearance of the suspicious
craft. It is said that many passed the night in the
old church of Kilmuir. The fishermen of Tarbat also, a
few days ago, were-greatly frightened by a sudden re-
port that the Russians were just landed at the light-
house. The utmost alarm prevailed, and hurried pre-
parations were made. for the hills (or to face the enemy?)
- when some bold man Ventured to approach the cause of
terror, and fetind it to be a delusion. The hoax had
been traced to an elderly gentleman- in the neighbour-
hood, whose joking propensities spre inveterate.—btrer-
ness Courier.
A WICKED WAG.—Some wag lately consigned to
voluntary imprisonment a respectable elderly gentleman
of Exmouth, who labours under an asthmatic complaint.
In the garden, fronting the invalid's house, a flag-staff
is erected, with a vane -on the top, a view of which he
commands from his sitting-room window. During the
prevalence of easterly winds he avoids getting out of
doors as much as possible. Our wicked hero took an
opportunity one night to climb up the flag-staff, and,
with a hammer and nail, fastened the vane due east.
The consequence ws, the old gsntlomsn, rcf rri•:g to
his vane every morning, as was his custom, to see what
quarter the wind was in, and not suspecting anything
wrong, was kept in doors tbiirteets days after it had
changed, —Cic4fo4o44 (46fron •