The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-27 00:00:00

MONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL
INTELLIGENCE-(THIS DAY.)

CITY, TWO O'CLOCK.
The sales of cotton at Liverpool yesterday were
estimated at 7,000 bales, including 500 Pernam and

Marnham taken for export, and 500 American
on speculation. The market was quiet, but
steady. The sales comprised 5,000 American; 1,000
Pernam and Maranham, at 6d. to 7d. ; 100 Bahia,
at 6d. ; 300 Egyptian, at 60. to Bd. ; and 500
Surat, at 3td. to 44d. Railway Share.; were flat.
In the Produce Markets this week there has
been a moderate business done. Sugar has been
rather lower ; coffee has maintained full prices ;
cocoa has been cheaper ; rice at previous rates ;
cotton firm, and also tallow. In tea there have
been numerous speculative purchases.
The letters and papers to the 23d February from
Port Philip, brought by the Atrevida, furnish a
few interesting items of news. A Geelong letter

states :
" The price of gold during the week has continued to
advance, and is likely to attain a higher figure still.
This change; may be principally ascribed to the sudden
alteration in the exchange in favour of gold to the extent
of 5 per cent. The great event of last week, the finding
of the monster nugget in Canadian-gully, l'Ballarat, has
been eclipsed by a more brilliant discovery revealed to the
public on Monday last—viz., the finding of two enor-
mous masses of gold in quartz, weighing upwards of 176
pounds troy. These magnificent specimens of our mineral
wealth weighed as follows :—Larger mass, 93 lbs. 2 oz.
5 dwts. ; smaller ditto, 83 lbs. 9 oz. 5 dwts. ; Jae],
176 lbs. 11 oz. 10 dwts. They were found in Canadian-
gully, also within 30 yards of the spot where the first
large lump came from, at the depth of about 50 feet ;
and as other smaller nuggets were found in the same
holes, the Ballarat diggings have completely thrown
in the shade all the gold fields of modern days.
The :two nuggets last found contain rather more
quartz than the first one, although in them
the proportion of metal Is supposed to exceed seven-
eighths. The result of theSe discoveries has been
to attract diggers to Geelong and Ballarat from all
points of the compass. The intelligence from !the other
fields in the locality of Ballarat is very cheering ; and
when thousands set to work, where there are at present
only tens,' the result of their labours cannot be even
guessed at. The Government appear at length inclined
to do a little to afford protection to the thousands of
travellers and diggers now engaged on our gold fields.
They have established a new police-station at Captain
Sutherland's station, on the Moorabool, under the charge
of Sergeant Lennox ; the force consisting of a. corporal
and sis troopers, besides a sergeant. We are also to
have seven additional mounted troopers. and four extra
sergeants of police in Geelong. There is also a new
police force of mounted detectives, established for scour-
ing the different roads, &c. The late chief constable of
Bunningong being appointed inspector for that part of
the force to be engaged between Geelong and Bunnin-
gong."
Freights, &c., at Melbourne, are thus given :
Tallow, 40s. to 50s. per ton, and 5 per cent. ; gold,
4id. per oz., delivered at the bullion office, ditto per
steamer, 64d. ; wool, greasy, id. per lb. ; ditto, washed,
id. per lb. ; bides, 20s. to 255. per ton ; tallow, 1/. 10s.
per ton, and 5 per cent. ; oil, 3/. per tun, and 5 per
cent.—Lighterage.-255. per ton from Hobson's Bay to
the Wharves, Melbourne ; ditto, 50s. per ton on bonded
goods, from ditto to ditto ; and 50 per cent. on above
charges, in ships moored below the lighthouse.—Cart-
age.-ss. to 9s. per load in town, and 20s. to Coiling-
wood.
The expectation we entertained when we yester-
day commented upon the proceedings at the South
Sea House, that the proprietors would elect to re-
ceive the money for the 405,0001 of Annuities
which the company holds, proved correct, the vote
to that effect having been tolerably unanimous.
Many persons may draw erroneous conclusions
from this course, and it will be useful,
therefore, to enter upon some explanation of
the motives that have probably induced it. In
the first place, the directors of the South Sea Com-
pany have brought forward a proposal to form a
" Trust Company," much wanted in this country,
where private trusteeships are both unsatisfactory
and hazardous. The law has, undoubtedly, eased
the responsibility of trustees, by enabling them to
place their affairs under the control of a Chancery
Court, but this is an expensive and an indirect
procedure, which a wealthy association could ob-
viate. Besides this, a perpetual charter, such as
the South Sea Company enjoys, is most advan-
tageous, as offering an undying trusteeship. The
Company, over and above its capital stock of about
3,600,0001., possesses 610,0001. of surplus assets,
405,0001. of which are invested in South Sea
Annuities, and the rest in other stocks. As
a decision to accept new stock or money
for these annuities must be come to before

the 3d of next month the proprietors have elected
to receive back their money. The reasons appear
simple enough. The money will be more easily
divisible, and as many will not join the new Trust
Company, and even disapprove it, they consider it
most advisable to have the assets in a tangible

form. As to the premises, they will hereafter be
subject to an equitable valuation, and the new
company, if formed, must pay out such of the
existing proprietors as desire to secede. It
is probable that for the same reasons the pro-
prietors will authorise the directors to claim the
money for their 3,600,0001. of stock ; but this is a
question that will be decided next month, and pro-
bably at a special meeting. These are briefly the
motives that have influenced the South Sea Com-
pany's proprietors, who, otherwise, from the tone
of yesterday's meeting, would evidently have taken
the New 2i per Cent. Stock.
The next point to consider is whether the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer will be embarrassed by this
resolution. We should say, not in the least. He
has ample means at command, or plenty of facilities
for obtaining them, and the money cannot be
claimed for several months. When paid, the reci-
pients must invest it in some way, and the very
fact of their appearing as buyers will send up the
prices of whatever securities they select, and thus
indirectly assist the Government.
The English Stocks opened at about yesterday's
quotations, but have gone worse since, although
the most authentic advices from Constantinople
disprove the assertion that the Russian envoy hasleft.
Telegraphic accounts, with late dates from Singa-
pore, place the Chinese question in a more favour-
able light, the British representative not being
likey to interfere except to protect our country-
men. The outer wall of Nankin is said to have
been breached by the insurgents, but those who
look for the dissolution of obsolete prejudices rather
wish success to the revolutionists. Consols have
been quoted 1001 1, and since 1001 1, for money
and time. Bank Stock is firm at 229 to 230.
South Sea Stock is at 115 to 116. Exchequer Bills
are par to ls. premium, and India Bonds are 30s.
prem.
Foreign Stocks are rather heavy again. The
New Spanish Deferred Bonds realise 23 . Mexican
Stock has been dull at 26i Dutch 2i per
Cents. are not higher than 651. Russian 5 per
Cents. are firmer at 120.
The Gold Mine Shares are in limited request at
about previous rates.
The Land Companies' Shares are on the decline
again. Australian Joint-Stock Banks are dull.
The Railway Shares aro rather worse, but the
alteration is not material. French Shares are firm.

BRITISH FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK THIS DAY.
( From the Official Lest.)
Business done.
Bank Stock
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 994 100 993
3 per Cent. Consols Annuities
New 31 per Cent. Annuities
Long Annuities, Expire sth Jan., 1860 ... 5 15-16
India Bonds, under 21000
South Sea Stock ....... ........... ........ 116 15
South Sea Old Annuities 99a
South Sea New Annuities
3 per Cent. Annuities, 1751
Consols for Account Ist Juno
Exchequer Bills lAd.
£lOOO 1 p par
£5OO 1 p par
Small 1 p par
Ditto Advertised 3 d par
PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Danish Bonds, 3 per Cent. Bli 5
Mexican 3 per Cent.
Russian Bonds, 5 per Cent.
Ditto 4A per Cent lo4i
SArdinian Bonds, 5 per Cent. 93i
Spanish Bonds 3 per Cent 4Bt
Ditto for the Account
Spanish 3 per Cent., New Deferred 23a
Ditto Passive (Converted)
Dividends on the above payable in London.
Belgian ,q per Cent.
Dutch Exchange, 2i per Cent. 12 Gun. ... 65
Ditto 4 per Cent. Certificates..
HALF-PAST TWO.
100$
103 a

Consols
Ditto Juno Account

REPORTED ATTEMPT TO ENCLOSEHAMPSTEAD-ITEATH.
—Yesterday, it having become known that a bill was
about to be introduced into Parliament for the enclosing
of Hampstead-heath for building purposes, the North
London Anti-Enclosure Association and the influential
inhabitants residing in the immediate vicinity of this
suburban resort held meetings on the subject, and a
most vigorous opposition is to be made to any attempt
to exclude the public from their long enjoyed privilege
of roaming over this heath. The nature of the proposed
enactment is in the shape of a private bill to alter the
wording of a will, and extinguish the public right. On
four previous occasions the House of Lords have refused
to give their assent to a similar enactment.
EXTRAORDINARY CASE OP MURDER AND SUICIDE.—
One of the most extraordinary cases of murder and sui-
cide on record was that of Major Johnson, an officer on
half-pay in Dublin. He entered his parlour, and gave
his two sons (one a lad of ten, and the other of twelve
years of age) each a loaded pistol, ordering them to fire
at each other, or else he would run them through with
his sword'; they fired, and shot each other dead on the
spot. The mother coming into the room on the report
of the pistols, the major stabbed her to the heart and
then himself. This dreadful.affair took ;place iu 1726.