The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-26 00:00:00

THE FUNDS.

Toe Stock Exchange and Foreign Markets arc open
to-day, but up to the present hour there is a thin at-
tendance of its members, consequently very little doing
at present.

Consols opened this morning at the leaving-off price
of Thursday, BSi for the account, with rather a heavy
market, and downward appearance. Exchequer Bills
2 4 prem. ; Bank Stock 156 157 ; India Bonds for
the opening 237 239.
_ _

_ .
In the Foreign Market, Spanish, which left off on
Thursday at 221 4, has rather improved, and may be
quoted at 231 ; Deferred, 11 12 ; Passive, .54 6 ;
Portuguese much the same as they left off, 304 31 ; 3
per Cents., 204 ; Brazilian same as they closed, 71 72 ;
Colomban, 221 23 ; Danish, 761 771 ; Mexican, 271 :
Russian; 1121 1131 ; Dutch Two-and-a-Half per
Cents. rather higher ; they lett off, 501 4, at present 504
51 ; Five per Cents. closed at 961 974, may be quoted
rather
SHARES.—Great Western 22 23 preen., Now 91 104
prem. ; London and Brighton, 81 4 dis. ;
54 dis. ; Birmingham, 79 81 prem. ; South-
ampton, .54 55 per share; Croydon,. 121 ; Greenwich,
71 81 ; Manch°•ater and Birmingham, 15 13 discount ;
South Eastern and Dover, 161 16 discount.

PRICES OF SHARES THIS DAY AT ONE.
awiLwAvs. Paid. Per Share.
Eastern Counties
Ditto Debentures
Great Western
Ditto Fifths .. . 4 .... 10i...... to
lull and Selby
London and Greenwich ..... ...... 20

Ditto Scrip
London and South Western 3Si 55 .. to

JOINT STOCK BANKS.
British North American .. 40
London and Westminster .... 20
Provincial of Ireland .. 434 to -
311SCELLA N NOV s.
General Steam .k\i'avigation
PRICES OF IRISH STOCKS, DUBLIN, DEC. 24
3 per Cent. Consols
Three and Half Stock 97 Grand Canal 5t0ck.........
Ditto Reduced
Ditto New, 1830 97,4 r Ditto 4 per c•nt . •
3 per Cent. Debt.
_ .

HALF-PAST ONE.

Private letters received from Philadelphia be the Great
Western, stetethat a second Committee had gone toNew
York, for the purpose of endeavouring to close the
negociation for the arrangement in aid of the resump-
tion of specie payments by the banks of Philadelphia ;
rnd that it is proposed that post notes shall be is-
sued for the loan, payable in nine to eighteen months,
and that neither the United States Bank, nor any other
bank in Philadelphia, shell issue any other notes until
these are paid, The bank which are applicants of this
loan, have not heretofore issued any post notes, and it.
is not probable that without any stipulation to that
effect they would have any disposition to issue them,
except fur the purpose now in view. We are glad to
learn that the proposed arrangement is likely to be car-
ried into effect.
The Dutch mail has arrived of the date of the 04th
inst., with papers of the same date. It appears that
the Dutch Budget has passed without opposition.
Amsterdam Prices of the '23d instant.—Last price,
five o'clock, Two-and•a• Half per Cents, 49 ;
Five per Cents, 96:41 ; Ardoin's Spanish, 22. Tue
Funds remain stationary.
Consols reached, in the early part of the morning,
88i for the Account, since which they have receded to
88 for the Opening ; Reduced 881 ; Exchequer Bills
1 4 prem. ; Bank Stock nothing done ; India Bonds
the same.
In the Foreign Market very little doing. Spanish
Active receded from 234 to '23 ; Portuguese, 31 ; Co-
lombian lower, has been '23, at present 22e ; Dutch
'FI,o-and-a-Half per Cents. nothing doing. No quo-
tations.
Both markets are very nactive, with scarce a bar-
gain doing.
The Share market is in the same state as the above.
No alteration in the prices.

CURRENTS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN.
Some years ago Capt. Smyth, haying procured specimens of
sea-water at different depths from thcStraits ofGibraltar' SU)*
mittcd .them to Dr. Wollaston, who examined them, and
published the results of his experiments in the Philos.
Trans. 1829, Part.
I. From these he concluded that
there is a current setting into the Straits, and an under-
current setting out to the Atlantic. Mr. Lyell, without
referring
to Ray, offers some objections to this opinion,
but if he had quoted the Physico-Theological Discourses,'
we should have been supplied with a full discussion of
the interesting topic ; for says Ray, " I do not understand
how waters can run backward and forward in the same
channel at the same time. For there being but one de-
clivity, this is as much as to affirm that a heavy body should
ascend. It is a ciossing of proverbs, cc/
making rivers ascend to their fountains, affirming tnat to
be done which all the world bath hitherto looked upon as
absurd and impossible." Ray was also well aware of the
arguments adduced in favour of an under-current at the
Propontis and the Baltic Sound, which he likewise
discusses at great length, and with great ability.
" M. Afar:illy," he observes, " affirms that the lower
water in the channel of the Thracian Bosphorus is driven
northward into the Euxine Sea, while the upper flews
constantly from the Euxine southward, and that that which
flows from the south is salter and heavier; which he found
by letting down a vessel close shut up, fitted with a valve
to open at pleasure, and let in the lowest water, which
being brought up and weighed, was found to be ten grains
laeavier tban the upper. That the upper and lower flow
contrary ways he found by the fishermen's nets, which,
being let down deep from vessels that were fixed, were
always, by the observation of the fishermen, by the force
of the current driven towards the Black Sea, and by the
letting down of a plummet ; for if it were stopped and de-
tained at about five or six feet depth, it did al gays incline
towards the Marmera or Proponti, It is obvious that,"
Dr. Wollaston must have been unacquainted with these
facts, otherwise he would not have considered it necessary
to have submitted a paper to the Royai Society, the con-
tents of which had been an obviously anticipated by upwards
of a century ; the three localities alluded to being so ana-
logous, that Ray applies the same reasoning to them all.—
Atbencrum.

The Fo:t Anipt Gazelle of Frankfort mentions
the circulation of sinister reports at llanovzr con-
cerning the health of the Prince Royal. Frequent
consultations arc said to held at the Palace by his Royal
Highness's physicians.
A Pi E.— Ain ongst the delicacies at the dinner
of tho Commercial Travellers' Association on Christmas-
eve, was a pie presented by the proprietor of a well.known
Inn, at Kendal, which attracted much curiosity. Its con-
tents consisted of two fat geese, two large turkeys, four
fowls, two pheasants, four grouse, two hares, four prize
rabbits, three tongues, and eight pounds of beef steak and
1 ham. It measured in circumference six feet ten inches,
and was ten inch,:s in depth. Its weight was fi,e store
eight pounds.