The Sun.
London, England, 1870-03-08 00:00:00

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Although the busined doing his hot been extensive, the
tone of the Stock Exchange markets has -been healthy on
the whole, and no adverse movement of importance has
transpired. Consols have been flat and rather lower, at
924, 92i for money, and 92k, 922 for April. Reduced end
New Three per Cents, 914, 911 Bank Stock has marked
240, 242. Indian Five per Cents have been done at 111,
112, and India Bonds at 205., 25sd-prem. Exchequer BO
2s. dis., 3s. prem. .
In the market for English railway stocks the business
doing has been limited. Metropolitan has been dull, and
lower, and a fall of 4 in Midland and London and North-
Western, London and Brighton being at the same g lower.
On the other hand, Great Northern has risen 4, and Great
Eastern 4.
There has been a steady inquiry for foreign bonds
throughout the day, as nearly all the movements have been
of a favourable character. Argentine has advanced i•
Egyptian 1864, 4. ; and 1868, 4; New Grenada, ; Pere-
vian 1863, 4 ; Russian 1830, 4; ditto Nicolai, 4; Spanish,
all issues, 4; Turkish 1862, 4; ditto 1865, ; ditto
" Muttons," 1.
American Government securities have continued to
advance, and the Five-Twenty Bonds of all issues shell
a rise of 4 ; Erie shares have advanbed 4, and ininoi44
Central,
Indian railway stocks have been quiet and unaltered.
Canadian shares have been firm, and Great Western have
risen 4. For foreign shares there has been very
little
inquiry.
There has been a good demand for money to-day, both
at the Bank of England and in other quarters, end 12°
three months' bills have been taken under 3 per cent.
The sum of £20,000 in sovereigns has been sent to the
Bank to-day from the Cape.
In Bank shares the transactions have been only moderate/
but prices have been supported.
Telegraph shares have continued depressed. An glo-
Mediterranean have fallen 14; British Indian Subraarille
4; and Falmouth, Gibraltar, and Malta 4.
Hooper's shares have been quiet, at 4, 4 die. Teleg,rePli
Construction shares have been flat, and have given way
Miscellaneous securities have been quiet but steady.
At Mark-lane to-day wheat was firm, and 1s- Per
quarter dearer.
The directors of the Surrey Commercial Dock. Company
recommend a dividend at the rate of 3 per cent. Per

annum.
The traffic returns of the London, Brighton, and South
Coast Railway for the week ending March sth present a
total of £13,322, shewing a decrease of £1,051 when co"'
pared with the corresponding week of 1869. t
At a meeting of the Star Life Assurance SocietY,l
was shown that the directors have received during the
year 1,412 proposals : these, together with 59 standing
over at the end of the year 1868, have been disposed of 9.5.
follows :-1,148 policies effected, for the assurance el
£418,559 lls. Od. ; 106 proposals declined for £37,2'
217 not completed at the close of theYear'
for £74,235. Total 1,471 ; £530415644115. Od.
new policies thus completed will ce an in-o_l3le le.
to the society of £13,900 18s. 6d. It will be observed OP'4,
a considerable number of proposals have been declined,
while some have been accepted at an increased rate ;
will account for many of the 217 proposals accepted n"
having been completed at the close of the year. Ile
annual income on the 31st day of December last WO °I,
follows : For premiums on policies in force on the 31"
December last, £133,675 10s. ; interest on investmentst
£33,944 Os. 4d. To which is to be added the amount ot
purchase-money for annuities, the sum of £3,25012x.
The amount paid in claims by death is £82,916 7s.
which includes bonus additions of £9,101 11s. 10d., 9'll
the total claims paid from the establishment of the society
are £694,997 12s. 7cl. The directors further report that
they have not only been able to pay for the purchase c'
policies and the surrenders of bonus out of the currelft
year's account, but have added the sum of £28,443 38. bc`'
to the assurance fund, which now amounts re
£317,841 10s. 11d. Annexed to the report is a tab
shewing the various stocks in which the assurance fund it
invested.
In reference to the public sales of colonial wool,
brought to a close, just brought to a close, Messrs. Southey' •
Balm; and Co., remark :
The first series of wool sales of the year, hi
opened on the 17th ultimo, closed this day. The
n.
dications of a more satisfactory condition of e°
sumption recently observable in the seats of the woollen
industry, combined with the assured prospect of a lessen.,ee
rate of production of the raw material, have for some
months past exercised a perceptibly hardening infhlelto
on our market. The quotations of the opening
can hardly be said to have manifested any undet:4
advance in value, but the progress of the sera 0
was marked by a gradual and continued increas
of competition, which, though not fully sustained
the close, has resulted on the whole in the establishing,
of a general advance, as far as comparison is possible,
.1d
almost all descriptions of Australian and New Zealot,
wool of id. to ld. per lb. ; and in the case of Capes,
the recovery of prices to a point very closely verging Vtio
the extreme rates current during the earlier portion of .
November sales of 1869. The occurence of the first serer
of the year, under the new arrangement, at an eat'ils-0
peried than heretofore, and the prevalence of advf
winds, limited the quantity of wool of the new clip ,b'ea,
much smaller total than usual. The bulk, inGcort
of shipments from all quarters, except
Phillip, have consisted exclusively either of scoured, -so
mongered, or other remnants of the clip of 1858-9, 'roe
nearly so as to preclude all comment of any value on _0
relative merits of the new wool The Victorian wools,
the other hand, have presented a fair selection of der,
growth of the new season. A large proportion is ten 1e
and a considerable number of flocks shorter in st°4"
than last year. The grease wools, as a rule, are r 3 the
lighter than usual ; there is also, perhaps,, nn
whole, somewhat less burr and a generally incre-b-le.
attention to the details of management is notices' (1
The quantity of fine wool was extremely limited, 3„30
where well grown and in good condition realised extrerw
rates. The well knownErcildoun brand touched the e'ct 01
ordinary price of 4s. per lb. The supply of lambs tr.
was exceedingly scarce, and the rates paid ruled PrQri,
tionately high. Half-bred descriptions also comtnOi so
considerable competition, but the quotations are °eat.
extreme as those current at the same period last 1.41
The arrivals of wool for the next two series, which ill
include the bulk of the colonial clip of the year, riot
undoubtedly represent a very large total, and it ino9 .de•
be impossible that the process of absorption of so con 5,10.
rable a supply may be attended with some -slight tinc,,,'"ee,
tion. The general healthy position of the trade, hoWe'kue
and the possession of tolerably accurate data as to 't,o
approximate total importation of the year will tend
or,
check any material variation in value. and limit any al
ket changes within a comparatively narrow range,'