The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-30 00:00:00

MONEY MA

KET

AND
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE

CITY, Two O'CLOCK.
The Liverpool Cotton Market yesterday closed
with excitement, and prices of all kinds were 4d.
per lb. higher. The sales were 18,000 bales ;
1,500 were taken for export, and 3,530 on specula-
tion. The Railway Share Market was quiet, but
steady, and closed with a dull aspect.
The advices from China, received yesterday re-
lative to the bombardment of Canton, have pro-
duced some excitement in the tea and silk trade.
The value of the former article has risen about
lid. per lb. for the common qualities, and 2d. to
Id. for the better descriptions, and a considerable
business has been transacted at that improvement.
There is now, however, rather less activity than
was experienced immediately after the news arrived,
and the present quotation for common Congou is
111 d. tols. per lb. In other kinds of colonial produce
there is no change to report, business being con-
fined to a few parcels of goods required for imme-
diate use. The stocks of silk are generally very
light, and prices are exceedingly firm, with an
upward tendency. Very litle influence, however,
has been exercised on prices, by the bombardment,
as the trade consider that no serious difficulty will
arise from that event.
The letters and papers by the Red Jacket from
Australia were delivered this morning. No mate-
rial alteration in the state of trade at Melbourne
is reported, but the stocks were declining, and the
holders were therefore very firm, in the expecta-
tion that higher prices would soon be obtainable.
It was not generally supposed, however, that any
revival would take place until the termination of
the winter. The amount of the gold brought by
this vessel is 533,0001., and it is expected that
about half will be taken to the Bank and the
remainder to the Continent.
In Lombard-street and at the Bank of England
the inquiry for discounts continues active, and full
rates are consequently exacted. Until the 4th of
the month has passed no relief will be experi-
enced, but when the January dividends are paid
it is probable that the quotations will again
tend downwards. On the Stock Exchange also
there is a good inquiry for loans, and the charges
for " carrying over " in the Foreign Stock and I
Railway Share markets are very onerous, although
less so than at the period of the last settlements.
The accounts from Paris report no further alter- "
ation in the position of monetary affairs, but the t'
letters from some of the other foreign markets are
more favourable. At Hamburg, for instance,
there is now diminished pressure, and the rate of
discount which recently stood at 7or 71 per cent. 4
has declined to 61 or 6i per cent.

In the silver market there continues to be a good
deal of activity, and the price is well supported.
The Colombo, which proceeds to India on the 6th
proximo, will take out a considerable quantity of
this metal.

Yesterday was appointed for the further consi-
derationl of the resolution passed by the Stock Ex-
change Committee for expunging the shares of the
Great Northern Railway Company. The direc-
tors, however, having offered sufficient explana-
tions, that resolution was not confirmed.
Yesterday afternoon the Funds closed with a
heavy appearance, and at a decline of about per
cent. This morning there has been no recovery,
and speculative dealing seems temporarily sus-
pended. The only business transacted is in con-
nection with the Share settlement, English Se-
curities being neglected. Consols have been 93i
to 94 all the morning. The New Threes are 941
I ; the Reduced, 94 to 941 ; Exchequer Bills, 2s.
premium ; and Do. Bonds, 981 99.
Foreign Securities are also quiet, and in many
instances merely nominal. Turkish 6 per Cents.
are 95 to 951, and the 4 per Cents. 104 to 103.
Venezuela have been dealt in at 37, and Mexican
at 21g. Spanish Bonds are firm, the 3 per Cents.
being 42 to 421, and the New Deferred, 24g.
The following are the nominal prices of Foreign
Stocks :—Grenada Deferred Bonds, 6 7 ; Mexi
can, 21i i; Peruvian 41 per Cents., 76 8 ; ditto
3 per Cents., 54 6 ; Portuguese 3 per Cents.,
44 6 ; Russian 5 per Cents., 106 8 ; ditto 41 per
Cents., 96 8; Spanish 3 per Cents., 44 212; ditto 1
Deferred, 241 ; ditto Certificates, 6 ; ditto _
Passive, 6 I.
The arrangements usually entered into for the
settlement of the half-monthly accounts have fully
occupied the attention of the dealers in Railway
Shares this morning, and very little business,
except in connection with that event, has been
transacted. Prices for the present account have
undergone no particular change, but for the
January settlement a slight improvement may be
reported in quotations. Caledonian advanced
103., Great Northern 10s. to 155., North-Western
it., Midland 10s. to 15s. North-Eastern 1.4
Berwick, and North Eastern, York, ruled steady
ti
at about former rates. In the Foreign lines very
little business has been done. Lombardo-Yenetian
have declined ss. ; the Canadian lines, however,
have shown some improvement. Grand Trunk of o
Canada for the next account were as high as 14 ,
and Great Western ruled steady at 24k. 11
Joint-stock Bank and Miscellaneous Shares
have been very inactive, and prices are generally
unaltered. Commercial of London are 27,
and Provincial of Ireland 60. Canada Govern-
ment 6 per Cents., 113 k

BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONP O'CLOCK,
( _From the Officia List.)
finstne,. don.
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities
New :1 per cent. Annuities ..• 94i
Loug Annuities, expire sth Jan. 1860
India Bonds, 1:1000
Ditto, under £lOOO 1 d
Consols 'or Account . 94
Exchequer Sills, 24d.
£lOOO.
£5OO
;mall
Ditto Bonds, 1558, 34 per Cent.. 9BA 9
Ditto, 1559
PRICES OF FOREIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Mexican 3 per Cent 213
Spann h Boucle, 3 per Cent 42
Ditto New Deferred, 3 per Cent.
Turkith Ponds, fi per cent
Ditto Guaranteed. 4 per Cent.
Venezuela Bonds, 41 pel: Cent
Ditto Account ......
Dividends on o,ne above payable in London
TWO O'CLOC

Consols
Ditto Accov.ut

THE PELES IN SCOTLAND.—A Christmas gift was
presented t• the Scotsman on Thursday, in the shape of
duly stamped receipts for the " damages" and whole ex
penses, amounting to nearly 1,2001., to which that jour-
nal was made liable by the prosecution at the instance
of Mr. Duncan M‘Laren.

A RArrLESNAKE.—The New York Commercial Adver-
tiser of the 12th inst. tells the following thrilling tale :
" Last fall a woman residing in the vicinity of Worcester
was picking blackberries in a field near her house, having
with her her only child, a bright-eyed little fellow of less
than a year old. The babe eat upon the ground, amusing
itself with grasping at alums of yellow weed that grew
within reach, and eating berries brought him from time to
time by his mother. The latter, intent upon gathering
the fine fruit, passed around a rock which hid her child
from view. She was about to return to him, when hear-
lug hi'm laughing and crowing in great glee, and thinking
he rir.iust be safe as he was so happy, she remained a little
lor,ger where she was. Suddenly the little voice ceased ;
sad after another moment's delay the young mother
atepped upon the rock and looked over, expecting to see
be babe asleep • and instead of which he was sitting
perfectly motionless, his lips parted, and his wide, open
eyes fixed with a singular expression upon some object
Which at first she was unable to discern. N'et who can
judge of her horror when, on closer scrutiny, she per-
ceived, some four or five feet from her infant, a rattle-
snake, with his glittering eyes fastened upon his and near-
ing him by an almost imperceptible motion. The sight of
her darling's peril so nearly paralysed her, that for an in-
stant she half believed that dreadful fascination had ex-
tended to herself ; but the certainty that unless she was
the instrument of salvation to her child, he was inevi-
tably lost, in some degree restored her powers. She
glanced wildly round for something that might be used
as a weapon, but nothing appeared, and already the
venomous reptile had passed over half the space which
divided him from his victim. A.n.,ther moment, and all
would be lost ! What could be done In her hand she
held a broad tin pan, and springing from the rock,
quick as thought, she covered the snake with it, and
stood upon it to prevent its escape. The charm was
broken—the child moved, swayed to one side, and
began to sob. At the soma time the mother recovered
her voice and screamed for aid, retaining her position
until it arrived, when the cause of her terrible fright was
dispatched."