The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-15 00:00:00

MONEY MARKET

AND
CONMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE

CITY, Two o'CLoCK.

The Liverpool Cotton Market yesterday closed
quietly, yet with a steady feeling, and Wednesday's
advance was fully maintained for all descriptions.
The sales were from 8,000 to 10,000 bales (1,000
for export and 1,000 on speculation), comprising
70 Pernam and Maranham, 6d. to 6d. ; 20 Bahia,
; 400 Egyptian, NA. to Bd. ; and 1,000 Surat,
4d. to 4d. per lb. The Railway Share Market
was steady, and closed at its best point.
The business transacted in Colonial produce this
week has again been limited. West India Sugar
has remained inactive, and of other descriptions the
purchases have chiefly been confined to immediate
requirements. Coffee has been dull, and in some
cases 6d. per cwt. cheaper. Rice has been steady,
and tea dull. Common Congou is Bid. to
81d. For Saltpetre there has been very little
inquiry. Cocoa has not undergone any ma-
terial change, and spices have been firm. Tal-
low has tended upwards. The public sales of
indigo have proceeded with animation, and
at an advance, in good and fine Bengal, of ls. per
lb. on last October's rates. About 9,013 chests
will be offered. The colonial wool auctions com-
menced last evening, and it is expected that between
40,009 and 45,000 bales will be put up during the
series. There was a very full attendance, and a
large number of Continental buyers were present.
Prices for Australian flocks ranged on the average
about 2d. per lb. higher, while superfine descrip-
tions were at a still greater advance. The pros-
pects of peace, and the shortness of stocks in the
hands of the manufacturers, are the cause of the
improvement.

By telegraph the monthly statement of the Bank
of France has come to band. The principal
items are as follows : On the debtor side,
notes in circulation' 531,265,100 f. ; accounts
current, 107,067,115 f. ; ditto in branch esta-
blishments, 25,875,656 f. ; creditor side, amount
of specie on band, 94,639,695 f. ; cash in branch
establishments, 119,587,230 f. ; commercial bills
overdue, 496,377,016 f. ; ditto discounted, but
not yet due, 227,030,052 f. ; ditto in branches,
212,764,382 f. Total transactions of the Bank,
947,829,962 f.

By the Skerryvore, arrived in the London Docks
yesterday, from Algoa. Bay, in 58 days, accounts
from the Cape Colony to the 15th December have
come to hand. Nothing of importance had oc-
curred. Trade was rather active in wool, and
other kinds of produce, and the colony at Port
Elizabeth, Algoa Bay, was progressing satisfac-
torily.

A reduction has just been made in the French
tariff on the duties levied upon exotic resins used
in manufactures, which will increase the imports of
gum lac and gum copal from British India. The
duty hitherto, 30f. per metrical quintal, is reduced
to 15f. In 1854 the quantity of gum lac imported
was 302,858 kitogramtnes, and of gum copal
817,081 kilogrammes.
Accounts from Sardinia state that the Chamber
of Deputies were occupied with discussing the de-
tails of the budget fur the present year ; and had
already passed the revenue estimates, which
amounted to 157 millions and a half, being 2 mil-
lions over the .sum proposed by the Minister of
Finance.

The Dutch Government have just received in-
telli,gence of their expedition to Japan having con-
cluded a treaty with the Emperor, which grants
them the privilege of trading with the
Japanese without being liable to any restrictions,
excepting an impost duty on all merchandise en-
tered at Nangasaki. This treaty also allows them
to build stores for their merchandise on the Island
of Decima, and to have all the privileges granted
to other foreign states.

This morning a good deal of excitement was
produced at the Stock Exchange by the Govern-
ment broker reading the following communication,
just received from the Treasury :
" Downing-street, Thursday Evening,
Feb. 14, 1856.
_

" Gentlemen,—l request that you will make it
known in the usual manner that on Monday next,
the 18th instant,
,at one o'clock, Lord Palmerston
and I will be ready to see any gentlemen who may
be willing to contract for a loan for the public ser-
vice, in order that we may afford them information
as to the amount of the loan and the time and
manner of the bidding.
" Lord Palmerston and I will at the same time
communicate to the gentlemen present the con-
ditions upon which we shall be prepared to receive
offers for funding a portion of the Exchequer bills
now outstanding.

" I hope it will be convenient to you to meet
those gentlemen at the Treasury at the hour named.
" I am, Gentlemen,
" Your obedient servant,
• (Signed) " G. C. Lewis.
"To the Governor and Deputy-Governor
of the Bank of England."

On previous occasions whon a notice of this
kind has been made the particulars have been
posted up in the " House," but in the present
instance they were merely read, so that the
majority of the members knew nothing at all
about them, and considerable dissatisfaction was
expressed in consequence. A memorial, it is re-
ported, will be drawn up and seat to the Chan.
cellor of the Exchequer complaining of the omis-
sion. It is generally believed that the Loan will
amount to 15,000,0001., and the funding of
Exchequer Bills to 5,000,0001.
The Stock Market opened quietly, Consols being
about 92, but when the above announcement was
made they deelintTli to 91, from which they have
since further reacted to 91 for the account; the fall
since yesterday being 1-i, 1 per cent. The money
price has been as low as 90, The New Threes
have been 92k, 94. Bank Stock has advanced
1/., being 213 to 215. ExcheqUer Bills, owing to
the official notice above referred to, are 45., 35., and
ls. discount. India Stock is 225.
The Foreign S tock Market is exceedingly ina,ctive.
Turkish 6 par Cents. have declined to 921 and
93 for money, and 931 to 92i for account. The
4 per Cents. are as low as 92k. Dutch 21 per
Cents, are 641.
The following are the nominal prices of Foreign
Stocks:—Grenacta Deferred Bonds, 61 74 ; Mexican,
20i g ; Peruvian, 79 81 ; ditto 3 per Cents., 55 57 ;
Portuguese 4 per Cents., 47 49 ; Russian 5 per
Cents., 104 6 ; ditto 4 per Cents., 92 94 ; Spanish
3 per Cents., 421 43 ; ditto Deferred, 23124; ditto
Certificates, 41 5 ; ditto Passive, 61 I.
Railway Shares, although heavier, have not
sympathised to the full extent in the movement of
the Funds .Arrangements are still in progress for
the settlement. The French lines are lower.
Mining and Miscellaneous Shares are dull. All
the new Banking Shares are flatter.

BRITISH FUNDS TWA DAY AT ()NB C.CLOCK.
(Froth thi Offal Liato

Anon.. done.
Bank Stock
3 per Cent. Rcdaced Annuitie5.....
3 per Cent Consols Annuities ... 911 90 11 90
New 3 per Cent. Annuities
Long Annuities, expire sth Jan. 1860...
Ditto 30 Years, expire 10th Oct., 1859 3}
Ditto 30 Years, expire sth April, 1885 164
India Stock
India Bonds, .ElOOO
Consols ;or Account ... ola i 1 001 1 901
Exchequer Bills, 21d.
21000
E5OO 1
small psr
Ditto Bonds, 1858, 31 per Cent 974 3
Ditto, 1359
PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Turkish Bonds, 6 per cent 92i 31
Ditto Account 921 31 21
Ditto Guaranteed, 4 per Cent —
Ditto Account lOll ii 99,1,
Dividends on the above nayabie In Londoc.
Dutch Exchange, 2i per Cent., 12 Gail , 64i
TWO O'CLOCK.
CongolP, money
Ditto Account 9Ol a

THE PURCHASE OF STEAMETS BY THE
FRENCH GOVERNMENT.

In our journal of yesterday we copied a para-
graph from a morning contemporary, to the effect
that a direct denial had been given by the Secretary
to the General Screw Steam Shipping Company to
the statement that a French company had pur-
chased eight of the screw steamers belonging to the
former. We are authorised to say that the original
statement is perfectly correct, and have had sub-
mitted to us documents in proof of the fact.

-- -
THE LIVERPOOL AND PHILADELPHIA LINE OF STEMS.
SHlM—This fleet of steamers, all of which were char.
tered for the French tran-port service on the outbreak of
hostilities with Russia, will presently resume their old
station, and one of them, the City of Baltimore, Capt.
Leitch, is expected to leave Liverpool for nilaclelpbia,
is tb COUP of another month.