The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-07 00:00:00

IRISH AND SCOTCH BANKS.

The returns of circulation of the Irish and Scotch
banks for the four weeks ending the sth July, 1856,
when added together, give the following as the average
weekly circulation of these banks during the past month,

viz..-

Average circulation of the Irish banks 26,179,154
Average circulation of the Scotch banks • 4,133,110

Average circulation during past Month —210,312464

On comparing the above with the fixed issues of the
several banks, as given in the Banking Almanac, the
following appears to be the state of the circulation :
The Irish banks are above their fixed issue £175,340
The Scotch banks are above their fixed issue 1,045,901

Total above the fixed issue £870,561
The amounts of gold and silver held at the head offices
of the several banks during the past month have been as
follows :

Gold and silver held by the Irish banks £2,152,150
Gold and silver held by the Scotch banks 1,866,443

Total of gold and silver held £4,021,593

The above statements complete the returns of the cir•
culation in England, Scotland, and Ireland for the month
ending the 5,h of July.
These returns, combined with the average circulation
of the Bank of England for the same period, will give
the following results of the circulation of notes in the
United Kingdom, when compared with the previous
month .

june 7, July ;5,
-- J 1836. 1856. Increase. Decrease.
--- --
X 4
Bank of England .. •• 19 501,614 19,504,X X 553 3,909
Private Banks
Joint-stuck Banks • • 3,036,411 3,035,101 31,316
-.----- --.
Total in England
Scotland ^,472 759 4,133, 10 339,649
Ireland .. ••.. • •
Lilted Kingdom .. • • 37,219,784 36,592,756 627,029

Showing a decrease of 102,155/, in the circu-
lation of notes in England, and a decrease of
627,0291. in the circulation of the United Kingdom,
when compared with the month ending the 7th of
June ; and, as compared with the month ending the
7th of July, 1855, the above returns show a decrease
of 438,3131. in the circulation of notes in England, and
an increase of 5,4421. in the circulation of the United
Kingdom.
The average stock of bullion held by the Bank of Eng-
land in both departments during the month ending the
sth of July was 12,540,3641., being an increase of
1,681,9281. as compared with the previous month.; and
a decrease of 5,417,7321. when compared with the same
period last year.

- The stock of specie held by the Scotch and Irish banks
during the month ending the sth of July was
4,021,5931., being an increase of 14,596/. as compared
with the previous return, and an increase of 331,026/.
when compared with the corresponding period laSt year.

OFFICIAL VISIT OF THE LORD MAYOR
TO IiOCHESTER.

ROCHESTER, Wednesday.—The Right Hon. the Lord
Mayor, as conservator of the rivers Thames and Med-
way, paid his official septennial visit to this city this
day, accompanied by the principal officers connected with
the city of London, for the purpose of inspecting the
Thames and Medway. The civic party left the Bruns-
wick-pier, Blackwall, shortly after 9 o'clock this morn-
ing in a special steamer, and proceeded slowly down the
river to Gravesend, from which they continued their
•curse to Southend pier, where the authority, of the
Lord Mayor over the Thames terminates.

His lordship and the other members of the party
reached Southend about two o'clock, and after a delay
of some short time for the purpose of observing the
usual formalities at that boundary, his lordship and the
other officials proceeded from Southend to enter ,the.
river Medway, near Sheerness and the Lancaster battery
which has been erected to guard the entrance of the
Medway since the last visit of .the Lord Mayor, seven
years ago. _ _

The Mayor and Corporation of Rochester being de*
sirens of paying their respects to the Lord Maya on the
occasion of his official visit, and escorting him to this
city, engaged a special steamer to meet his Lordship.
The corporation embarked on board at ball-past 1 o'clock
this afternoon, the steamer having on board, besides the
members of the corporation, a large number of the prin-
cipal inhabitants of this city, who bad been invited by
the mayor to accompany them. The corporation on
meeting the steamer conveying his lordship, escorte4 him
to Upner, nearly opposite Cnatbam dockyard. On ar-
riving at tbil point the Lord Mayor and the other
officers landed at the City of London boundary stoner ,
near Uenor Castle. The usual proclamation was here .='
made, and the other ceremonies performed, including
the distribution cf ancient silver coins ; after which the
civic party again returned to the steamer, and proceeded
to Rochester-bridge. During the progress of the Lord
Mayor up the Medway the attention of his lordship ,wars'
particularly directed to the state of the shore and banks
of the river, which, in several placee, are being fast car-
tied away by the action of the tide to an alarming ex-
tent, and which, at no distant period of time, threaten'
to form a serious impediment to the navigation of the
-river, and be of great inconvenience to the Government
vessels and ether ships frequenting this river.
On reaching this city his lordship and the ether mem
bers of his party landed, and an intimation having been
previously given to the mayor that his lordship would
be happy to be introduced to the members of this corpo-
ration at the Bridge Chamber, the members of the Town
Council, dressed in their robes of office, were succes-
sively introduced by the mayor (Mr. J. Furrell) to his,:'
lordship, who gave the corporation an invitation to dine
with his lordship at the Crown Hotel, where covers had
been laid fur 150 gue,ts. The chair was filled by the
Lord Mayor, and on the termination of the banquet the
civic party returned to London by special train on the
North Kent Rail.iay,

NAPOLEON TO JOSEPHINE.—"I heard read an origival
letter of Napoleon's to the Empress Josephine, after ihe,,
surrender of Mack, written in a great hurry, but full 0,,
most pithy matter. Begins carelessly about the state Or
his health, and then suddenly comes to this awful sew
sence : J'ai detruit l'arm6e Autrichienne, The
Post-
script is 'Mille chosen amiables a Hortense.' It is d
of
rented ‘L'Empereur- l'lmperatticek'
27torma Jtoore,