The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-15 00:00:00

(From the EngliAman,)

CALCUTTA, AUG. 8.
The interval since the despatch of our last mail has
been marked by some improvement both in our import
and export trade, and a better feeling is gradually gaic-
ing ground. We are placed in receipt by the Loudon
mail of the 25th June last on the 31st ult., and by elec.
tric telegraph of intelligence brought by the London
mail of the 9th ult.

.Our produce market during the past fortnight has been
comparatively more buoyant than at the time of the last
mail's departure, although the business transacted in most
of our leading staples for the home markets has not been
large. The American and other foreign buyers have been
the largest customers in saltpetre and linseed at higher
rates than English buyers could afford to pay. We do
not as yet to a certainty know what effect the accounts
just received by electric telegraph will have upon pur-
chases fur the home market=, but we have no doubt that
immediately after the despatch of the 1-resent mail we
shall have increased activity. Meanwhile we might
add that we have had from the upper provinces large
supplies of sugar, saltpetre, and rapeseed.
We are happy to be able to notice an improvement and
greater animation in our market for British cotton piece
goods. The demand for all sorts of grey goods having
continued active, considerable purchases have been made
by native dealers, in some instances at enhanced prices.
Our stocks, however, have been suficiently large, which,
combined with the rather indifferent accounts from the
marts in the Upper Provinces, have prevented any exten-
sive improvement in the face of the easy and almost
glutted state of our money market, and the facility with
which dealers are enabled to obtain accommodations for
carrying on operations on a satisfactory basis. In grey
shirting, aconets, and madapollama a very fair amount
of business has been transacted, whilst Turkey red goods
of all descriptions, prints, and chintzes, as well as mule
twist, have experienced an increased demand, and prices
are a shade higher. In metals, also, operations have been
carried on to a fair extent, and copper of all sorts, under
the iniluence of speculative demand and reduced stocks,
had advanced considerably, but our market closes with
a drooping tendency.
Money Market.—Large importations of specie and
bullion, and the further reduction of tie Bulk of Bengal
rates of interest and discount, have contributed to ren-
der our money market easier than at the date of the last
mail, and the aspect of the existing affairs gives hope not
only of its continuance, but of a further improvement.
On the 24th ult, the directors of the Bank of Bengal at
their weekly meeting reduced their rates 1 per cent', to-
gether with 5 per cent of the margin on loans of 4 per
cent. Government securities, and 3 per cent, on loans of
the 5 per cent. papers. The following are the bank rates
at present :—Loans on Government securities, 5 per
cent. ; discount of private bills, 5 per cant. ; do. of Go-
vernment bills, 4 per cent.; margin on 5 per cent. papers
3 per cen.; do. on 4 per cent. do., 15 per cent. The
amount of cash in the bank's coffers has of late been gra-
dually on the increase.
Government Securities—With a slight advance in the
value of the " Public Works Loan," other papers have
ruled alternately during the time that has elapsed since
the last mail, at almost the quotations then given OCCa•
sionally fluctuating a little, although the operations of
late in the 4 per cent, papers have been of some magni-
tude. The apprehensions of a new 5 per cent, loan by
Government, which are far from being dissipated from
the minds of stockholders, native dealers and even many
Europeans, have proved a great bar to the improvement
in value of our stocks.

Exchange—We have had a vary steady mail this time.
In the earlier part our market was distinguished by an
unusually extensive business on London, American
credits selling at 11d. per rupee, anti document bills
at 2s. 10., 2s. 24d. being raid for choice paper by pur-
chasers. During the past week cu quotations have