The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-09 00:00:00

noon.

PORTUGAL.

LISBON, July 8.

Her Majesty's despatch steamer Helicon has just
arrived from Madeira, where a rumour is current of
a conflict having taken place at Funchal between
the populace and the military in connection with the
increase of taxes.

SPAIN.

MADRID, July 8 (Evening.)

In to-day's sitting of the Constituent Cortes,
Senor Figueras asked the Minister of War what
motives had led to the abrupt dismissal of the
Captain-General of Catalonia.

Senor Zorilla, in the absence of General Prim,
the Minister of War, replied that the Captain-
General of Catalonia had been superseded in the

regular way.

THE BOMBAY MAIL.

SOUTHAMPTON, July 9.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Pera, with the above mail, has arrived here with 134
passengers, £5,503 in specie, and a general cargo.
GIBRALTAR, July 4.
Exchange on London, 494 to j ; on Paris, 5.26 ;
Madrid par.

lier Majesty's gunboats, Skylark and Redo)le,
were in the harbour.

GIBRALTAR, July 7.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
ship Ceylon, from Southampton, 3d inst., arrived
at Gibraltar at five o'clock, and leave= for Alex-
andria at eight this afternoon. All well.

FRANCE.
BOURSE, July B.—Three o'clock—The market
closed as follows :

4} per Cent.
End of month —
3 per Cent
End of month 7l 321
Credit Mobilier

Bank Shares 2915
Italian Fives 56 40
End of month —
Ottoman Loan
Do. Debt... 4l --
Spanish Threes
Homo Debt 2l 73
Deferred
Ns.

End of month...
Credit Foncior ...1602 --
End of month... -
RAILWA'

Orleans
Northern ,

Cash,
... f.)40
1075

Lyons and Mediterranean
Southern..... 6071
Western
Eastern .. --_,

Sardinian
Austrian

51}
760

Lombard
North of Spaiu
Saragossa
Roman

vi;'la

11101\7111ASTERS' QUARTERLY MEET.E.VG.

BIRMINGHAM, Thursday evening.
The quarterly assembly of the ironmasters of this
district was held in the Town-hall here this after-
noon. The trade was represented, as usual, by all
who are in any way interested, whether as producers
in other districts, or consumers, or shippers, but the
attendance was, upon the whole, below the aver-
age, and the business, commencing late, was over
earlier than it ordinarily is. So far as relates to
contracts made in the hall, it was unquestionably a
quiet quarter-day ; that fact was admitted even bY
the principal firms, but on that account it must nob
be inferred that the trade is worse, for it is much less
the custom now than it formerly was for customers
to buy largely at these meetings. Orders are nes'r
sent in to the works from time to time, as a partial'
lar make of iron is required, circumstances render-
ing it more imperative of late years that the turn of
the market should be gauged as carefully as possible.
The result is that the quarterly assemblies become
more and more merely conversational ; such was the
case to-day, for most assuredly the quantity of iron
sold was inconsiderable, yet the tone was that of
cheerfulness rather than depression ; indeed, maul
of those present inclined to the opinion that the
trade has undergone a slight improvement, and
there are various circumstances to justify the con'
elusion that such is the fact. The price of all cle-
scriptions of " marked" iron is firm ; rods are said
to be from 2s. 6d. to 58. per ton higher than bill,
might have been bought at three months ago ; an
for merchant iron generally the demand is better
than it was at that time. At the Round Oalb'
Works (Earl Dudley's) they are all well engaged.
A subject much discussed yesterday was tii°
orders in the district for rails ; they are said t°
amount, in the aggregate, to many thousand tons ..;1
in all probability that is an excessive estimate, an
South Staffordshire, having all but abandoned rail-
making for several years, has to recover the facili-
ties for manufacture which the Welsh makers, frnlil
being constantly engaged in that line, have alvirsil
possessed. A remarkable circumstance which 11131
be mentioned is, that the undoubtedly great de'
tnand for rails for some time past has not resultf
in a more active demand for sheets and plates in
South Staffordshire.
The transactions reported in Staffordshire all;
mine pig to-day were at £3 7s. 6d. to £3 10s. per
ton, the most famous makers command that price'
cinder pig it is not worth while to quote, the cluat
lity is so various. Shropshire hot-blast iron at
£3 10s. per ton ; cold-blast, £1 55., deliveren.ct,
Wolverhampton, but the iron trade of that distil
1..
taken in the aggregate, is only a very small aff3l
The North Staffordshire iron trade was reported
of unfavourably; in fact, it is in a state 6°84
bordering u
meeting passed off without any napleasa
rumours whatever.