The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-23 00:00:00

MONEY MARKET AND CITY NEWS.

CITY, Two o'CLocK.

The progress of commercial affairs, although
steadily in the direction of a general improvement,
is not productive of the least excitement. Its
movement is most tedious, and begets disappoint-
ment, especially among those who possess large
stocks of merchandise, which are not realisable,
except at a serious loss. The depreciation of
many articles is still very perplexing, and
some time is likely to elapse before they recover
sufficiently to enable the holders to dispose of them
at remunerative rates. Favourable as our prospects
are considered, there can be no doubt that trade is
still in a most depressed condition. The complaints
still made upon this point are natural enough, for
those firms which have withstood the crisis
and its influences up to this period have
had much to try their patience. They have had
no opportunity of recovering any portion of the
losses sustained through the numerous failures that
have unfortunately occurred, and the prolonged
inactivity will doubtless embarrass many more
houses before the end of the year. It was gene-
rally expected that there would have been a consi-
derable improvement ere this, but until the position of
affairs in foreign and colonial markets, in the first
instance, become more favourable, it is folly to
suppose that a revival of animation can be secured
at home. It appears, however, by the Board of
Trade returns for the month, and eight months
ended the 31st August, issued to-day, that our com-
mercial transactions, though smaller than those of
last• year, presented a favourable contrast to the
operations of 1857 ; and during the last few months
there has evidently been a favourable increase in
both the imports and exports. This gives a prac-
tical confirmation of the impression that the reac-
tion from the prostrate state of business noticed in the
early part of the present year has fairly commenced.
The Government officials are entitled to the
thanks of the mercantile public for the promptitude
with which these accounts have been published
on the present occasion. Even greater expedition,
however, is yet required, for there is no reason
why these periodical balance-sheets should not
appear within a fortnight of the date of their
completion. _ _

The value of the exports from the United King-
dom, for the eight months, was £75,596,564, against
£84,666,718 in the like period of the previous year,
showing a diminution of £9,070,154. The decrease
is perceptable in butter, earthenware, fish, haber-
dashery and millinery, hardwares and cutlery,
leather, linen manufactures, machinery, metals, silk
manufactures, British spirits, refined sugar, sheep
and lambs' wool, woollen and worsted manufac-
tures, and woollen and worsted yarn ; but there is
an increase in beer and ale. Coals and culm, cot-
ton manufactures, cotton yarn, and seed oil are
stationary.

The imports of the principal articles for the eight
months show an increase in brimstone, cocoa, coffee,
wheat, Indian corn, flour, raw cotton, oranges and
lemons, hemp, potatoes, spices, rum, sugar, tea, and
tobacco. There was a diminution, compared with
the same period of last year, in live animals, barley,
cochineal, flax, fruit, hides,- provisions, raw silk,
brandy, tallow, wine, and sheep and lambs' wool.
The shipping accounts exhibit a slight increase in
the tonnage of vessels employed in the entries in-
wards, but in the clearances outwards there is a
decrease in the foreign trade of the United Kingdom ;
and in the coasting trade there is also a slight dimi-
nution, compared with that employed in the same
period of the previous year, both for the entries
inwards and the clearances outwards.

The specie movement from the Ist January to the
31st August was as follows :—lmports—Gold,
£15,391,384 ; silver £4,534,894 ; total, £19,926,278.
Exports—Gold, £8,518,122 ; silver, £4,925,296 ;
total, L 13,443,418.

At the Bank . of England, yesterday, the only
bullion operation of importance was the influx of
£6,000 in bar gold.

In the Cotton Market at Liverpool a fair amount
of business was done, and. 10,000 bales were sold at
improved quotations. The Railway Share Market
closed quietly, and prices tended downwards.
The English Funds continue very buoyant, and
the daily variation seldom exceeds k per cent.
Business, however, is still very much curtailed, and
the speculators, although in many instances con-
fident of an 'improvement, refrain from extensive
dealings. Consols have:been 9711 H for money, and
971 1- for the account. India Stock has been dealt
in at 2171 ; ditto Debentures, at 981; ditto, second
issue, 981 ; and ditto Bonds, 13s. ; Exchequer Bills,
345. to 355. ; and June ditto, 245. to 275. prem.
In the Foreign' Steck Market business is mode-
rately active, and quotations are steady. Turkish
6 per Cents. are 96 1 ; ditto Scrip, I 4 dis. ; ditto
4 per Cents., 1041 ; Venezuela 5 per Cents., 401 ;
Buenos Ayres 6 per Cents., 771; Mexican 3 per
Cents., 211 22 ; Portuguese 3 per Cents., 461;
Russian 5 per Cents., 1111, 1 ; Sardinian 5 per
Cents., 921 ; Spanish 3 per Cents., 461 ; ditto De-
ferred, 294 30 ; ditto Certificates, 6 ; and ditto
Passive, 111.

The last week's, railway receipts, ascertained up
to this day, are, in round figures, as under :-
1858. 1857.
Great Western , £32,931 £31,568
North-Western
Brighton
Midland
Smith-Eastern
Great Northern
Lancashire-and Yorkshire
Bristol and Eieter 7,537 . 7,535
East Lancashire' 7,240 7,561
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln
North-Eastern
Nor.th Stafford
Dublin and Wicklow 2,063 2,016
Edinburgh and Glasgow 6,614 6,825
Edinburgh, Perth, and Dundee 3,536 3,554
Glasgow and South-Western 7,015 7,312
Grand TrUnk of Canada - 9,691 9,797
Great Western of Canada
Northern of France . 46,291. 44,072
Lombardo-Venetian 10,771 8,307
It will be observed by these figures that the
income of most of the principal lines continue to

improve.
The transactions in the Railway Share Market
have rather increased, and prices have fluctuated
to the extent of about Ito + per cent. The traffic
returns in several instances are rather satisfactory,
and prices have improved. Caledonian, Lancashird
and. Yorkshire, and Scottish North-Eastern have
advanced ss. ; Great Western, South-Western, and
North-Eastern (Berwick), 10s. Edinburgh, Perth,
and Dundee, North-Western, and North British de-
clined 55., and Eastern Counties and South Wales,
10s. Foreign and Colonial undertakings have been
rather inactive, and the variations were not im-
portant. Lombardo-Venetian have improved about
55.,; Great Indian Peninsula, ss. ; and Grand
Trunk of Canada declined 10s.

Joint Stock Bank and Miscellaneous Shares show
little variation from previous quotations. London
and Westminster have advanced ss. ; Union of
Australia new shares, 10s. ; and Bank of Egypt, ss.
London Discount have improved 55., and Crystal
Palace, ss.

BRITISH FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES.
3 per Cent. Coniols Annuities
India Stock i 217 i
Ditto Debentures . 931
Ditto ditto, 2d Issue
Ditto Bonds, £l,OOO
Consols for Account
March 3 une.
Exchequer Bills, £l,OOO, 2d. sap... 34 6 I 242 7
Ditto Small, ltd
Ditto Bonds, 1858, 3i per Cent

Ditto, 1859. lOOl
FOREIGN FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES.
Buenos Ayres, 6 per Cent 771
Ditto Deferred
Mexican. 3 per Cent. —
Ditto Account
Peruvian, 41 per Cent.
Ditto Account , 9l 1
Portuguese, 1853, 3 per Cent.
Russian, 1822, £ St., 5 per Cent llll 1
Sardinian, 5 per Cent —
Ditto Account
46 921 1
Spanish 3 per Cent.
Ditto New Deferred, 3 per Cent.
Ditto Account

Ditto Passive
Spanish Corn Cert. of Coup. not funded 6 Cl
Turkish, 6 per Cent.
Ditto New Loan Scrip —
Ditto Account
Ditto Guaranteed, 4 per Cent.
Ditto Account,
Venezuela, 5 per Cent. , —
Ditto Account
Dividends on the above payable in London.
Dutch Exchange, 12 Guil. 21 per Cent —
Ditto Certificates, 4 per Cent.
THREE O'CLOCK.
Consols, Money
av Ditto Account 971 i