The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-20 00:00:00

HONEY -MARKET

AND

oiIiTIERIJIAL IPTELLIOt;

TWELVE O'CLOCK.

There is a very quiet business in the General
Discount Market, and the rates continue firm. It
is generally expected that higher quotations will ere
long prevail.

The Delta from Alexandria has brought specie
amounting to £57,119.

One of Mr. Reinke's divers has returned from
St. Thomas, and it appears that the Columbian lies
in 38 feet of water. She has a very large hole in
her side, and lays right across the entrance to
the dock, which is sunk, as already known.
Her cargo is being saved, but from all
appearances it will require two or three
months to clear away the wreck. The British Em-
pire (also a very large ship), which was ready for
sea at this time, lies close to her, with 700 tons of
ballast on board. The cotton and print goods al-
ready saved from the Columbian were much injured
by water, from the fact that the cases had been
crushed by the collisions, but they were likely to
fetch fair prices, considering their, condition.
Five divers were at work using Heinke's apparatus,
and the West India and Pacific Steam Company
have sent a vessel fully equipped to assist. Delays
have occurred on account of the earthquake shocks
which have passed over the island, and the divers
were much impeded, and ran great risks from the
absence of co-operation of the black labourers, who
were too frightened to work.

The New Honduras Loan has improved to li 2
prem.

Atlantic and Great Western Railway Debentures
have advanced k, to 22 23, and the Consolidated
Mortgage Bonds remain at 18} 19k.

The shares of the Auglo-Argentine Company
were to-day quoted at to prem.
The eleventh ordinary general meeting of the
Alliance Bank (Limited) will be held at the City
Terminus Hotel, Cannon-street, on Thursday, the
16th of January.

The return from the Bank of England for the
week ending the 18th of December gives the fol-
lowing reeults when compared with the previous
week :

Rest ...
Pnblie deposits
Other deposits

£3,039,288 ... Decrease £2,807
7,146,320 Increase 1,362,532
19,000,485 biomass 320,962

On the other side of the account :
Ctovernrnent securities £13,019,203 Increase £700,000
Other seeuritias ... 17,218,755 Increase 192,433
Xotes vuomployed 12,898,375 ... last-ease 735,780
The amount of notes in circulation is £22,888,620,
being a decrease of £512,365 ; and the stock of
bullion in both departments is £21,940,709, show-
ing an increase of £277,152 when compared with
the preceding return.

Subjoined is a comparison of the present position
of the Bank of England and the price of Consols
With the corresponding week of last year

lame Week
At Present. last Year.
Bullion 321,940,709 ... 418,815,714
Beserys ... 14,052,089 ... 11,713,229
Notes in circulation ... 22,888,620 ... 21,933,365
Rat, of discount 2 per cent. ... per cent.
Price of Consols ••• 92f ••• 89}
_ _

The return of the Bank of France for the week
ending yesterday shows the following changes as
eompare4l with the previous accounts :—There is a
further increase of £480,000, in the stock of bullion,
thus raising the total to £40,378,000. At the same
tilts commercial operations continue to diminish, a
reduction of £72,00 having taken place in the
amount of bills under discount.

In the Foreign and Colonial Produce Markets,
during the last few days, there has been very little
auitnation. A moderate business has been
reported in sugar, at steady prices, while
Superior qualities of coffee have brought rather
higher rates. Rice, fruit, and spices have
remained inactive, at almost former values
while iu tallow the dealings have been more nu-
merous, although chiefly of a speculative character,
and quotation 3 generally tend upwards. The mar-
kets will close to-day for the Christmas holidays,
and re-open on Thursday, 2cl January, 1868.
The directors of the Brighton Railway have
issued a circular to the shareholders stating their
reasons far depositing a bill, asking for power to
luereaso the share capital of the company by
£1,000,000. They have also forwarded the fol-
lowing :

" London-bridge Terminus, Dec. 18, 1867.
" Memorandum signed by Chairmen of South-
Eastern, Brighton, and Chatham Companies,
Nov. 22, 1867.
" We agree to recommend our respective boards
'0 apply to Parliament for powers to unite the ma-
nagement (as one system) and to fuse the receipts
of the London, Chatham, and Dover Company with
those of the United London and Brighton and South
Eastern Companies, the proportions to be takea by
the London, Chatham, and Dover Company being
decided by a general arbitration taking into account
all the circumstances of the case, and not necessarily
,bound by the principle of the existing agreement
between the South-Eastern and London, Brighton,
and South Coast Companies. One arbitrator to be
Appointed on behalf of the South-Eastern and Lon-
dbll, Brighton, and South Coast Companies toge-
er, and one arbitrator on behalf of the London,
Chatham, and Dover Company, the umpire being
the Right Hon. Sir William Erle, the Right Hon.
Ewart Gladstone, or the Right lion. Sir
George Grey. This agreement is without preju-
dice if not assented to by the boards of any of the
companies, and in such case is not to be used in
evidence before any Parliamentary committees.
" The undertakings to be managed by a joint
committee, consisting of three nominees on behalf
of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Corn-
13,any, two from the London, Chatham, and Dover
Company, and three from the South-Eastern Corn-
Pally.

(Signed) 44 E. W. WATKIN.
" S. LAING.
" GROSVENOR HODGKINSON."

Two O'CLOCK.

Rather more firmness has been apparent in the
tlglish Stock Market. Consols have improved 4,
viz., to 921 f for money, and 92i for the account.
The New Threes and Reduced Annuities. are
92"; Exchequer Bills, 255. to 28s. prem. ; India
° per Cents., 1114 1121 ; ditto 4 per Ce..ts., 1101
Enfaced 51per Cents., 1081 ; ditto 5 per Cent.
liebentures, 1051 5 ; and ditto Bonds, 575. prem.
Business in the Foreign Stock Market has been
teore active. Italian have advanced 4 to 01 1 ;
Greek, 4to 121 13 ; and Turkish 5 per Cents., to
I; but Spanish Paasive have declined 4 to 254 26 ;
kexican are unchanged, at 154 ; and the 3 per
Cent. Spanish at 354 36.
Miscellaneous and Finance Shares in one or two
',llstances are a shade flatter. Anglo-American
elegraph have receded to 19, Atlantic Telegraph
Icl Stock to 434 444, National Discount Company
1/3
°I 4, and Royal Mail Steam remain steady at 62.
1n the Railway Share Market th ere has been a
Partial recovery after the late severe depression.
Caledonian and South-Eastern have each risen 1,
Great Eastern 4, North-Western 4, Midland 14,
1., ancashire and Yorkshire 14, and Metropolitan
Per cent. Great Western, London, Chatham,
It" Dover, North-Eastern (Berwick), and one or
wo others remain without change of importance.
The Foreign and Colonial lines remain inactive,
1t
, about previous values. San Paulo are marked
14 Great Western of Canada 164, Fast Indian
1
114 4, and Great Indian Peninsula 1104 4.
ita-kLtericau St,curities continue firm. Illinois have
vauced 4, to 89 90 ; while Erie shares are firm at
o
",°0 ; and United States 5-20 Bonds at 711 724.
'4l-1k shares are very quiet. London and
3County are marked 544 ; London Joint-Stock, 35 ;
~4k °f Egvnt 361 371 ; and Union of London,
361.
c The directors of the St. John d'El Rey Mining
re°lnrallY (Limited) have received the following
',Port, dated Morro Velho, Nov. 16, 1867 :
torc'cluce for October, 45,519 oitavas ; from 5,676
ore yield 7,575 oitavas per ton. Cost for Oc
i 9,367 ; profit for do., £8,187. Produce,-
clays of Nov., 13,955 oitavas; yield, 7,141 oita-
vass per ton.