The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-25 00:00:00

Funeral of Madame Musurus—This Day.

The funeral of this lamented lady, whose death,
it will be recollected, occurred during the late grand
ball given at the India-office to his Imperial Majesty
the Sultan, took place this day at Kensal-green
Cemetery.
As the deceased was a member of the Greek
Church the solemn rites of interment were con-
ducted in accordance with that form of reli-
gious belief.
Shortly before eleven the illustrious personageß
invited to take part in the solemn ceremony arrived
at the Embassy, and at half-past eleven the funeral
cortege quitted Bryanstone-square for Welbeck-
street. The attendance comprised nearly the
whole of the corps diplomatic and some of the
members of her Majesty's Government, the
funeral procession being lengthened by the
attendance of an immense number of private car-
riages, headed by those of her Majesty and his
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

On the arrival of the procession at the church, his
Excellency took his seat behind a screen on the
right of the altar, his family occupying seats near

the coffin.

The body of the deceased was placed under a
magnificent catafalque, richly hung with black vel-.
vet, ornamented with silver cords, tassels, and
fringe. Around the body were placed a number of
wax candles in massive silver stands, the chapel was
entirely hung with black drapery looped up with
silver cord, and on each side silver entablatures,
the coronet, and the monogram of the deceased
were placed. The altar was richly decorated ac-
cording to the custom of the Greek Church.

A solemn requiem was then performed, at the
conclusion of which the body was removed to a
splendidly ornamented hearse, and the cortege then
proceeded to the cemetery at Kensal-green, where
the remaining portions of the funeral service was
performed.
There was a large attendance of the public as-
sembled at the cemetery, and along the entire line of
route.

A Correction Corrected.

EPAMINONDAS, THEMISTOCLES, AND PERIcLES.
The following has been addressed to the editor of
;he Times :

It was a sad slip of Lord Cairns last night to
make out that Epaminondas ruled Athens. He
lived a little after my time, and was better known
at Thebes than in Athenian circles. But are you
quite right in your correction, when you suggest
that his lordship meant Themistocles ? lam not
old enough to remember Themistocles at Athens,
though I well recollect hearing of his death in exile
in Persia when I was a girl in my teens.
The story about " ruling Athens," &c., belongs
neither to Epaminondas, nor to Themistocles (who,
though the head of the most powerful party, and
Premier in his day, can scarcely be said to have
ruled" Athens any more than Mr. Gladstone or
Lord Derby rule England), but to the great Pericles,
whose unworthy relict I am ; and I feel sure that
you will allow his widow to put in a word on behalf
of his memory, as the only man who can be said to
have " ruled" Athens in the strictest and fullest sense
of the term. I cannot vouch for the exact words used
by my dear departed husband, but, as nearly as I
can remember at this distance of time, they were
said to have been as follows Europe rules the
world, Greece rules Europe, Athens rules Greece,
I rule Athens, Mrs. Pericles rules me, and little
Master Pericles rules his mother; therefore little
Master Pericles rules the world." Such, at all
events, was the version of the story as told by tllo
late Dr. Whateley to his pupils at Oxford, wile°
giving them an example of a fallacy in a Sorites•
Apologising for the length of this communication'
on the ground of a mother's and a widow's feelings
and a woman's volubility,—l am, Sir, your obr"
dient servant, TILE GHOST OF ASPASIA•
Athens-villa, Puyx-place, July 24.
P.S.—I am not going to deny that I did rule Poriele°
occasionally, or that my little boy always ruled me.

TEMPORARY LAWS.—A register is annually laia
before Parliament at this season showing what laws or°
temporary and may have to be renewed. The register JO
session comprises 60 Acts of Parliament. Some of theo6
would expire before next session unless now renewea;
The Act passed last year relating to the authentication 0'
copies of depositions produced under the Extradition
Treaties Act expires ou the Ist of September; on the Woe
day expires the Act of 1865 regulating the use of locoal°;
fives on public roads ; the 31st of December the Act of
1811 for the completion of a survey of Great Britain el--
pires ; and of coumse the annual Indemnity Act for pers°n°
who have omitted to qualify themselves for certain offices'
the annual Act for exempting stock-in-trade from poor-
rates, and the annual Act for suspending the ballot for the
militia have to be renewed. The act suspending t",
Habeas Corpus Act in Ireland will expire on the Ist c!'t
March. Several acts would expire at ;the end of nei_
session unless renewed :—The Poor-law Board Al, the
Unlawful Oaths (Ireland) Act, the Preservation of tit'is
Peace (Ireland) Act. AR Act of 1840 for preventing heads
by weavers, sewers, and other persons employed in
bet
linen and o her manufactures in Ireland, and for the bev''
payment of their wages, expires in August, 1869.
NATIONAL REFORM UNION.—We are infornleci
that the Executive of the National Reform Union 110 e dee:.
terminod to hold a largo conference in Manchester jai°° f
diately after the Reform Bill has passed the House
13
Lords, and also a grand banquet during the autuilLt
which the leading Liberals of both Houses of I'a:lW:4 en
ti
be invited to attend.

MONEY MARKET

AND
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENOII,

TWELVE O'CLOCK.
REDUCTION OF THE MINIMUM OF THE BANK
OF ENGLAND.

The minimum rate of discount has just been re-
duced from 2} to 2 per cent. This measure has
been forced upon the executive by the actual value
of money. Even now the minimuvn is only an ap-
proximate representative of the terms upon which
the best qualities of mercantile bills are negotiated,

as the principal discounting houses are working as
, low as ji per cent. The announcement in the regu-
lations of the establishment has been received very
apathetically in commercial circles as well as at the
Stock Exchange, where speculation is inactive, and
prices, though steady, arc little better than nomi-
nal. At no former period has there been such an ex-
traordinary accumulation of available capital, but it
is to the shrinking of credit that would appear to
afford an explanation of the existing anoma-
lous state of affairs. Merchants and manufac-
turers are properly extremely cautious, owing to
the unfavourable advices still received from all
the principal markets of the world. On the Con-
tinent, in Australia, India, and China, operations
are yet two cramped, and prices too low to admit of
the transmission of larger orders to this country.
America, likewise suffering as she is from the effects
of the war, is not the customer she used to be a few
years ago, and a considerable lapse of time is likely
to be experienced before any very decided improve-
ment can be looked for in this direction. Imme-
diately, therefore, trade requirements will pro-
bably continue moderate. The most remarkable
feature of the period through which we are
now passing is the indifference shown by
the public towards Government Securities even the
English Funds, that millions should be kept on de-
posit at the Joint Stock Banks and other institu-
tions at 2 per cent. or less, when an investigation
of the official lists will prove, even to the most
sceptical, that there are numbers of securities of
undoubted integrity yielding, at the present market
value, interest ranging from 31 to 16 per cent., and
even more, per annum.
A further sum of gold, amounting to £43,000,
Was received at the Bank of England yesterday,
raising the total since the last Gazette return to
£208,000.
The Saxonia, from New York, has brought specie
to the amount of about £96,000.
At the meeting held to-day of the Arica and
Tacna Railway Company the report was presented.
The state of the company's account was shown at
the date of March 31, when the Loudon books were
closed, but some remittances that have since come
forward enable the directors to declare a dividend of
2i per cent., which they have much pleasure in
doing, and that dividend, less income tax, will be
Paid at the offices of the company, on and after the
18th inst., in discharge of the 18th dividend coupon,
which must be left three clear days for verification.
The report of the English and Australian Copper
Company, to be presented at the half-yearly meet-
ing on the Ist August, states that the six months'
working, to the 31st December, shows an estimated
Profit of £5,678 Bs. 7d., reduced to £3,788 16s. by
over estimate of copper on hand 30th June, 1866,
and by restoring the small amount required to
make up the last dividend. This will be sufficient
for the payment of an ad interim dividend of Is.
Per share, after paying interest at the rate of £5
per cent, to the reserve fund. The reserve fund
at the present date stands at £11,382 9s. 6d.
The half-yearly
,meeting of the Consolidated
Bank, Limited, was held at Manchester, yesterday,
when the report of the directors was adopted, and
the dividend declared.
The sum of £250,000 in specie, which it was
intended to have despatched to India and China by
the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Bangalore, from Southampton, on Saturday last,
arrived too late, and was sent overland to Mar-
seilles, to be forwarded by the branch packet of the
Peninsular and Oriental Company from that port.
The report of the Provincial Banking Corpora-
tion, to be presented at the meeting on the 2d prux.,
states that the gross profits for the half-year amount
to £22,837, and after deduction of all charges, &c.,
there remains a balance of £9,079 for disposal. A
dividend is recommenthd at the rate of if per cent.
Per annum, payable on the 14th August.
The directors of the East London Bank, at their
_ileeting en Tuesday next, will recommend a divi-
ded at the rate of 5 per cent.
The transactions in American Securities on the
ndon market during the past week have been
numerous and important, prices generally being
well
supported. United States Government Stocks
show little alteration, the 5.20's of 1862 being last
quoted 721 to i, and the 1865's 711 to Illinois
Shares close 76 to 77, or half per cent. under the
roe of this day week. Eries have declined to 44,
t from this on renewed buying for shipment to
liAmerica they have reacted to 474 to 481. Some
taltY.ing on Continental account advanced the quo-
tion for Atlantic and Great Western Consolidated
Bonds to 24, but the decrease in traffic receipts for
June,
A on this line in common with nearly all
American railroads, has had a prejudicial effect, and
Itheyl: have to day declined to 22'2 231. The Divi-
°nal. Bonds have also receded about 2 per cent.
toThe last week's railway receipts, ascertained up
this day, are in round figures as under :-
G 1867. 1866.
Wekt Western 81,631 83,968
°lth Western -.123,460 129,139
}Pith Western. ... 42,334 31,462
30,230 251
62,2562
54,933 5
GrathEaste;n ... 30,148 29,284
14. st Northern 43,235 39,953
11'!eashire and Yorkshire ... 50,043 49,422
Nrci,.B.t°l and Exeter... ***
***
- 9-6 7,596
lia7n, Eastern 75,209 72,443
Qr_ue,hester, Sheffield, and Lincoln ... 22,296 21,705
toZL Eastern . 41,819 3•<,214
ktdl3ritiCbsahtharn. Darer 15,766 13,972
ir '..
... 29,913 29,385
cit-how and South-Western ... -. 12,188 11,990
kied", Southern and Western of Ireland... 10,939 10,601
latld and Great Western of Ireland 4,692 4,605
cotrhese returns, when compared with those of the
esponding period of last year, are in one or two
'Stalices rather unfavourable. On the Great Western
theme . .
by. Is a decrease of £2,337; and on the North-
"%tern of £5,679 ; while the South-Western,
shows an increase of .£10,872 ; the Brighton, of
t £4'66g; the Midland, of £3,671 ; the South-
%a:tern, of £864; the Great Northern of £3,282 ;
anLancashire and Yorkshire of £621 ; the Bristol
d
Exeter, of £3BO ; the North Eastern, of
£2'766 ; on the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln,
LA ,
; the Great Eastern of £3,575 ; the
No
don,ky Chatham, and Dover of £1,794 ; and the
urth British of £528.

Two o'CLocK.
a According to Reuter's telegram from Paris to-
French Rentes were 68f. 67c. All offered.
The Funds are rather firmer, Consols having
I:l:"accved I, to 94i I for money, and to 941 for
A e ount. The New Threes are 93a ; Reduced
-Atlnuities, 931 ; India Stock, 217 ; and ditto 5
Per Cents., 1111 I.
(6111: the Foreign Market there has been a further
4,1-,-lle• Italian 5 per Cents. have receded 1, to
; and the Chilian Loan Scrip 1, to 2 1 dis. ;
Tulle Greek Bonds have advanced to 14 14i ;
Stock 5 per Cents. I, to 30i ; and Mexican
clek 4, to 15i
aictilerican Securities show no change of import-
Unitede States 5-20 Bonds are quoted 72a s ;
tir`le shares, 47i 481 ; and Illinois shares have im-
°/'ecl I, to 76i 77.
tkiscellaneous and Finance Shares are in one or
Lawye instances a shade firmer. Berlin Water Works
to 101 Improved to 121 13 ; Madras Irrigation,
igAnglo-American Telegraph are steady at
Vin,er Iludson's Bay Company, at 14i 15 ; and
134eess
°J of Egypt's Mortgage Loan to 68.
remained in the Railway Share Market has
been very inactive and a further decline has
exchibited in value. Great Western and Lan-
( rt e
and Yorkshire have each receded and
astern each hil North Western, and Metropolitan
e Great Northern have advanced
ba-kvne the Foreign and Colonial lines the dealings
bee on a
' very moderate scale.rAembourg
are firm aet 91 101 ; (?and