The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-07 00:00:00

BANK RETURNS.

The Bankers' Magazine furnishes the returns of the cu"
culation of the Private and Joint-Stock Banks in England
and Wales for the four weeks ending April 9. Then
returns, combined with the circulation of the Scotch and
Irish Banks for the same period, and the average circula-
tion of the Bank of England for the four weeks ending the
9th March (the nearest date furnished by their returns),
will give the following results of the circulation of notes in
the United Kingdom, when compared with the previous
month :

March 12, April 9,
1859. 1859. Increase. Decrease-
Bank of England 20,463,274 20,785,955 317,681
Private Banks 3,3"8,677 3,454,392 115,715
Joint-stock Banks 2,933,592 3,072,221 138,629
Total in England 26,740,543 27,312,568 572,025
Scotland . 3,780,662 3,768,432 12,230
Ireland
6,934,757 6,063,195 28,438
......__
.............11 ^
.
_
United Kingdom. 37,4.r),,r ,9021 38,0,4,1951 588 243

And as compared with the month ending the 10th of April
11
1858, the above returns show an increase of £1,700,
in the circulation of notes in England, and an increase of
£2,585,569 in thetchiercaulbalonwoitfhthteheUraniteded
ral(ranckoms rhaerinfogllowing is the state of the circulation :--
rhe English private banks are below their fixed
issues Kin ofonithe seta'
issue ......................... £950)543
the English joint-stock banks are below their
fixed issue 1230)136

Total below fixed issue in Englad.'.. £1,180,61
The Scotch banks are above their fixed issnue. £6Bl2:gi
The Irish banks are above their fixed issue 16080"
The average stock of bullion held by the Bank of BI K:
land in both departments during the month ending the 6th;
of April was £19,592,054, being a decrease of £291,7135 af
compared with the previous month, and an increase
£1 187,983 when compared with the same period last yea!
no following are the amounts of specie held by the Scotch
and Irish banks during the month
ending the M. Ap---
ril*
Gold and silver held by the Scotch banks £2,550,'
186
Gold and silver held by the Irish banks.. .
.... R 3
ne
£4,914,6
Being a decrease of 158,546 as compared with the
_
previous return, and an increase of £506,072 when COmPe4—
with the corresponding period of last year.

as t
ST. JAIIIES'S HALL.—On Thursday evening l--
the Rev. J. M. Bellew gave the first of a series of reading°
from the British poets in the above hall. The reading in:
chided extracts from Milton, Pope, Scott, Byron,
son, Hood, and others. The hall was well filled In er..,.:!,1
part, and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the rich
varied entertainment provided for them. Mr. Bellew bas
long been known as one of the best readers ands peakers °f
t
which the church can boast. He has evidently done vijuc;
very few clergymen, or indeed public speakers of any ku?-c:,
ever do, studied elocution as an art. His naturally fine v°'
plea'
having thus been diligently cultivated, it is always a
sure to hear him speak. The readings on Thursday evening
were very effective, almost too effective, indeed. Mr. Belle
errs, if at all, in being sometimes more dramatic) than the
kind of verse as well as nature of the subject requires. T
object of the readings is to procure the admission by pug;
chase into the St. Ann's Society of an orphan whose &Wed
died in January last, leaving ten children totally unprovide t
for. Mr. ;Bellew stated in the course of the evening tilt'
the reading had realised more than sufficient for this pr
pose, and that the balance as well as the proceeds of $
second reading, would be handed over to the society.
THE SARDINIAN AND OTHER RAILWAYS, A. 7...;
TILE BRIDGE AT BUFFALORA.—The group of Sardilln—
railways in 1848 comprised only 17 kilometres of line ; t.
present the length opened for traffic is 933 kilometres.
consequence of some difficulties of momentary considers'
tion, the State had to take upon itself the construction v
the first lima to be established; viz. those of Alessas dtrht
to Arona, and Turin to Genoa. This last was one el,
most difficult lines in Europe ; the portion from Gen°s:,..l
Novi perhaps may be considered as an extraordinary pl
of work. The cost of construction and rolling stye
amounts to 135,720,000 f., or more than 504,000 f. per ,ki4.l°-0
metre for a length of 270 kilometres. The opening of
'l3l.
Turin and Genoa lino took place the 6th December,
19
the section from Alessandrm to Novara, the 9th g
1854; and that of Novara to Arona (La
maggiore)
1855. The station for the junction of the Lombardo-V9go
tian with the Sardinian railways is to be at Trecati.
works are so forward that next month a locomotive will be
able to run over. The central office of the Piedmonr,
Senate have just unanimously ad obted, " purely and simP
ofse of
the
the project of a law abolishing the tolls on the bridge
Ticino, near Buffalora, constructed at the joint exn
Austria.and Sardinia, on the road to Milan and Novara
Half of the bridge was to servo for the railway junctionye„
tween the two above groups„; the other half was to be I "
I
true, the bridge has been blown up, as the first result s.
open for carriages and foot passengers; but if report be
Austrian movement towards Sardinia,--The Budder.