The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-08 00:00:00

MARKE

AND
COMMEROI'AL INTELLIGENCR,

TWELVE O'CLOCK.
REDUCTION OF THE BANK RATE OF

DISCOUNT.

The directors of the Bank of England have
lowered their minimum rate of discount from 4} to
4 per cent.--a measure which any one intimately
acquainted with monetary and commercial affairs
must have regarded as a certainty this week or the
next. Au accumulation of gold, a contracted note
circulation, and a considerable decline in the dis-
count business of the establishment, the authorities,
in the interest of their constituents, have been com-
pelled to follow the general market and the state of
Supply and demand.
The operations at the bullion-office of the Bank
of England yesterday comprised a withdrawal of
75,000 sovereigns for the Brazils, and 10,000 sove-
reigns for transmission to Egypt ; there was also an
influx of £Bl,OOO in bar gold.
The bills of Messrs. Dent and Co., of Shanghai,
have been returned by the London agents of the
firm, Messrs. Dent, Palmer, and Co., who are other-
wise entirely unconnected with them. In connec-
tion With China other embarrassments are spoken
of, but they are generally considered groundless.
The biddings for bills on India took place to-day
at the Bank of England. The proportions allotted
were—to Calcutta, 14,58,000 rs. (£145,800) ; to
Madras, 42,000 rs. (£4,200) ; and to Bombay,
12,87,000 rs. (£.128,700). The minimum price was
fixed at Is. 111 d. for all the Presidencies. Tenders
on Calcutta and Madras, at ls. 11:11, will receive
about 80 per cent., and on Bombay, at ls.
full. Above these rates in full.
Tha last week's Railway receipts, ascertained up
to this day, are in round figures as under :

NorthGea Great
WeslB66. 1865.
t e r n
Western 72,330 68,702
121,374 114,508
mouth Western 24,163 23,358
Brighton
Midland

South Eastern 25,007 23,275
Great Northern
Lancashire and Yorkshire 43,072 38,958
Bristol and Exeter 6,696 6,434
North Eastern 73,526 69,060
kanchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln 21,805 20,699
Great Eastern
London, Chatham, and Dover 10,275 8,788
These returns, when compared with those
of the corresponding period of last year, show
Some very satisfactory results. On the Great
Western there is an increase of £3,628, on the
North Western of £6,866, on the South Western
of £BO3, on the Brighton of £1,854, on the Mid-
land of £4,900, on the South Eastern of £1,732,
on the Great Northern of £1,938, on the Lanca-
shire and Yorkshire of £4,114, on the Bristol and
Exeter of £262, on the North Eastern of £4,466, on
the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln of £1,106, on
the Great Eastern of £3,779, and on the London,
Chatham, and Dover of £1,487.
Great dissatisfaction was felt here on the rumour
of a new issue of debentures by the South Austrian
with
Railway (Lombardy) of 200 million francs. Not-
standing that this line, in connection with the
Italian branches, is the largest railway of the Old
World, and has also connected with it the greatest
Power_ in the financial world, still America and
-E_
ngland
fabulous have shown the ruinous plan of these
emissions of debentures at low rates, which
can can hardly ever be redeemed out of the regular
traffic receipts.
la The Government Emigration Board issued orders
st week to the inspecting officers in London and
the outports, to the effect that all passenger and
emigrant ships, before proceeding to sea, must be
!llPPlied with M‘Dougall's Disinfecting Powder,
In proper quantities, with instructions.