The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-25 00:00:00

Liverpool Cotton Market.—This Day.

The Market opens with a fair inquiry, and prices
favour purchasers. Sales probably 15,000 bales.

The Price of Gold.

The quotation of gold at Paris is about per mine pm., and
the short exchange on London is 25.15 per £1 sterling. On
comparing these rates with the English Mint price of
Via. 104 d. per ounce fbr standard gold, it appears that gold is
about 2-10ths per cent. dearer in Paris than in London.

By advic4s from Hamburg the price of gold is 427 per mark
and the short exchange on London is 13.51 per £1 stcrlin_!.
Standard gold at the English Mint price is, there:ore, at
about 2- 40ths per cent. dearer in II arabur4 th in in London.
The couree of exchange at New York on London tor bilis at
60 days' sight is 1061 to 107 per cent. At these rates theie
is no profit on the importation of go'd from the United
States.

" EUPHONIC NOTES."—It is an old saying that
there is nothing new under the sun ; but we cer-
tainly think the newly invented "Euphonic Notes" are as
novel to the public as they are in their construction, and
from the very favourable manner in which they have been
received, more especially by clergymen and singers, we
have not the least doubt the inventor, Mr. Seagrave Algen,
will be amply rewarded for producing an article, the object
of which is to counteract the debilitating feeling corn-
plained of by speakers and singers after long exercise of
the voice, at the same time to give strength and tone to
the vocal cords. We refer our readers to an advertisement
in another page, and heartily recommend this invention
to all.
A meeting was held to-day of the Commercial
Bank Corporation of India and the East. The re-
port stated that the losses on sterling dishonoured
bills falling due during the past year have been
duly estimated at £123,000, and the directors
have written off that sum accordingly. Dur-
ing the share mania in Bombay last year, the
agent, Mr. Do Quadros, having involved the bank
by imprudent advances to speculators, the chief
manager went out in June last to inspect the con-
dition of that agency. He has only just returned,
and estimates losses thus incurred at £89,000. The
directors have written off that sum. In October
last intelligence reached the directors that Mr.
Newby, who had been appointed by the late Com-
mercial Bank of India as their agent in San Fran-
cisco, for the purchase of bullion for remittance to
China, had advanced moneys on the security of cer-
tain shares. On investigation it appeared that a
sum of £196,782 10s. Gd. had been lent by him on
mining shares, none of which could at present be
realised except at a ruinous depreciation. The
directors have written off a sum of £118,233, which,
in the present uncertain value of these securities, is
as much as they think they are warranted in writing
off as actually lost. The agents at Bombay
and San Francisco have of course been dismissed.
In November last the directors received intelli-
gence of the death of Mr. Wiggins, the bank's
manager in the East, and agent at Shanghai. Their
new manager reports, upon taking charge of that
agency, certain irregular transactions on the part of
Mr. Wiggins, partly by purchases of land, partly by
other speculations undertaken, as it is alleged on
behalf of the bank, which have resulted in losses
amounting to about £53,000. The directors do
not of course recognise the liability of the bank to
bear those losses ; and they have given directions
to recover the amount from Mr. Wiggins' estate,
and from the parties who assisted him in these
transactions, which they hope to be able to do.
The losses from bad debts at that agency have been
great, and the directors have written off £38,267,
being the amount as estimated. The remainder of
the sum written off consists of £5,000 for a bad
debt at Hong Kong, and £1,500 for bad debts at
Calcutta.

The Syria has arrived at Southampton from
Alexandria with £1,988. She left Gibraltar on the
20th inst.

BARNED'S BANKING COMPANY, LIMITED.—
The negotiations with reference to the affairs of
Barnas Banking Company had not come to any de-
finite conclusion by the time our parcel was despatched
yesterday ; but it was rumoured that an effort would
be made to re-organise the bank. In the meantime, as
some efforts had been made to place the liquidation of the
concern in London hands, a number of resident share-
holders and depositors have made arrangements to secure
the placing of the affairs of the bank for liquidation in
the hands of Messrs. Barwood, Banner, and Son, Liver-
pool, accountants, who are now preparing the balance
sheet. A local paper gives the following approximate
estimate of the present condition of the affairs of the bank :
: On bills in circulation, £1,800,000; on draft■
on London and deposits, £1,100,000 ; on acceptances,
£600,000; total, £3,400,000. Assets: Cash in hand,
£60,000 ; bills, £2,800,000; loans, £1,000,000 ; profit and
loss, £40,000 ; total, £3,000,000.
THE SUSPECTED POISONING AT PONTELAND.—
The coroner for the southern division of Northumberland
opened an inquest on Monday upon the bodies of the three
brothers who are supposed to have been poisoned. The
body of the eldest brother has been exhumed, and the in-
testines, kc., have been taken for analysis. The only
evidence taken was for the purpose of identifying the body
which had been taken from the grave, and after that the
inquest was adjourned for a week. It is said that the po-
lice have taken possession of a large number of medicine
bottles which were found in the farmhouse occupied by the
deceased. •

THE MORTALITY OF TROOPS IN CHINA.—The
committee appointed to inquire into the above subject re-
sumed their sittings yesterday in the House of Commons ;
Col. North in the chair. After the admission of the public
the room was ordered to be cleared by the committee. On
their readmission the only evidence taken was that of Dr.
Snell, who, in answer to the Marquis of Hartington, said
he did not consider garrisons which were fitted for
Shanghai necessarily fitted for Hong Kong. The room
was, by order of the committee, again cleared, and on the
public being admitted the committee had adjourned.
THAMES ANGLING PRESERVATION SOCIETY.
Yesterday, upon the invitation of Mr. W. H.
Whitehead, the committee of this society assembled at the
Red Lion, Hampton, to commemorate the fishing arrange-
ments which had been inaugurated last year. In respond-
ing to the " Thames Angling Preservation Society," Mr.
Ponder said that during the last twelve months they had
turned into the Thames from their breeding ponds about
40,000 fish, and during the five years of the operations of
the society about the same number had been sent into the
stream. The company afterwards proceeded to the fishing
ponds at Sunbury, where the breeding-ponds, the boxes,
and the other arrangements were brought under notice,
and the large specimens of the young fry, which had only
been turned in about six weeks, excited great intsrest.
The ponds have been cleared twice during the last 12
months, and the young fry emptied therefrom, the fish
then being considered big enough to take care of them-
selves. During the five years of the operations of the so-
ciety it is computed that upwards of 200,000 fish have been
put into the river, and it must be satisfactory for the pub-
lic to know that really decent-sized salmon trout have
been seen, and in more than one instance taken. The ac-
tion of the Thames Conservancy Board has, of course,
much benefited the operations of the society, and the ap-
pointment of paid river keepers, as settled last year, has
proved a decided advantage. Still the netting is carried
into practice, and the keeperi have been obliged to wire
the breeding ponds, in order to save the fish from the de-
predators. The company having viewed the fishing
ground, proceeded to the residence of Mr. G. E. Knight,
at the Elms, Hampton, where he is forming breeding ponds
for perch and other fish, which will be ultimately turned
into the river.
NEW ACT ON THE CATTLE PLAGUE.—Yesterday
the new act on the cattle plague was issued, having
received the royal assent on Monday. It is to amend the
11th and 12th Viet., cap. 107, to prevent the spreading of
contagious or infectious disorders among sheep, cattle, and
other animals. The two acts are to be constructed as one
statute. The new law is not to extend to Ireland. The
orders made under the recited act are to be deemed valid,
and the Privy Council may make any other orders for the
purpose of preventing the spread of these diseases within
Great Britain, and may direct the slaughtering of any
animals affected. The Privy Council may require any
local authority, by themselves or their officers, and may
issue any orders to prevent the spreading of the disorders.
One-half of the penalties (which are. to be recovered in a
summary manner) to go to the person who sues or pro-
ceeds for the same. There is a provision in the act that
where any person having any cattle in his possession or
keeping within the district of any local authority wherein
the cattle plague exists, affixes at the entrance to any build-
ing or enclosed place in or on which such cattle are kept a
notice forbidding persons to enter into or on that building
or place without his permission, if any person not having a
right of entry, or way into, on, or over that building or
place, enters into, on, or over the same or any part thereof
in contravention of the notice, he shall for every such
offence, be liable to a penalty not exceeding £5. This new
act has immediate operation.
THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE AT READING.
—The very painful excitement and suspense occasioned in
the neighbourhood of Reading by the mysterious disap-
pearance on the sth instant of Mr. William Hobbs, who for
many years conducted an extensive and valuable practice
as a solicitor, were allayed yesterday afternoon by the dis-
covery of that gentleman's body in the Kennett and
was
von
Canal, within a short distance of Coley. 'rho body A
conveyed to a cottage, and it was found that the gold rings
which Mr. Hobbs wore when he quitted his home, together
Were upon llun•
with his gold, watch 4nd chain,