The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-15 00:00:00

Li Jerpool 'Cotton Market. —ll2is Dv.

Market opens with a fair demand at yesterday's
rates. Sales probably 8,000 bales.

The eighth annual report, presented at a meeting
held to-day of shareholders of the Chartered Mer-
cantile Bank of India, London, and China, stated
that for the year ending 31st December last, after
providing for bad and doubtful debts, the net profit
amounts to £38,203 6s. 11d., to which has to be
added a sum of £65,760 7s. 3d. undivided profit
brought forward from the preceding year, making a
total of £103,963 14s. 2d. Out of this sum
£101,250 has been paid in two half-yearly divi-
dends, namely, £63,750, or 81 per cent., on July 1,
and £32,500, or 5 per cent., on Jan. 1 last, making
together 13i per cent. for the year. The unap-
propriated balance of £2,713 14s. 2d. is carried
forward to the profit and loss account of the current
year. The shareholders will be prepared to learn'
that the bank suffered much during last year, owing
to the commercial crisis which occurred in the East,
as well as from exceptional losses at Bombay. For
a time also trade was so paralysed as to render bank-
ing and exchange operations impracticable with
safety or profit. From this combination of adverse
circumstances the result contrasts unfavourably
with that of previous years, but the directors are
glad to state that the operations of the current year
are thus far very satisfactory and encouraging.
The report of the directors of the London and
Venezuela Bank, presented at the general meeting
held to-day, stated that the gross profits, including
the balance and rebate brought forward from last
account, amount to £7,532 18s. 2d., and after pay-
ing all current expenses, allowing rebate at the rate
of 12 per cent. per annum on bills in Venezuela,
and 6 per cent. per annum on bills in London, and
writing off the usual proportions of preliminary and
furniture accounts, the directors are enabled to re-
commend a dividend of Bs. 9d. per share, being at
the increased rate of 7 per cent. per annum on the
capital, carrying forward a balance of £219 12s. 9d.
to profit and loss new account.

The following has been received with respect to
the Venezuela Six per Cent Loan, 1864 :
The General Credit and Finance Company of
London (Limited) are in receipt of advices from
their agents, Messrs. H. L. Boulton and Co., dated
La Guaira, April 25th, 1866, of duties collected
(and remitted) on account of the above loan, as
follows :

Per statement, No. 50 from Cuidad Bolivar $548 74
I, 7, No. 51 „ ~ 14,406 05
~ „ No. 52 „ 7) 447 80
)7 „ No. 86 „ Puerto Cabello 24,982 33
1, „ No. 87 1, /I 12,721 88
7/ „ No. 88 ~ , „ 18,178 28
~ ~ No. 89 „ ~ 17,980 24
77 I, No. 75 „ La Guaira 33,630 03
,/ 17 /7
No. 76 „ 6,916 05

TQtal . . . . $129,811 40

HER MAJESTY•

W INDSOR CASTLE, Monday.
The Queen went to London this morning, accom-
panied by her Royal Highness Princess Helena.
Her Majesty travelled by special train to Pad-
dington, and was escorted by a detachment of the
14th Hussars to Buckingham Palace.
In attendence were Lady Churchill, the
Flora Macdonald, the lion. Mary Lascelles, Lord
Alfred Paget, and Col. the lion. A. llardinge.
Lady Augustus had the honour of dining with
the Queen and the royal family yesterday:
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke de Nemours
and Princess Margaret visited the Queen at Buck-
ingham Palace.
Viscount Bury had an audience of the Queen, and
resigned his office as Treasurer of her Majesty's
Household.

Lord Otho Fitzgerald had an audience of the
Queen, and kissed hands on receiving the office of
Treasurer of her Majesty's Household.
The Queen presented to Mr. Samuel Popplestone
the Albert Medal for his meritorious services in
saving life from a wreck off the Start Point on
March 23. This is the first occasion on which her
Majesty has conferred this honourable distinction.
Mr. Popplestone was introduced to her Majesty by
the Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson. The Lord and
Groom in Waiting to her Majesty were in attend-
ance.
Her Majesty left Buckingham Palace at half-past
five o'clock for Windsor Castle. . _

Messrs. Dickinson and Tilt were honoured with a
sitting from the Queen on Saturday, for a drawing
(from a photograph).

The Prince of Wales presided yesterday at 3
meeting of the Council of his Royal Highness, held
at the office of the Duchy of Cornwall, Buckingham"
gate, St. James's-park.
There were present Lord Portman, Lord Warden
of the Stannaries ; Sir William John Alexander,
Attorney-General; Major-General Sir Thomas
Myddelton Biddulph, Receiver-General; Lieut•-
General Knollys, Controller of the Household of
his Royal Highness ; Herbert William Fisher/
Esq., Keeper of the Privy Seal ; and the Earl of
Leicester.
Sir Thomas Myddelton Biddulph took the oath
on his appointment as a member of the Council of
his Royal Highness.
Mr. Bateman, the Secretary, attended as Clerk
of the Council.
The Prince of Wales went to the House of Lords
in the afternoon.

His Royal Highness Prince Alfred, by her 11I3:
jesty's desire, honoured Mr. S. F. Ansell by a 111°
to Bernard-street to inspect his plans for indical
the presence of fire-damp and choke-damp in c°