The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-01 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

CITY, Two o'CLocx.

There was no change of importance in the Liver-
pool Cotton Market yesterday, and prices were
rather firmer. The sales were 10,000 bales.
The usual French mails have been detained for
the Overland Mail, but the letters are expected in
the course of the afternoon.

The John Bunyan arrived from Sydney, bringing
27,000 ounces of gold, valued at 108,0001. A
further portion of the gold per Red Jacket, viz.,
64,0001., has been taken to the Bank of England,
and, although the next weekly return will no doubt
show a decline in the bullion, owing to the late
efflux to Ireland, its successor may be expected to
exhibit an augmentation. There is still, however,
a good demand for the Continent, where an active
business is yet carried on in silver ; but as these
operations are almost certain to continue a steady
exportation of gold from this side is fully antici-
pated.

During the year which terminated yesterday
some very remarkable events connected with
finance and commerce have occurred; but although
many of these have been of an adverse character,
and at the time exercised a powerful influence, it is
satisfactory to know that the course of trade has
been uninterrupted, and, that in spite of a serious
monetary crisis, the general state of credit is unim-
paired. The failure of the Royal British Bank,
and the Tipperary Bank, as well as the greatly
deplored frauds of Redpath and Robson, are cir-
cumstances which check the feeling of satisfaction
which would otherwise result from a rapid glance
at the progress of affairs during 1856 ; but at the
same time, when we consider the immense facilities
that exist, there is cause for congratulation that
such fraudulent transactions are not more frequent.

The Board of Trade Returns show an extraor-
dinary expansion of business, and as the list of mer-
cantile failures has not been above the average of
former years, it is reasonable to infer that remune-
rative profits have been secured. The Revenue,
too, is highly encouraging, and the returns just
published have excited general satisfaction.
During the past twelve months the cessation of
the war naturally acted as an incentive to specula-
tion, and at one period the dealings at the Stock
Exchange were immense. Latterly, however, the

markets have become more tranquil, the restrictive
measures of the Bank having dictated caution in
the prosecution of speculative dealings. The range
of fluctuation in Consols has been 10 to 11 per
cent. ; in some of the English Railway Shares it has

amounted to 20 and 25 per cent.
As there are now deciled symptoms of improve-
ment in monetary prospects, and the Directors of
the Bank have been enabled to extend their dis-

counts and modify the terms, there is reason to
believe that additional ease will now be experienced,

and that the course of commercial operations dur-
ing the new year will be satisfactory to all parties

concerned.

One of the firms to whose embarrassments we
alluded yesterday is that of Mr. G. B. Rocoo, and
the liabilities are estimated at 50,000/. The other

establishments will, it is hoped, be enabled to
arrange their difficulties and continue their trans-

actions.

The market for English Securities is firmer, but
the transactions are still very limited. The favour-

able Revenue Returns, and the general expectation
of additional ease being felt in the Money Market
before long, have imparted a slight degree of
buoyancy to the market. Consols have been 941
for the present account, and 94i I for the February
account. The New 3 per Cents. are 94i. I, and
the Reduced 94k East India Bonds have been
2s. discount to 2s. premium, and Exchequer Bonds

under 5001., 981.
Very f®w transactions have been entered into
this morning in the Foreign Stock Market, but

prices have ruled steady, and Turkish 6 per
Cents. slightly improved, being marked 95i to 96.
Portuguese 3 per Cents. ex. div. are 431. Russian
4i per Cents. 95/ ex. div. Spanish Committee's
Certificates 6, and Dutch 2/ per Cents. 64
ex. div.

The following are the nominal prices of Foreign
Stocks :—Grenada Deferred Bonds, 6 7 ; Mexi-
can, 21i 2; Peruvian 41 per Cents., 77 9 ; ditto
3 per Cents., 54 6 ; Portuguese 3 per Cents.,
43 5 ; Russian 5 per Cents., 106 8 ; ditto 4i per
Cents., 94 6; Spanish 3 per Cents., 40 41; ditto
Deferred, 231 4i ; ditto Certificates, 51 6 ; ditto
Passive, 51 6.
The last week's railway receipts, ascertained up
o this day, are in round figures as under :-
18b6.
£29,377

1855. I 11
£23,904 I 1.:

Great Western

North-Western
South-Western
Brighton 12,752 11,073
Midland
South-Eastern
Caledonian
Great Northern
Lancashire and Yorkshire
Bristol and Exeter 6,111 7,653
Chester and Holyhead
Lancaster and Carlisle
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln 10,104 9,501 1 11
North Stafford
North London
Shrewsbury and Chester
Edinburgh and Glasgow
Scottish North• Eastern
Grand Trunk of Canada
Great Western of Canada 13,075 11,018
Northern of France
There has been a good business done in the -
Railway Share Market this morning, and prices
have ruled very buoyantly. An improvement of
about to per cent. may be quoted on some of
the cheap lines. East Lancashire, Edinburgh,
Perth, and Dundee, Great Northern, North-Wes-
tern, Midland, North Eastern Berwick, and South-
Eastern, are about ss. to 10s. higher, and South-
Western and North Eastern York, 10s. to 11. Od.
Paris and Lyons have improved about li., and
Lombardo-Venetian, 1/. ; Great Central of France
ss. Grand Trunk of Canada are 57 57i, and
Great Western of Canada 25.
Joint Stock Bank and Miscellaneous shares rule
very well. Ottoman Bank improved Electric
Telegraph brought 91, being a decline of 11., and
Peninsular and Oriental New Shares are 141.

BRITISH FUNDS.—CLOSING PRICES—THIS DAY
(From the Officza List:) _ . .

. _ .
Rnsinesb done
3 per Cent. Reduced Annnities
New 3 per Cent. Annuities
indiß Bonds, £lOOO
Ditto, under £lOOO
d 2 p
Consols for Account 941 1
exchequer Bills, W.
£l000
Brazilian Fonds,
OF FOREIGN FUNDS—THIS9B DAY.
a w Active, tsivie3,r 2} per Cent.
Guatemalao. Bonds, 5 per cent
G_reznthaanNe
1 i ean
Account
pcoeourud nes t e
4nti 3Ol
21i
Ditto Account
per
Cent
ppr Cent 55 7
Ditto
Peruvian 211
per Cent., Con. 1841 —7-8 i.
Portuguese Bonds, 5
Ditto 1853, 3
pussian Bends, 1522
Ditto, ,q per cent'. £ St., 5 per Cent —
Spanish Committee Cert. of Coup. not fun 9e, x d
Turkit.ti I.onds, 6 per cent ..
Ditto Account .............. ; ..
Ditto Guaranteed, 4 per Cen..i.. ...
0.1.:d.
Lelo'sna96os:l. : s:d
Ditto Account —lol3
,3
,p, ,f•endia on the above 0a;Z.1.., .."'-'4
ex 25f. 20c.
French o
3Renter,pere4ntl .
..... "... .. .. .. ........... 7sc .
Dutch Exchange, 2 per Ccn ;., 12
THREE O'CLOCK.

Consols ........... ........................
Ditto Account (Jan 8) ..................... 94h f x d

family, and suite
The Earl and Countess of Miltown,
have arrived at No. 15, Upper Fitzwilliam-street:
Dublin, from Russborom:,,h.
THREE BOYS KILLED BY THE FALL OF AN ARCH. —On
Monday afternoon three boys, aged from 9 to 11 years,
were killed instantaneously while playing under an
arched stable at Blackburn. It appears that a large
quantity of sand ha l been removed from under the arch
to the depth of six feet, and three feet below the founda-
tion, and the boys were playing under it when it fell in
upon them, along with the stable floor. They appeared
to have entered thrlugh an opening which was made for
the purpose of throwing out the sand. A person saw
the arch give way, and called out to the boys, but they
were unable to get away in time. A horse that was in
the stable also fell upon them, but it was not much in-
jure,l. The boys were extricated as soon as possible,
hut 'hey were all quite dead.— Manchester Examiner
and Times.