The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-17 00:00:00

E
oki .v; X lit. AJ. .t,

AND

CO IMERCIAL IN TE3I,IGENOI4,

crry, Two o'CLocK.
We have to report a alight improvement in busi

ness to-day, but the preparations for the Christ-
mas holidays, it is more than likely, will prevent
any very large transactions, as all are now
busied in making up their accounts. In
the foreign market Turkish nearly recovered the
late depression, but Spanish lower. The railway
market also participated in the improvement.
Money is in request, but it is not to be had under
the Bank rate.

Consols are 923 1 for money; ditto, for Ac-
ount, 923 ; Three per Cent. Reduced, 923 3 ;
New Three per Cents, 921 3 ; Bank of England
Stock, 4 per Cent., 2413 40.
India Stock, 103 per Cent., April, 1874, shut;
ditto, 5 per Cent., July, 1880, 112 ; ditto, 4 per
Cent., Oct., 1888, 1021; ditto Enfaced Paper, 5
per Cent., Jan., 1872, 1053 ; ditto 53 per Cent.,
May, 1879, 1103.
In the Foreign Market Stocks are dull. Turkish
Five per Cents. improved 3, and New Spanish and
Italian Five per Cents. are 1 lower. The quota-
tions are as follows :--Peruvian Five per Cents.,
813 815 ; Egyptian Seven per Cents., 1868,
733 745 ; Greek, 12 123 ; Mexican, 15 153 ;
New Spanish Three per Cents., 32/ 323 ; Italian
Five per Cents., 561 568 ; and Turkish Five per
Cents., 393 391.
The Honduras Loan is 90 903, and in request.
Italian Scrip has fallen to 3 35 prem. ; Russian
(Charkoff-Azof) Railway Scrip is 3 lower, at 2 13
die. ; and the last Russian Railway Loan is 1 dis.,
Par.

In Railways stocks have improved a little. Great
Westerns are 1 ;Great Eastern, 8 ; Great .I*, orthern,
1 ; ditto A 1 Lancashire, 1 ; Metropolitan, ;
North British, 8; North Western better; Cale-
donian are lower. The prices are as follows.:—
Caledonian, 721 4 ; Great Western, 481 to 4 ;
Great Eastern 411 4 ; Great Northern, 100 7 ;
ditto A, 1081 91 ; Lancashire, 128 1 ; Metropoli-
tan, 1021 4 ; Sheffield, 471 4 ; Brighton, 481 9 ;
North British, 32 3 ; North Western, 1114 121 ;
North Eastern, 991 100 ; South Eastern, 784 91 ;
Chatham, and Dover, 16/ 178 ; Midland, 11/ to
112 g.

Great Indian Peninsular Railway New Four per
Cent. Debenture stock is 94 to 95.

American Five-Twenty Bonds have improved
+, to 74i to 741 ; the Bonds of 1885 tire
better, at 72j, 73& ; and the Ten-Forty Bonds
remain firm at 71 71k. Atlantic and Great Western
Debentures have improved to 40f 41, and the Con-
solidated Mortgage Bonds to 421 424. Erie Rail-
way shares have recovered to 27f 28 ; and Illi-
nois stock is firm at 96 to 96k.
Gold to the amount of £35,000 was withdrawn
from the Bank of England yesterday for transmis-
sion to India via Alexandria. Since the date of the

last Gazette return £65,000 on balance have been
taken to the Bank.

The mail steamer Neva, for the Wrest Indies,
takes to-day only £959 in specie.
The tenders for the loan of £2,000,000, invited
by the directors of the Great Indian Peninsular
Railway Company, with interest at the rate of 5
per cent., were opened yesterday. The applications
amounted to £2,600,000 ; the highest price offered
Was £lOB, and the lowest £99 10s. The minimum
fixed by the Secretary of State and the chairman of
the company was 102. The whole amount was
allotted to all tenders above 103.

The biddings for bills on India were opened at
the Bank of England yesterday for £lOO,OOO on
Calcutta and Madras. The amount allotted to
Calcutta was £76,000, and to Madras £23,100.
The minimum price was fixed, as before, at Is. 11d.
Tenders at ls. ll d. will receive 77 per cent. on
both Presidencies.

The Bank of New South Wales have given
notice that they will pay the half-year's interest
due in London on the Ist of January next ou
all debentures issued by the New South Wales
Government.
The directors of the Chartered Mercantile Bank
of India, London, and China have declared a
dividend of 3 per cent. (free of income tax) for the
half-year ending the 31st inst., payable on the Ist
January.
At a meeting of the Committee of shareholders
of the Italian irrigation Company, a letter was ad-
dressed to the Stock-Exchange Committee to with-
draw the shareholders' protest against the quota-
tion of the Italian Tobacco Loan.

The coupons of the Egyptian Government Rail-
Way Debenture Loan, due the lst proximo, and
the bonds of Series E, Nos. 20,001 to 25,000, drawn
for redemption ; also the coupons of the United
Danubian Principalities Eight per Cent. Loan of
1867, due the Ist proximo, and the bonds drawn
for redemption, are advertised for payment by
Messrs. Fruhling and Gosehen.

The directors of the Provincial Bank of Ireland
have declared a dividend for the half-year ending
Christmas next at the rate of 4 per cent. on the
paid-up stock, and also an extraordinary dividend
of 30s. on each £lOO share, and 12s. on each £lO
share, payable on the 15th of January.
The Committee of Spanish Passive Bondholders,
give public notice that a persistent opposition will
be offered by that body to the quotation on the
Stock Exchange of any new Spanish loan until the
claims of the Passive Bondholders shall have been
wholly settled.
Rumours were prevalent yesterday that the Go-
vernment at Athens had yielded to the advice of
the protecting Powers and conceded the demands
of Turkey. A strong idea is entertained that the
Great Powers will prevent a general disturb-
ance between Greece and Turkey ; it is at the
same time well understood that the question is a
very complicated one, and requires the exercise
of careful diplomacy. A leading broker, in his
circular to his clients, says Much indigna-
tion has been evinced at the prospect of peace being
jeopardised by a Power like Greece, which not only
Makes no effort whatever to pay its debts, but which
may fairly be regarded as one of the worst governed
Countries in Europe."
The traffic return for the past week of the Mid-
land Railway shows an increase of £6,752, and that
of the Metropolitan £1,883. On the London and
north Western there is a decrease of £1,402.

311TIIIIIIIIIDS—TWO O'CLOCK.
, GOVERNMENT FUNDS.
• Per Cent. Consols 921 I xd
in Ditto for Account,
xteyr per Cent. Reduced 92* 1
43..„.• 3 per Cent
m•tr 21 per Cent. Jan. 1894
A Do. 5 per Cent. .) an. 1873
4.onuities, SO yrs, expire sth Jan., 1880 —
Do. for 30 yrs, expire sth April 1885 —
.L.i Do (Red Sea Telegraph), Aug., 1908 —
'c'lchequer Bills, .£I,OOU, 2 per Ct. — Pm
Ds. £5OO
.N Do. £l9O & £2OO PM
4.tak of England Stock, 4 per Cent
~ Do. account
`, anada 4 per Cent. Bonds
liter-Colonial Omnium
1. INDIA.N GOVERNMENT SECURITIES
'II% .7,tock, 0} per Cent., April 1874 —
DO. Opening, for Account
Do.
5 per Cent..fuly, 1880
i ji. .O. 4 per. Cent., Oct. 1888
"0. Certificates
DO. Enlaced Papua 4 per Cent
PO. 5 per Cent., Jan. 1872 . lO5l
Gnat. May 1879 llo*
DJ per Cent., Bop. Deb. 1872 —
Do. do. 1877 —
, Do. do. 1882 —
•'-'-. Deb. 5 per Cent., Aug. 1873 ~ —
bo. Bonds, 4 per Cent., £l,OOO
1)0. under £l.OOO
FOREIGN FUNDS —T WO O'C'LOCIi.
dr •
entitle Repunc, 8 per Cent
A Scrip 145 paid .. .
ultrian Bonds 6 per cent
lir Do. 1859 —
4ilian 5 per Cent
0
.1.,0. q per Cent., 1852 —
"'°. do. 1858 —
1 ,• do., 1861' —
][:,—,()). do 1863 671
• 5 per Cent., 18E5
00 Account
"413140 s Ayres 6 per Cent...
Oleu 2,Per Cent. (Deferred 3 per Cent.)
4) Po" °ea.