The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-31 00:00:00

Zf!ON tY MARKET

ANI,

CO IMERCIAL

CITY, Two O'CLOCK.

Business was somewhat brisk to-day, although
the extent of the transactions were by no means
large. For money the demand was active, and in-
creased firmness was observable, the approaching
settlement on the fourth, no doubt, giving the
holders of specie the advantage. The Bank
directors have had their weekly meeting to-
day, bat the matters discussod in tee bank parl)ur
has not led to any alteration in the rate of dis-
count. In the foreign market there was an im-
provement in
_many of the continental securities,
and in the railway market symptoms of improve-
ment have began to show themselves.

Consols are 921 1 for money; ditto, for Ac-
count, 921; Three per Cent. Reduced, 921 1 ; New
T'-•ree per Cents, 921 1; ditto 5 per Cent., Jan.,
1873. 1041; Bank of England Stock, 4 per Cent.,
242.

India Stock, 10} per Cent., April, 1874, shut ;
litto 4 per Cent., Oct., 1888, 102 f j j; ditto
Eofaced Paper 5i per Cent., May, 1879, 109 f ;
ditto Bonds under £l,OOO, 20 prem.

In the Foreign market business has been firm,
though not very extensive. Turkish Five per Cents.
have risen nearly j, to 39i 391 ; Greek Bonds
to 11f 12 ; and New Spanish Three per Cents.
are now quoted 30} 30/ ex dix. ; Italian remains
firm at 56 ; and Mexican, 14f 15.
The Honduras Loan is now is now quoted at
89f 90f.
Italian Scrip is better, at 33f prem., and the
last Russian Railway Loan is unaltered, at 2 to 1}
discount.

We have to report an improved business
.in the
Railway Market. Caledonians are I, Great Wes-
tern 1, Great Eastern k, Great Northern A 1, Me-
tropolitan 1, and Midland 1, better than yesterday.
The prices are now as follows :—Caledonian, 75f
; Great Westero, 471 8 ; Great Eastern, 401
k ; Great Northern, 1051 61 ; ditto A, 107 k 81 ;
Lancashire, 127/ 81 ; Metropolitan, 1041 1041 ,
Midland, 1121 1131; Sheffield, 461 7 ; Brighton,
49 1 ; North British, 32 k ; North Western,
1114 12 ; North Eastern, 991 100 ; South Eastern,
78/ 94 ; Chatham and Dover, 16/ 17.
United States 5-20 Bonds remain at 741 741,
and the 10-40 Bonds at 71 711 ; but the Bonds of
1885 are k lower, at 721 73.
Great Indian Peninsular Railway New Four per
Cent. Debenture Stock is 94 95.

Anglo-American Telegraph shares have fallen
I, to 21i ; the Eight per Cent. Preference share
remain at 31 ; and the Original Atlantic Tele-
graph stock at 26 28.
Atlantic and Great Western Railway Debentures
arc firm at 41f 411, and the Consolidated Mort-
gage Bonds at 431 44. Ed s remain at 26 261 and
Illinois Central Stock is unchanged at 95,1 951.
In Banks and Miscellaneous Shares business is
inactive, and prices remain as last quoted.
The sum of £75,000 in gold was taken to the
Bank yesterday, making a total of £168,000 during
the week since the date of the last return.

Both at the Bank and in the open market yester-
day the inquiry for, money was well supported.
The brokers negotiated little paper below 3 per
cent. ; there were a few cases in which engagements
took place at .2i per cent., but they were only to
oblige the customers of the first-class houses. The
revenue payments and the call for money to carry
out the Stock Exchange differences to-day natu-
rally kept the quotations firm. The private and
joint-stock banks are cautious in making advances.
The half-monthly account has passed over in a
favourable manner. It was feared that the large
withdrawals of money by the private and joint-
stock banks for the end of the year, and the calling
in of loans, might have prejudiced the position of
some of the weaker members. Fortunately, how-
ever, it has not been attended by any default, and
the warning given by the banks at the previous
account seems to have exercised a good effect, and
induced many parties to restrict, their transactions.
A plan adopted in the Stock--Exchange, at the
suggestion of Mr. C. W. Price, for the passing of
securities from hand to hand at each fortnightly
settlement by means of a ticket, the actual delivery
being made only to the ultimate purchaser, has
been found to save much trouble and risk to the
dealers, and will also prove of service to the Lon-
don bankers by diminishing the number of checks
drawn on these occasions. To the brokers in many
instances it appears to occasion some inconvenience,
and an objection to the practice is stated in the cir-
cumstance that it prevents secrecy as regards the
original buyer or seller of the bonds, &c., which in
the case of large operators or agents is often of im-
portance. As the adoption of the plan, is however,
not imperative, the old one can be pursued in every
instance where parties may desire to do so.

Advices from St. Petersburg state that the con-
cession for the Moscow-Smolensk R.tilway to Sulz-
bach, Brothers, has been sanctioned by the Empe-
ror, but with the condition that there shall be no
issue of bonds before 1870.

The telegrams from Madrid intimate, ou official
authority, that provision has been made for the
payment of the coupons of the internal and exter-
ternal debt falling due on the Ist of January next.
Messrs Baring Brothers and Co. have received
the following remittances on account of the New
Granada dividends: From Bogota, £1,93011x. 5d.;
Santa Marta, £2,904 13s. sd. ; Savanilla, £742 ss.
3d. ; and Carthagena, £305 ; making a total of
£5,882 10s. id.
The Central Argentine Railway Company notify
that their interest warrants of the Seven per Cent.
Debentures, due the Ist January next, will be paid
on presentation at the Loudon and Westminster
Bank.

The following railway traffic returns show an in-
crease :—The Midland increase is £8,544 ; that of
the London and North-Western, £6,461 ; and that
of the Metropolitan, £2,325.
The failure of Mr. David MOO 3, of Basinghall-
street, importer, is announced. His liabilities are
stated at about £28,000. The cause of the suspen-
sion is the failure of Messrs. Brunner and Co., of
New York, for £BO,OOO. _ _ _

An extraordinary general meeting of the United
Discount Corporation (Limited) will be held at the
London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, in the City of
London, on Friday, the 15th January. The busi-
'fess to be transacted will be the consideration of
the directors' report for the half-year ending the
31st of December, 1868, and the declaration of a
dividend.