The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-23 00:00:00

II 0 l. At K. T

AND

2'OI.IIIEROIAL ,7NTELLIIGICNOE

Crrr, Two o'CLocx.

The Stock Markets are generally well supported,
though there is no great amount of business in pro-
gress. The principal feature is a further considerable
advance in the stocks of the Caledonian Railway
upon the improved prices of yesterday, consequent
upon the issue of the replies to the report of the
Investigation Committee. From sympathy other
railway stocks have also improved, though to a less
extent. The Funds are a shade stronger, and they
maintain a moderately firm tone. Foreign Stocks
are for the most part dull from inactive business.
The Discount MArket is exceedingly quiet, with
increasing supplies, at 1 to 11 per cent. for first-
class bills.

Consols have recovered and are now quoted at
92i to 93 for money and account. New and Re-
duced Three per Cents., 92k to 93. I.3dia Five per
Cents., 11-2 to 112 i. Batik Stock, 212. Exche-
quer Bills, 225. to 275. prem.

Foreign Stocks are rather dull. Th..re is a
relapse of 4 in Brazilian (1865), at 76f to Tlf ;
and in Italian (1861), at 42f to 43 ; and f in
Portuguese Ecrip, at 21 to 2f ; and in New Spanish,
at 351 to 35k. Greek Bonds are exceptionally
firm,. befug scarce ; the quotation is 121 to 121.
Turkish (1865) are flat at 311 to 31f.

The New Honduras Loan is steady at to 14
prem., ex coupon.

American Securities are steady. United States
5-20 Bonds, 724 to 73 ; Erie RaiN ay, 48 to 49 ;
Illinois, 85 to 85k. _ _ _

Atlantic and Great Western Railway Debentures
have risen to 24 25, and the Consolidated Mort-
gage Bonds are firm at 24 25.

The chief feature in railways is a further rise of
11 per cent. in Caledonian, on the reports published
this morning. The present price is 761 to 761.
The market generally is firmer. Great Eastern
and Midland are 1 better ; and Great Western,
Metropolitan, and London and North Wes-
tern, 1. Lancashire and Yorkshire are 1
lower. The prices current are as follows :-
291 to 301 ; Great Western, 461 to 47 ; Lanca-
shire and Yorkshire, 1231 to 124 ; Midland,
1041 to 104 ; South Eastern, 681 to 681 ;
Brighton, 461 to 471 ; Sheffield, 441 to
441 ; London and North Western, 117 to
1171; Great Northern, 1061 to 1071 ; do., A,
Great Eastern, 108/ to 109 ; and Metropolitan,
1171 to 1171,

London and County. Bank Shares are 53i to 54i;
and London and Westminster, 714 to 724.
General Credit Shares are 24 to 2.1. dis. ; and Lon-
don Financial, 24 to 22 dis.

CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.

The report of the annual meeting of the Norwich
Union Fire Office for the year just closed will be
found in another column. It shows that great suc-
cess attended the operations of the'office during the
last twelve months, and some notion of the business
transacted may be gathered from the fact that the
gross total of subsisting policies on the 29th of
September, 1867, amounted to no less a sum than
eighty-three millions. The proceedings were alto-
gether of the most satisfactorydescription, and from
the unanimity of the meeting the most remarkable
success may be fairly relied upon for the future of
this vast and wide-spreading institution.
The sum of 7,000 sovereigns were taken from the
B"1-111 yesterday for Russia, but 3,000 from Belgium
were taken in, making since the date of the last
return £l7OOO sent in, and £26,000 withdrawn.
It has been decided to wind up voluntarily the
Albert Veterinary College (Limited).
The half-yearly meeting of the North London Rail-
!ay Company has been called for the 20th February,
tor the transaction of the ordinary business of the
company.
The ordinary half-yearly meeting of the Mediter-
ranean Extension Telegraph Company has been con-
Tened for the 7th February, for the transaction of the
Usual business of the company,.
13y a d cree, dated the 28th November last, changes
are made in the standard of money at present in use
in the Republic of Mexico, based on the exclusive
adoption of the :'decimal system of coinage. The dollar
is retained as the unit of currency.
The report of the North-Western Bank (Liverpool)
States that in consequence of recent heavy losses,
Which have absorbed the reserve fund of £20,000 and
a large portion bf the profits of the past half-year, the
dividend proposed is only at the rate of 5 per cent.
per annum.

An official report, dated December 20th, of the
General Superintendent of the Atlantic and Great
Western Railway, shows what reforms have so far
been made in the working arrangements of the line.
The following are extracts :—" You are well aware of
the condition the road was in on your taking posses-
sion of it, and of what was necessary to be done at
,once to put it in safe order. This, I think, has
been fully done. The locomotives are in as good
order as will average on any road. We have made
sonte improvements in them, and are running them
now cheaper than has been done. We are now down
to 30c. a mile, covering all expenses ; and I am satis-
fied that we can get down to 27c. per mile as we
Progress with our economy. Much improvement has
been wade in the passenger and freight cars. We
aret getting them in better order, and now that we
have a good track to run on, our cost of repairs should
iirninish. , I much regret that our receipts are so
%fleeted by the loss in the oil trade, and the general
stagnation of business, cased by the contraction of
the national currency and the severity of the drought
during, the latter part of the summer and autumn.
This affects travel as well as freighting. It is
gatifYing, however, to know that our legitimate
business is good, and we are doing our full pro-
Portion with other lines. It has been my especial
"udy to work economy in every department of the
road, and get our working expenses down to where
they should be.
The directors and auditors of the Caledonian Rail-
way have issued reports in reply to that of the com-
bittee. Both take exception to the plan adopted
lY the committee in regard to-the capital and revenue
"barges respectively, as being contrary to custom
rnd more or less inexpedient. The directors offer to
resign should the shareholders think it advantageous
,er them to do so.
0r.1,r,t is stated that the Northern -Railway Company
-etauce are about to issue a new series of obliga-
none,
At a meeting of the creditors of Mr. Bennett, iron
/poster, of Wellington, the liabilities were shown to
be £24,000, and the assets £15,000. The acceptance
°fan offer of 5s in the pound was deferred.
With regard to the market for American Securities,
aessts. E. F. Satterthwaite and Co. state as follows.
'" Although there has not been a very large amount
of business in American Securities on the London
ibarket during the past week, prices have improved all
round ; United States' 5-20 Bonds have advanced tc
tr;jto 72, and 10-40's to 67/ to 68k. In Illinois Ceti.
shares there has been souse good buying on the
_belief that the affairs of the company are in an erni•
ently satisfactory condition ; they close 85 to 851, 01
fiefirly 1 per cent. higher than this day week. Erie,.
`Liso, at 48i to 45, exhibit an improvement. 'The de-
",..liand for Atlantic and Great Western securities,
c,.,"lch we noticed in our last, has continued, and from
Dethe Consolidated Mortgage Bond rose to 26, from
ich there has been a slight reaction to 24 to 25 ; the
_entures are at the genie price, although lately they
ur.o:tve conimanded some 3 to 4 per cent. more than the
nsolidated Bonds. The inquiries for the First and
::)_e_e,ond Mortgage Divisional Bonds are also numerous,
"
V._4l. they have been taken at from 50 to 55 for the
alit: and 48 to 52 for the second."
ne traffic receipts on the Atlantic and Great
___estern Railway for the last week in December
.."_"ionnted to $97,428 against $98,318 in the car.
s
Ponding period of 1866. show ine a decrease nftB9o.

BRITISH FUNDS CLOSING PRICES.
430VERNMENT FUNDS.
3 Pp; To .
t Je ut
Account. 07 0
Feb.Si 6 93 2

Nper Cent Reduced 92} 3+
ew 3 Per Cent . 92} 31
''Brlv 2} per Cent. Jan. 1894 —
ATh)uities SO
4-10. 5 per Cent.
Vrs, expire sth Jan., 188 P, _
Do. for 30 yrs, expire sth April 1886 —
E 1)0 (Red Sea Teleh), A n..,., INA_
(Chequer Bills, £l,OOO, 2& 24 per Ct.._ 23 6pm
Do £5OO t
Do ZlOO & £2OO
England Stock. 4 per Cent

_-- 0. -.4 Pb- • '•-
Do. Acconnt ... __...
T I"IAN 4Es OVERNNEENT SECUItITI.
'`. udian Mock, 10i per Cent., April 1874
DO., Account
1121 12
"0. 5 per tient. July, 188 a
1004 i i
Do. 4 per Cent., Oct. 1888
Do. Certificates —
120. Enfaced Paper 4 per Cent B7 I
o. 5 per Cent, Jan. 1872
1)0. s},- per Cent., May 1g79 loBk
bo. 5 per Cont., Rup. Deb., 1872 —
Do do. 1877 —
, Do. do. 1882
D
.1-'0: Deb., 5 per Cent., Aug. 1873 .... .
o. Bonds, 5 per Cent., £l,OOO
Do. 'ander 41,000 1 4O pm