The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-08 00:00:00

MAY 8, 1850.

The Protectionist meeting held yesterday, and the
prospect of increased activity on the part of the agricul-
turists, excites a good deal of attention, though it is felt
that the result will be to lead to counter agitation.
The fact of a purchase of 200,0001. Consols for June
having been made yesterday afternoon, before the mar-
ket closed, gave more firmness to the prices of English
Stocks, but this has not been quite maintained owing to
the Bull account. Consols have been 95i for transfer,
and 94 for account, a convincing proof of the goodness
of the money market, and of the confidence felt by the
public. The New Three-and-a-goner per Cents. have
realised 961 to and the Three per Cents. 941 to a.
Bank Stock is worth 206 to Exchequer-bills are 675.
to 70i., and India Bonds 90s. to 925. premium.
In Foreign Stocks very little is doing. Mexican are
281, Spanish Three per Cents. 34. Dutch Two and-
a-Half per Cents. 554. Equador, 38 to 4. The rest
nominal.

Shares are rather firm, though quiet.
The Caledonian Railway Company, like some others,
wo fear, has no hopa of paying a dividend on its original
capital unless the guaranteed shareholders exhibit in-
dulgence and generosity by accepting an interest lower
than that secured to them. At a meeting held yester-
day a deputation of the board attended to explain the
necessity fur a general reduction of preferential claims,
and recommended the election of three delegates
to represent the 101. preferential shareholders, with
power to confer with the directors and conclude an ar-
rangement for the above purpose of reduction. After
some discussion a committee of five shareholders was
agreed to, whose report should be made to another
meeting.

QUARTER TO THREE.
Consols ... ... .. 9si buyers.
Ditto, Account ... ... ... 95i buyers.
BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
(From the Official List.)
Bank Stock 206 206%
1 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 94304
S per Cent. Consols Anns
New 34 per Cent. Ants.
Long Annuities, Exp. Jan. sth, 1660 S 8 3-16
India Stock —
Do. Bonds, 10001 92 90 p
South Sea Stock 10614
Ditto New Annuities
Consols for Account
Exchequer Bills. I%cl. 2J.
March. June.
1,060/.
PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Equador Bonds 4 3%
Mexican Bonis, 1846,5 per Cent., Coupons
Ditto Ex Jan. Coupons
Ditto for the Account
Russian Bonds. 1822, 5 per Cent —
Ditto, Small 95%
Ditto Scrip 2%1.4 r
Spanish Ronde,' per Cent, 1840
Ditto Account . ...... ....
Venezuela Bonds 34
Dividends on the above payable in London.
Belgian 41/2 per Cent.
Dutch 2% per Cent., 12 Guild ... 5534
BUSINESS DONE IN RAILWAY KURDS AT OM! O'CLOCK
RAILWAY/. PAIL Paz SNARL
Aberdeen
Caledonian
Ditto. New 101. Preference 10 ...... 5%%... to
Eastern Counties ....
Edinburgh and Glasgow 5O 26% to
Great Northern
Do. 1,4 A Deferred ..... ... 12% 2
Groat Western 100... 531 k 53 53% to 52%
Do. New 171
Gull and Selby
Ditto,Quarter Shares . . 12% 201,4...... to
Lancashire and Yorkshire...100
Load., Bright., & South Coastloo ..... 79
London & North Weatern.....loo 1011414— to
Do. Fifths
London and S. We5tern.......100
Ditto. New 501........ - ..... 42%...... 21% to
Do., New Preference
aanchr, Sheffield, and Linc.100
Do., New 101. Preference.. 10 ... .. 7
Midland....... • .... ........ ...100
Ditto, 501. Shires ..... ...... 50
North British .. .. ... ...... . 25 - to
Oxford, Worcester, and Wol-
verhampton 50 - to
Preston and Wyre
south Eastern
Ditto, Na, 3.
York, Newcastle, and Berwick 25
Do, and Newcastle Exten. 20
...... to
fork and North Midland .. 50
.. to _
FOREIGN RAILWAYS.
Boulogne and Amiens 2O .. ... 6
Gast Indian
Orleans and Bordeaux ... .. 7 ... .. 2' Ai to
Faris and Rouen ..

IlTiir E S.

Cobre Copper
Santiago de Cuba. .............. 10
» 121i .....
to
JOINT STOCK RANKS.
Australasia
Union of Madrid 4O
...... Lo—

COURSE OF
Amsterdam .......... 12 2
Ditto, three months .. 12 3%
Rotterdam •..... 12 a
Antwerp.............. 25 80
Brussels .. •• .. ..... 25 80
Hauiburgh .. •. . • 141.8. 13 13
Litona • • ..
Parts, 3 days'sight .. • • 25 62!4
Ditto, 3 months .... 25 823
Ifarsallies •••• ........ 25 623 i
Bourdeanx.... • • ... •
Frankfort on Mains.... 121%
8er1in....•• • • .... •• • •
Vicuna, efec. fib."... 12 13
Trieste, ditto.... 12 15
Petersburgh, 811. Rble.. 37
Madrid 49%
Barcelona •• . • ......
Bevills•• • • •

EXCLIANGX.
Gibraltar.. • •
Leghorn ...... ••.. • • 30 75
Gemoa ..... .... 26 16
Milan .• • ..... .••. • • • •
Venice.. .•• • • • ....
tiaplea .......... .. 40%
Palermo, peroz .. 122 %
Messina 122%
Lisbon .•••••..• • • • • • • • 63}4
lOporto •••••• • • • • • • • • 63%
itio Janeiro • • •

iinenos Ayres
New York,6odayiesight
Philadelphia ..........
MICES OF MULLION, PE; Ox.
Foreign Gold in Mars.. £3 17 9
Portugal Gold Coin .. 0 0 0
Spanish Doubloons .. 0 0 0
New Dollars .... •• 4 10%
Silveri' bars ........ 0 4 11%

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.—(THIS DAY.)
LONDON, MAY B.—Wind N.W., moderate breeze,
and dull, hazy weather.
STARIGO, MAY 6.—The Margaret and Ann, New-
castle to Quebec, has put into Stromness 1( airy.
SWANSEA, MAY 6.—The William, of Dartmouth, is
on shore on Peveril Ledge in a dangerous situation.
There is every appearance of a dirty night.
HARWICH, MAY 6.—The Union, of and for Goole,
lying at anchor, lost anchor and received other damage,
and has put in here to repair, from the Cadet, of South
Shields, running athwart hawse of her in coming to an-
chor in Horsely Bay.
DEAL, MAY 8, 11 A.ir.—The William and Henry,
Riches, from Hull, is supposed to have been totally lost
on the Goodwin Sand.
HULL, MAY 7.—The Cecilia Catharina, bound to
Rostock, was brought in here yesterday by the Toward
Castle sti amer, having been in contact with another
vessel.

DEAL, MAY 7.—Wind E.S.E. to S.E., very strong;
P.M., S.E., moderate.—A piece of plank, apparently
trona the stern of a small vessel, has washed on shore,
with " Newport Trader, of Portsmouth," in yellow
letters, and a white moulding underneath. Several pietas
of wreck, bulwarks, &c., hare been picked up in the
Downs.

COWES, MAY 7.—Wind E.—Arrd. Hermann steamer,
Crabtree, New York, and proceeded for Bremen.
PLYMOUTII, MAY 7.—Wind E.—Arrd. Hope, Carter,
Ceylon; Fenwick, Winn, Cardiff, for Havre, leaky.
lavEnpooL, MAY 7.—Wind E.S.E.—SId. Rosalie,
Vera Cruz; I❑glewood, Batavia; Negotiator, Bombay;
Adelle, San Francisco; Lannen, Maranbam; Bella en
Gracia, Ilavannab; Pri❑ce Albert. Curacoa ; Princess
Royal, La Guayra; Goddesr, Halifax; Polly, Quebec;
Hurthi are, Newfoundland.
JELSEY, MAr s.—Wind N.E.—Sld. Centurion, San
Francisco; Post Boy, GS: pc.
PILL, MAY 6.—Wind E., fresh.—Sid. Eliza, Barba-
does.

PETERHEAD, MAY 6.—Wind N.W.—Arrd. Emma
Eugenia transport, for the Arctic Regions, in tow of
her 3T9jesty's steamer Lightning.
RAMSGATE, MAY 7.—Tne Tenierr, of and from Ant-
werp for Rio Janeiro, was totally wrecked this morn-
ing on the Goodwin Sand; mate drowned. The mister
reports the loss of an English and a French schooner at
the same time ; crews supposed to be drowned.

i MONEY and COMMERCIAL NEWS.
CITY, TW C O'CLOCK.
The sales if Cotton at Liverpool yesterday were et-
timated at from 4,500 to 5,000 bales, of which 1,500
American were taken on speculation. The market
closed very firm at full prices. The transactions com-
prised about 3,500 American, 200 Percam and Maran-
nam, at 6il. to 71d. ; 100 Bahia, at 7tl. ; 600 Egyptian,
at 7d. to Bd. ; 300 Surat, at 4/d. to 5/d. ; and 50 Sea
Islands, at Is. Op. to Is. 4d. per lb.—l❑ Railway Shares
a tair business «as done at rather higher prices.
The arrival of the Herman steamer furnishes accounts
of rather later date from America. At New York the
rate of exchange on London was 1094. Cotton was firm,
and corn advancing. The commercial advices offer
nothing of particular interest, the following being rather
curious than important :
" Few people have any idea of the immensity of the
oyster business done in the United States. The Chesa-
peake and Delaware Bay oysters go all over the world,
and we learn from a number of the Baltimore San that
one establishment in that city, during the oyster season,
keeps twenty-five men constantly opening the shells, and
they sometimes open five hundred gallons a day, which
are all designed for exportation. The oysters are put
up in cans, in their own liquor, which are made air-
tight and hermetically sealed ; they are warranted to
keep fresh in any climate. Five men are constantly em-
ployed in making the cans. The oysters are sent prin-
cipally to the Western States, but considerable quanti-
ties are sent to the West Indies, South America, and
some have been sent to China. Oh the first day of the
last oyster-taking season, in Fairhaven River, six or seven
hundred boats were ready for operation with the sun-
rise. The striking of the bell in the brick church was
the signal to begin, and soon all was stir and commotion
amongst men and shell fish. During the day between
thirty and forty thousand bushels of oysters were taken,
which from the fact of their having been undisturbed for
two years were unusually large and very fine. Some boats
took from seventy-five to one hundred bushels each, and
some few went much above this quantity. Transient
eystermen sold their products at the bank of the river
for twenty and twenty-five cents par bushel, while those
who made 'oystering" a regular business, preferred to
hold on for a speculation."
Accounts from Brussels furnish the heads of the
treaty of commerce between Russia and Belgium.
We learn from Amsterdam that there have been some
large failures there in the coffee trade, and that good or-
dinary Java had been forced upon the marked at about
41s. per cwt. The Dutch Two-aud-a-Halt per Cents.
on the 6th instant were 55t to 7- 16, closing scarcely so
firmly as they opened. Spanish Bonds were supported.
At Frank:on on the 4th instant Austrian Metallics
were 77.