The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-27 00:00:00

RAILWAY SHARES.

Versailles, L.B ll5 ... 115 ... 111 25... 112 50
R.B 275 ... 280 ... 275 ... 2430
Rouen
Orleans. 615 ... 621 25... 615 ... 621 25
Strasburg to Bale 202 50... 202 50... 202 50... 202 50

BELOI AN FUN ..3.—BaussELs, Dgc. 24.

Actual Debt, 2% per Cent , —
Rothschild's Loan, Five per Cent lO2
Loan of Thirty Millions, Four per Cent 93
Three per Cent
--.-Thlrty-seven Milli, ns, ditto
.. _ . _.

i 23
----- (l 8411) l(3
Lean of City, 1832, Four per Cent 97
Society of Commerce, Four and a Half per Cent —
Bank of Belgium, Five per Cent 77
National Society ....
Exchange on London (short) ••••••••••••••• ....
—Brussels Papers, Lee. 24.
AUSTRIAN FUNDS.—VIENNA, Dec. 13,
Five per Cents. Metalliques
.. 109 c
Four per Cents. lOO%
Three per Cents... 77
Bank Shares ... ...... - ..... .........—......... 00000000 sow. leis
Allgemeine Zeitung, Dec. 20.

The crime of desertion has, of late years, enor-
mously increased. This is a fact admitted on all sides.
Several inquiries have been instituted, with a view to
ascertain the cause and apply a remedy ; but as yet
nothing has been done with success to remove the
evil. By many it has been affirmed, that the decrease
of pension is the cause ; by others, that the suspen-
sion of corporal punishment for desertion is the rea cause;
while a third party states that desertion has increased
on account of the long colonial service demanded of
the soldier. We firmly believe that all the foregoing
have some influence in producing desertions, but only
among a small number of those who fill the columns
of the Hue and Cry. The opinions generally enter-
tained by the Captains of the army differ from the
above. We have taken pains to inquire, and the result
is, that those officers who come into closer contact
with the soldiers than others all are of opinion that
desertion chiefly arises from disgust with the service,
caused by the state of debt in which every young
soldier is placed in consequence of the bounty (falsely
so called) not being adequate to supply the recruit
with his kit. When a young soldier finds that during
the most arduous period of his drill, he has scarcely
the means of existence, and not a penny to spend in
recreation, he becomes discontented, and soon falls
into the hands of some ill-adviser who suggests to him
the sale of his regimental necessaries and desertion.
It would well merit a trial, to give only a bona-fide
bounty on enlistment--no matter if only 11.--and to
supply a complete kit to the recruit on joining his
regiment, thus letting him commence his service free
from debt, and in the receipt of his regular daily pay.
We have full confidence that this system would ulti-
mately be found less expensive than the present one,
taking into account the charges for new bounties,
charges for escorts, apprehensions, and rewards, and
the cost for support in prison after trial, without any
return in the form, of service for all the outlay.--
Naval and Military Gazette.

MONEY and COMMERCIAL NEWS,
CITY, MONDAY EVENING.

There was an almost utter absence of business in
the City this afternoon, those branches of trade ex-
cepted which contribute to the due observance of the
festivities of the Christmas holidays. Most of the
wholesale houses were closed, and enjoyment
seemed to be the order of the day. The appearance
of very many in the streets soliciting alms bore, how-
ever, ample and distressing evidence that the new
tariff has yet failed to effect that improvement in the
condition of the poorer classes which was so san-
guinely anticipated by the Premier and his colleagues,
when Sir Robert Peel brought forward his commer-
cial alterations, now not far short of ten months since.

The Public Securities bore all but nominal quota-
tions this afternoon. The Exchanges were, in fact,
almost entirely deserted, and shut entirely at two
o'clock. The last price of Consols for account was,
; of Exchequer Bills, 54 premium ; of India
Bonds, 47 premium ; of Spanish Actives, 18i-; of the
Three per Cents., 24-; and of the Portuguese Five
per Cents., 40. Mexican was last done at 31k, and
Colombian at 21i..
The alteration in Shares this afternoon was too
trifling to require special notice.
(From The Sun of Last Night.)
The Cotton Market at Liverpool on Saturday was
very animated, and prices were extremely steady;
sales 8,000 bales. There was not much inquiry for
Railway Shares, and the market was dull and heavy.
Edinburgh and Glasgow, New, were 4/. 18s. 6d. ;
Grand Junction, 189 ; and South Eastern, New, 17.
The President's Message has formed the universal
topic of conversation in the City ; and it has given
much satisfaction to find that the non-obtainment of
a loan in England for the United States Go-
vernment, while European States are borrow-
ing with facility, at a much lower rate of
interest, hurts the pride of the highest Executive officer
in America, although it is little better than a piece of
dishonesty on his part to ascribe the circumstance to
any other cause than the extension of the abominable
"repudiation" doctrine, instead of inferring that it is
some deep laid scheme to injure his country. This
is surely not the way to make his fellow-citizens
ashamed of suspending payments when they
have full assets at command. In reference to the
Bombay question, the Message is favourable,
but the Exchequer allusions savour of more finance
tinkering, which we heartily hope will not again dis-
turb the course of legitimate trade in the United
States. The warehousing, or bonding system, as a
relief to the payment of cash duties, will
be a material boon if adopted. The slave trade is
an unmanageable subject, but it is hoped, as the Pre-
sident intimates, that we shall not quarrel on that
score. Trade in America was much the same, and
corn still low. Cotton was heavy, and declining in
price. Stocks were not brisk.
From Canada there is a report of the fall-sown
wheat having suffered materially by rust. Employ-
ment seemed abundant, for in a Montreal journal we
observe an advertisement for 200 labourers.
The London and Westminster Bank continues to
pay the drafts of the Yorkshire Agricultural Bank,
and it is therefore hoped some arrangement will be
made for the continuance of its business, or its transfer
to some other establishment.

Although not a positive holiday in the City to-day,
the Bank of England and all the public offices remain-
ing open, most of the wholesale warehouses are closed,
and towards the afternoon the merchants and stock
brokers are expected to " clear off," so as to curtail
the usual period of business by many hours.
The news from Lisbon is considered very favour-
able, as extensive economy is being introduced into
every branch of the public expenditure.
The Funds are very firm, although the attendance
of the dealers is but limited. The Government broker
has taken the usual amount at 94f for Reduced Three
per Cents. The Reduced Three-and-a-Half per Cents.
are 1011 to 1011. Exchequer Bills realise 51s. to
535., and India Bonds, 455. premium. For the
opening Consols realize 93i to 93i. Canada Deben-
tures have not been dealt in.

The market for Portuguese Stock is rather better
on the favourable accounts from Lisbon, and the
quotations have in consequence advanced. The New
Bonds are 391 to 40 ; the Converted, 338 to 334 ;
and the Three per Cents. 23-; Spanish Actives are
18a ; and the Three per Cents. 241 to 24i. Colombian
Bonds realised 218 ; and Mexican, 312 to 318, being
about previous rates.
Scarcely abargain has been done in Railway Shares.
South Eastern are 278 discount; York and North
Midland, 43 premium ; and the New, 18 to 181 pre-
mium. National Provincial Bank of England Shares
are 1 premium.

MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE, DEC. 24.—We
have had a firm market to-day, with a more general
inquiry for Railway Stock. Eastern Counties,
8 13-16 ; South Western, 62 ; Manchester and Bir-
mingham, 20 and 20k; Bristol and Exeter, -481.
The Stock Exchange will be closed on Monday next.
CLOSING PRICES.
BRITISH FUNDS.
India Stock — pm
Ditto Bonds
Ditto Old Annuities
Ditto New Annuities —
Ex. Bills, 1,000/....2d 54 om
Ditto 5001 54 Tut
Ditto Small
Bank Stock for Acct.
India Stock for Opg...
Consols for Opg. 93L
FUNDS.
Portuguese, 5 per cent.
Ditto, New Ditto
Prussian, 5 per cent.
Russian, 5 pei cent.....,
Ditto, Metallic.....
Spanish, 5 per cent lBl
Ditto, Deferred.... .
French, 5 per cent. —f. —c.
Exchange —f —c
French, 3 per cent —f. —c.
Dutch, 2} per cent
Ditto, 5 per cent. .. ... 1004

Bank Stock
3 per Cent. Red.
3 per Cent. Cons....
3i per Cent. Red... 101 i
New 3i per Cent —
New 5 per Cen'..
Long Annuities to expire
Jan. 1860 ..
Oct. 1859 ......
Jan. 1860 —
FOREIGJ

Austrian, 5 per cent
Belgian, b per cent
Brazilian Bonds... 7li
Buenos Ayres 6 per cent.
Chilian, 6 per cent. —
Colombian, 6 per cent —
Ditto, 1824 —
Cuba Bonds, 6 per cent —
Danish, 3 per sent —
Greek, 1825, 5 per cent —
Mexican, 5 per cent —
Ditto, 6 per cent. 1837
Peruvian,lB2s,6 per ct. 77 --_

SHARES.
Cheltenham and Creat Western (80 paid) 26
London and Brighton (50 paid)
London and South Western (4116 s 10d pd) 62
Paris and Rouen (20 paid)
South Eastern and Dover (50 paid)...,,,,.,
Ditto Scrip (20 paid)

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
TATTERSALL'S.
The betting yesterday was just what might have been
expected on the day following Christmas, i. e., flat
and unimportant. A list of the engagements booked on
the Derby will suffice :