The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-05-30 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL 4, MONETARY NEWS.

MONDAY NIGHT.

WITH no fresh bulletins of glorious victories by
sea or land to inspire national enthusiasm, and
confirm hopes of the successful termination of the
war with Russia, the money market has been
improving from day to day ; and with some reason,
for the protocol which has been signed at Vienna
by the representatives of the Four Powers, is more
likely to bring the Czar of Russia to reason than
the bombardment of Odessa, or even the destruc-
tion of Sevastopol might prove. The daily increase
in value of the public funds has 'shown the confi-
dence of the moneyed interest in m6rcantile se-
curity, nor has anything occurred in fluctuations
of market prices or failures of large houses to
disturb this feeling of confidence. Consols, which
fell on the first declaration of war, and since
declined as fresh demands were made on the
national resources, have now recovered their former
value, and will, no doubt, go still higher, should
no unforeseen disaster occur to disturb the tran-
quillity which now prevails. The returns of the
Bank of England, published on Friday, show
another diminution in the stock of bullion to the
extent of £75,397 ; but it is stated that some of
the recent arrivals of gold from Australia have
been offered to the Bank, which may place the
next account in a more favourable position. There
has also been a slight advance in the rate of
Exchange with France, which may tend to the
same result.

In the Cotton manufacturing districts there has
been more business doing, induced by the favour-
able advices from the India and China markets, as
well as a slight improvement in the home trade ;
but prices have been rather lower, influenced no
doubt by the easier state of this market and the
reductions which have taken place in the wages of
the operatives. There is, however, an evident
indisposition to purchase for the continental mar-
kets, a feeling which is likely to prevail until
something more definite is known as to the proba-
ble turn which warlike operations may take. In
the Woollen districts dulness continue to prevail,
but still it is expected that before long some signs
of increased activity will be visible, as stocks gene-
rally are low from the discontinuance of manufac-
turing. In the Hosiery and Lace trades business
is still dull, but prices have been fully maintained.
The Corn market has been heavy during the
week, and prices have gradually declined. This
has been owing partly to the large supplies from
abroad, the lower prices of Flour in America, and
the more favourable state of the weather, which
not only gives fair promise for the harvest, but by
bringing forward the spring crops of vegetables,
tends to diminish the consumption of bread.
The declared value of our produce and manufac-
tures exported in 1853 was no less than £98,933,781,
an increase of above £20,000,000 over the export
of the previous year. The export of cotton manu-
factures increased from £23,223,432 to £25,817,249;
of woollen manufactures, from £8,730,934 to
£10,172,152 ; of iron and steel, wrought and un-
wrought, from £6,684,276 to £10,845,422 ; of
apparel, from £1,246,677 to £2,766,696 ; of beer,
from £754,627 to £1,291,357 ; of butter and cheese,
from £393,319 to £520,656 ; of haberdashery and
millinery, from £2,074,180 to £4,156,494 • of hard-
wares and cutlery, from £2,691,697 to £3,665,051;
of leather, from £666,304 to £1,278,491.
The amount of business in our SHARE MARKET,
though decidedly on the increase daily, is still not
great. Since the date of our last publication prices
have continued steadily to advance ; stock has been
scarce, and the demand has extended to almost all
descriptions of shares. During the last two or
three days the rise has been more marked. London
Stock has nearly reached par again ; Midland, 61;
Leeds, 63. The settlement just passed has ex-
hibited a scarcity of stock of almost every kind,
and the dealers have had, in most instances, to pay
a back for the loan of stock to supply sales. We
close this evening at about the best of the week.
The prices of to-day are :—Caledonians, 281 1 1
1 4 : Eastern Counties, 121 : Lancashire and
Yorkshire, 62 *1 1 11 2; Leeds Northern, 13 ;
London Stock, 981- f 8 ; Sheffield Stock, 20 ;
Midland Stock, 601 1 11 1 2 s g / tic+ 8 • North
British, 81 1 ; South Eastern, 19 18fc 15-16
18 15-16 s 13-16 1 ; York, Newcastle, and Ber-
wick Extensions, 84d; East Lancashire 1 pref.
shares, 8 ; Bank of Liverpool, 201.
The return from the Bank of England for the
week ending the 20th of May gives the following
results, when compared with the previous week :-
r unlit; £2,R71,A7.1: Ilocrense £76,886
Other deposits ... 10,146,428; Decrease 440,582
Rest ... ... 3,225,731; Increase 10,834
On the other side of the account—
Government securities £10,408,309, Decrease £1,219,183
Other securities ... 15,425,281; Increase 281,242
Notes unemployed ... 5,100,030; Increase 386,750
The amount of notes in circulation is 220,679,065,
being a decrease of £464,925 ; and the stock of
bullion in both departments is £12,513,969, showing
a decrease of £75,397, when compared with the
preceding return.