The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-01 00:00:00

world, the last is most noteable—most pitiable. I refer to
the strike of the barbers of the metropolis. These be
divided into several classes ; two or three of them altogether
original. They are naturalists,fond of the nurtxtreandadmo-
nition of birds ; others are botanists, a study in some sort
connected with the food of birds ; all are politicians', chiefly
radical, but, if a real treat is required, it is to be found at the
dramatic barber's establishment ; he's the lad for gossip
some such you find in the neighbourhood of all theatres, easily
di,Ainguishable by the droll display of all sorts of wigs in
the window, the black scrag for Jack Sheppard, the
carrotty for the countryman, the full-bottomed for
Peachzenz and Lockitt, rather looking up at present, the
gray wiry one, bald all the way back for the senator, going
out since BROOKE went to Liverpool, and so on. No
trade in the metropolis presents such a contrast as do next
door neighbours among the barbers' brotherhood. The
Parisian artist, redolent of a thousand perfumes (mile-
fleurs) without asking you a question, cuts your hair ac-
cording to his own view of your contour ; if you happen
to wear your hat jauntily, a little on side, as some silly
young men venture to do, the whim is humoured by the
artist, who will not touch a hair on the " off side." For
such a crop half-a-crown is the fee. Next door or oppo-
site you have a poor Irishman trying his hand—nothing
new —at "cutting and reaping."—Shave for a ha'penny;
hair cut for a penny. A lot of little better than the
latter had a meeting the other night, at which methought
they lamented rather lugubriously their degraded posi-
tion : (sic said all of them) ; they had taken the QUEEN'S
lieges by the nose from five in the morning till midnight,
sometimes all Sunday ; the tariff likewise was much below
the mark of respectability and remuneration. Well, they
resolved, and rationally resolved, upon a small advance, a
mere fractional part of a penny upon the price of their
labours. It is the smallest strike on record. They com-
plain much of ladies' maids and valets • in these the
British barber has himself to blame ; the goose and the
golden eggs.—lf a barber must needs take five guineas for
teaching a valet to curl, he can't expect to have the
custom.

Of literary chit-chat there is but little. Cheap re-
prints of once dear books, in the shape of Railway reading,
seem to be the popular move at present. Scores of
Standard Works are thus being transformed by, and with
the consent of, the authors—for a consideration, of course.
ALBERT SMITH has just returned to town, after another
visit to Chamounix, where he has been showing his Mont
Blanc at the foot of " the real original." BABINGTON
MA.CA.IILAY, the historian, has also returned to town,
from the same locality. I never saw the right hon.
gentleman look healthier. CHARLES DICKENS is now on
a walking excursion through Italy, sustaining health, and
picking up facts for future use. Sir ROBERT PEEL seems
determined to out-do Lord JOHN MANNERS and the Earl
of CARLISLE in lecturing; he rode in a steeple-chase the
other day, not far from your neighbourhood, and delivered
a capital lecture in the evening.

COMMERCIAL 4. MONETARY NEWS.

MONDAY NIGHT,

THE chief drawback to the restoration of confi-
dence in monetary and commercial affairs appears
to be the protracted settlement of affairs in the
East, which have operated in a considerable de-
gree to produce that inaction in trade which gene-
rally prevails. The weekly returns of the Bank
of England again show a decrease in the stock of
Bullion to the extent of £311,168. This may be
attributed to the continued payment of the divi-
dends, as shown by the decrease in the Public
Deposits, which amounted to £797,814. Money
has, however, been comparatively easy for com-
mercial purposes, and though discounts have ruled
high for long dates, for short bills money has been
abundant. There has been a rumour of the in-
tention of the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
to fund Exchequer Bills to the amount of four
millions, but the report is not generally credited,
nor is the market favourable for such an operation,
though something of this kind may be practicable
a short time hence.

TO-DAY the Money Market was more than ordi-
narily buoyant, Consols having reached 911, which
is a higher rate than they have been at for a long
time past. This is partly owing to the large re-
ceipts of bullion by the Argo and the Arabia, and
also to more pacific accounts received from the East.
There is a general absence of speculation in
commercial transactions, with perhaps the single
exception of 'Wheat and Flour, the prices of which
have been raised above the average for many
years past. As the public feel a greater interest
in the fluctuations of this market than any other,
it might be as well to look at the probable causes
which have led to this advance, and the prospects
for the future. On the one 'side are the diminished
productions of our own country ; the failure of the
harvest in many parts of Europe ; the increased
demand which prevailed a short time since, owing
to general employment and higher wages ; and
the apprehension of a failure in supplies from the
Black Sea. All these causes have operated in one
direction, but there are circumstances which may
tend in an exactly opposite direction. In the first
place, the production of Wheat in this country has
been considerably under-estimated, owing to the
short supply of English Wheat at country markets,
a circumstance to be attributed to the unwilling-
ness of farmers to sell so long as there is a pros-
pect of obtaining higher prices. Again, the con-
sumption of Wheat in this country has been much
over-rated, by extravagant calculations, founded
on incorrect data, and the demand will be con-
siderably lessened by the great number of manu-
facturing operatives out on strike. Another reason
for anticipating a reaction is the immense stock of
foreign breadstuffs in this country, larger, we be-
lieve, than at any previous period ; and, then,
there are the difficulties in the Money market, and
the high rates of discount, which must shortly
have the effect of compelling many large holders
to realise, and thereby to glut the markets. In
addition to all these, there are the enormous sur-
plus productions of Canada and the United States,
which will speedily find their way to this country,
when freights are easier, from the disengagement
of vessels from other trades. We have seen the
height of commercial prosperity for some time,
and though the fall may not be so great as at pre-
vious periods, when we had no rich colony to fall
back upon, we may confidently predict a reaction
from that unjustifiable spirit of speculation which
has recently prevailed in the Corn market.
The return from the Bank of England for the
week ending the 22nd of Oct., gives the following
results, when compared with the previous week :
Public deposits ... £2,903,045; Decrease £797,814
Other deposits ... 12,390,653; Decrease 273,673
Rest 3 170 823. Increase 9,662

On the other side of the account—
Government securities £11,319,072; Decreaseßl36,oB9
Other securities ... 17,254,462; Decrease 170,637
Notes unemployed ... 5,213,810; Increase 201,320
The amount of notes in circulation is £23,145,145,
being an increase of £522,240; and the stock of
bullion in both departments is £14,960,206, showing
a decrease of £311,268, whom compared with the
preceding return.

ISSUE DEPARTMENT.
Notes issued .., £28,358,955 Governmt. Debt £11,015,100
Other Securities 2,984,900
Gold coin & bu11'n.14,358,955
Silver bullion ...

£28,358,955'

£28,368,955

BANKING Di
Prop. Capital ... £14,553,000
Rest .. • ... 3,170,823
Public Deposits 2,903,015
Other Deposits 12,390,653
7-day & other bills 1,371,064