The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-02-08 00:00:00

aperture to admit the mouth of a cannon, which, of
course, can be raised in size, according to the calibre
of the latter. The cannon is mounted on a plane, loaded
with quartz, and advanced to the aperture of the cham-
ber. With a pennyworth of gun cotton, or three penny-
worth of gunpowder. one cwt. of quartz is instantly re-
duced to powder, I saw it accomplished in about two
minutes. The bottom of the chamber is perforated, and
acts as a sieve, the metal in the ore passing through,
while the earth and lighter substances are forced by the
explosion into different compartments. The chamber
may be taken to pieces and made conveniently portable
for transportation. It will answer the purpose of a dwel-
ling, and in such wise be invaluable at the Gold Regions,
as well as a great protection to the occupier against the
burglarious dangers so common amongst the diggers.
The visitors took great interest in the object of the in-
ventor, as being directed to the gold mines of Australia
and California. I look on this invention, or rather,
simple application of a long known exploding power, as
being of immediate commercial value in the manufacture
of emery. It is well known that the machinery used in
crushing emery stone is of a very rude character, and
destitute of the ordinary features of the scientific appliances
of the day. I could say much more of the quartz-crushing
machine, were it necessary. The experiments, which are
repeated from time to time, are per etly satisfactory.
Perhaps yesterday was the most dismal Sunday ever
seen—l had nearly said felt—in the Metropolis, certainly
the most dismal I remember. It has been remarked
by foreigners that the streets of London on a wet Sunday
present a very miserable appearance ; the Egyptian dark-
ness caused by yesterday's fog was incomprehensibly
fearful. The morning, up to about noon, had been toler-
ably clear, soon after that period the darkness came on.
interfering with divine service in all the churches, then
nearly at a close. Those acquainted with the economy
of the poorer denizens of London, are aware that imme-
diately after morning service, the burial of their dead
takes place—always a melancholy spectacle. Yesterday
it was strikingly so, and rendered doubly sorrowful by
the tolling of the dead bell in various parishes ; for
the horrid practice of burying the dead among the living
seems likely never to be abandoned, though the public
officer of health hac just reported that the city of London
is absolutely unfit to serve as a burial place, and this
whether by inhumation or in vaults. The mortality in
our city alone annually is 3000. Under present arrange-
ments, every dead body buried within our walls receives
its accommodation at the expense of the living, and to
their great detriment. The Bishop of LONDON, I am
afraid, has much to answer for in this matter. Notwith.
standing the reports of the officer of health, and demon-
strations in every parish where the grievance is continued
—vested interests—money rights—sextons' fees, &c.—
are placed in the balance, and kick the beam.

The BISHOP of LONDON is not, at this moment, adding
to popularity by his new bill, which, if carried for
London, you may depend upon it will be "tried on"
in Liverpool. The BISHOP of SALISBURY 15 the prelate
selected by the right rev. metropolitan to work the
measure in the House of Peers, where, it is feared, it will
be carried. The bill contemplates the taking out of the
hands of the Vestry the election of churchwardens, and
placing the right in the hands of the clergy. At a glance
you will see the dangerous character of such a measure.
It is strongly opposed in the metropolis, even by the
most thorough-going supporters of our national Church.

COMIERCL4L AND MONETARY NETT S.

MONDAY NIGHT.
IT is now generally admitted that the Bank Direc-
tors were amply justified in raising the minimum
rate of discount, and more recent circumstances
have fully confirmed this view of the case. The
returns, published in the Gazette of Friday last,
show a decrease in the stock of bullion to the extent
of £362,084 ; and as this so immediately follows
some large receipts, the subject is entitled to more
than ordinary consideration. In commenting upon
the previous week's returns, our London contem-
porary, the Economist—whose authority on this
subject we will not attempt to impugn—states, that
during the preceding fortnight the bullion in the
Bank had decreased by £1,380,000; and as arrivals
of gold had taken place, amounting to at least
I £1,200,000, of which only £256,412 appeared as
increase in that week, it followed that the export
of gold during the fortnight in question had been
at least £2,300,000. 'Without any other data than
the Bank returns, this is at best but jumping at a
conclusion, unless we are prepared to admit that
the stock in the Bank coffers is the sole test of the
quantity of gold in this country, and that every
diminutior.is necessarily the result of exportation. It
is evident thatthere are no means of arriving at exact
conclusions on the subject, and we must be content
with mere inferences from circumstances which are
open to common observation, but these must not beleft
out of view. The recent activity in the manufacturing
districts, with the corresponding increase in the
amount of wages—the busy trade which has been
carried on in this and other shipping ports in fitting
out vessels for emigration—the number of sales
which have taken place owing to the breaking up
of domestic establishments—the rise in the price of
most articles of general consumption—the specula-
tion in metals and other commodities—the pay-
ment of rents and ordinary Christmas accounts,—
")perating almost together, must have tended in a
considerable degree to augment the circulation of
the precious metals throughout the country, and
thus have assisted to diminish the stock of bullion
in the Bank of England. At the same time it must
be admitted that there are other circumstances of a
less satisfactory character, which have tended to a
material extent to produce that state of uneasiness
for the future, against which the Bank Directors
attempted to provide by their recent measures. It
is well known that the operations on the Paris
Bourse have been in a great measure insti-
gated by the French Government, in order
to bolster up a fictitious credit ; and we
have heard, on what we believe to be good
authority, that this last decrease in bullion
is owing to the financial arrangements between
certain parties in Paris• and London for the same
object. That the measure of the Bank of England
was directed against this French speculation on
English capital is shown by its effect not only upon
the French funds, which fell in value, but upon
the exchanges, which soon began to improve ; and
that it had no injurious effect upon British
commerce, is also shown by the amount of
securities held by the Bank of England being but
very slightly diminished. We must also bear
in mind that emigration has in itself a tendency
to diminish the stock of gold, as almost every
emigrant takes out as much as he can raise, and
large sums in coined gold are also sent out to Australia
for the purchase of the uncoined metal. It is now
becoming pretty evident that we are indebted to the
Californian and Australian discoveries for the main-
tenance of our present favourable state of commer-
cial credit ; for, considering the large amount of
importations which have had to be paid for in specie,
particularly to France and Russia, where the balance
of trade is so much against us, we should without
such aid have now experienced monetary difficulties
of no ordinary magnitude. Before leaving this
subject, we may revert to the obvious fact that, while
a rise from two to three per cent. in the rate of dis-
count may interpose a serious obstacle to monetary
operations of a purely speculative character, it can
make no sensible difference to legitimate commercial
transactions. If this fact be steadily borne in mind,
the mercantile world have every reason to be grate-
ful to the bank directors for the course which they
have pursued.
On Thursday the tenders for the guaranteed 4
per cent, loans of £BO,OOO for British Guiana,
£60,000 for Trinidad, £50,000 for Jamaica, and
£3OOO for St. Lucia, redeemable in twenty years,
were decided upon by the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, and all awarded to the Atlas Insurance
Company; the whole for St. Lucia, £27,000 for
British Guiana, and £20,000 for Trinidad, at £lO9
17s. 6d. per cent.; £20,000 for Jamaica, at £lO9
15s. 3d., and £30,000, at £lO9 4s. 6d. per cent. ;
£53,000 for British Guiana, and £40,000 for Trini-
dad, at £lO9 1 os. per cent.
The Return from the Bank of England for the
week ending the 29th January gives the following
results when compared with the previous week :
Public deposits .. £5,235,993; Increase £237.239
Other deposits .. .. 13,066,193; Decrease 661,414
Rest 3,218,441; Increase 4,235

On the other side of the account—
Government securities £13,800,613 ; Decrease 29,794
Other securities .. 13,654,165 ; Decrease 516,580
Notes unemployed .. 9,511,360 ; Increase 67,095

The amount of notes in circulation is £22,983,450,
being a decrease of £490,325 ; and the stock of
bullion in both departments is £19,042,835, show-
ing a decrease of £362,084 when compared with
the preceding return.

Notes issued

ISSUE DEPARTMENT.

£32,494,810 f Govrnt. Debt.. £11,015,100
Other securities 2,984,900
Gold coin & bu1n.18,475,656
Silver bullion .. 19,154
--
£32,494,810

£32,494,810

BANKING D
Prop.'s capita1.X14,553,000
Rest. 3,218,441
Public deposits. 5,235,993
Other deposits . 13,066,193
7-day, &c. bills. 1,440,536 I

PARIMENT.

Gov. securities..£l3,Boo,6l3
Other securities 13,654.165
Notes .. . 9,511,360
Gold & 548,025

£37,514,163

£37,514,163

In our SHARE MARKET there has been great
activity during the past week. A very small pro-
portion, however, of the business has been bond fide;
the bulls and the bears have had the struggle to
raise or depress prices al most entirely to themselves.
Until Saturday, the bears appeared to have the best
of it, they having succeeded in lowering prices most
materially; on that day, however, a sudden check
was given to the decline, by the change of the
Russian and other exchanges in favour of this
country. This promising a more easy money market,
has given au 1112011 st to everything; algid we 0940