The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-01-17 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL 4, MONETARY NEWS.

MONDAY NIGHT.

THE Public Funds, during-the week, have been
slightly affected by the conflicting reports from the
seat of war in the East, but-the fluctuations have
not been to any great -extent, owing, perhaps, in
some measure, to the purchases of stock after the
payment of the dividends and the little confidence
displayed by speculators for a fall. This has been,
no doubt, induced by the feeling that the late suc-
cesses of the Turkish forces may have the effect of
prompting the Emperor of Russia to a pacific
settlement of the dispute. The returns of the
Bank of England, in the London Gazette on Fri-
extent of £21,827, but, as there is a decrease in
the Public Deposits of no less than £3,117,940,
arising from the payment of the dividends, the
very slight diminution in bullion may be considered
virtually as an increase. Money, for commercial
purposes, has been comparatively easy, but no
change has yet taken place in the rate of discount.
A statement of the exports of bullion from Lon-
don, during the year 1853, shows the total to have
been £21,196,600, of which £5,745,800 was in
silver, and the remainder in gold. Of this aggre-
gate of gold and silver, the proportions were—to
India, China, and Mauritius, £5,923,300 ; to Aus-
tralia and New Zealand, £4,006,500; to the Conti-
nent,29,42o,Boo; to the Mediterranean,2l,oBo,2oo;
to the West Indies, £375,000 ; to Brazil, £286,000;
and to Africa, £104,800. With the exception of
£530,600 sent to the Continent, almost the whole
of the silver was to the east.

The return from the Bank of England for the
week ending the 7th of Jan., gives the following
results, when compared with the previous week :
Public deposits ... £8,291,993; Decrease.£3,ll7,94o
Other deposits ... 12,744,634; Increase 1,703,585
Rest ... 3,247,894; Increase 29,068
On the other side of the account—
Government securities £14,833,299; Decrease £211,031
Other securities ... 16,736,409; Decrease 839,714
Notes unemployed .. 7,800,600; Decrease 301,620
The amount of notes in circulation is £21,348,200,
being an increase of £270,340 ; and the stock of
bullion in both departments is £15,831,072, showing
a decrease of £21,827, when compared with the
preceding return.

ISSUE DEPARTMENT.
Notes issued ... £29,148,800 Governmt. Debt £11,015,100
Other Securities 2,984,900
Gold coin & bu11'n.15,148,800
Silver bullion ...

£29,148,800
BANKING IMPARTMENT.

£29,148,800

Prop. Capital ... £14,553,0001Gr0v. Securities £14,833,299
63.4 Rest ... ... 3,247,894 Other Securities 16,736,409
Public Deposits 8,291,993 Notes ... 7,800,600
Other Deposits 12,744, Gold & Silver Coin 682,272
7-day & other bills 1,215,059
£40,052,580 £40,052,580

In the cotton manufacturing districts prices are
well maintained, particularly for yarns and goods
adapted for India, as the recent advices by the
overland mail, both from Bombay and Calcutta,
are favourable. In China, also, trade is improving ;
and letters from Singapore promise advanced quota-
tions, The reaction from the recent stoppage of
traffic has also tended to promote activity, and
trade may be considered, on the whole, in a satis-
factory state, though the demand is chiefly for
lower qualities. In the woollen districts there is
less animation, though the raw material still main-
tains its value ; but business, after the close of the
year, appears to have hardly commenced. The
same remark will apply to the state of trade at.
Leicester and Nottingham.
With reference to the prospects of commercial
business generally. much will, of course, depend
upon the long protracted settlement of affairs be-
tween Russia and Turkey. Should this result in
active hostilities, involving other powers than the
principals in the quarrel, it must of necessity prove
disastrous, not only to mercantile operations, but
also by absorbing a large amount of English capi-
tal. On the other hand, the recent advices from
our Australian colonies of the continued active de-
mand for British produce, and the fresh discoveries
of gold, give fair promise of a still increasing trade
in that direction, while the United States, the
Brazils, and other markets for our exports, afford
also a reasonable prospect of an active demand.
Should, therefore, no obstacle be interposed by
monetary difficulties, owing to the threatened in-
fliction of war, there appears no reason to doubt
that, with the increased facilities for communica-
tion by the establishment of new lines of steam-
ships, the increase in our export trade which
marked the year 1853 will be well maintained in
the year we have just commenced.
In our last we stated that the tendency of
SHARES in Railways during the week had been
steadily downwards. To-day we must report a
movement in the contrary direction—each day
there has been an increased firmness in the market,
and prices have gradually recovered the two per
cent. fall of the previous week. This has been
caused by a scarcity of stock as the settlement
approached, and the rise has been established at
the settlement now pending, from the fact of a
back having to be paid on most stocks, which is a
sum of money paid by bears (or speculators who
have sold what they do not possess) for the loan of
stock to supply their fictitious sales. There is a
growing impression, too, that with England and
France united, and prepared for war, yet at the
same time desirous for peace, and willing to talow
Russia as honourable a way as its own sagacity
can discover to escape from the dilemma in which
it has placed itself, that war may be averted ; and,
as this hope gains ground, buyers come forward.
Money is very abundant at its price, which is of
course high. The dividends promised are better
in some cases than were looked for ; it appears
that the loans renewed during the time money was
cheap have benefitted interest account to an extent
to cover in some measure the extra expenses from
high prices. The Brighton has declared a dividend
of £3 45., making £5 for the year ; the London
and North-Western is to pay £5, the Sonth-
Western £4. Our local stocks are steady at
former prices. We annex this day's quotations :
Caledonians, 27 * 7 * 7 61 ; Eastern Counties, 13*;
Lancashire and Yorkshire, 644 1 I 4 ; Lancaster
and Carlisle Thirds, 13p; Ditto New Thirds, 122 p ;
London Stock, 1021 1 ; Ditto Eighths, 1d; Midland
Stock, 62-1- 1 i 2 * i 8; North British, 8* 3-16 ;
Dover Stock, 18-1 5-16 i 5-16 i 3-16 1-16 ; York,
Newcastle, and Berwick, 151 ; York and North
Midland, 23-a ; Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln
£lO pref., 91 ; North Union A, 250.
COTTON.—The business during the week has
been but moderate, owing to the difficulty of
transit for heavy goods, both by canal and railway.
The market, however, has been very steady, prices
having been well maintained. The new cotton is
now coming in, and being offered freely on arrival,
but stocks are moderate, and purchases are mostly
for the wants of the trade. To-day the advices per
America were received, but current rates here were
not affected. The sales amounted to about 6,000
bales. The following is a comparison of present
prices with those of the corresponding period last
year :

1853.
5 9-16 d.

1854.
... 66;d-
-...ed.