The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-10-31 00:00:00

THE Funds have exhibited a slightly downward
tendency during the week, which may, perhaps,
be attributed to the absence of any favourable
news from the seat of war in the Crimea ; but the
easiness in the Money Market has had a favourable
effect, and towards the close a reaction was obe
servable. The returns of the Bank of England
present some changes worthy of notice, there
being an increase of bullion to the extent of
£501,373, in the face of a decrease in public de-
posits of £661,335, arising from the payment of
the dividends. The Morning Herald of Saturday
argues upon this return as being unsatisfactory,
but few mercantile men will sympathise with its
remarks. It will be observed that there is an
increase of private deposits to the extent of
£486,303, and a decrease of other securities to the
extent of £373,999 ; both favourable indications
of money being more at command, while the in-
crease of bullion set against the diminution of
public deposits also shows a more satisfactory state
of the Money Market ; and that this is the general
impression, was evident in the rise of the Funds
after the publication of the account.

The statement of the affairs of Mr. EDWARD
OLIVER, which has just been published, shows, as
we ventured to predict, that the prospects of the
creditors are not so unfavourable as were repre-
sented. Time is -required in order to realise the
very large amount of assets ; and, if the trustees
act with judgment, and no adverse circumstances
should occur to depreciate this description of pro-
perty, it is not improbable that the claims on the
estate may eventually be paid in full. At any
rate, it is evident that no ground exists for those
statements of 'ruinous loss which were so Indus.
triously circulated, and the inference that the
mercantile interests of Liverpool were involved in
reckless speculation.
In the 'Cotton manufacturing districts business
has been dull, but not to any extent to create
despondency. Holders have not been.inclined to
press sales, and prices have been fairly maintained.
In the 'Woollen trade there are the same dull
accounts of diminution of production by the stop-
page of mills, and the want of remunerative prices,
notwithstanding which the raw material maintains
its value. The Hosiery trade is also very inactive.

The recent rise in the price of Corn has set at
defiance all the promises of the Free Trade advo-
cates, and left many to draw the practical inference
that the new system is not that unmixed good
which it was predicted it would prove. Bread is
now at as high a price as it was during-the time
of the greatest scarcity, and general dissatisfaction
prevails. Just two months have elapsed since the
leading journal was sounding the note of triumph
because Wheat had fallen 20s. a quarter, and now
it'has recovered all the decline. Advantage seems
to have been taken of the absence of importations
for the home growers to hold, and the consumers
are consequently at the mercy of speculators, who
are now reaping their harvest.
Our SHARE MARKET has been idle this week,
and prices have drooped each day until Saturday.
On that day a slight scarcity of stock was manifest,
for the approaching settlement and .contangoes
ruled generally lighter, in consequence of which
there was greater firmness, and prices advanced one
per cent., Dovers, Leeds, and Midlands being
principally in demand. The late fire and its effects
upon the insurance companies has engrossed a good
deal of attention. It is said that the loss to our
:local companies, deducting salvage, will be about
£lB,OOO to £20,000 to the. Liverpool and London.;
t12,000t0 the Royal ; and £ll,OOO to the Lanca-
shire. It is expected that these heavyand unlooked-
for losses will cause the attention of the directors of
the several companies to be given to their rates
of premium. The present tariff was adopted
under the impression that the increased supply of
water and the " fire-proof " warehouses would do
away altogether with these large fires. This ex-
pectation having proved a vain one, the directors
will no doubt reconsider the rates, with a view to
their being raised,, as a better opportunity than
the present may not offer. The settlement in pro-
gress this day is-a very light one; contangoes are
easier, and the- market altogether has a more
buoyant tone about it than for some days past.
We annex prices :—Caledonians, 291 4e ic 30 294 c
30*4 ; East Lancashire, 17 3-16; Lancashire
and Yorkshire, 724 41444; Sheffield Stock,
238 ;; Midland Stock, 694 s 4 8 1; North British,
8 9-16; South Eastern, 18 13-16 I- 13-16 -87-; Great
Northern 5 per cent. pref., 131 ; Lancashire In-
surance, 3-Rip.
PEON:TM—The markets on the whole have
presented a better feeling during the week, and a
fair amount of business has been transacted. TO-
DAY -there has been an improved demand for
Sugar, and rather higher prices paid, particularly
for grocery West India ; the transactions, in-
cluding Saturday's business, comprise 70 hhds.
Barbadoes at 30s. to 345., 30 hhds. Jamaica at
305., 150 brls. Antigua at 335. 6d. to 345., 40
hhds. 6( brls. Porto Rico at 325. to 365. 6&, 550
bags Dates at 345. 6d., and 7,000 mats Mauritius
at 275. 6d. to 30s. 6d. per cwt. Molasses have
also been in better request, 100 puns. Antigua
having realized 15s. 6d. from the quay, being a
further advance of 6d. per cwt. A small parcel of
Jamaica Rum has brought extreme prices. There
are no sales to notice in Coffee ; 30 bags grey
Trinidad Cocoa.are reported at 365. per cwt. The
market for common Tea; since the delivery of the
letters from China, has not been quite so •firm;
the Vision has commenced discharging, but as
yet no sales have transpired. Rice is only in
moderate demand, •and the sales are confined to
250 bags Bengal at 16s. per cwt. We have also
to report 2,400 bags Nigerseed, at 475. per quarter
for sound, 20 tons E. India Redwood at £7 7s. 6d.,
10 tons St. Domingo Logwood, all faults, at £6 ss.
per ton, and 20 chests. East India Gum Arabic at
19s. to 28s. per cwt.
COTTON.—This market has been characterised
by dulness, arising from the uncertainty which
prevails as to the effects of the war and the recent
large advance in the Corn market, but the amount
of business done has been nearly an average. The
sales for the week up to Friday amounted to
40,030 bales, of which 2,670 were taken on specu-
lation and 4,200 for export, leaving 33,160 for the
trade. TO-DAY the sales reached 8,000 bales, in-
cluding 1,000 taken on speculation and 1,500 for
export, and the market closed steadily without
alteration in value, the turn being rather in favour
of the seller. The following is a comparison of
present rates with those of the corresponding
period of last year :

New Orleans, middling

1853. 1854
sid.
61d. ed.
550.
6d.

fair ......
Uplands, middling
fair „ ....

METALs.—We have very little change to report
in the Metal market, which continues quiet,
although prices generally keep firm. Manufac-
tured Iron is without change in price, but pig
Iron has fallen to SOs. 6d, for store warrants ; for
shipping better prices in proportion are obtained,
and the hipiztent4 keep large, Copper Ateady. in