New-York tribune., 1874-03-30

are looking just little more hopeful and further
Improvement is confidently anticipated after the
volume of currency shall have been definitely and
actually fixed. But it would probably DO grave
mistake to suppose that the adoption Of a
financial policy by Congress will immediately
restore that confidence which was so fear
fully shaken during the late panic; and without
confidence active ,and prosperous business is not
possible. 1t will doubtless return in time. and we
shall then again the factories, forges, rolling
mills, and the marts of commerce alive with ac-
tivity. and, it is to be hoped, prosperity; but
must wait as patiently as possible for that good
time coming" Business at the Produce Exchange
has somewhat improved, but mainly in speculative
way. In breadstuifs, flour shows little change from
last week Wheat has been somewhat more active,
with variable market, and Indian corn is little
better The dry-goods market is only shade more
active than last week. Cotton shows slight de-
crease in both receipts and exports, while specula
tion has been rather more active, and has
suited in an advance of about cent per
pounG. Government bonds have been fairly
active and have advanced from . to per cent. In
State bonds there has been very little doing except
in Tennessees which have been very we'll sustained.
Railroad bonds have been in good request, and in
some cases have shown marked advance. The
gold speculation has been strong. in sympathy with
the initiation measures Of Congress. The movement
in railway and miscellaneous shares has been more
active than for many weeks past, and the fuctua-
tions have been marked, the highest prices having
been made OH Friday morning The advance, COM
pairing the closing prices Of last Saturday with
those of to-day, has extended throughout the list
with the single exception of Erie and has ranged
from to Al per cent, as follows: Central and Hud-
son, per cent; Hannibal and st. Joseph preferred,
g. Quicksilver, !; Toledo and Wabash and
Panama, each !; st. Paul preferred, !; Har-
lem. Hannibal and st. Joseph common, and
Atlantic and Pacific preferred each 1 North
West Preferred, New-Jersey Central, and c., G. and
j. G. each Il Ohio and Mississippi, Il Rock Island,
2l st. Paul Common. % /; Northwest Common, q,
Lake Shore and Western Union, each 8. Union
Pacific and Delaware, Lackawanna and Western.
each g and Pacific Mail Al. Erie alone declined
per cent The general speculation this the closing
day. was, in comparison with other days of the
week, comparatively tame and entirely lacking in
those exciting features that followed the announce
ment of currency imitation. The of stocks to-
day was not confident but rather hestating
though operators not fully assured that the
power of issuing not issuing he may desire the
authorized legal tenders by the Treasury, was in any
way changed altered by the vote of Congress. The
country has too long already suffered from this
fast and loose playing with the legal tenders
by the chief of the Treasury Department. and re-
member too distinctly the famous coup d6iat on the
eve of the Pennsylvania election in 1872 not to feel
some alarm at the possible Capitalization of power
for partisan purposes growing out of this reafirma
tion of the rght to expand contract the currency
at will The various mercantile pursuits can ill
brook this practical interference in tho method of
conducting their business. The stock market start
ed off little below the latest official figures of last
night. aud then improved considerably. After the
First Board quite a severe demonstration was made
against the market which thereupon suffered
to the extent of to IL. Western Union Telegraph
the most. Indeed this stock weak
all day, and after declining from 80, to 79s, never
afterward recovered above S0.. Union Pacific was
to 81! gave tone to the late market, which closed
firm with Pacific Mail recovered to 49, c., C.. and
l. c., 32i, and Northwestern to 57s, after decline
to So. Ohios stifened up to 81. Central aud Lake
Shore were firm and good request but the general
investment list was dull A few sales of Delaware
Lackawanna and Western made at 11lsGl1ls
n. ]. Central at l07, and New-York New-Haven and
Hartford at l33. Alton and Terre Haute Preferred
advanced to 3j bid this afternoon. with no stock
offering. The annual statement is said to be favora-
bic, and will be forthcoming early in April at which
time it is said that three per cent dividend will be
declared, payable in May The opening highest,
lowest and closing prices of stocks were as follows