MONEY MARKET.

STOCK EXCILLSOE, FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

The English Funds have advanced 1 per cent since the closing of last Saturday. Consols opened good on Monday at 93} a for 5th March, and remained steady throughout the day, with a fair amount of business. Continued arrivals of Australian gold, the prospects of an early settlement of the Persian question, and the publication of the Army and Navy Estimates, showing a reduction of no less than 17,000,0001., have since tended to give a much better tone to the markets in general ; and a gradual rise has taken place in most English Securities. Consols were at one time today strong buyers at 941: some adverse sales, however, caused a decline to 941 sellers; at which price they closed, with considerably less fineness. Reduced, 94 I; New Three per Cents, 941 1. Bank Stock closes at 216 to 217k, but has been negotiated today at 218. Money has been easily obtainable on Government Securities all the week at Rns average rate of per cent.

Foreign Stocks are better: business has been chiefly directed towards Turkish and Mexican. Venezuela Bonds are again quoted at f per cent higher-37f 8f. Spanish Three per Cent, 40} ; Spanish Deferred, 244 ; Ditto Certificates, 6t f. Turkish Six per Cent, 944 5—en improvement of

mar 101 f. Mexican, much firmer, at per cent advance-22 t. The marl} per cent upon last week's quotation ; New Four per Cent Guaranteed,

ket as been active all the week.

Railway Shares have been in good demand, and an improvement has to be recorded in nearly all descriptions of Stock and Shares. Great Western and Lancashire and I orkshire have risen fully 3/, per cent. In other Shares the quotations are higher at a range of 10s. to 21. Midland closes at 83 I ; East Lancashire, 96i 7; London and North-Western, 107f I; Lancashire and Yorkshire, 99i ; Great Western, 68f 9; Great Northern, 231 ; London and Brighton 108 109; Dover, 221 1. The settlement of the Account today has passed off without any difficulty. Contangos and rates of interest have been very moderate, money being in good supply.

Foreign Railways are generally better from DX to 15s. per share. Paris and Lyons, 544 51; Northern of France, 36} 7t ; Central, 4 f ; Luxembourg, 1/. per cent 'better-6a ; Namur and Liege leave off at 8f 9. Indian Shares have also slightly improved. Great Indian Peninsula New Shares,

13-16 15-16 pm. ; Punjauli, pm. ; the 'Dude, and the Central Oude, par to k.

SATURDAY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.

A decrease of 160,7301. is shown in last night's return of the Bank stock of bullion. The English Market opened flat this morning, the Budget not being considered so favourable as had been anticipated ; unfavourable exchanges from India and China also contribute to depress the market. Consols are quoted 94 I; there is rather an excited market, but as yet operations have been unimportant. Foreign Stocks and Railways are dull, at a shade lower prices. Bristol and Exeter has been negotiated at 94k ; Chester and Holyhead, 36f ; Edinburgh, Perth, and Dundee, 35; Great Northern, 931; Great Western, 68; Loudon and South-Western, 105.

8 Wranitlad.V, 01:8 O'CLOCIC.

The Funds close heavy at the opening prices ; Consols have been buyers at 94k, but only for a short time ; the business of the day has not been extensive. The Foreign Markets are dull, with scarcely any business doing.

The following are the latest transactions in Railways arid Miscellaneous Stocks—Bristol and Exeter, 944; Great Northern, 934; Great Western, 68Lancashire and Yorkshire, 99k ; London, Brighton, and South Coast, 10451; London and North-Western, 1071; London and South-Western, 1054; Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, 361; North-Eastern—Berwick, 874; Ditto York, 631; South Devon, 76k ; South Wales, 854 ; Grand Trunk of Canada, A Issue, 51; Great Indian Penineula, 211 ; Great Western of Canada Shares, 254; Madras Guaranteed 44 per Cent, 20. Joint Stock Banks—British North American, 70; London and Westminster, 474; South Australia, 36. Miscellaneous—Canada, 143.

The net profits of the London and North-Western will allow of the declaration of a dividend of 24 per cent for the half-year, with a good balance to be carried forward.

The Midland Company's dividend will be at the rate of 44 per cent per annum, making 44 per cent for 1856.

The North-Eastern Railway dividends will be at the rate of 44 per cent per annum on the Berwick stock, and 34 per cent on the York and North Midland stock, besides paying off all arrears on the Leeds stock.

The dividend of the East Lancashire is to be 25 per cent for the last halfyear. The dividend of the Lancashire and Yorkshire will be 24 per cent for the half-year, with a surplus carried forward.

At a meeting at Sydney, on the 29th October, the Bank of New South Wales not only declared a dividend at the rate of 20 per cent per annum, but also added 13,622/. to the reserve-fund, and carried forward a balance of 3063/.

The cost of the Post-office packet service for this year will be 208,677/ more than for 1856, owing to new contracts for conveying mails from Southampton to Australia viA. Ceylon, and from Dartmouth to the Cape, Mauritius, and Calcutta. The total estimate is 965,064/.—a pretty large slice out of the expenditure of the year. The most costly mails are those from Southampton to the West Indies,—no less than 240,000/.

Messrs. Fox and Henderson were declared bankrupts, and duly surrendered, in the Birmingham District Court, on Wednesday.

The Morning Light and Heather Bell, from Melbourne, have this week brought gold valued at 822,0001.; and the Centurion, from Sydney, hasarrived with gold worth 21,600/.

As trade is stopped at Canton, it is fortunate that we have a good stock of tea at home. On the 31st January, the stock in the United Kingdom amounted to 87,546,000 pounds—about fifteen millions more than in 1866, and twenty-one millions more than in 1855.