MONEY MARKET.

STOCK EXCHANGE, FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

The business of the Stock Exchange has not been very extensive, nor the fluctuations such as to require remark. The general tendency of the public to investment has caused a trifling advance in the prices of the English Funds, which are * per cent higher than the quotations of Saturday, and are firm at the advance. India Stock has fluctuated about 2 per cent, and was yesterday done at 249 and 247; but has been again quoted today at 249. The premium on Exchequer Bills continues the same ; those yielding 2id. per day being 49s. 518., those at 2d. being 48s. 508. Money has been rather more in demand, and the current rate of interest may be quoted at about 3 per cent.

The transactions of the Foreign Market have been on an equally limited scale; and though the settlement of the half-monthly account occurred today, it has not given rise to any transactions worthy of notice. Money (as in the English market) has become scarcer; 6 per cent, and in some cases even a higher rate, having been freely given for loans upon the more worthless de- scription of Foreign Bonds. Spanish Active Stock has experienced a decline of i per cent from recent quotations. This fall appears to have been quite unexpected, and to have been occasioned by the dulness of the market for these Securities in Holland, where a depreciation of more than 1 per cent has occurred. We have had occasion to remark upon the large purchases of this Stock recently made for the Dutch market ; and as from this circum- stance the fluctuations of the Exchange in Amsterdam have become of much importance, they are anxiously watched by our capitalists. There does not appear to be any political cause in Spain to which the decline may be attri- buted. Mexican Bonds still continue depressed; which is the more remark- able as the dividend upon them will be paid tomorrow, and the present quota- tion of 35 is in reality only 32i, a price at which any Five per Cent Stock, with a dividend regularly paid, must be considered cheap. The recent exten- sive sales of this species of security have, however, so shaken the confidence of the speculators, that they are unwilling to purchase the Stock, from the fear that some political or financial disaster is impending over the Republic, of which these operations are the forerunners. The other Foreign Funds are without material variation from our last prices. In addition to the dividend upon Mexican Bonds, that upon Brazilian Stock will be in course of payment to- morrow: the Income-tax will be deducted from both.

Railway Shares are generally without material variation ; but there is an improvement of nearly 1/. in those of the Brighton line, for which we cannot assign any apparent cause. SATURDAY, TWELVE o'CLoca.

There has been little business doing this morning, and prices are the same as yesterday. There is a trifling improvement in Railway Shares, as will be seen by the following transactions : Great Western, 81i 82; New ditto, 9*; ditto, Fifths, 7i ; Brighton, ; Northern and Eastern, 35 6; Paris and Rouen, 20. We have also to notice a transaction in London and Westminster Bank Shares, at 24.

SATURDAY, FOUR O'CLOCK.

There is scarcely any alteration in prices this afternoon, and our quotations of every description of Stock are the same as in the morning. Brazilian and Mexican Bonds are now quoted ax dividend, the former being 644 5, equal to a previous quotation of 67 to /0 and the latter 32fr 3, equal to a quotation with dividend of 35 to Brighton Railway Shares are firm, and have been done at 35.4.The only addition to our morning's notice of Share transactions, is a bargain in General Steam Navigation, at 25i.

3 per Cent. Console

92* 3

Columbian 6 per Cents .... 201 1

Ditto for Account

93 Danish 3 per cents 83 4 3 per Cent Reduced shut Dutch 24 yer Cents 514 24

3i per Cent Ditto

shut Mexican a per Cents Gaud. 324 5 ex.d.

New 34 per CenM

1001 1

Portuguese Regency 5 perCts. ::51 6 Bank Stock

shut Ditto New 5 per Cents 1841. 30 Exchequer Bills. 24d.

.. prem.

48 61 Ditto 3 per Cents 21 Ditto. 2d do. 4o 50 Russian Spec Cents 112 113 India Stock 248 9 Spanish (Active) 5 per Ceuta

5 per Cents

67 ex Coupons 151

ihlgian 5 per Cents

102 3

Ditto Spec Cents 1842

901

The usual monthly statement of the average circulation of the Bank of Eng- land, Private, and Joint Stock Banks, for the four weeks ending the 17th in- stant, is published in the Gazette of last night. As compared with the average of a corresponding period ending the 20th August last, there is a diminution of 514,326/. in the gross amount of the Circulation, under the following heads—

Bank of England £437,000 Private Banks 52,369 Joint Stock Banks. 3,351

Making the total decline in the English circulation £492,720

The decrease in that of Scotland is 26,286 In that of the Bank of Ireland 25,715 £544,721 There is an increase in the circulation of the Private and Joint Stock Banks in Ireland. 30,395 Making the total decrease, as above stated £514,326

The amount of Bullion in the Bank of England has increased 246,000/.; the present amount being 9,816,000/., against a previous amount of 9,570,000/. The most gratifying feature in these accounts is the continued increase of bullion, which has nearly doubled in amount since the commencement of the year, when it was 5,629,0000/.

The long-pending dispute between certain holders of Portuguese Bonds and the Government at Lisbon, arising out of the proposed mode of converting the various descriptions of Stock now current, and which, from the influential cha- racter of the dissatisfied parties, has materially limited the operation of the decree of November 1840, under which the conversion takes place, has now, we understand, been adjusted. At a meeting of the Committee of Bondholders held yesterday, it was determined to recommend to the Bondholders generally to convert their Stock ; and a meeting is called for that purpose for Puesday the 1 1 th instant. The dividends due upon every description of Portuguese Bonds in December and January are advertised for payment in the newspapers of today, making the fifth dividend that will have been paid upon the reduced scale. The Converted Stock will, we have little doubt, be soon admitted to quo- tation in the Official List at the Stock Exchange, into which all the varieties of Portuguese Bonds will be merged.