MONEY MARKET.

STOCK EXCHANGE. FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

The delay that occurred on Saturday last in the ratification of the Quin- tuple treaty by the French Government caused some alarm among the specu- lators; and on Monday some considerable sales of Consols for Account oc- curred, which produced a decline to the extent of the whole improvement noted in our last report. The market remained depressed till Wednesday afternoon; when the necessity of providing stock for delivery on the settlement of the Consol Account upon the following day forced some of the speculators for the fall to purchase, and caused an improvement in prices. A further impulse was Oven yesterday by the publication of the following notice by the Bank of England. The Governor and Company of the Bank of England are ready, until further no- tice, to receive applications for loans upon the depo.it of approved bills of exchange hot having more than six mouths to run. Exchequer Bills. and East India Bonds ; such loans to be repaid on or before 20th April next, with interest at the rate of 4 per cent per annum, and to be for sums of not less than 2,0001. $1 ch. Bank of England, 24th February 1842."

This notice is the same as those usually issued by the Bank at the quar- terly periods for closing the books of the various Stocks upon which dividends become due, but is remarkable as affording the accommodation of loans at 4 per cent instead of 5 per cent, and must be considered as a preliminary to the reduction of the Bank rate of discount from 5 to 4 per cent : a course which it has long been evident the Directors will be compelled to adopt, from the large accumulation of bullion in their possession. That amount is at pre- sent, as stated by the average of four weeks, ending the 5th instant, 5,600,000/. against a circulation of 17,402,000/.; and as from the state of the :exchanges the amount of bullion must increase considerably during the spring, the Directors will be forced to enlarge their circulation, which of course they can only do by making money cheap. On ordinary occasions, these quarterly notices have not appeared till late in the afternoon, after what is termed the money business of the Stock Exchange is over ; but yesterday's notice wag posted up soon after twelve o'clock, during the height of the business atten dant on the settlement of the Congo' Account ; and this circumstance, by occa- sioning an immediate demand for Stock, was of material assistance to the "Bulls" or speculators for the rise. The immediate effect was to produce a rise of i per cent in every description of Stock, and to render capitalists anxious lenders of money at current rates of interest. The operations of the early part of the week depressed Consols for Money to 89 ; and they were yes- terday done at 894. Reduced Three per Cents were at 894, and yesterday at 904 ; while Reduced and New Three-and-a-half per Cents have improved, the former 4, and the latter 1 per cent. The market is not so firm today ; for though the demand for Money Stock continues, and a considerable quantity has been taken by the brokers, there have been some extensive sales for Ac- count ; and the quotations of almost every description of stock are 4 per cent lower than the highest prices of yesterday. The Continuation, or premium paid yesterday by the speculator for carrying over Consols to the February Account was 1per cent ; and our quotations for Account today are made with that addition ; the closing prices being 891 for Money, and 894 4 for Account. Bank Stock has improved about 1 per cent, and is marked at 1714 for the April Account ; a quotation equal to about 1704 for Money, reckoning interest at 44 per cent. India Stock has fallen back ; and after being at 246, is today marked at 247. The following are the days fired for the closing of the books of the Stocks upon which the Dividends become due in April.

Sum. Ormr.

Bank Stock March 1st .... April 14th Three per Cent Reduced March 2 .... April 20 Three-and-a half per Cent Reduced March 3 .... April 19 Three-and-abalf per Cent. 1818 March 4 April 15 Long Annuities March 2 .... April 18 Annuities for Terms of Years March 5 .... April 19

Old South Sea Annuities March 4 .... Apnf 15

East India Stock. Five per cent Book debt March 3 .... April 14

The premium upon Exchequer Bills, which had declined to 20s., improved yesterday upon the publication of the Bank notice, and is today 238. to 258. During the week several minor commercial failures have occurred, and the state of trade appears still languid.

The business of the Foreign Market has been almost entirely confined to the Non-Dividend Stocks; and of these Mexican has been the most in demand : some very extensive purchases have occurred during the last few days, and forced the price up to 36, though soon to give way again ; today the prices 351 4 at the close. Columbian and the other South American are without material variation. Spanish Active has been depressed as low as 24 ; hut has since rallied again, and after being 244, closes this afternoon at 24-4 4. . The decline of price in the Active Stock at Paris and Local Stock at Madrid, to- gether with the reported intrigues to overturn the Government of the B4ntr have been the cause of this depression. The market has been rendered oer than under such circumstances it would otherwise have been, by the proepect of a speedy conclusion of the arrangement for the conversion of the overdue Dividends and the payment of a dividend upon the Stock go created. No great importance is attached to these rumours of revolution ; but it must be- evident, that as long as the French Government are bent upon keeping the Peninsula in a state of embroilment, the persons interested in Spanish Bonds will be subjected to continual alarms and losses. No business of importance has occurred in Portuguese Bonds; the prices of which are slightly firmer than at our last. The Dividend-paying European Stocks are without material alteration or business of importance. The transactions in the Railway Shares have been trifling, and the prices are slightly lower than last week.

SATURDAY, TWELVE O'CLocK.

The English Funds have been steady during the morning, at the closing prices of yesterday, with but little business doing. The premium upon Ex- chequer Bills has advanced 28. ; and these securities, after being at 26a, are now 248. to 26s. No transactions have occurred in Bank or India Stock today ; consequently °LI quotations are nominal. In the Foreign Market the business has been quite unimportant, and our report of this morning's operations may be summed up in the notice of a slight demand for Columbian Bonds, occasioned by the coincidence of two or three brokers having been buyers; this stock has consequently advanced 5 per cent, and from .224 is at present 224 3 : the others are at yesterday's prices. The business of the Railway Share-market has been confined to the follow- ing operations. Bristol and Exeter, 37; Great Western opened at 87, have since been 89, and then receded to 88; Ditto New, 614 5 ; London and Brighton ex Loan-notes, 354 4 ; ditto with Loan-notes, 354 65 ; Loan- notes,l premium.

3 per Cent. Consols Ditto for Account 3 per Cent Reduced

31. per Cent Ditto

New 34 per Cents Bank Stock Exchequer Bills India Stock Brazilian 5 per Cents Belgian 6 per Cents 894

894 4 891 994 t 981 1704 2426pm. 246 7 65 6 1024 34

Columbian 6 per Cents Danish 3 per Cents Dutch 21 per Cents Mexican 5 per Cents, Coned Portuguese Regency 5 perCts Ditto New 5 per Cents 1841 Ditto 3 per Cents Russian 5 per Cents Spanish (Active) 231 824 34 52

351 6 324 t- 274 t 1111 164 91 1 244 .1 SATURDAY. Faux o'CLocw.

The intelligence brought by the Gorgon steamer from Alexandria, was at first believed to be the regular overland mail; but as the intelligence is only a few days later than our last arrival, the effect produced upon the Funds by the unfavourable intelligence was but momentary. Upon the first publication of the Mmes containing a summary of the news, the price of Consols for Account fell to 894 ; but it has since recovered, and closes at the morning's quotations, via. 894 I. The Tay, West Indian mail-steamer, has also arrived ; but the lettere have not been delivered, and we are not enabled to give an ac- count of the intelligence she brings. Some express must, however, have arrived in town, as it is reported that intelligence from Colombia is very favourable, and the Bonds have risen nearly 1 per cent. The Three-and-a-half per Cent Stocks are heavy ; Reduced Three-and-a-half per Cents having been as low as 995, and New Three-and-a-half per Cents as 984. The Non-Dividend Stocks have all improved; Colombian closing at 234 4. The other South American are also in demand ; Chilian having been done at 73, Buenos Ayres at 204, and Peruvian at 154. Spanish Active have also improved, and have been done at 245, closing at 241 4. We have to notice the following transactions in Railway Shares in addition to those noted in the morning : Eastern Counties, 94 ; Great Western, 87; Great North of England, 82 83; Brighton, 354 ; Birmingham, 168 9; Northern and Eastern, 35; York and North Midland, 87 8; Ditto New, 284.