ENGLAND.

Press, Volume XII, Issue 1472, 27 July 1867, Page 2

ENGLAND.

[From the " Home News," June 3.]

Consols are now quoted at 93i to _, without the dividend. A month ago they were under 90, and Exchequer Bills are at 27s prem. The Government broker has commenced his quarterly purchases of stock on acoonnt of the Sinking Fund. Colonial Government Securities are quoted (May 31) :— New Zealand 6 per cent., 10-i, 105J ; do., 5 per cent., 88., 89£ ; do. 6 per cent., 1891, March and September, 103, 104; do. 6 per cent., 1891, June and December, 104_, 105_ ; Queensland 6 per cent, 1884-5, January and July, 93, 95 ; do. 1891, January and July* 92, 94; South Australian Government 6 per cent., 1878 and upwards, 105,107 j Victoria Government 6 per cent., 1891, January and July, 109,110; do. April and October, 108,109.

The Chamberlain of the city of London on May 18 invited subscriptions for £265,000 city bonds, bearing •_-_ per cent., being part of a sum of £350,000 authorised to be raised for the completion of the new bridge at Blackfriars and the purchase of Southwark bridge, the bonds to be issued at par, and for a period of twelve years. The whole sum was subeoribed by noon on May 20. It is notified that at the half-yearly meeting of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company, to be held early this month, the directors will not be in a position to make the usual recommendation with regard to an ad interim dividend, the amount of which declared at that period has -usually been 3i per cent, for the half-year. The chief cause of this unfavourable state of things is a falling off in the company's revenue through a decrease in the shipments of specie, as well as in the general movement of silk and other important articles of commerce, consequent upon the prolonged crisis in the Eastern trade. At the same time, an increase in coal freights outwards, and in other items, has tended to enlarge the company's working expenses. There can also be no doubt that the company's interests have been prejudiced by the active competition of the Messageries Imperiales Company, which is subsidised to the extent of more than four times the sum assigned to the Peninsular and Oriental Company, An application is before the Corps Legislate of France for a grant of about £70,000 per annum to subsidise a French mail service between Panama and Valparaiso. An English steam company, with a subsidy from the British Government of less than one-fourth of this amount, have been running semimonthly lines of mail packets along the West Coast for the past twenty-five years. This company have for some years maintained a special third service every month, in order to connect with the Freneli Atlantic Mail Lino at the Isthmus of Panama, thuß iffording to the postal and commercial interests of France a complete mail service in the Pacilic without any charge whatever on tbe Imperial exchequer.

latest city intelligence. The Funds were exceedingly buoyant Jnne 1 (Saturday) ; Consols advanced to 96$- to _ for money with dividend included, and to 94| to i- ex. div. for account. Foreign Stocks also Advanced, and Railways were firm. Messrs J. S. Morgan and Co. have issued •the prospectus for a Pennsylvania State loan amounting to -__,600,000, and bearing interest At tho rate of 6 per cent., payable half-yearly. Following the course adopted on May 30 •by the directors of the Bank of England, the Council of the Bank of France reduced on the 31st of May the rate of discount from 3 to 2. jper cent.

Four members of the Stock Exchange were unable to meet their engagements at the settlement on May 31, and they were declared defaulters. Each of them had operated for the fall, when they were •' caught " by a rise of from 3 to 5 per cent, in the funds, railways, and foreign stocks

The aggregate stock of gold held by the Banks of England and France is upwards of £57,000,000.

The Imperial Land Company of Marseilles have made a call of £1 per share payable June 10. The company is to be reconstructed.

The accounts received in London of the appearance of the growing crops are (June 1) most favourable, and a fall is expected in the Corn-market on Monday (June 3).