MONEY MARKET.

STOCK EXCHANGE, FRIDAY AFTERNOON'.

Owing to •the general absence of dealers, this, as usual, hatt,teen an un- important week upon -the-Stock Exchange. The dispute between Prussia and Switzerland has had little or no effect upon the prices of Securities. At the beginning of the week- there was a slight dulness, attributed to that cause ; but in the quotations of today a decided improvement has to be re- corded. Consols opened f per cent better than-they left off on -Wednesday. Yetiterdq being- Christ:Mu' Day, the Stock Ex ehenp clesetV atetthe business of the week has been extremely limited. Exchequer Bills haVe been dull-at 3,s: decline.

-Foreign Stocks have been rather more active, but prices are much about the same as' at the close of last week. Venezuela. Bonds -have advanced fully 4 per cent since the meeting of Bondholders last Monday ; they are now quoted at 38 9. Turkish Six per Cents' 95f I the new Four per Cent Stock, log 3/; Spanish Three per Cents, 421 3 ; 'Ditto Deferred, 241 ; Ditto Certificates, 5 fie. The agents of the Portuguese Government have Advertised the payment of Three per Cent dividends falling due on the 1st of January 1857: Railway 'Shares have been quiet, with an almost entire absence of-busi- ness. Prices oonthme firm. Great Western are quoted 691 f ; London and North-Western, 105/ H; Lancashire and Yorkshire, 97 f ; Midland, 82f f. In the lighter description of Shares, the principal business has been in Man- chester, Sheffield, and Lincoln., 33/ 4i; South-Eastern and Dover, 73};4;' Eastern Counties, 91 I; Great Northern, 224 I. The Foreign Railway Market has been inactive, and the prices of Fran& Shares are without alteration. Indian Shares are at steady prices, but actions are very few. East India Stock, 113 115; Great Indian Pen#1.0 New, 2112/. More business has been doing in Canadian Shares, at a sligh advance upon last week's prices : Grand Trunk, 131; Buffalo 11 1/ pm.

SATURDAY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.

The Bank of England return of this week shows a decrease of 178,7031. in the stock of bullion. The English Market is quiet this morning, with very little business ; Consols are good at 94 if. There is scarcely anything doing in the Foreign and Railway Markets, but Shares are steady at about previous rates ; only one o; two bargains have been done ; there is a marked absence of dealers.,, Midland has been • done at 84 ; Great Western, spa ; Lancashire and Yorkshire; 976; London and North--Western, 106; and South Wales, 82.

SATURDAY, ONZ O'CLOCK.

The Consol Market has exhibited considerable firmness since the opening, the price of Consols at one moment being 941 4; they are a shade lower now, but the tone of the market is good : the price is 94t t. In Foreign Stocks there is nothing doing. Venezuela Bonds firm at 38 9. English Railway Shares have in most instances advanced since the first prices of this morning. Foreign Shares are dull at former values. The following are the latest transactions—Bristol and Exeter, 93; Eastern Counties, 94; Great Northern, 901 ; Great Western, 684 ; London and North-Western, 10511; Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, 344; Mid- land, 82I; North-Eastern—York, 69t ; Grand Trunk of Canada, A Issue, 131; Great Western of Canada, 244. Miscellaneous—Canada Government 6 per Cent January and July, ll3t; Electric Telegraph, 92; Van Diemen's Land, 16. 3 per Cent Console shut Dutch 24 per Cents 64 6 Ditto for Account 94 # Ditto" 4.per Cents • 96 8 3 per Cent Reduced 944 Mexican 3 per Cents 214 i New 3 per Cents . Peruvian 44 per Cents 76 8 Long Annuities 2 5.16 Ditto 3 per Cent 54 6 . Bank Stock 18 Portuguese 3 pers Cents 1853. 44 6 Exchequer Bills I dis. 3 pm. Russian 5 per Cents 106 8 India Stock - shut Ditto 44 per Cents 96 8 Austrian 5 per Cents 86 9 Spanish 3 per Cents Brazilian 5 per Cents 99 101 Ditto Deferred NI 1 Belgian 44 per Cents 95 7 Sardinian 6 per Cents 88 90 cbtlion 6 per Cents 103 5 Swedish 4 per Cents ..... .... 83 7 Danish 5 per Cents 102 4 Turkish 6 per Cents Ditto 3 per Cents 82 4 Ditto 4 per Cents Guaranteed. rr.1.1 BANK OF ENGLAND. An Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and 8th Victoria, cap. 32, for the weekending on Saturday, the 20th day of Dec. 1856. littler DEPARTMENT.

Notes issued £24,376,930 I Government Debt 511,013,100

Other Securities 3,439,900

Gold Coin and Bullion 9,901,930

Sliver Bullion

£24,376,930 I £24,375,930

RANKING DEPARTMENT.

Proprietors' Capital £14,653,000 Government Securities (incin- Rest 3,240,390 ding Dead Weight Annuity). £10,870,431.

Public Deposits` 6,891,949 Other Securities 17,634,460 Other Deposits 9,493,093 Notes 5,863,890

Seven Days and other Bills... 822,242 Gold and Silver Coin 611,893

£33,000,674 £33,000,674

• Including Exchequer, Saving-Banks, Commissioners of National Debt, & Dividend Acet6.

At the meeting of the proprietors of the London Chartered Bank of Aus- tralia, on the 19th, after a dividend at the rate of ,6 per cent had been declared, some explanations of the position of the bank were given by the Chairman. The profits for the half-year ending June had been really 27,5001., but from this had been taken 10,300/. for bad debts and part pay- ment of preliminary expenses; it is believed that not more than 30001. of bad debts remain to be provided for—more than 401000/. have been wiped off. These losses occurred through the commercial crisis in Australia : prospects are now more encouraging. It has been found that the increased capital of the bank-700,000/.—is more than can be profitably used ; it may be a question, for the consideration of the next meeting whether the capital should not be decreased by 200,0001. These statements were considered to be satisfactory.

In consequence of an impression that the Directors of the Great Northern Railway intended to deny the validity of certain transfer-documents, though signed by their officers for the time being, the Committee of the Stock Ex- change had provisionally resolved to remove the Company's shares from the Official List : this resolution stood for confirmation next Monday ; in the -mean time, however, the Railway Directors have met, considered the sub- ject, and given an explanation to the following effect,—there has been un- avoidable delay in the transfer department, but there is no intention to repudiate any certificates properly attested, unless:there is reason to believe the holder of such stock has been party to any fraud in the manner of ob- taining it.

From the statements at the half-yearly meeting, the South Australian Land Company appears to be making steady progress. The dividend is to be at the rate of 7 per cent per annum.

The reports from the manufacturing districts are of a very favourable cha- racter, showing more than the usual activity of the season, with good prices.

Two failures were announced on Saturday,—Johnson and Co., ware- housemen in Watling Street, for 50,0001. or 60,0001. ; Ashworth and Co., of Manchester, for 30,0001.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—Return of admissions for six days ending Friday December 26th, including season-ticket-holders, 14,518.