MONETARY AND COMMERCIAL.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3887, 5 February 1870, Page 4

MONETARY AND COMMERCIAL.

L>AlLY PoUTHERtf CROSS Office, Friday evening. The markets during the last week have been fiira throughout. The retail trade has show n symptoms of a decided improvement. The quotations in bieadstufft and farm produce, though ranging at former prices, weie m ready demand, and holders seemed not over-anxious to sell. In the horse and cattlo maiket, we notice, from the leports of Messrs. Alfred Bucldand find Carey, Gilles, and Hunter, that good young horses of all classes met with steady demand. Riding horsra, fiom £12 to £13 ; draught stock, from £23 to £40. At Papa ura, on Wednesday last, young cattle of both sexes brought over verage prices. At Bcmuerp, on Thursday, dairy cows in fair demand ; store cattle met withready sale at from 32s to 35s Fat sheep were also m fair demand, and brought an improvement on previous '-ales of 3& per head. Lambs "H ere scarce, and higher than for several weeks' sales. At the sale of mooIs and flax held by Mr. Alfred Bnckland, at the Haymarket, \esteiday, there was a fair attendance. The puncipal poition of the wools offered was in bad oi dei. Good wools, well got up, were in lecjiiest; Is 4id per lb. was obtained for second wools — this being the highest price otfeied this season for seconds ; those wools m gieaso brought from 5d to 7d. Lambswool, washed, from 13d to Is lid; in grease, from 7d to 9d per lb. Tow was dull, and quitted at reduced prices. The flax offered was of a more superior qiiality. There was a steady demand at reduced- j)rices, those obtained ranging from £24 to £29 15s. but the greater part realised between £27 10s and £29 10s. From our Melbourne advices we observe that in the tea market speculators are buying up everything -with good leaf in common'tea, from Is. to Is. 3d., both in Melbourne and Sydney, There is also a decided advance in fine teas. By last advices, oilmen's stores are quoted at former prices ; wines and spirits equally firm, Candles in superior brands are looking up : shipments this season are reported to be far short of the shipments to aruve. Ouv home consumption market, as before noted, has had a decided upward tendency j and the general prosjiects of trade seem m a more healthy state. We subjoin our usual weekly trade prices current :— Flour : Silk-dressed, crown brand, per ton, £14 ; TSF brand, per ton, £12 ; seconds, per ton, £10 ; sharps, £7 ; bran, per bushel, j Is ; maize, whole or crushed, very scarce, 4s 6d to 4s 9d ; maize, Otago, in demand, 4s 6d to 5s ; oats, Canterbury, 3s 6d. Ale and Porter (duty paid) ; Bass's, and Tennent's, 12s : Allsopp's, 10a Gd ; Jeffrey's pale ale, 9a to 10s 6d ; Jeffrey's porter, lls ; Byass's, Ils6d; Blood's and Guinness's, 13s. Hams and Bacon : English hams scarce, Is 3d ; English bacon,. Is Id-; colonial bacon, 7d to 9d. English hams are improving in sale ; colonial bacon is not coming in so freely Wines, and Spirits : Maxell's dark brandy quarter-casks, 7sto 7s 3d;MartelTspale brandy 7sto i 7s 6djW.l. rum,30o.p., 4s; W.I. rum, 10'oVp., 3a 3d ; MarteH's pale brandy (easeq) -26s 6d j'3-dafeger pale brandy (eases)-, 21s 6d; Associated Vineyard pale brandy (cases) 19a to 22sj Ohatenotpale brandy (cases), 20s ; Campbelltown Whiskey (eases), ISs ; Dunvillejs, 15s ,; Scotch whiskey, in bulk; 6s ; IrisV6s6d; geaeva (red' casles), 15s to 18s; genera, (greem cases), 8s,; sherry, royal' awns (casks), 15a'; sherry, Cozen's, 1, 2, 3, and 4'diamond (casks), 4s/6d.4o<15s' 5 Jtorfc {casks), /4s6|>l2spig^^p«|^45s; No.

2 Moselle, quarts 48s, pints 503 ; bottled sheny and port (duty-paid), 15s to 50a. Oilmen's Stores t Starch ( 4d to 4£d ; salad oil, 7a 6d ; bottled fruit, 13s 3d ; Hobart Town jams, 7s 9d ; Brown and Polson's cornflour, 8d ; Champion's vinegar, in wood, 2g 6d to2s8d j Gillon's, in bottle, 10a to 10s Cd ; Colman's mustard, in 71b. tins, 8|d; capers, 9s; pickles, 9s 6d to 10s; 1 vestas, plaids 6a 9d, 250s 19a to 20s ; sardines (quarters), 53 9tt ; half (scarce), 108. Coffee, &Ci(in bond) : Plantation, 10£d; Java, 8d j Mani'a, 8d. White pepper, 9d; black pepper, 5£d ; cocoa, ]s 5d; chocolate, 18 4dj chicory, 7cl (duty paid). Sugar : Crushed lump, 5|d, d.p. ; white crystal, 4|d; yellow crystal, 3|d to 3|d; light counter, 3^d to 3|d ; yellow counter sugar and brown counter sugar, 3d to 3£d (ill boad). Tea, in bond : Boxes, 15s to 24s ; chests, 63s to z68s ; half-chests, 33s to 88a. 8oap, 24s to 32s. Soda crystals, £8 per ton. Candles: Price's, ll£dto Is ; Neva, il^dto Is ; moulds, Auckland, 5d j Melbourne, 5^d. Salt, £3 15s to £4 per ton. Fish : Bed herrings, 29s per dozen. Oila : Demand very limited for colza and tea oil — sperm and castor being principally used by the machines here. Kerosine : 3s. Linseed Oil t 4s 9d. Butter : lOd (plentiful). Dried Fruits (duty paid): Elenie raisins, 4£d to 4|d ; Cape raisins, 4d ; muscatels, 9cl ; currants, 4£d ; dried apples, 5d. Hops (duty paid) t Is to Is 9d; malt, 11s 6d to 13s ; malting bariey, 5s 6d, Tobacco t Good Cavendish, 8^cl to lOd. Manila cigars, 85s, in bond. There are plenty of common and medium. Hay (pressed) : £6 to £7 per ton. Hides : 5s to 16s. Sheepskins, from 6d to Is 9d. Yearlings, 5s. Leather : No alteration's from last quotations. Tallow : 30s to 34s per cwt. Good mutton, 37s per cwt. Bones : £4 per ton ; fine bone dust, £8 10s, bags included. Coals : Bay of Islands, 26s per ton at the wharf. Flax : Good sample, £22 to £25. Very fine, £30. Gum : Well-scraped, £45. Potatoes : £4 to £5 per ton.

The Customs duties received on February 4 were : — Duties, £985 3s lid ; light dws-, lls 7d ; merchant shipping fees, £1 Gs ; aims fees, 10s ; other l'CceiptSjfl ; pilotage, lls 7d. Messis. 0. Arthur and Son report the following prices realised at their sale of fruit to-day: — Apples, l\d to 2d ; pears, 2d ; oranges, 3 \a to 5d ; grapes, 4|d to 4|d ; lemons, 6d. Mr. B. Tonks sold at his mart to-day : — Apples, 6s 6d to 7s per case ; pears, 6s 6d to 7s ; oranges, 6s 6d to 7s j lemons, 7s 6d ; pineapples, 2a 6d per dozen k