Markets.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XIII, Issue 751, 18 January 1860, Page 4

Markets.

There has been a steady trade during the past Week, without any particular change to remark in the stnte of the markets. The Dart has arrived with a tolerably largo quantity of tea, which has been wanted here for some time past and which has moved off readily. Wool is coming in from all quarters in considerable amount, as will be seen from the particulars annexed. . We. notice during the past week a large clearing off sale of drapery by Messrs. F. N. Campbell & Co., wheii a quantity of goods were disposed of at satisfactory prices. This class of goods has been for a long time in a state of great depression, and we hail witlisatisfaction the signs of a revival. The following are the prices which maybe quoted for staple commodities. . Brandy; (Martell's or Hennessy's) 14s. "in bond. , Bum, ss. 6d. to 6s. in bond.

v .Geneva, ss. to, 5s 6d. in bond. , . „ ; fJdea^ £10 to £ib 10s. per chest. : 'ISUjjar, Company pieces scarce, none hi first hands •" 'Sugar, Mauritius £43 to £45 a ton, in bond. ' *;'Tobacco, first brands, Is. 2d. to Is. l'Od. in bond. \ -1 Mri'W; D. Barnard's clearing sale of timber, &c, \at> Jones's Wharf, took place on Monday; the attendance was very large, and biddings 'spirited. 140,000 feet sawn timber was sold at prices varying from, 14s to ; 23s 6d per hundred feet; V.D.L. shingles from 29s to : 3ls per thousand ; V.D.L. palings from 26s t0.32s per hundred ;. posts juid rails'£4 Ips per hundred; firewood from £2 4s to :£2.6's per cord; hearthstones 13s to 15s each ; Nelboti lime 2s 9,d per bushel; wood paying 6s per yard. The total amount realized at the sale was £3250. Everyiot put up was sold. --Horse and -Stock Market.—There is no particular change to note in the state of the market for horses. - A few liav c been export* d per Airedale to the neighbouring provinces, not finding a ready sale here, and a small number have come in by the Dart, the, lo\V;; prices at. Sydney as compared with this place leaving still a margin for profit. OnSaturday, Mr. Thomson sold at Christchurch two mares (one with foaiat'side) for £30 and £33 respectively. We would \ here observe a practice, which is not altogether without precedent," but which is certainly contrary to ;the rules of business. On this occasion four horses were advertised for sale, without-reserve; yet one if not; two of these were bought in on account of'the owner—a practice strongly to be con.demned; Very superior hacks and draught stdck still command good prices. ;

: ,i Grain.—There is no change of any importance; to notice, in the grain;, markets. Wheat is scarce, nominal price 95., ,with nothing doing. There is no great demand for pats, the public being pretty well supplied and in.a condition therefore to wait for the coming crop; the nominal price is 6s. Old hay is how-very scarce; but a very considerable quantity of the new crop has been secured in good condition, prices varying froni £3 to £4 a ton. The harvest is now rapidly approaching with every appearance of a heavy, crop of wheat and a good average one of oats. .'•■ •■' ': ■■.:■:■■ '' .: SYDNEY. '■ ••■'■' ' • Ouriadvices per Dart are to the 24th ult. The f Herald of that day says.—. ■ Theresas been a better feeling evinced in the flour market than has been exhibited during the last 'two or three months, and prices are firm. Several sales of fine flour .'have been made during the week at £19 per ton, but at this rate there are buyers. The millers continue to quote fine flour at j£2l per ton, and seconds at £19 per ton. Wheat is a little; better* and colonial new wheat is worth 7s. 6d^ per bushel. •'.Liquids.—Brandy is more enquired for, and MartelPsis now quoted at 10s; 3d. to 10s. 6d. Some \ large sales have been made at the former figures, but holders ; are, now asking 10s. 6d. ; Rum.is more in demand, and;strong rums have advanced in price; 30 o.p. is worth from 4s. 3d. to 4s. 6d. Geneva continues diill of sale/ahd'first brands, of low strength and small quantities; cannot be quoted higher than I 129. 9d; to 13s. 9d. Inyjwines there have been but few transactions, and prices remain unaltered. Ale in bulk is firm, and" Bass' Nar3 is worth about £7 10s. to £7 15s. Other, brands are not so much in demand. Porter in bulk is still dull of sale. Bottled ale and porter, in equal quantities, continue at about 9s. tb 9s. 6d, per dozen. ' "..Teas.—The market is.very flat, and the portions of the cargoes of the late arrivals having been forced into; the : market, have caused a further decline in prices.-' We hear' that the congous, ex Tell, are offered at* £6 per chest. A small portion of teas ex Strathallen was sold yesterday at £6 to £6 17s. 6d., but at these,rates the trade w.as very unwilling to lay-in stock." ■'■'.

. Tjie same journal, of, a few days previous date, •ays :r-" Business, during the past week has been exceedingly dull, and this may be attributed to the arrival and departure of the English mail, the mercantile'cbmmhhity being fully occupied with re-, ceiving and replying to their advices. As the ship-' merits fro'ni'England during the month of September ■were not excessive, an improvement in some articles of daily consumption may be looked for."

.Of the wool market we find the following-:— •f Messrs; Mort & Co. held on the 23rd their weekly produce sale. The quantity of wool catalogued was 505.bales; but,,owing to the great indisposition on the part of buyers to purchase at present.rates, 221 bales were withdrawn. The wool market continues dull, and ths prices obtained for fleece wool are about the same as last week; holders, however, are still unwilling to submit to any reduction, and the consequence is that buyers will not bid for those lots on;which high reserves are known to be placed. Greasy wool is very flat, and prices rule a shade lower.* The following were the prices obtainedifor the several lots sold: Fleece, 18£ d. to 22£ d.; grease* lOjd. to 12|d.; handwashed, 18d.; locks, B|di to lld.;.mixed, 9d. to 18£ d. Sheepskins.—The market Tvas,well supplied, and prices rule about the same as last week. About 6000 sheepskins were sold at from 6sd. to 9fd. per lb. Pelts, 2d. to 3§d. per lb; Tallow.—There is but little tallow offering atauction at present, and prices are therefore nominally the-same. There is; however,, some demand for parcels for shipment to the neighbouring colonies, and good lots will command improved rates. Five casks of tallow: were sold to-day, at from £42 10s. to £46 per ton. Hides are without any alteration in price, and the quantity for sale to-day was small. The highest figure obtained was 16s. each for a lot of fourteen superior hides. About 360 hides were sold at from 7s. 3d. to 16s. each;,calfskins, 2s. each." : . -.:. .., MELBOURNE. .-.-. . ' ..-,.■..., ,-■■ • Our advices via Sydney are to the i9.th-.iilt. Messrs. Goldsborough and Co.'s report, dated the 17thJ contains the following:— "Wool.—A very large amount of business has teen transacted this week, both by public sale and private contract. At the auction sales on Wednesday 5207' bales were brought forward as follows, viz.: 3687 bales at our store3—being the largest quantity ever offered at one auction sale in these colonies—and 1520 bales at the stores of Messrs. J. H.1 Giough and Co. The favorable advices received from the home market per Columbian during the earlier portion of the week, of the satisfactory state of the trade generally, and the probability of a further, advance being obtained at the ensuing November sales, as manufacturers were consuming largely, and stocks gradually becoming very low, led us to anticipate that prices would rule quite as high, aril competition be as well maintained, as at any period during the season.. This cheering news was, we regret to say, rather suddenly contradicted by the receipt of advices, per telegram via Aden of fourteen days' later date, bringing intelligence that diplomatic relations between France and England had assumed a threatening, aspect, whilst continental affairs generally had seemed to have undergone a complete change. It was, therefore, with no very sanguine anticipations of high prices to be realised, in the face of such advices, that we offered the large quantity before stated ; we were, however, most agreeably surprised at the result, for although in one or two instances a decline of from $d. to Id. per lb. was submitted to, the bulk of the wools found buyers at within a shade of previous rates, as a comparison with the catalogue of our last sale will show. We sold 2710 bales in all, 2251 being disposed of at auction, and 459 by private contract immediately afterwards.. The desire evinced by merchants to remit iv wool in the face of such con-

tradictory advices*- when<u little-concession is imtde by the settler.to cover the extra: risk, shows 'how: healthy, and sound the wool trade is, and should; give every encouragement to the growers to increase their flocks both in quantity and quality. We may remark that none of the lots sold >vere of a very superior description, and this will account for the apparently low range of prices, for had any very choice clips been offered we have no doubt they would havo commanded extreme rates. :

'• Tallow.—W re have sold a few small parcels of mixed station tallow at from £42 to £45 per ton. For shipment the marketis inactive.

"Sheepskins.—The demand this week has been quite equal to. the supply, and we have had no dim" • entity in quitting several large lots at from sd. to 9jd. per lb. ' :

" Hides.— There is nothing doing for shipment. Country wet suited'are in demand at from 12s. to 12s. 6d. each; dried are worth from ss. to Bs'.'each."