Markets.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XIII, Issue 753, 25 January 1860, Page 4

Markets.

; In the absence of any arrivals of importance, we have only to note a moderate business doing without change in prices. Flour, tea, and sugar are scarce, with a tendency to rise in the absence of supplies. The fears entertained for tho safety of the Burmah are rapidly gaining ground; no intelligence of any kind having been received of her since she was spoken bvthe Regina. The Mermaid has received the chief part of her cargo having shipped 1647 bales wool, 4 do. skins, and 45 hhds. tallow up to the present date; all her chief cabins are engaged; she also takes a considerable number of second class passengers, and is advertised to sail the first week in ■February. Horse ano Stock Market.—Mr. Fawdington quotes the price of good ordinary hacks at 'from £40 to £50; superior animals occasionally fetching £20 more;' witli a moderate amount of business doing. We note the arrival of a lot of 17 horses of average quality in the Lord Worsley, from Sydney, and hear that more are expected from Hobarton: prices Btill seeming to induce shipments to this side, in spite of the dullness of our market. The Lord Worsley brought down the following race horses to be in readiness for the Canterbury Meeting: —Messrs. Donald and St. Hill's Scamp, Prophet, and Flying Shot, from Wairarapa; Capt. Strafford's Sybil, from Wanganui; Mr. Hugh Stafford's Ultima, Filly by St. Aubyn, and Namu, from Nelson. MELBOURNE. We have news from Melbourne via Sydney to the 10th inst., but our files direct reach only to the 3rd of the month. In neither is there commercial intelligence of much importance. The following is from Clough & Co.'s latest circular under date Dec. 31 :— Wool.—During the past week, being Christmas holidays, no public sales of wool have been held, either in this city or in Geelong. There has, however, been a continued brisk private enquiry both for greasy and fleece wools, by shippers desirous of making.up their orders before the close of the year, and we have therefore been enabled to effect some considerable sales by private contract, at prices fully supporting last public sale's rates; and have quitted the following, viz.,—565 bales, fleece, at 20d. to 23id. per. lb.; 257 bales, greasy, at 10£ d. to llfd.; 54 bales, scoured, 2Hd. to 25.; total, 876 bales. ENGLISH MONEY MARKET. ..■; City, Thursday evening, November 17. The still unsettled position of affairs in Italy contributes to keep up a feeling of uncertainty. Both in the London and Paris market, notwithstanding the satisfaction inspired by the favourable termination of the Zurich Congress, bona-fide holders appeared to be very averse to selling, but in speculative circles an adverse impression is still observable. There is still an active demand for money, and the. appearance of the market is not quite so settled as , of late, neither are the terms equally uniform. Transactions take place occasionally in short bills j at 2f, but these appear to be quite exceptional; at 2$ being the minimum in most quarters, while many houses ask 2f and 2|-. i The committee of the six banks appointed to negotiate the Victorian Railway 6 per cent, debenture loan of 1857, opened its tenders on the 24th of October, £423,600, being the second instalment of that loan. Mr. Donald Larnach, chairman of the committee, presided. The total of the tenders amounted to £1,860,700, of which £723,000 was at prices above 108, the minimum decided upon hy the committee. The highest bid was £14,500 at 109; and the lowest, one for £200, at par. There were two tenders at 97_ and 98, which were stated to be in error for 107 i and 108; but an application for the correction could not be entertained. The bulk of the loan has been taken at and above 108_-; nearly £600,000 was from 1075.t0. 108. The first issue of these debentures was made in January. £100,000 -was taken at and above 107; the minimum price was then raised to 108, and since that there are some £200,000 or £300,000 which are believed to have been Bold by the agents of the Stock Exchange. The total to be placed, each year during the next three years is nearly £2,000,000.— H0me News.

LONDON WOOL REPORT. The last series.of sales for this year commenced on theitenth November, and the quantities announced for sale consisted of 9073 bales Australian, 4766 bales Port Phillip, 1909 bales Van Diemen's Land, 332 Adelaide,2B97 bales New Zealand, 18,617 bales Cape: total, 37,594 bales. About a fortnight prior to the opening of the sales, the accounts from the North were not of so satisfactory a character as might have been anticipated from the large business which during the last six months has been done in the districts. Confidence had been shaken in a manner scarcely to be accounted for, and the anticipations generally entertained of a full rise of one penny per pound were not realised. The advance can only be quoted one half-penny to one penny, the latter in full bodied wools, while inferior and mostly Sydney can only be quoted in favour of the seller. The sales have progressed so far with the same tone and rates as established at the opening ; but yesterday buyers talked more freely of their views, and the disquietude they experienced at the present state of feeling in France. So sensitive is our market to any feeling that may deprive us of the support of continental buyers, putting the question of war aside, that a decline would at once be established if our buyers did not anticipate, during the sales, a good competition for foreign account. Stocks in their hands are known to be very low. Although the attendance of foreigners is small they are buying freely.—Home News, Nov. 18. New; Zealand flax, ex Lochnagar, is quoted at £1.7 15s. to £18 15s. per ton, for 74 bales. Damaged, £16 to £10s. per ton. The Liverpool wool sales closed on 29th October —result satisfactory; only a small quantity of Australian wool was offered, which Avas bought eagerly at Id. per lb. over the last London rates.