COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1265, 19 July 1864, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times Office, July IS, 1864. The grain market was not so well attended on Saturday last as usual. The farmers are occupied in sowing and other labours, consequently the attendance was but limited. There is not the slightest change to report in the price either of grain or the articles of miscellaneous consumption, with a few exceptions, which we will presently notice. Wheat is 108 to 10s 6d per bushel (wholesale), flour £30 to £30 10s do, and 32s 6d per lOOlb (retail). Oats have been freely offered, but there seems no disposition to enter into any large speculations with respectto them. The price is 3s to 3s 3d per bushel. Barley continues at last week's quotations, viz., 5s per bushel (nominally). We have no change to mention in bran, peas, sharps, &cj there is absolutely nothing doing in them. Potatoes are somewhat cheaper; those from the Chatham Islands have been brought into the market, which is now tolerably well supplied; they are of fine quality, being large and sound. The price is about £9 per ton (wholesale), and £10 do (retail). Apples are scarce, and are retailed at 8d per fl). Some consignments have been received at Lyttelton, but they have not yet been offered for sale. The supply of carrots, parsnips, &c\, continues abundant; they have this year been of unusually large size and good quality. With regard to building materials and fuel, prices rule the same as our last quotations. Bricks are a trifle more in demand; the price may be stated at £5 7a Cd per 1000 at the v&r(ißi At a sale by auction by Messrs. Woledge and Co., held on Monday afternoon, the lease of section No. 51, on the municipal reserves, having a frontage of twelve feet on Oxford-street, and running back forty-eight feet, realized a rental of £30 per annum, or £2 10s per foot, after spirited competition. A lot of old stores belonging to the corporation realized fair prices.

Otago.—The Daily Times of the 15th inst. reports :— Little of interest has occurred in commercial circles today quietness continues to prevail in every department of business, and even the low prices now ruling tor most articles offer no inducement to tho trade to operate beyond their absolute daily requirement?. .. . Flouii t-Another attempt was made to sell flour at niiefion to-dftv. without loading to business; only ten tons of Giels and Smith's Adelaide was sold.at fijW; the remainder of tho Adelaide being bought mat £31, and California!! at £29 10s.

Southland. —The Daily News of tho 12th inst., says :— . ■ •No charigo worthy of n'oto has token placo in tho stale of tho markets since our inst, and quotations consequently remain unaltered. A degree of buoyancy has, however, boon imparted to business in consequence of tho rosumptionthis morning of the railway works, and it is hoy that when these works aro in full operation a groat impetus will bo given to the commerca ot the province. Mkmjouknk.—By the Phcobe our advices are to the 9th. We take the following from the Argus of the 6th

Business in the import market continues very quiet. Country orders for flour havo come in freely, and prices are well maintained. Tlio maximum price asked is £28. Generally speaking, there was a fair trade demand for limited parcels of goods, but prices may bo said to romain unaltered. The Mauritius sugars, ex Formosa, offered by auction, were readily disposed of, but holders met buyers' views, and a decline of about £1 per ton on the last sales was established.

8i Sink v.—Our files are to the 2nd instant. We obT'i'vo that during the wci-k ending the Ist inst , 2624 ounces of gold were received lit tho mint f>t* coitwgo, and tlint 109,000 sovereigns were coined, Tho Herald of the 2nd reports on the slate of business us follows :— There has been very little business doing this week ; the end of the half year being as usual, occupied in squaring accounts and taking slock, &e. There is not much de-sir,-to open fre.-ih transactions, hence tho few alterations t hat have occutred in our markets. Flour. —Thtf market is dull, but holders are generally firm. Fino flour has been quitted in small lots, at £27 10s to ,€2B, and second brands at .£27. Wheat is getting scarce, and quoted at In liquid.! there has been no movement. Ale, in bulk, is still dull of sale; and brandy and geneva remain steady, ami the late advance is still maintained. Teas are very firm, and sales have been made at top prices. Sugars are aslmdo tinner, but quotations in the present, stale of the mrrket are nominal. Rice is much firmer, in consequence of the cargo of tho Nil Dcspcrnndum having changed hands. Patna is quoted at £21 to A! 22 per ton. The Sydney Empire of the 2nd inst. gives the following notes on the state of the Customs revenue:— " Tho quarter ended to-day shows an alarming decrease as compared with tho corresponding quarter of last year— no less than £07,300 13s lOd. Tho absurd tinkering with tho tariff which has been going on since the present Ministry ciirno into power will probably liavo prepared the country for a considorablo decrease in the Customs revenue ; but few could liavo anticipated the full extent of tho disastrous result which has ensued. It must bo reraemberod, however, that a large amount of speculation took place m the quarter onding Juno last year, in consequence of an entioipated alteration in duties. By some per soma tho amount of receipts duo to this cause is estimated at as high as £10,000 for tho quarter. After making this allowance, liowever, the falling off is at the rato of nearly a quarter of a million annually." Tasmania.—Our dates arc to the 2nd inst. The Mere uri/ lias the following report of the Hobart Town markets :— " Tho advices from tho neighbouring colonies delivered tl ,; s morning liavo in no way influenced our markets, which, as usual towards tho end of the week, wero quiet to-day, business transactions being confined to a few sales of hay, onions, and potatoes for export, and tho dispatch of orders received by the cross-country posts from the interior. In grain, some sales of wheat wero effected at 10s 6d; oats, at 3s lOd and 4s; barley, English, 6s. For flour tho demand is exceedingly light, line flour be'ng quoted at £25; bran, Is 6d; sharps, £10 to £11. Of hay, country pressed, tho market has been slightly relieved, not less than 200 tons having been exported du"ing the past month. The demand now, howovcr, is only very light, at £4 to £5 ss, according to quality, with an additional 15s where hydraulic pressing is required. Tho quantity of potatoes now arriving is by no nieaii3 la r ge, and they sell at £4 5s to £4i 10. Dairy produce is still dull of sale, butter realizing lOd to lid, and cheese lOd to Is." California —The following is the latest intelligence furnished by a private telegram, and published in the Argus of the sth July. The Argus complains that no commercial news was to be had, as the market news was cut out from the papers. : — Cah'fornian markets have risen. Wheat is 2to 2£ dols. per ICO lbs, Flour, 7 dols. 60 cents per lb. A short harvest is anticipated. The Lockett had sailed for Sydney, with 700 tons breadstuffs. Two other cargoes were ready when ships hence arrive. The Amateur brings dates from California to the 27th April. The price of flour was six dols. 25 cents, and that of wheat 2 dols. A large surplus of the old crop was still remaining, and it was expected that if tho new crop was only equal to half of last year's it would still leave a surplus for export. It was said that Chili was in a position to supply all tho wants of Australia, for this season, at any rate. The news of the high rates for b?.'eadstuffs ruling in Australia had rcaehed California by telegram from New York. Cape op Good Hope.—The latest advices from the Cape states that wheat was quoted at Port Elizabeth at 6s per bushel, and barley at 2s Bd. The Cape Argus, of the 30th April, contains the following :— Wheat is improving in price, and will in all probability continue to rise steadily, especially after the first rains, when farmers will for a time discontinue to bring produce to market. The high rates of wheat and flour in Australia give not only a firmer tone to this market, but are sufficiently convincing that no importation will occur from thence.. There is a sufficient supply in the colony for our own consumption until the next harvest arrives, but that prices of wheat, meal, and flour, will continue at their present cheap figure is extremely doubtful, the great bulk of last year's growth having already reached town.