Commercial.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 252, 2 September 1864, Page 4

Commercial.

SYDNEY. (From the " Herald," August 20.) There has been more activity in tho share market this week. The principal transactions have, however, bsen in bank shares, insuiance shares are also in

favour, but steam shaies are very ditlicult to quit in large parcels. Tliefluctuations that have taken place are as follows :—Bank of New South Wales shares have been elealt in to a large amount at hill rates, and a small sale has been made at a reduction of ss. per share ; Australian Joint- Stock Bank shares have been sold at an improvement of 2s. Gd. per share, but there are! now sellers under this rate. In steam shares the sales have been lo a very small amount. Insur*-'

ance shares are firm, and prices lulu the same as last week. aratah Coal shares have improved ss. per share, anel Wallsend Coal shares have been sold at a decline of 30s. per share in lhe last sale that was

made before the half-yearly meeting. Gas shares have changed hands at a slight reduction oil previous quotations. The following are tho prices at whieli sales have been made during the week Bank of Kew South We.les, £43 and I'l2 15s. per share ; new shares, i.4i los. -Id. per share; Ce>mmercial Bank,

.£SO per shaie; Australian .Joint. Stuck Bank, 12s. 6d. and £13 10s. pur share ; City Bank, £10 12s. (id, per share ; Australasian Nti-am Navigation Company, £21 per share; Ilia warm .Steam Navigation Company, £3 17s. Gd. per shave ; Queensland bteam Navigation Company, £6 per share; iSydney Insurance, £3 12s. Gd. ior share; Pacific Fiiu and Murine Insurance, £5 2s. Gd. per share ; United Fire and Marine Insurance, oOs. pur share ; Australian Gas-light Company, £13 per share, ex div.—new shares, £9 per snare ; AVallsend Coal Company, £G 18s. per share : AVaratah Coal Company, £-i 7s. Gd. and £4 10s. per share ; l'oak Downs Copper Mine, £1 los. per share ; Filzroy Iron Works, £7 10s. pur share.

Debentures.—Government debentures arc steady. Terminables, due in 1802, have been sold at ICIO.V and inteie-st.

Business during the month has been exceedingly dull, and there appears to bo very little desire"to enter into speculative transactions at the present moment. The principal feature of the month has been the depression in the flour market, particulars of which we give below. There have been some largo sales at auction of sugars and teas, and in liquids some large shipments of Martell's brandy have been quitted at reduced rates. We subjoin the latest report of our markets.

I'lour.—This market since the departure of the last mail has been very much depressed, and prices hitvo declined from £4 to £5 per ton. During the month wo have had several arrivals from California and Valparaiso with cargoes of breadstull's, and lui the shipments from the latter port were not generally expected. prices gradually gave way; and although holders were at first unwilling to accept reduced rates, they were soon compelled to do so, several large cargoes of flour and wheat having also arrived at Melbourne. The present quotation for Adelaide Hour is £23 per ton, but there is no demand at this rate except for immediate wants. California!; and Chili Hour are quoted ut £20 per ton, and a portion of the cargo of the Lockett has been sold as low as £19 per ton. The cargo of Chilian llour 6x Glencaple, which was sold privately at £20 per ton, was thrown up by the buyers on account ol the flour not being in good condition. To day it was oll'ered at auction, and told at the following prices for net cash. The sound portion brought £l(j to £1G 10s. per ton; slightly damaged, £lu 17s. Gd. per ton. Wheat has also declined considerably in price, and the present quotations for Adelaide are lully 12s. Gd. per bushel lower than last month, the price being 'Js. per bushel. Liquids Ale in bulk is steady. 13ass's is quoted at £7 to £7 5-i. ; Allsopp's, £6 10s. to £6 12b. Gd. Porter in bulk is very dull of sale, and Taylor's cannot bo quoted higjier than £-3 10s. liottlcd ale and porter rule about the same as last month. l<'irst Bs. to 10s. Brandy is not so firm, and Martell's hasheon sold in large quantities at a reduction of Is. per gallon. The present quotation is Bs. Gd. to 'Js. In rum some large sales have been made, but prices are nearly the same as last month • SO o.p. is quoted at 3s. 4d. to :is. ,sd. Geneva is firm, and first brands of low strengths and small quantities are quoted at 10s. Gd., at which price sales havo been 4 inade.

Teas continue firm, and somo largo parcels have changed hands at auction and privately at full rates. Congous are quoted at £7 to .£9 per chest. Green teas aro almost unsaleable, and prices nominal. .Some large quantities have been shipped to England, there being very little demand for green teas here. .Sugars.—The market is in a rather unsettled slate, and prices aro difficult to quote. At auction counters and crystals showed a slight decline, whereas dark rations ruled a shado higher. The present quotations for Mauritius sugars range us follows :—Dai U rati' ,ns, £28 to £30 ■ counters, £31 to £30 ; crystals £10 to .£•l4 ; M. 0., £36 to £37.

Cotlce is without any alteration. Plantation, lid, per lb., in bond ; .lava, i)d. to 10d., per 11,. hi bond.

Candles continue to be dull of sale, stocks being still heavy. Ileliiionts and Kevasare nominally lOid. to lid. per lb.

Colonial Produce.—Wool. —Tlio market is very firm, and prices aro inclined to advance. The satisfactory result of the London May wool sales has, of course, strengthened prices, but as the season is over, and only small portions of clips that had been retained 011 the road and odd Jolts havo come to hand, the market cannot be fairly tested. The quant ity offered at auction during tlio month amounts 10 79!) bales, most of which were readily sold at top prices. The present quotations are as follows : — Fleece, Is. 3d. to Is. lOd. ; scoured, Is. till, to 2s. 2il; gicase, S.\d. to lid.

Sheepskins are very firm, and at auction yesterday prices langed from (i.Jd. to 'J.'.d. per 1!>. Lambskins brought lC«£.d. per lb. Tallow—Since the arrival of the English mail the maiket has been a shade firmer, .Shipping parcels of beef command from £2!) to £20 os- per ton; station, -21 10s. to£2S per ton.

Hides..— First-class heavy hides are required by tlie tanners, and have brought from l(is. to 17b. each. At auction to-day the lates obtained ranged from 13s. !Ul. to l(is. lor heavy hides, and 7s. yd. tolls, tor medium. Light and inferior hides continue vcry dull of sale.

Shank Bones havo been sold at from .CO 10s. to £7 per toil, but 111 consequence of tlio high freights ruling, all hones, roofs, and horns are dull of sale.

( opper is not so iiun since the arrival of the Fnglish mail with news of a declineof £0 per ton in the London maiket. About eight tons of copper, fioni the ('adi:.ngnllong mines, have been told by Messrs. Mort and Co., at £!)U per ton. Hice is not, so firm, and prices have given way about 20s. to 30s. per ton. Putna is now quoted at £20 to £21 per ton.

Salt. —Liverpool is {inner, and an advance of 2s. (id. to Ss. per toil has taken place. The present quotation is .13 7s. (kl. to £3 10s. per ton. Oilmen's Stores are very dull of sale. Stocks are heavy, and. 11s large shipments are expected to arrive, sales of ] ureels can only be made at a loss to importers.

Toliaceo.-— 'J'lie business of the past luontlv bus been prineipnlv eonllned to auetion sales 011 importers' account, which must, be found anything but satisfactory. Dealers seem to have made up Iheir minds to keep no stocks, and, even under the summary auetion system, buy very sparingly, 011 account ol the article bein;; put up with "all limits, certificate weights," &c., altogether quite a new state of business with us. ]t will be evidently tome time before the old style of dealing will be resumed in Nyiiney, mid therelore advise shippers to be cautious in their operations. 'J he old !"outhcrn article lias almost died out, and our A ustralian manufacturers are making active exertions to compete with the Xortheneis; and such has been the success, that a factory upon a much larger scale has jusr. commenced operations in the metiopolis, the proprietor having invest! d a large amount, in machinery, leaf, A'e. r lhe hulk ot our imported stocks is scarcely tit for duty or consumption. In fact, out. of the mass of import.", a very large proportion will have to be (011siuncd to sheep wash or exported for island trade. AN e have sci 11 several samples of Northern make vrrv fine. e<jual to A'irginian, but the brands are not to I e depended 011—iirtt shipment being good, but followed up with a most inferior article under the same brand. Ihis never occurred with iSouthern manufac turcrs, and should attract the attention of home shippers. All brands of tobacco should be of detinite quality, and represent what, they aiiect, to do, or they will not find sale here. ANY can scarcely give quotations ol market rates —good tens, Mnall Jig (about twelve to the pound), would fetih from Us. io '2s. lid. in bond, being the article sold by dealers. Negrohead, of really good quality of which we have seen but little lately, is worth from lis. (id. to-Is. lid. : half-pounds, pood, say 2s. ;Sd. to 2s. 9d.: and aromatie, principally used through the cutting machine, say from 3s. to 4s. (id. ; leaf tobacco" abundantly* supplied for all purposes, by manufacturers.

Cigar?.—lmportations from Manilla almost ceased, on account o< high rates —and any amount of colonial and otlicr substitutes. A first 'cla.s cigar factorv would pay in Sydney just now.

The cargo of Chilian flour ex Olfiio.iple, CSOO bags, was sold by Mrs. "\V. Jl.an, to-day, at auction. xTio sale attracted considerable attention. The whole of the Hour was sold for net cash, as follows '1 he sound port ion, at ;l"l 0 to £10 10s. ; slightly damaged, at £14 12s. (id. to ,Cl 5: much damaged, L'H) 17s. (id.

I'ho following table will show the doting prices of our securities, as well as the rate at which sales have been made during the month :—

Capital Comiwnikm. — c ( , I OS, - N '' l»rsi.\i>s •£j= I'll I <J11>. Du.NK. £ J - -C I la i) A'fi ftoo.OnO Australia .IMo 7.'J to 7 > rvjonno Commercial 7. -5 Sn ' ,, {V ,,. oi.'O.uiio i:u- Scot. A- A«.M. 20 -JO'to"!.* ' -'div otn».iiO(» .Jcint Stork 10 i:ti i„ | i i j,[ l i J l.ono.ooo London Chartered. 20 l'»;*to27 .1 V v ( i J oriental r.i toot l.ooti.iHin I'niou .i»to:,n :,o 7.Vi.ni»ii New .s»,ut h Wain*.. 2<» •»J'. to |;t t;i f>« \i w Zealand .. 7 la' ]:m"{ 2,••nO,hi jo Atoa am] Tinted j . Service /" J -* ,n !•'•* — 200,0<to City Hunk JO 10), to ■ le£, loj, in 1 . Steam Companies. ' "" 2 10,(XX) Australasian 120 2" to °! *'•' •>! 5<U«>o Clarencc A-Kichuui JO lo to fii oo.ouo IImucr Uiver Jo i\} i.p i-. ip 50.000 Illawarra 5 3 > lo 37 ' , J'tfuravcr Con. 400,080 General .Marine.. f> y> N.s.w. ilarino 2 :ii : <l 2o0,U*> Sydney Fin' -j ;*;• to ;p 6iK),«h;o 1'acillo l-'ire A- Ma- 4 * H rine 2 ■» V fj00,000 United Pirc & Ua- ' J ' " " rhie 1 j> i;i . MiHcellant'ou* Co*. 300,000- Gas Light fii;* K? IMtto, new . -t ji (iv ( jj v ji >iy iiiv .">0,000 .Sydney Kxchiirip*... 30 'jl u« H ;>o.oon r.vrinont HriilKu.. . ->1 to :< — ino.ooo Wallsend Coal ]o ♦;»* 7 f.i fio.ooo -vvuratnh Coal . . 0 it„.p J .p n liO.OOO Mfiruya ;j J « . .. _ 1_ ]00,0fio Peak Doivn fopju-r 1 )} ]i 00,0«;i> cadiaupuilon£ 10 ,',V) J pui * 1 3 to l pni. £ pin. Debtnilurcx. 32,500 Government due > ) in Isiirt, 1*71, | l 1M7 f-, 1 h>7(>, ' r .C lsss, lsiil, ami | 100 I0fltol<w>\ lOOi J Interminable 100 US to OS' 03 Queensland Govt... joo lot to 105 ' ' A.S.N. Co., duo in | , . _ IrtliO, and ISG'J ( 10 1(, °i to 101<" 10li, I02i City orsvdnc.v 100 !I8 to 1(HI 18 1') J'yrmont Uridine*) Co., duo in 1 SOU [■ 100 100 i nn und |s»u ) imi Col. » Co., duo from £• 100 luotoioi ion ISM to 1S0S ...) Xowcastlo Coal ft \ Copiiur due in f. 1«X) <jj(V lsou ) Illuwarra Steam, ( duo iu lbtiu f ]00 ]0I Toiuugo Coal 100 102$