COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1363, 30 March 1868, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

MKLBOUENE. Business in the import market has been particularly quiet to-day, ihe arrival of the mail steamer in some degree may have been the cause of this, though the extreme want of animation can hardly be traceable to that source alone. In breadstuffg there ie more doing, and prices continue to advance. Victorian flour has been dieposed of in parcels at £19 10s to £20. A line of a hundred tons was placed at £20 net; one parcel was also quitted at £20 term*, and £20 10s long terms was offered, but refused; on the other hand, we are informed that at the close of business hours £19 10s net was accepted for a line of about fifty tone. Wheat has improved in value; there has been little offering, but for the little that could be got hold of, 8s 6d would be given. Oats are not so firm ; we still quote 4b 9d ; 4,000 buehele have been placed at this quo-.a-tion. Maize is selling freely at 3b lid to 4s. About a thousand bags realised those rates. Inquiries for cornsaebs are moderate; sales are effected at 12s 3d ; the demand, however, is limited to the supply of more local wants. A shipment of hoop-iron changed bands to land at £13.. By auction, about 600 boxes candies found buyers under the hammer at 12$ d ; the quantity advieed by the present mails is 150 tons' but of thie forty-seven tons of the Moravian Highflyer, have arrived already. A very brisk demand for Patna rice haj been expeiienced; numo-

roue trade parcels, in lines of up to fifteen tons, having been quitted at £25 10-i. The Hannah Nicholson's cargo of coffee was offered by public sale, but the auctioneers only succeeded in dispoeing of twenty tons native at 7d per pound, and triage fit 6|d; the plantation waa all withdrawn. Thero is nothing to report in toaa ; we, however, loavn that buyers of medium congous have offered to within a penny of tho rate asked for the Venezuela's. There has been more inquiry for malt, and we hear of about 3,000 bushels in the aggregate having been quiitod in parcels at 9i fid. In provisions we noto Bales of cheese at 13id. A shipment of lobsters w,is sold at G3. Freeh" arrivals of Joule'b ales are reported to hand, and sales are effocted at £8 15s to £0, according to quantity. A consignment of Tennent e bottled nla has been cleared off at 10s. Bale 3Ot Blood's bottled stout aro mndo at 9a Gil.

"We have been favoured with the following telegram respecting the China tea market by Messrs. Jas. Curio, Kobertson and Co.:—" l'oo Chow, February 4.—Chinese Now Year holidays considerably interfered with business. Total settlements—congous, 700 chests for Australian markot. Prices fully up to la-t quotations. Departures, February 2.— Albert, for Sydney. Loading.—Kruest, Juno, Mnria."— Argus, March IS.

SYDNEY. The followin- table will show the closing quotations of tho -tock and Slmro market, and the rates at which business has been done curing tno weok : —

Trade has been comparatively quiet during the week, buyers evidently holding back until after the arrival of the mail. Breadstuff's have been very dull, especially Adelaide sorts, holders of which are etiil firm, »3 they feel satisfied that the large supplies at present coming forward from the country distret will soon bo exhausted. Silk dressed Adelaide flour is quoted at £23 to £24. Victorian and country flour, £19 to £20. Colonial wheat is worth Bs. to 83. 6d. ; new Adelaide, Ba. 9d. to 9a 3d.; old very scarce, and nominally quoted at 9s. 9d. to 10s. The arrival of the Hippolyte ha 9 added to our stock of bulk ale.butnsa considerable portion of her shipments were sold to arrive, tho market has not declined. Marrian'e is still ceiling at £8, other brands, £7 to £7 17s. 6d. ; really good bottled ale is still scarce and wanted. Bulb stout is improving and now worth £6 10s to fi ; small parceis of best brands would bring a trifle more. Bottled stout is in fiiir nupply, and importers still find it difficult to bring prices up to renumorative rates. Brandies are not so firm ; holders show more disposition to realise, and have submitted to decline of 3d per g;»llon on Martell's and Henneeey'e, which we now quote at 8s 3d. Martell's case it held for 275, and Hennesey's for 29s 6d; for second cites brands in wood 7s to 7s 3d has beon paid. In candles we have no change to report,—the trade buy Sparingly at 12d to 12fd for full weights. There is very little doing in dried fruits ; several parcels have be ii < ffered at auction without changing hands. Fish ha not improved, notwithstanding tho season of the year; this is attributable to tho quantity of inferior in the market, and large receipts from America, borne very prime Oregon salmon was sold by auction yesterday, at 4£d. Kerosene oil has again declined, and now seems settled at from 2a Id to 2s 4d. Oilman's stores, unless of firstclasß brands, such as do not find their way into the auction rooms, are difficult to sell at prime cost. Salad oils are at present in exception.

Holders of sugars are still looking for an improvement in prices, which the trade does not eeem disposed to give. A portion of u cargo of Bourbon sorts were offered by auction on Wednesday, but the rates offered did not meet holders' view.*, and only a portion changed hands. Teas are quiet at present. Rice has rapidly receded in value in view of arrivals, and advised shipments; best Patna is now obtainable at £27 for small lots. The shipment of Cbinoso rice, ex Fanny Nicholson, is in the market, but we have not heard of any transactions. SYDNEY MAHKRTB. Wholesale. Ketail. Flour—Fine, ton of 20001b5... £21 0 0 Seconds, do., do 19 0 0 Bran, per bushel 0 1 3 Biscuit, cabin, per 100 lbs 17 0 Navy, ditto 1 1 0 ".' Bread, per 21b. loaf 4d to od Batcher's Meat—Beef, per lb. l£d to 2d ljd to 5d Mutton, per do Ud to 2d lid to 5d Port, per do 5d to 5-Jd 5d to 10d Veal, per do 4d to 5d 4d to 8d Lamb, per quarter 3a 6d to 4s Cd Rabbits, per pair 2s 6d to 3s 4s Roasting Pigs, each 4s Gd to Gj 6s to 10a Gd Cheeee, per lb 4d to 5d 6d to Is Bacon, per do fid to 7d 8d to Iβ I ard, per do 6d to 7d 8d to Iβ E?gs, per dozen lOdto Is Iβ to Iβ 3d Vegetables—Potatoes, pr. cwt. 5s to 6s 7s to 8s Cabbages, per dozen 2s to 8s 3d to Iβ Forage—S'traw, pe./ cwt 8s 6d Grass hay, per do 3s ... Lucerne, per do. 3e Oaten, per do 5s Maize, per bushel 2s 6d Oats, per do 4s Barley, per do 3s — Sydney Herald, March 21. TASMANIA. Busincß? this week has been obstructed by the holiday given yesterday ; but prices remain firm at lust week's advance. Flour, £15 10e to £16 par ton, in large parcels; wheit, new, fie 3d to 6e 6d ; old, 7s per bushel; oats, feed, 3* an<l 3s 3d for good seed; bran, £5 per ton. Potted butter has advanced, and sales have been effected in bulk at 8d per lb.— Chronicle, March 11. ENGLISH. London, Jan. 27. Money is plentiful ; the demand is extremely moderate. Coneols 93£ to 93£. Trad« continues inactive. Notwithstiinding the plentifulness of money, Australian securities are in etoady demand. Occ-ision'illy considerable investments are made in them. 'I he following are the list of prices :—Ex January dividend—Victorian Government sir per cents., October 111 to 112. STesv South Wales Government five per cents., 1871-1876, January-July, 98, 99 ; do. five cents , 18R6, January-July, 99, 101 ; New Zealand five per cents., 1891, 97, 98; do. 6 per cente., 1891, Maroh-September, £106, £107 guaran-

teed 6 per cent: January-July, £103, £104; do.. 1891, £IO2J, £103J ; South Australian Government, £107, £109; Uobson's Bay Railway, £48, £50; bonds, £99, £101; do., five per contu., 1888, 1895, January-July, £95; half £96J; Now Zoaland five per cents., 1891, £97, £98; do. six per cents., 1891, March-September, £10G, £107 ; Queensland six per cents., July, £103. £IC4 ; do , 1891, £102*, South Australia eovemment. £107, £109. At a meeting of the English, Scottish, Australian Charterod Bank, a dividond of seven per cont. per annum was declared, with £5,000 to the reserve fund. Colonial Bank dividend twelve per cent, per annum. TJr.ion Bank dividend eight and a half per cent, for tho half year. Tondors for ihe New South Wales loan wero opened on January Hth. The minimum price was fixed at £94. Tendora nbovo £91 43 were received. An nggregato of a million and a quarter w.iro tendered for, of which nourly a mdlion were above the mioi'lhe reconstruction of tho London and Australian Agency Company is sati-iaetorily coniplt.'tvd, under the stylo of tho London und Australian Agnncy Corporation Limitod ; capital £500,000, in 610 shares. The report of tho affairs of tho O.iodoi.iau Railway Company has been issued. Jt t:.nt, though some irrogularities havo boen committed tho property is in first-rate condition. The -wool market shows no improve;-. :it in prico. The demand is good. 64.000 b;ilos mo? <f Australian wool were catalogued this year than 1;-- . Australian tallow—Sheep, 43d Gd; beef, 12b (>'. Australian hides aro readily sold at an adviinco o( ;i f.irthing on former ratoa. Tho birquo Mary cloa'od at Clwvnnta on 6th January, with a cargo of brandy, for Melbourne and Sydney. Tho Antoinette was likely to sail at tho end of March.

Tho barque Hoamsteudo was on tho berth at Rotterdam.

£8 casino Business Capital. Sg Pricks. Done. £ Banks. £ 900,000 Australasia. - 10 ° 2 t0 61 „ - 400,000 Commercial 25 5£ ol> 500.000 Eng. Scot, and Anst 20 16* ... coo.ooo Joint Stock 9 J(*i 10 *' 10J 1.000,000 London Chartcied... 20 -1 to 13 2,OOO,noo Oriental 25 40 to 42 1,250,000 Union 25 ■*;, . ,, ,„ 7, 1.000,000 Xe.v South Wales 20 4GJ to iT «},4 7 New Zoaland 10 }? if 200.000 City Bank- 10 u " 320,000 Australasian!! 20 lr.J to 15i 15i, 1S3 62,000 Clarence JtBichmond 10|3Gsto3 55.000 Hunter Kiver 10 h} 50,000 lllawarrn a 3 Insurance. 000.000 Goneral lltrino 30s 1* B - to 1J 150,000 N. S. YT. Marine - 2 — 250.000 Sydney FirotMarino 2 2r -i 500.000 "aciflc Fire * Mnrino - >3 500,000 Unit 11'iro aud lln- ••• lino 1 -" iG 1,000,000 Southern ] J 5 Miscellnncous. 300.000 G:u> LiRht e H 101, H 50.000 Sydney Excliango... 10 2 OO.OOrt I'vnnoiit KriiUe 5 -J 100.000 \V:illseiul Coal 10 7* (10,000 M'aratalt Coal '' <JJ 100,000 1'cak Downs Copper 1 '-'5s, 2G8 - ;o3to-6.s UO.OOO Ciidiangullong 1 Ditto ' 30,000 Hartlov Kerosene Oil and "l'ariifllno 1 15S 40,000 Gluinuiro Hold Mine Mininii 2 00,000 Fitzroy Iron S 60,000 WesternKeroseneOil 1 Ditto Pref. 15s 28,050 Bulli Coal Company 10 10 10 Currawaus; Copper 1 ISs 18a Debentures. Govermuent.due from 1871,1 to 1896 1 100 9G OG Interminable 100 90 Treasury Bills, 6 p.e 100 103J Queensland Government 100 102} 102J Do. Treasury Bills. 10 p.c. ... 100 107 109} 1071, 1091 A.a.N.Co.,duein 100 98 to 100 City of Sydney 100 100 100 Ditto 8 per Cents, due in 1870 100 102* Pyrmont Bridge Co., due in 1809 100 100 Col. Sugar Refining Co., due from 18S3 to 18GS 100 100 to 103 New Zealand Government, 8 percent. 100 100 to 104 Wellington. N.Z.. 10 per, cent loo ...