COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2235, 5 April 1869, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

DaUy Times Office, Saturday Evtniog Tho total amount of Customs Revenue received to-day on goods cleared for consumption waa ns follows, viz. ::— ■£ a. d. £ s. d. Brandy ... 47 11 5 Drags ... 54 4 1 Whisky... 20 15 2 Cornßaoks 17 12 6 Geneva ... 17 5 0 Tea 40 17 0 Rum ... 20 010 Sugar 40 16 5 Wine ... 19 0 4 Drapery ...318 10 1 Tobacco ... 14 17 6 Sundries... 31 0 7 Cigars ... 18 10 0 Total, £667 0 11

The business of tho week just closed has in the aggregate been but moderate, tho last day or two witnessing the only transactions of any magnitude which havo gone forward. The delay in the receipt of the English mails, to hand only late this afternoon, has, no doubt, prevented operations in several of the staples, and aided in keeping trado dull. There is very little alteration in the genera^ market to note, but the tone of Melbourne advices will tend to stiffen the value of more than one item, and for these any improvement in demand will induce better rates at once. Breadstuff's have witnessed more life. Wheats have an advancing tendency, and good parcels move readily at our quotations. Flour, from some unexplained cause, is not sharing in the improvement. The other grains have been in good enquiry, barley commanding full rates, and oats witnessing about tho ra!tes current at the early part of the week, though closing with rather less firmness. Teas have had but little attention, and except in the quittance of Borne trade parcels of good congous nothing has been observable. Sugars are again at higher rates, and with the advices to hand respecting these good*, it iB by no means improbable that our market will continue to advance. In the meantime our stocks are very bare, and for the present supplies are not likely to be otherwise than very small. Spirits of idl kinds are at maintained prices, but not jret in any better enquiry, tho trade sales of brandies, whiskies, and genevas witnessing but a slight consumption; a better business in these goods is, however, to bo looked for immediately. Corasaoks have been working out of importers' hands, tho current rate for ealca boing 15s. There is an improved enquiry for bacon, but no change in value. The other itcmß in provisions aro quiet, butter and cheese from the Northern Provinces standing respectively at about Is o£d to Is Id and 7d to 7 id, Candles aro in rather better demand, the quotations for the chief parcels in stock ore, Brandon's, llfcd j Belmonts, 12d. Kerosene is held for 2s 6d ; the quantity remaining in first hands is very triflng.

Messrs Wright, Stepeekson, and Co. re. port, for the week ended the 3rd inst. as follows:—

Fat cattle—none yarded; we Bold a draft of 30 head at LlO ss, equal to 32a 6d per 100 lbs., which Is the current rate for good quality beef. Fat aheep—about 300 merinoa yarded, averaged 9s ; we sold, privately, 500 half-breds, at 13s. Prime mutton ia worth 2]d per lb., delivered in town. Fat lambs we sold at auction at from 8s to 8s 6d each. Store cattle—bullocks from three to five years old, are worth from LBto L 9; mixed mobs, from L 7 to LB. We placed a mixed lot from Canterbury district, consisting of bullocks, cows, and yearlings, at L 6 15s all round On the Ist bust, we held a sale of Btores at the North Taieri—cows from LS 5s to LlO; steers, from, L 5 2b 6d to 14 7s 6d; yearlings at L 3 10s. Horses— a shipment of 33 head, ex Lord Ashley from Wellington, wera sold at our yard at an average of Lll 10s. Quotations are for heavy draught, for which there is abetter demand and but few offering, from L4O to LSO; middling do, from L3O to L 37; good hacks, from L2O to L 2 5; light unbroken colts, from L 8 to Ll3; light and weedy, from 1/3 10s &> L 7. On tho 31st ultimo, we held our first salo of grain. There was a fair attendance of buyers, and competition was animated. About 5000 bushels of oats (good samples) were quitted at from 2s 7£d to 2s 8^(1 per bushel; barley, 4s 9d; and a mnall parcel of wheat at 4s 2d per bushel On the 2nd Instant, add by auction crops of barley and oats at the, Woolshed, to bo thrashod ont apd delivered on the ground. Tho former, about 80 acres, brought^from

3s6dto 3s lOd; ami the latter, 88 acrca, from Is 74d to 2a OJd per busheL

ft The Oamaru Time« of the 2nd inst. reports :•—

/Commercially, intelligence is scant,-and the condition of the grain market is unaltered. The brigantine Swordfish cleared out yesterday for Melbourne with 537 bushels of wheals, and 1690 bags oats. She has been most expeditiously loaded, having only iconic to her anchorage afc 11 o'clock oa Tuetsday morning, and having all her cargo aboard by the same hour yesterday.