COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times, Issue 545, 21 August 1866, Page 2

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

SouTHULSD Times Office, Tuesday Evening, 'he following are the Custom Keturns for —

V"c take the following fe\r items of commercial ; ..- from the " Otago Daily Times," of the 17th Bayers continues to manifest a good deal of uriifrerence to mate purchases to any considerable ei'cnt, and particularly to take up pam-ls of ■--li.: a the delivery is not likely to be immediate — • :-< T'A'ore, scarcely any noticeable transactions are •:-)•- :r.g place, or will do so until after the de-£-/.r.ar& of the mails. Tha town and country t:~(.i-j 13, however, tolerably good, and the re~u:r^ments for export are rather improving in s::-;nt, though principally for miscellaneous a?;ovbed stock. The advices from Melbourne, ptr- Tararua, have n>t sensibly affected the .".; .-- ! u't, and, in all probability, th-2 only article ?--;Je.''' might alter (flour) will bs protected by the ■y.z^u stock now hel L here. ir.y the arrival of the South Australian, we are in -.-■;; -session of oar Vicroriaa files to the i4.th .i.Uu.ist. The fallowing commercial arciele aptr.Kei in tha >; Argus" of that date : — ■' [n tha iuiport markets bus : ness has opened !•;•:• ins week with a impi'ovcrl aspect a ?r r.?-? of relief huvi;;^ L;-en co nmusiicated by the toirgraphii- news puhiisiied this morning, which L:--s !:een the means of allaying the fears which :v;.*v been s-> freely indulged, an-i completeiv sil-ii--{-d tho panic-maksrs a:id croakers, so succeisful of lat<> in creating '.iiirtrisiness ai;d distrust. Tii- -■ shipments ti Ticioria for July show a decrease of about £B,uoo on the montii ureeedin» bar are st:ll on a scale sufficient to show an ei-cia-:rJinary aiiiou.it of confidence in Australian 3hipr>irs throughout v. panic so serious a-j that Foc.r. i has b." n pxpt;:isric -d in London. As C£"j::i on the eve o! t ;e arri\a; of the mail Lttle or zij business has ir^nsuired. neither buyers nor ?3lierE being &n\iv\Li to operate largely until pl&c;d ia possession of the more detailed iuforiiia tier, regarding shipments, which the receipt of ie ::^*s will supply. The market for breadstuff's is snxi sales of flour — whsch are but trifling — arc iaade on slightly easier terms. For Urst bran -is Adelaide town flour, we quote £'15 to dSI6 55., and for country made, i

£15 to £15 ss. In wheat; nothing new has come under our notice. T\uOcean, from California, arrived to-day, brings about 400 tons wheat, and about 100 ton 9 barley. Tho entire cargo was sold som« time ago to arrive Oats o-'.nnot be moved easily, an i prices remain nominal at 5s 6d to 53 9d. Of maizn we het>r of retail s ilos at ss. Malt eontiaues to meet with a good deal of notice, nnd as much ns 9s 6d ofierad for a din now landing, was refused. 1,600 bushels Cnlifornian malt found a pur haser on private terms ; and 1,200 bushels Hamburg malt were disposed of at about 8s 9d., an advance on last week's rates. A parcel of linseed was quitted at 5s 3d in drums. Teas have met with considerable attention, adnres being thought favorable towards an advance. Sales of about £8,00 ! > worth of good congous, pending on Staurday, have since been closed, and further transactione are under negotiation. Private telegrams from Foo Chow to 23rd June, report the departure Jor Melbourne on 14th of the Charlotte. The Ettrick and Alice and Mary were leading for this port, and the Danneverke, Sophifi, and Miranda, for Sydney. By private telegram we are also informed that an advance on hops of 3d to 4d per 1b had taken place in England, and that the shipments from 7th May to date (26th June) did not amount to over fifteen tons. A meeting of the creditors of Mr Thomas Wright was held to-day. Tho statement submitted by Mr Langton, accountant, shows total liabilities £25,914, of which were seenred £11,704, leaving the amount unsecured at £17,210 ; and assets, consisting of stock, £1,800 ; good debts and bills on hand, £3,500; interest in vessels, £1,579, &c, estimated at £7,011, showing a deficiency of .Hi 0,198. Losses by bad and doubtful debts were calculated to reach i' 4,000 and by unsuccessful speculations to £4,000 morn. The contingent liabilities by bills receivable reach £7,900. The estate was assigned to Messrs S. H. Cohen and Wilson on behalf of the creditors, with power to accept of 5s in the pound — 2s 6d cash and 2s 6:1 by guuranteeed bills." The following telegraphic report is to hand trom Messrs J. C. Robertson and Co : — "' Foo Chow, June 23. — Lower rates have been accepte.l for congous, on account of the monetary crisis in England. Large shipments have been made for Australia. Sailed lor Melbourne — The Charlotte, on June 14. Loading for Australia. — The Sophie, Ettricb, Alice, Mary, Miranda, and Danneverke. The tea market at Hong Kong opened at very high rates. At Amoy no settlements had been mado, owing to the high rates asked. Srocks of congous were steadily increasing." LONDON WOOL REPORT. (From the " Home News." June 26) The sale which commenced on May 10 closed on June 23, the quantities catalogued comprising 24 671 bales, Sydney ; 72,08 i bales, Port Philip ; 5,732 bales, Vau Diemeu's Land; 20.071 bales, Adelaide; 2,305 bales Swan River; 17 161 bales? New Zealand ; 15,573 bales, Cape. Total, 157,602 bales. " It is remarkable, as showing the extreme healthiness of ouv trade, that the sales opened so well, tho decline being about l£i. to 2|d. on all descriptions, except the finer descriptions of Port Philip which ruled 2d. to 4d. lower — the extreme prior s paid in March for all choice descriptions leaving a fair margin for decline ; the fearful failures and panic in the city not noticeably altering our market bids, and prices being maintained with remarkable uniformity. Of course, in so long a series and with such daily financial troubles there were variations at each night's sale : but that this lar;e quantity should have found ready buyers at so satisfactory a range of prices must be extremely gratifying to all. No doubt, the heavy operations of French buyers completely ruled the market, our own buyers, as a rule, bidding cautiously, and with anticipations that wool would fall considerably from opening rates ; but when it became positive that nearly half the whole quantity offered would be taken by exporters, our own buyers took courage, and for the last few days of the sales the tone was better and prices established wilh more firmness. Many of ihe large staplers who usually operate very largely at this season of the year almost abstained from buying, the low prices of all German wool .-it the fairs inducing them to stock heavily — circumstances there, in consequence of the war, enabling iheni to stocg at fully twenty per cent, below Uisi. year's rates. At one period oi' the sales Sydney wool was very cheap ; many Hocks deserving higher prices irotn their healthy breed unicarjful wash did not realise the prices anticipated, the extremely low price of Silesian fleeces keeping down the prices o!" all good an<l middle Sydney. With war and dear money it is very difficult to form any decided opinion as to the range of prices at the August sales ; but, judging from ths present tone of our market, we look for prices being fully supported for all five and well stapled descriptions. Faulty Sydney will findlittla favor, and be sold with difficulty at a low range of | prices. The cheap' rate of all fair flocks, both colonial and German, will interfere most materially with such description s ; and we note this in length for our Sydney friends, who often imagine that anything thence, at a low price, will find a ready market here.

Satxtbday, 18th August. Brandy, 46 galla £27 16 6 Whisky, 30 galls IS 0 0 £45 16 6 Monday, 20th August. Brandy, 55 galls £33 0 0 Tea, 81 lbs. 2 0 6 £35 0 6 ♦