Commercial.

Colonist, Issue 95, 17 September 1858, Page 2

Commercial.

_Man Proposes Woman Disposes.—lf you wish to propose, do it in person. Never make a proposal in writing.. Your letter.gives the lady time to " turn it over," and to look at the question you are "popping" to her on all sides. Besides, it is wrong to suppose that women can be taken, as London omnibuses are, "by correspondence."-r Punch. : '■■ •■■■'■••< ■*■'■■'■■

AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. By way of Sydney we have news from Melbourne to the 26th August:— ,: . The Customs' revenue collected at the port of Melbourne during the past week amounted t0.#22,844 4s. sd.- From the Argus we take the following :-lvIn the import market business has been very dull, and nothing of any moment has been done. The result of the- few transactions that have taken place gives neither firmness to prices nor any appearance of improving demand. The announcement, of the suspension of a firm, hitherto considered of respectable position, Messrs. F. R. Wallen and Son, has caused a degree of alarm, and induced reports, possibly without any foundation, of the instability of other firms; and as these reports, in the present unsettled state of the market, can but be productive of distrust, the existing inactivity and general depression are not likely to be' removed. .

.The grain markets are as dull and inactive as ever. In Adelaide; it has been long expected that the turn-ing-point in the price of flour would be reached this

moth, and, of course, that the turn would be upwails i but this expectation, at least as far as regards an improvement in price, is likely to be disappointed. A sight alteration in price there has been, but not in thedirection looked for. Wheat has been brought to inaket more abundantly of late by the farmers, and cimequently the millers have more flour to dispose of. Tli3 is now pffered freely at prices refused a few days sine., Here the flour market is in a most inactive stat, and any increase of the imports would be almos certain to cause a decline in price. This, howevej is not likely to be great or of long continuance,, evei if more flour does come forward from South Australa, for as the roads improve, larger quantities must be snt up the country. Vheat is still unchanged in price, and readily disposal of. Barley is iii little or no request, and of oats we. can only say that the market for horse-corn is, if anything, rather worse than it was last week. Maize and grain are still arriving, and likely to arrive in large quantities, so that the hope of relief to an already overstocked market every day becomes more distant. The hay market is still very dull, although the supply is not large, and, except for loads of the best quality, last week's prices are with difficulty obtained.

Our advices from Tasmania are to the 17th August The Ilobart Toivn Mercury of the 16th says—. . > .During the last four days business has been almost suspended in many departments of trade, owing to the severe iticlemency of the weather, which has continued without intermission since Wednesday morning. • ; .;.;■--.•.. ,

With the single exception of wheat, next to nothing, has been doing in the grain market. At the commencement of the week wheat experienced an advance which lias steadily been maintained, and several ?ales have been effected at 7a. 9d. to Bs. per bushel.,,* Th e; upward tendency is still apparent, and some holders' are keeping back for higher rates. Oats are quite at a standstill, and so also is Cape barley. English . barley moves off readily at Bs. to Bs. 6d., but the market has been very scantily supplied for some time; some arrivals, however, are expected shortly.

The flour market exhibits continued symptoms of improvement, and the increased firmness in prices has. at length resulted in an advance. Flour from the best colonial wheat was quoted to-day by millers at £19 to £20 per ton, according to quality. From late letters we learn that Hobart Town flour is still realising good prices at Melbourne. Bran has fallen, and sells at Is. 9d. to 2s. per bushel; sharps remain at £10 to £12 per ton. . ' The Launceston Examiner supplies - the following brief commercial notices under date August 17:— Wheat is quoted at 7s. 3d. to 7s, 6d.; the latter as the price of a good sample. There is very little doing in the market. The mill prices of flour are: —First flour, per ton, £18 to£l9 ; seconds, ditto, £1.6 to ; bran, Is. 6d. to Is. 9d; wheat, 7s. 3d. to 7s. 6d. per bushel. The Argus of the 26th August gives the following report of the Adelaide markets, received by telegraph :—' . Wednesday, August 25, 4J p.m. The flour market is inactive, £17 10s. per ton for Magarey's brand having been offered and refused. There have been two large sales of wheat at Port Adelaide, at 7s. per bushel. Bran is fetching'ls. 7d. Orders for butter cannot be executed; there is no foreign in the market, and colonial is scarce.