The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-03-13 00:00:00

Ergot anti Commerce.

LEEDS, March 6.—There has been a moderate atten
dance of buyers in the cloth-halls this morning, and for
light aummer goods there has been a fair demand. For
ordinary hair-l•sts and medium cloths there was also a
tolerably good demand. Prices are steady —those of
wool as well as cloth. SOIPC of the cloth-dressers are
scarcely so busy as they were a month ago, but the
but the manufacturers are almost all well employed, and
the condition and prospects of the woollen trade gene-
rally in this town and district are cheerful.
NANCHESTKIt, 6:ll.—From various causes the market
remains in the same state of inactivity which it had
re.iched at the close of last week. Further telegraphic
&deices, to hand yesterday from Calcutta and Bombay,
bringing intell4•enee down to the Bth of February. and
reporting a decline in prices, have given additional flat-
ness to the demand for ludia goods and yarns, but there
is no note-worthy change in the quotations. The un-
certain state of political affairs on the Continent of
Europe tends to make buyers very cautious. The
accounts of the American cotton supply are also of a
nature unfavourable to the progress of business.

Excepting the increased deities; i; the demand for
there hi no wirticular change in any branch of the
market since Friday, there being great steadiness, along
with quietude, though the bias of prim: is undoubtedly
ugaivat the seller.

sth.--Tliere has been an improvement in
the wool and flannel trades to-day, and much wore
business has been done in both than was done last
week. Wools are very finn in price, and most kinds are
a shade higher than they were a mouth ago. The
demand fur flannels and limeys for both the home and
the foreign market is satisfactory, and manufactures are
at full work. Indeed they might have more orders
were they to reduce their prices to those current at the
close of last year, which they say, with the high range of
wool, they are not able to do.
PROVINCIAL JoINT•STOCK BANKING. —We drew
attention recently to the high dividends declared by
some provincial mintetock banks. It may be added
that the Sheffield Banking Company have declared for
the past half-year a dividend at the rate of 15 per cent.
per annum, and the Sheffield and Rotheram Company,
£1 per shave, or 124 per cent, per annum. The
I Worcester City and County Banking Company divide
at the rate of 8 per cent., and the Minton District
Banking Company at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum,
with a bonus of 2a. 6d. per share. The Carlisle City and
Districtqßank pays a dividend of 5 per cent., and a
bonus of Us., making together la Is. 6d. per share; the
Birmingham Banking Company, • dividend of 10s., and
a bonus of IGm. per share; the Dudley and West Brow'
wick, a dividend of Si. per share; the Wolverhampton
and Staffordshire Banking Company, a divident of to.
per share • and the Northamptonshire Union Bank, •
dividend Of 16s. and a bonus of 4s. per share.
RAILWAT AND CANAL COMPETITION.—At a meeting
of the Council of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce on
. .

Wednesday, a discussion took place relative to securing
competition between railways and canals. Mr. 1).
Lupton. the chairman, presided. It was the opinion
of the Council that an effort ought to be made to obtain
the renewal of the Cheap Trains Act, or sonic similar
measure, so as to insure • fair competition for the
carriage of goods between the two modes of transit,
railways and canals, and thereby to guard the public
against railway companies taking leases of canals for
the express purpose of raising the tolls to the maximum'
rates. A memorial to the Board of Trade, embodying
these views, was adopted.