The Express.
London, England, 1851-01-07 00:00:00

REVIEW OF THE BRITISH CORN TRADE

DTJRING THE PAST WEEK.

•
The return of the arrivals of grain, palm, sad Boor,
tato the port of Llndon during the quarter ending 28th
December, 18.50, hoe just been published. In comparing
the seat with the receipts of the corresponding three months
in 1849, some striking differences will be observed. The
quantities were 114 follows:—Wheat. Deo. 28,18,50, 264,727;
Dec. 29, 1849, 212,711. Berle'', 128,658; 220,169. Oats,
248,617; 35.5 896. beasts, 38,&90 ; 17,839. Pent 44,349;
46,68 d. Flour, 12.5,4'.8 sacks 48,243 Mb ; 92,299 sacks
13,221 bets.

:te the position of the corn trade does not at present afford
a subject requiring any lengthened comment, we shall devote
part of our 'pane to statistical matter this week, and with
this view have complied the following table of Ike supplies
received into London during the years 1860 and 1849
Wheat, British, 1850, 165,901 qes., 1849, 131,332; foreign,
718,509; 925,711. Barley. British, 134,218; 121, 335; lo-
nisei, 331.267; 618,928. 0 its, British, 245,183; 276.894 ;
foreign, 896,215 ; 1,035,476. Brans, British, 32,740; 26,944 ;
foreign, 89,486; 83,677. Peas, Brisisb, 21,'250; 24,171; Is
reign, 63,005; 84,396 Flour, British, 151,312 sack.;
167,927 sacks; foreign, 247,811 sacks, 66,463 brie.; 167,397
sacks, 44.387 brls.

The official returns of the imp Ttations of grain, &c., into
the United Kingdom has not ye; been completed, but for the
alarm months ending sth December, 1560, the quantities
were :—Wheisr, 3,453,876 qrs ; Barley, 994,754; Os's,
1,145,705; Rye, 94.078; Deans, 418,259; Peas, 167,533;
Maize, 1,240,075; Flour, 3,286,749 Cut?.
Very little change has taken place in prices since we last
addressed our readers, and the positicn of the trade has un-
dergone no alteration in any material point. The mild wet
weather bee rendered farmers very unwilling to thrash, and
the supplies from the growers have net been by any means
large ; but so unwilling have merchants and millers been to
make any addition to their stocks, that, small as have been
the supplies, they have proved more then ad: gnats to the
demand, and great difficulty has been experienced in effecting
sales at former rates.

Ths extraordinary mildness of the season le forcing the
young wheat plant prematurely forward, and tinkle its
growth be speedily checked by frost, there may be some
danger of its becoming to far advanced, or wb it is
technically termed winter proud. This 'seems, however,
to inspire no uneasiness at present; end for some time to
come prices will be more itfluenced by the probable ex-
tent of the arrivals from abroad than by any speculation on
distant future events. Though this is generally the period
when the receipts of foreign grain are small, we have hitherto
had good supplies ; for no sooner did the arrivals from the
Nartherne porta of Europe begin to diminish than tbose from
the Smith increased, and during the week now about to ter-
=kat', a considerable number of vessels wheat laden have
again arrived off the coast from the Black Sea, the Sea of
MAI, a d the Mediterranean ; meanwhile there is no im-
pediment to shipments being made from the near continental
ports, the differeut rivers being still tree from ice ; and though
our markets do not hold out much encouragement to con-
sign' twit continues to reads to week alter week Irons Freese
and America.

Under these circumstances there 'opens reason to believe
that the winter will pass over without any break in the re-
gular arrival of foreign suiplice nom one quarter or the
other; and any material improvement in prices is new
regarded as lees Lisa y to occur than it was a month ago.
Tile prospect of a rue is, at all eves.ts, regarded as too un-
certain to warrant investments, and purchasers seem in
general determined to take no more of any article than
what they require for immediate use. OA this plan have the
transactions been conducted at all the leading provincial
=Like's, and though (as we remarked in the commencement
of this article) prices have rot varied materially, the turn
has, on the whole, been against the seller.
The arrivals of the article coastw'se into London hove
been quite moderate, only 2,228 qrs. having been reported
up to thi, (Saturday) evening. Tee quantity brought for
ward at Mark lane from the neighbouring counties has mean-
while beau scanty ;_ indeed, the Ewe and Kent stands were
nearly bare on Wednesday as well as on Friday. sad there
were few off-n from Liecoloshire and Cambridgeshire.
beIIOESI has nevertheless remained in an unseeingly de-
pressed state throughout the week, and that previous prices
had been maintained may be attributed more to the absence
of transections than to confidence on the part of sellers, who
would probably have been disposed to have made some con-
cession if sales could thereby have been facilitated.
The receipts of wheat front abroad have been sufficiently
ample to render buyers in a great measure independent of
the home supply, upwards of 23,000 qrs. foreign having come
to hand during the week.
The attendance of country buyers has been thin, and the
local demand having like ease been of a retail charac-er, the
operations have been altogether unimportant. holders of
parcels is granary have manifested no inclination to accept
less money than before, but from on board ship rather lower
terms have in some instances been taken, in order to save
landing expenses; this has, however, not been sufficiently',
gennal to warrant alteration in quotations. We have not
heard of any bargains having been closed is floating cargoes'
on passage or off the coast.
The sale for flour ha been very heavy throughout the
week, and, though the nominal top price of town-made has
remained stationary, other sorts have been sold rather
cheaper, especially the middling and inferior descriptions
of French, of which the quantity here is just new rather
large. The arrivals of the snide from abroad have con-
aistod of 3,324 sacks from France, and 6,342 barrels from
America.
Barley has come to hand rather freely, 4,772 qrs. having
been received coastal,,, and 6,462 qrs. from ioreign ports,
the latter consisting principally of guiding qualities. The
mdtaters and distillers have conducted their operations with
weenie caution, but selling have refrained from pressing
business, and have generally refused to accept lower terms
for good qualities than those current on Monday last. The
demand for grinding barley—which until recently was
rather active—has this week fallen off, and foreign is not
worth quite eo mush as it was a short time ego.
The (lull state of the barley trade has not been without
some influence on malt, and the latter utiele has moved off
very tardily at late rake
The supplies of oats have increased materially; from our
own wan 2,762 qrs. from Scotland, 3,63 l ; from Ireland,
11,349; and from abroad, 6,296 qrs. having come to hand.
This incense shows how speedily a small rise in prices will
draw 'unpile*, the slightest chance of profit being sufficient to
iodine merchants and other to enter into competition by con-
signing wherever an opesing offers. The large dea'ers have not
been slow to take advantage of this sudden secession to the
quantity on the market, and have held dr purchasing, in
expeetation of buying cheaper so moon as the lying days of
the vessels shall have expired. Business has consequently
been heavy throughout the week, and Monday's reduced
terms have been obtained with difficulty.
Beans and peas have excited very little attention, and
quotations of thus ankles have remained nominally un-
altered.
The Irish demand for Indian corn having slackened, few
transactions have taken place in fres-on-board cargoes.
THE FOREIGN CORN TRADE.

The accounts from the Baltic are not by any means
interesting, scarcely any transactions having taken plane in
that quarter, either for immediate or for spring shipment.
The weather had continued mild, and the navigation was
then still tree from ion. The unfavourable state of the ea-
change on England had tended greatly to interfere with
business, and had rendered puttee unwilling to eater into
contracts for delivery in spring.
• - - _

At Danzig the exchange wu from 3; to 44 par Dent.
lower thee tittle Wheat wu quoted much the same se
beton, and floe qoalinee 11 granary had been held with great
amine.

ZettM linen of the 30th ult. inform us that soneely •
bargain had been closed in wheat sines that day se'anight,
and that shipments for Great Britain had nearly cowed,
owieg to the high rates irked for freight end insimase. The
weather had, up to that time, bent tons all nifild, sad the
harbour was perfectly free from km. Qtotadme wore 'boost
nominal, bat for fine 621ka. Gagnon& equal to 118 e., fee
red Stettin of 61 lbs. weight 37a., sad for mixed Polish of
I the same weight 375. Bcl. per qr. free oa hoard in spring bad
been demanded. In spring corn very finis bad bum done.
Bony haring some sparingly to Mad, had biases, fall
Arms. mod to 19s. per qr. having beet realised for the
best qualities. Rapeeskee were dear, say 76t. to 80.. per
ton fres oa board in spring.
The advice, from Rostock, Stralsund, area Aeolus Si. so
precisely of the same character al before, that they do sot
esquire pi/dealer sotto,.