The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-14 00:00:00

STRAND.

f: < KVENIN4, NEIGUBOL MS.—After which will be produced
• ra 1.1 Larlceque, GUY FAWiiii,.—Aud A suit OF
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TIM EVENING, MI TURN NEXT. Mr rt.lmore: Misses
Pude and Emdsos —And FLYING SCUD. Messrs. Neville, Ilel-
O.•re, I,lAlse, %%Maim, etc. ; Mesdames F. Juseylm, C. Smolders,
Bessie Fe,ste. Yield,y, Lennon, Rayrueod, Re.

BRITANNIA.

TiflA EV raw% THE PHINCE:4S OF TRF: PEARL ISLAND ;
or_ THE KINGDOMS OF PEARL GOLD, AND
SILVER. ‘lra I. me and Alit. Jaeobs.—FirsArAte PastomlnilAts.
—And THE SKELETON CREW.

RIG II WATER AT LuNDON BRIDOL
Tan DAY —Mmang, 7h "=.m Afternoon. 7h. 5:421.
T.-Yonnov—Morning• Bh. 2.8 m Afternoon. ton Sok

LONDON, M')NDAY, JANUARY 14.

ONE 44 the most noteworthy features of the
trade of the past year is, as it had been of sonic
years previously, the remarkable expansion in
certain departments of manufacture, owing
to the temporary deprivation of our cotton
supply by the American war. Wool and linen
have of course chiefly benefited. With regard to
the latter, Messrs. DEwAR, Sox, and SONS re-
port th it the crisis has but little interfered with
the increased production. It is true that the home
consumption has been affected, but the falling off
has been more than compensated by the de-
mand from abroad. The United States
alone have taken linen piece goods from
England in the first eleven months of 1866 to the
summit ..f no less than 3,837,5131.. a result that
is especially satisfactory in the face of the high
protective duties imposed. Cuba comes next,
though at a long interval, the total exports to the
island for the same period being 572,279/. Not-
withstanding the good effect of the commercial
treaty, France has bought from us less than a
quarter of a million.
For the last few years the silk trade has been
in an anomalous condition. The disease in Lom-
bardy has deprived us of the moat valuable part
of our raw material. At the same time
the course of late events has not been favourable
for expenditure in articles of luxury. As regards
the imports, Messrs. DURANT and Co. report that
in China silk there has been a diminution of
15,000 bales ; in Japan silk also a reduction of
4,000 bales ; in Canton silk an increase of 2,000
bales ; in Bengal a diminution of 500 bales ; and
in Persian a diminution of 1,900 ballots. As
concerns Italy there has been a comparative wig-
xnentati.m, but so slight that it is of little con-
sequence. The consumption, however, has been
moderate, and the stocks of raw material have in
consequence diminished to only an unimportant
extent. One reason for this result is perhaps
to be found in the limited use of Asiatic
silks by continental manufacturers. A close
parallel is thus shown between the cotton and
silk production. In the former case our best im-
ports were derived from the Southern States of
America, and Indian cotton was only bought as a
less costly but inferior substitute. The civil war
gave Surat cotton, for the moment, the command
of the market, but this is now being in its turn
deposed. In the same degree the silkworm
disease has diverted the demand for raw silk from
France and Italy to China and Japan, but accord-
ing to the best judges sooner or later the remedy
will come. Messrs. DURANT and Co. particularly
comment upon the large importation of new seed
from Japan to Europe. They have perhaps an-
ticipated the cure, but it does not follow that it
will occur very speedily.
Respecting the timber trade, Messrs.
CHIA:CHILL and SUNS state that the imports in
the past year may be computed at less than three
and a half million loads--the average in 1863
and 1864—but considerably less than the total of
3,833,000 loads in 1865. In a great degree
this diminution has been caused by the financial
crisis, the consequent suspension of railway and
other similar works, and it is alleged by the cessa-
tion in budding enterprise. The latter reason,
however, we should be inclined to dispute. At
no period within living memory has building, or
rath..r reconstruction, been carried on as exten-
sively as now. Both at the east and the west end
we see whole series of old houses being pulled
down and enormous edifices erected in their
place. Perhaps the financial crisis may have
done much injury, but we think the timber trade
may be well able to bear it. At all events, the
statistical returns are not unfavourable. The
follot ing is the estimated consumption in London
of sawn woods, deals, .17c. :

/4,436,000 pieces.
9,164,000 „

9,05,00 D

I sr..l
144:1;

10,422,000
12,719,000 „

advaii,e is shown on the five years from
184,2 t. srol of fully 50 per cent. As regards
hewn u., dl, the returns will show that the con-