The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-12 00:00:00

had prevailed for Cotton mainly for export to
Great Britain, and the market had maintained a
hardening tendency, despite an advance in freights
and continued large receipts at the ports, and
quotations were advanced -1,,L cent per lb. There
was not much business doing in breadstuffs, and
prices of flour had receded 5 cents per barrel, but
wheat, in consequence of slight stocks, was 2 cents
per bushel better. Indian corn was steady.
Freights continued dull, but rates were well main-
tained. The New Orleans Cotton Market on the
28th ult. was active, with sales of 18,000 bales at
stiffening prices.
%The clearances of timber from the port of St.
John, N. 8., to Liverpool, for the fortnight ending
January 24, 1857, comprised the following, viz. :
Per the Ada, 34,819 ft boards, 19,097 ft scantling,
2,761 feet deal ends, and 3,525 palings ; per Grace,
2,278 ft scantling, 372,570 ft deals, 8,000 laths,
and 3 cords lathwood ; per John Barbour, 365,345
ft deals, 15,445 ft deal ends, 10,00) palings, 13 cords
lathwood, and 511 tons pine timber ; per Otah,
45,000 ft deals, 33,060 palings, 42 spars, 345 tons
pine, and 204 tons birch timber ; per Hannah
Moore, 842,118 ft deals, 15,037 ft deal ends, 12,000
palings, and 15 spars ; per Falcon, 298,234 ft
deals, 4,790 feet deal ends, 10,000 palings, 1 spar
and 41 cords lathwood ; showing total clearances
to the extent of 34,817 feet of boards, 21,375 feet
scantling, 1,923,267 feet deals, 38,033 feet deal ends,
68,585 palings, 8,000 laths, 58 spars, 131 cords lath-
wood, 856 tons-pine and 204 tons birch.
Private letters, of a late date, received from
Adelaide, South Australia, state that there was
not much improvement in trade, although the
prospect of a more abundant harvest than had
ever before been gathered in the colony, kept alive
the hopes •of the mercantile community, and
would doubtless very largely contribute to deliver
them from the effects of their recent de-
pression. Insolvencies had of late been rather
numerous, yet public credit remained good. Con-
siderable balances existing in the treasury, and the
entire control of the Land Fund, now possessed by
the colonists, would, with other causes, restore
commercial prosperity. The flour market was
depressed, the stocks in hand at Melbourn being
considerable, and the demand upon the Adelaide
market was limited. The balance sheet of the
colony shows a sum of 135,3901. in the hands of
the Colonial Treasurer. It also shows that the
treasurer has invested in Government securities
the sum of 133,000/. We further learn that rail-
way bonds to the value of 79,9731. have been
remitted to the Agent General in England for
sale.

From a London Circular just issued, we learn
that the Foreign and Colonial Produce Markets
there, during the past month, have been very
steady, and a large business has been done at
higher• prices for most articles of consumption.
Sugar, tea, and saltpetre, are all again dearer.
The arrivals have been moderate, yet the markets
have been well supplied. The deliveries have
continued very satisfactorily both for home use
and export. Dyes and dyeing materials have been
in fair request, Cochineal and Safflower have both
become dearer. The good qualities of Lac Dye
h .ve been in fair request, buy the lower sorts still
remain neglected. The stocks of many of the
principal articles of consumption show a decrease
as compared with last year. From the Continental
Produce Markets we learn that a good business
was doing both in coffee and sugar at very firm
rates.

The weekly reviews from the Amsterdam and
Rotterdam Produce Markets state that, although
only a moderate business had been transacted
prices continued to be well supported. There was
great firmness in all the principal articles of con-
sumption, and the holders of refined sugar were
asking a further advance, The letters from
Rouen mention that the market for manufactures
was rather depressed, purchases having lately di-
minished.
Our Paris advices inform us that the annual
report of the Bank of France has been published
in the Moniteur. It appears that the total opera-
tions for the year amounted to 232,360,0001- against
loa,ezo,ooot I,i 'sae. The discounts for 1856
were 'l5O 480,0001., exceeding those of 1855
I).y 36,4801. The note circulation reached its
ugliest point in July, when it stood at
26,680,0001. It has since been reduced to
24,600,0001. The minimum of bullion held was on
the 16th of October, the total having then fallen to
6,360,0001. against a note circulation of 24,760,0001.
During the year the purchases of gold amounted to
20,344,0001, on which the premium paid was
219,992/. In addition, silver was bought to the
extent of 2,040,0001., making the aggregate of specie
purchaces 22,633,992/. No losses of importance
were experienced from failures.
It is stated that the Southern of France Railway
will be opened throughout from Bordeaux to Cette
early in March, an event of considerable import-
ance to commerce. Cette, the second French port
of the Mediterranean, will thus be within twelve
hours of Bordeaux, and the transit between the
two seas, which has already become important by
means of the lateral canal of the Garonne, will be
in a condition to receive its full development. The
distance between the mouth of the British
Channel and Marseilles will be diminished from
2,100 miles to 760 and Malta will be practically
nearer for goods and passengers by 830 miles. Such
an economy of distance, it is contended, will be a
compensation for the transhipment of goods at the
termini of the railway, since the saving of time will
be even greater in proportion than that of distance,
and vessels can freight goods at London or Liver-
pool, destined for Bordeaux, Marseilles, southern
Switzerland, or the ports of the Mediterranean.
Bordeaux and Cette are also expected to become
important entrepots for the wool trade of Spain as
soon as the Spanish railways shall have been
completed to Bayonne.
The half yearly meetings of the several joint
stock banks in London being now completed, the
subjoined table has been made up, exhibiting their
relative capitals and extent of transactions, as well
as the respective periods at which they were opened.
Within the half year there has been an increase of
268,451/ in the deposits of the London and West-
minster Bank, and of 157,8941 in those of the City
Bank. In the other cases there has been a falling
off,—namely, 640,4261 in the deposits of the Lon-
don Joint Stock Bank, 669,9141 in those of the
London and County ; 107,2171 in those of the
Bank of London, The Union and Commercial
Banks do not publish any detailed accounts at this
period, and their present deposits, therefore, cannot
be stated. At Midsummer last the total held by
the Union was 9,045,6061, and by the Commercial
1,536,361/, In the six months the private deposits
at the Bank of England have increased from
9,810,0451 to 10,132,6551. During the same time
the failure has occurred of the Royal British Bank,
which at Midsummer held deposits to the amount
of 842,4281.
It will be remembered by our readers that, in
the beginning of last year, the fine American
packet ship Adriatic, from Liverpool to New York,
was stranded in Dungarvan Bay, County Water-
ford. It appearing that the vessel was likely to
sustain further damage and probably would become
a complete wreck, the underwriters determined to
dispose of her by auction as she lay. Several
experienced shipbrokers from Liverpool,. pro-
ceeded to Dungarvan for the purpose 'llaf in-
specting the vessel, which lay rather more than
half under water, at full tides being submerged
to about midway between decks. Mr. Phillip
Scott. of the firm of Scott and Co., Queenstown,
also visited Dungarvan, and after-a slight exami-
nation of the vessel, determined on bidding for
her at the auction, which took place on Saturday,
the 24th ult.. in Liverpool. The result was that
the Messrs. Scott were declared purchasers of the
vessel for £1,500, that sum exceeding the amounts
offered by any of the other ship brokers who
• attended the sale. No sooner was the purchase
made than efforts were made to pump her suffi-
ciently dry, and raise the vessel from where
she was stranded. By almost superhuman
efforts this was accomplished, and the ship was
safely towed into Queenstown on Sunday last. The
Adriatic is quite a new vessel. She was built last
year by the celebrated Boston shipbuilder Donald
M`Kay, and is in every respect a first class packet
ship. Her length is stated to be 200 feet, her
breadth 38, and her measured tonnage 1,327 ; she