The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-11 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE

BARNSLEY, Jan. 9.—The weather throughout the wholet
of South Yorkshire is very severe, though to-day it is no
quite so severe as it was on Thursday. The demand for
coals of all descriptions, so long as this weather continues,
is sure to be brisk ; and, although the London and many
provincial dealers took the precaution some time ago to in-
crease their stocks, the inquiry at all the leading pits of this
locality is large, and much beyond what collieries in some
instances can meet. The tonnage sent away by railway and
navigation is below ghat it was before the Christmas holi-
days. For house coal good prices are paid by merchants,
ranging principally from 4s 9d to 7s 3d, the latter being the
price for the best Silkstones. Malting coke rules up to 6s 3d
per ton ; and gas coal, according to the seam, ranges from
4s 9d to 6s 3d per ton. A fair trade is doing in locomotive
and foundry coke. The ironworks of the district around
here and on the Trent are doing a geed business.
BIRMINGHAM, 9%.—The Christmas holidays are over,
so far as regards the trade of this town. Business was re-
sumed at all the manufactories last Monda—at some of
them it had been recommenced in the middle of the previous
week, there being quite sufficient orders in hand in all the
most important branches to render it unnecessary that the
stoppage should be prolonged beyond a limited period. It
is seldom that such is the case at this time of the year, but
more than the usual number of orders had been given out
on account of the current quarter, and, although there are
very few caning in at this moment, in consequence of the
travellers being off their journeys, the greater number of the
manufacturers have sufficient in hand to keep them going
for the next two or three weeks. The metal trades are in a
most satisfactory state ; there is a good demand for mate-
rial, and most of the rolling mills have been on at full time
during the past week. In the gun trade the depression is
very great, and no indication of any improvement is visible.
The artisans who are engaged in it are many of them earn-
ing not more than a few shillings per week, whereas a year
or two since (that is, upon the great demand for America
which followed the commencement of the war) they were in
the receipt of many pounds, very little of which, it is to be
feared, was takeu care of for the reverse which has followed.
In the fancy trades some degree of slackness is felt.
BRADrORD, 9th.—There is a moderate business doing in
wool, especially in bright-aired sorts, and prices have, if
anything, an upward tendency. There is a very limited
business doing in worsted yarns. Frames, however, are
everywhere fully employed on old contracts, and spinners
are extremely firm in maintaining late quotations. Ihe ex-
port houses confine their operations to small purchases from
stock to supply immediate requirements. Offers are fre-
quently made below the current quotations, but there is no
disposition to yield any concession. The unsettled state of
the Holstein question is an obstacle to much business being
done for the German market. This removed a brisk trade,
after a long interval of dullness from this cause, might be
expected. There is a steady business doing in pieces. Home
merchants give out some orders. Continental merchants,
however, are exceedingly restricted in their operations.
There is a steady demand for America. There is a good
contract business doing, however, in both plain and fancy
goods. Prices, if not hardening in tendency, are very firm.
DUNDEE, Bth.—The demand for flax on the spot is quiet,
but as holders are not pressing their stocks on the market,
prices are unchanged. The amount of business done since
last report is not great, and to-day only a few sales are re-
ported. Every market day public sales of flax, landed da-
maged by salt water, are taking place, which has an irj uri •
ous effect on the regular trade, as they keep the smaller
consumers supplied. A very large contract business has
been done both in flax and tow, to be be shipped from Arch-
angel at full prices. A considerable quantity of Riga flax
has also been sold at high rates for shipment in spring;
some contract sales have also been done for shipment at
other Baltic ports. This shows the confidence of the trade
in the continuance of high prices throughout the season.
Some sales of jute continue to be made from day to day, both
of medium and fine parcels, at about late rates, but the de-
mand is entirely consumptive, and spinners will not pur-
chase beyond their present wants. The yarn market keeps
firm, and considerable transactions are entered into daily at
the full prices of last market day. To day a fair quantity
changed hands of flax, tow, and jute qualities. Some spin-
ners are not pressing sellers, as they anticipate getting an
advance shortly. The demand for jute goods is keeping up
well, and some descriptions are much wanted and command
full prices. The finer classes of linens, chiefly made in the
neighbouring districts are also in excellent request, and
manufacturers continue full of orders. Home trade and also
shipping houses both operate more freely than before the
end of the year, and a good business was done to• day.
HALIFAX, 9th,—The attendance of buyers of piece goods
has not been very large this week, and the tone of that
branch of trade has been rather flat. Manufacturers, how-
ever, keep well employed, and there is a fair amount of
orders on hand for spring goods. The carpet trade is in
much the same condition as the worsted, the demand not
being very brisk, but the chief firms being well employed.
The woollen manufacturers of the district are also working
their machinery to a fair extent. Indeed, taking the textile
manufacturers in the aggregate in this locality, their condi-
tion and prospects are satisfactory. Wools, yarns, and
goods are alike frm in price.
HUDDERSFIELD, 9th.—There has been rather more busi-
ness done in the woollen cloth market and at the warehouses
this week than the last. Buyers. as well for some of the
foreign houses as those of the home trade, have purchased
rather more liberally than we have lately bad to notice.
Fair parcels of both plain and fancy coatings and trouser-
ings have been made up, and the promises of a good spring
trade, unless they should be blighted by a European war,
are likely to be fulfilled. The local wool trade is rather
quiet, but prices are firmly held by the staplers.
LEEDS, 9th.—The cloth halls have been thinly attended
by buyers to-day, and comparatively little business was
done. The winterly character of the weather has appa-
rently checked operations in spring goods—and very little '
is doing either at the warehouses or in the public markets
in heavy fabrics, the retail dealers and tailors having suffi-
cient in stock to meet any demand which may be excited by
the prevailing low temperature. The goods which were
sold to-day were of a miscellaneous nature,for they included
some light fabrics for spring and summer, a few heavy
cloths, some tweeds, and a moderate proportion or ordinary
blacks. The manufacturers of heavy goods in the neigh-
bourhood are rather slack, but those whose trade is chiefly
in light and medium productions are busy.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

TRAFFIC RECEIPTS FOR THE WEEK.
Miles Opened. Receipts.,

Railways. .....
1863. 1862. 1863. 1862
£ 4
Belfast and N, Counties 136 136 2,102 1,851
Belfast and County DoWn• • 49 49 631 623
Blyth and Tyne 2B - 28 1,22! 889
Bristol and Exeter l2ll 121% 5,366 5,340
Caledonian 2311 `344 17,163 15,403
Cockermouth & Workington. • 83/4 83/4 - -
Cork and Bandon 2O 20 293 291
Cork, Blackrock, & Passage. • • 6 64 129 145
Cork and Youghal . 32 324 386 285
Cornwall 53 533/4 1,344 1,129
Deeside l7 17 250 251
Dublin & Belfast Junction... • 63 63 1,273 1,312
Dublin and Drogheda 75 63 1,323 1.242
Dublin and 3leath
Dub. & Wicklow and Wexid 914 481 2,652 2,050
Edinburgh and Glasgow 1691 1694 7,948 7,318
Furness, tto 5O 5 ) 3,113 2,411
Glasgow & South-Western
Gt. Eastern,Nrfk~&E.l.Tnion
Great Northern 353 351 28,901 24,907
Great North of Scotland 5B 58 1,605 1,583
Ut. Northn. & Westn. (Irel.) 7ll 711 354 345
9t.Southn. & Westn.(lrind.) 3731 329 6,324 6,511
Great Western 10561 10324 55,269 50,627
Inverness & Aberdeen June B6l 861 1,075 831
Inverness & Perth Junction 1191 - 1,143 -
Irish North-Western 145 145 1,187 1,435
Lancashire & Yorkshire 402 3954 36,740 32,520
Limerick and Ennis.
Limerick and Foynes 26k 263/4 77 105
Llanelly 461 461 513 465
London & North-Western
London and Blackwall 5l 5 1,772 1,650
London & South-Western
Lond. Brighton, &S. Coast 261 261 15,013 15,161
London, Chatham, & Dover 72 724 4,176 2 656
Do. Metropolitan Extension 103/4 53/4 900 120
Lond., Tilbury, &
Southend
Man.,Sheffield, & Lincolnsh
blanch. S.J un.& Altriucham.. 94 94 1,',61. 1,240
Maryport and Carlisle
Metropolitan 3l - 2,228 -
Midland (incl. N.-Western) 641 6141 38,440 34,572
Midland Gt.Westn. of Wild 2594 259 3,815 3,867
Monkland 7l 713/4 1,409 1,270
Monmouthsh. Rail. & Canal 44 11 2,414 2,255
North British, Edin., Perth
and Dundee
N-Eastern and Stock. & DarL 1095 10791 48,786 45,727
North London 9 9 3,213 2,810
North Staffordshire 254 252 7,957 7,420
Oswestry and Newton 5O 42 1,070 836
Rhymney l9l 193/4 1,027 970
St. Helen's Canal &Railway 52 52 1,984 1,816
Scottish Central B9 89 4,840 4,461
Scottish North-Eastern l3B 138 5,046 4.816
Somerset and Dorset n6 391 598 317
South Devon
South-Eastern 306 306 18,622 18,609
Taff Vale 57 55 5, 02 4,763
Ulster lO5l 921 2,287 2,0)3
Vale of Clwyd
Vale of Neath 321 254 2,221 1.833
Waterford and Kilkenny 3l 31 252 267
Waterford and Limerick 77 77 1,127 1,162
West Cornwall 274 271 702 672
W.llartlepool Ilarbr.&RaiL
Whaven,Cleator,& Egrmnt 7 7 517 443
Whitehaven Junction l3 13 8t.4 714
Whitehaven & Furness Jun 35 35 882 630
FOREIGN AND COLONIAL.
Antwerp and Rotterdam 52 62 1,263 1,040
Austrian B2B 828 35,055 32,141
Belgian Eastern Junction..
Bombay, Baroda, & Ceti. India 1854 1673/4 2,593 1,762
Buffalo and Lake Huron lOl4 1614 2,400 1,358
Detroit and Milwaukie lB9 189 4,0:10 3,817
Dutch Rhenish
Eastern Bengal - - -
Eastern of France
East Indian
Grand Trunk of Canada lo9u 1090 19,7,22 19,3;3
Great Indian Peninsula 5381 495 8,608 8,39,,
Great Luxembourg 134 134 :1,160 3,187
Great Southern of India
Great Western of Cantata._ 345 315 11,102 11,291
Madrid, Saragossa &Alicant 659 490 18,823 17,071
Northern of Canada
Northern of Prance 697 697 G 1,176 51,011
Norwegian 'Trunk - -
Ottoman .

Paris, Lyons, 4; Mediterrn 1805- 1676
Paris and Orleans 1614 1431

Pernambuco 771 528
Royal Danish 69 69 :86 444
Sambre and Meuse es its 1,255 1.496
South Austrian . 1430 1315 t2,6SS 50,117
Southern of France ...... ....... 770 680 :27,885 23,215
Victorian 196 151
Welland
West Flanders 75 75
W. and N.W. of France