The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-25 00:00:00

7

NEWSPhPEI
-7)
hats been plentiful and oheap it hag 4,it
curred that wool of a very fair quality ,
for this purpose, and the fact referre 012
that of late small dealers have been induAtiousi_
engaged in hunting up woollen flock beds, ana
either buying them from the owners or giving a
sum of money to be allowed to take out these flocks
and substitute for them cotton flocks or some other
material of less value. It will be seen by the pro-
ceedings of the Central Relief Committee yesterday
that the gradual but considerable decrease of pau.
perism evident from Mr. Commissioner Farnall's
reports is not due entirely to the resumption of
factory labour, though there is no doubt a larger
number of mills now working than before Christ-
mas. The decrease, however, is partly due to the
increase of work for out door labourers, whose sup-
port has been thrown upon the parishes and relief
committees during the winter, but upon whom the
mild and open weather of the present early spring
is now enabling tofind employment. The cotton sup-
ply question still appears to wait a solution. It
seems to bo generally - admitted that the answer
given by the President of the Board of Trade to the
proposition of the member for Devonshire on Friday
night was based to some extent on sound econo
mic views. No doubt, any attempt through Go-
vernment encouragement to stimulate the growth
of cotton would be most unwelcome to the cotton
companies already formed ; but still the public
mind is not wholly satisfied with this answer.
Many people here would regard the efforts of
those companies with far more satisfaction were
they of a magnitude more proportioned to the
evil they are intended to cure. Unfortunately,
they are generally regarded at present as on a
scale far from likely to afford means proportioned
to the end. Meantime one of the greatest indus-
tries the world ever saw is at stake.
LEEDS, 24th.—There is no new feature of im-
portance to notice in the woollen cloth trade of
this town and district. The markets in the cloth
halls have been of a moderate character this
morning. All things considered, a fair amount
of business was done in spring goods, and a few
parcels of light fabrics for summer wear were also
purchased. The demand for ordinary broadcloths
was dull. The price of wool and other materials
keeping very firm, there is no change to notice in
the general quotations of goods.

NOTTINGHAM, 24th.—There was a pretty good
attendance on 'Change to-day, but the demand for
lace yarns was slow. On the whole, however, a
moderate share of business was done, and prices
were about the same as on Friday. Silk remains
without any material change. Hosiery yarns were
firm. Brown nets are still a slow sale, the low prices
offered being a great check to business.
ROCHDALE, 23d.--Both the flannel and the wool
markets have been rather quiet to-day. Fewer
goods were purchased than ordinarily, and the most
of those sold were low qualities. Wools are stiffly
held, but manufacturers buy slowly, and mostly to
complete orders which they have in hand. The
demand for Yorkshire goods has slightly declined,
and to effect sales in some instances a slight reduc-
tion in price has had to-be submitted to.