The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-28 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, June 17.—The business for yarns
in the export market to-day has not been large. The
difficulty is caused chiefly by the advancing tendency
of the raw material and the consequent high prices
which spinners are obliged to ask. There are
plenty of orders in the market, but not available
at the extreme prices required by spinners. A fair
business has been done by those who have been
willing to meet buyers on rather easier terms, but
the market closes rather tame. In the home trade
market the extreme rates demanded by spinners
also check business. Manufacturers are unable
to pay the prices asked without incurring great
loss upon the cloth to be made from the yarns offer-
ing, and this alone keeps them from operating. In
the cloth-market sellers say we have not for
some days past found buyers willing to follow
the advances required by manufacturers, and
which they are compelled to ask in consequence
of the higher prices of yarn and cotton. A fair busi-
ness has been done in re-sale lots, bought on spe-
culation when prices were lower, and now offering
on easier terms than manufacturers can afford.
There has, indeed, been as much cloth offering for
resale to merchants under such circumstances as
from other sources of supply. The position of the
manufacturer is rendered worse by this state of
things, and it has been quite impossible for them to
obtain orders at prices which would at all approach
to remunerative rates. The India accounts are of
a nature to discourage shipments to that quarter.
They are from Calcutta to the 19th, and Bombay
to the 20th At Bombay, 71b. shirtings were sell-
ing at 14s. per piece, which is the price which
manufacturers demand for them in the Man.:
chester market, and as shipping and other
charges would be upwards of 3s. (say, 35
per cent.), purchases to ship would be attended
with loss. Nearly all the goods purchased recently
have been taken for speculation, and will probably
have to come into the market for resale. To-day
our quotations have been necessarily rather higher
(from the still upward progress of cotton and yarn),
but there have been very few offers making for
cloths suited to any market. Buyers, indeed, are
disposed rather to offer less than give more, and the
transactions have been few and of small amount.

LEEDS, 27th.—The markets in the cloth halls this
morning have not been characterised by much ac-
tivity, the attendance of buyers being rather limited,
and their operations not being extensive in any par-
ticular kind of goods. Still, though purchases were
miscellaneous, the aggregate amount of business
done was not much less than is usual for Tuesday's
market. Plain cloths of good make are in fair
demand, and thick goods for Canada and the United
States are moving off, so that there is little or no
accommodation going on either in the halls or in
the hands of the manufacturers. The latter are
mostly in full employment, and they are able to
keep prices stady. Indeed, from the recent ad-
vance in the prices of wool those of goods have
more an upward than a downward tendency.
NOTTINGHAM, 27th.—There was a moderate at-
tendance at this Exchange-hall to-day. The demand
for lace yarns was steady, and the full rates of last
week were made. A tolerable amount of business
was done in hosiery yarns, and previous rates were
well supported. Silks firmly maintained the rates
of last week. Brown nets had a moderate sale, and
prices underwent no important alteration.
ROCHDALE, 26th.—Although there has not been
the activity to-day which is sometimes seen at our
market, there was a sound and buoyant feeling.
Both in the plain and fancy department sales were
effected without difficulty and to a fair extent.
Since our last report, too, the condition of things has
been satisfactory, both to the merchants and manu-
facturers. Buyers, however, are unable to explain
the extremely high price still demanded. The popu-
lar notion some time ago was that when the cotton
market approached to anything like its normal state
it would powerfully influence the prices of woollen
goods in favour of the buyer. This, however, has
not proved the case, but rather otherwise, for most
good kinds of wool ere now dearer than they were
before the recent London sales of colonial fleeces
began. There was more inquiry to-day for the
superior kinds of Yorkshire goods, which fetch ex-
treme prices, but woollens of a lower class are
rather a drug in the market, and prices are not by
any means firm.

SUDDEN DEATH OF DR. FERGUSON.—The death
of Dr. Robert Ferguson took place, after a few hours'
illness, on Sunday, at his residence, Ascot Cottage, Wink-
field, near Windsor. He was taken unwell at 10 o'clock that
morning, and was dead at 6 o'clock. The late Dr. Ferguson
was in his 65th year. He received his medical education at
Edinburgh, at the medical school of which city ho gained
much praise. Ho was elected a fellow of the Royal College
of Physicians in 1837, after going through the preliminary
grades leading to that proud position in his profession. As
far back as 1823 he had obtained the degree of M.D. at
Edinburgh. The late Dr. Ferguson was a physician extraor-
dinary to the Queen, and physician-accoucheur to her
Majesty throughout her confinements. Ho was formerly
Physician-General to the Lying-in-Hospital, and was prin-
cipal physician to the King's College Hospital, and also
Professor of Midwifery at King's College. Among his
written works of note, his book on "Puerperal Fever"
stands pre-eminent.
LAND TA X.—Yesterday a return was issued show-
that in the year ending March 31st, 1864, the net
quota of land tax was £1,094,164 19s. 11 d. ; the amount
of surplus under £5 in each parish, £8,913 3s. 4d. ; the
amount of surplus oc ceeding £5 in each parish £17,336
17s. 4d. ; the amount of surplus allowed to the collectors
by the district commissioners, being sums under
£5 in each parish, £8,829 13s. ; and the amount of
surplus allowed to the assessors by district commissioners
with the sanction of the Treasury, £2,680 13s. lid. The
amount of surplus land tax paid over to the Commissioners
for the Reduction of the National Debt, pursuant to the
Act 24 and 26 Vic., c. 91, was £54,544 3s. 4d.
" A Florence letter," says the Sicle," states that
the strike of the Pits cab-drivers has exercised some in-
fluence on the similar class in the Italian capital, the saucy
independence of whom is proverbial. A deputation of these
men having gone to the authorities and claimed the with-
drawal of a certain tariff, their demand was immediately
acceded to.
The Mondini Theatre at Verona has just been
destroyed by fire. The building had only a few days before
been taken by M. Pinta's equestrian company, and the
flames broke out in the stables behind the stage. Five
horses were burnt, as well as part of an adjoining house,
but no person was injured.
Viscount and Viscountess Sydney had a select
party at dinner last evening at their residence in CleTe-
land-square.