The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-26 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, April 25.—Forshipping yarns there

has been a very fair amount of business doing, but
not at the extreme prices which spinners were asking
yesterday. Any spinner asking moderate prices has
been enabled to make sales, but such as have de-
manded very extreme and extravagant rates have not
been able to effect business at all. This branch of the
market closes strong, but the tone is scarcely as
buoyant as it was yesterday, when the news was first
to hand from America. The prices obtained to-day
are about I.d. per lb. in advance of those current on
Friday last. For home trade yarns the market has been
steady, with a moderate amount of business doing.
The general advance on these yarns is not equal to
that on yarns for export, but is slightly in advance of
those obtainable on Friday. In cloth we have had a
gradually advancing market ever since last Tuesday,
and the inquiry has become larger and more general
daily and almost hourly. Many buyers who held
extensive discretionary orders, and who had kept
them accumulating, began last week to anticipate
the fate of Lee's army, and came into the market
rather freely to place such orders. The news by the
Asia still further stimulated the general demand and
further tended to augment prices. A large aggregate
business was the result, and contracts have been
taken on all hands, and in some instances for a long
date of delivery. Yesterday and to-day the amount
of business doing has to some extent been checked
by the unwillingness of manufacturers to contract
for more lengthened dates than they have already
taken orders to cover, but the market continues
steady, and prices exceedingly firm. Altogether the
advance in pricep for shirtings since last Tuesday
has been nearly a shilling per piece, but there is
some irregularity and inequality in the prices quoted
and those obtained in some instances for actual
sales, the discrepancy arising from the dif-
ference in the position of manufacturers—some
of them being already deeply under engagements,
while others have not been so fortunate. The sud-
den " spirt" (as it is called) in cotton is the result
of the heavy orders given last week, which has sent
spinners down to Liverpool in great numbers to
buy. It is not anticipated that it will last. Cloth
and yarn are likely to maintain a good value, be-
cause both home and foreign markets are bare of
stocks beyond precedent, and it is doubted if manu-
facturers will be able to get workpeople to produce
goods sufficient for the demand low prices are likely
to lead to ; but the stock of cotton in the country
and on the ocean is large, and it is anticipated that
prices will give way rather than advance after spin-
ners have supplied their present requirements.
Messrs. John Slagg and Co. report of this day's
cloth market :—" Since last Tuesday there has been
a gradually increasing desire to purchase, • and the
demand has almost amounted to excitement. Prices
have rapidly risen during the week, and the trans-
actions must have been of large extent. The last
American advices have served only to stimulate
this demand. Large as the operations have been,
more might be done, if manufacturers were not un-
willing to risk further lengthened contracts."

LEEDS, 24h.—There has been a fair attendance
of buyers in the cloth halls this morning, and a sa-
tisfactory amount of business has been done, but
the purchases have been general rather than specific.
Plain and ordinary cloths have had quite as much
demand as summer and fancy fabrics ; indeed, the
wholesale purchase of the latter is nearly over for
the season, and buyers are turning their attention
to autumn and winter, more particularly for expor-
tation. Witneys and reversibles are likely to be
again in chief request for outer coats, and some little
novelty in pattern and finish has been introduced
by some manufacturers, but the goods are not offered
in the open market. The Australian and the French
demands for the Yorkshire woollen goods appear to
be both on the increase, and the general impression
is that the termination of the war in America will
be followed by an increased trade in woollens
with the Federal States, notwithstanding the
high import tariff of the latter. Prices of
cloths, those of union and mixed materials, as well as
those made of wool, are very firm. Wools, too, are
rather stiffer, holders showing less disposition than
last week to sell on any but the topmost quotations.
NOTTINGHAM, 25th.—There was a fair attendance
at our Exchange-hall to-day, and the demand forlace
yarns was more active. Higher prices were asked for
medium sorts, but sales were only made at fully late
rates. The demand for hosiery yarns was steady, and
a moderate trade was done at previous currencies.
The price of silks had an upward tendency. There
was a better demand for brown nets, and the rates
of last week were well maintained.

ROCIIDALE, 24th.—Although the attendance at
to-day's market has only been small, and business
was poor in proportion, there is a good deal doing
among the makers of fancy flannels, and orders
for summer goods have come in to a satisfactory
extent. Things are not so well among the plain goods
makers, but throughout the trade there is a good
deal of reanimation, arising from the seemingly
well founded anticipation that after the approaching
wool sales there will be such a redundance of wool
distributed throughout the woollen districts that the
present dearness can scarcely fail to be most strongly
affected by it. The subsidence, too, which has gra-
dually been going on in the price of cotton will in
the natural order of things also contribute to this
end, and thus merchants, who have no immediate
inducement to buy at existing prices, act with re-
serve, and will continue to do so until the time has
come when in all probability the standard value of
the raw material will be settled for the remainder
of the year. Under these circumstances the local
wool market is quiet. The Yorkshire trade is like-
wise depressed, but the reason why it has so long I
continued so cannot be explained very clearly.