The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-29 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

(Prom the Manchester Guardian of yesterday.);
MANCHESTER, Sept. 27.—0 n Saturday and yesterday,
this market in some degree shared the panic which
seized upon shares and consols. To-day, under the in-
fluence of a hope that war might yet be averted, that
feeling has given place to one of less gloom. As regards
business, a proper caution has withheld the buyers from
anything beyond a few limited and necessary purchases.
For it is felt that, with a rising corn market, increased
complications and dangers in the east of Europe, and a
great probability that, before the object can be accom-
plished, a further restrictive action on the part of dis-
counters and the Bank of England will be necessary

there can be no safety in extensive operations. This
has been the predominent feeling of the day, and it has
kept the transactions within limits so narrow as to afford
no test of the state of prices. These are, however,
lower, both in yarns and goods, than they were this
day week ; and, in the former, the fall, from the rates
current two months ago, is very considerable. Goods,
which were relatively much cheaper, were not affected
in the same degree. But there is great irregularity in
the prices asked for yarns, and for some descriptions of
cloth, arising from the varying situations of producers
in regard to stocks and contracts. Yet there is a re-
markable absence of anything like a forcing of sales,
though the desire to sell is much enhanced. Among
our neighbours at Liverpool, there is much doing in cot-
ton ; the sales yesterday having been 7,000 bales, and
to-day 8,000, with somewhat more of firmness among
holders than at the latter end of last week, when, in
some instances, low offers were accepted.
ROCHDALE, Sept. 26.—We have had but little change
in the market to-day ; goods of an inferior quality still
meet a ready sale at former prices. Wool is much the
same as it was on the previous Monday, both in price
and demand.

HALIFAX, Sept. 24.—We have again had a dull
market in our piece hall, and but few worsted goods of
any sort have changed hands. The yarn trade is by no
means brisk, and prices are much the same. Wool is
quiet, with the turn in favour of the buyer.
HUDDERSFIELD, Sept. 27.—We have again to report
a quiet market ; the attendance of buyers has been
meagre, and very little been done, either in the cloth-
hall or warehouses. The only article for which there is
a fair demand is black and white woollen twists, of
which the supply is scarcely equal to demand.
BIRMINGHAM, September.26.—The preliminary meet-

in, of the South Stlffordshire iron trade, for the Purpose
of declaring the nominal prices of iron for the ensuing
quarter, is expected to take place on Thursday next.
Though the confidence of the public in the decisions of
these meetings has been latterly much weakened, by the
lightness with which advances or reductions have been
adopted, and the rapidity with which they have been
again almost simultaneously abandoned—so much so that
the nominal prices have scarcely Over been the ruling
prices for the time being—still their resolutions are gene-
rally acknowledged as the safest existing guide, and as
operative materially for good or evil. At the present
moment, the circumstances of the trade ceem to be suffi-
ciently critical to excite considerable anxiety as to
the adoption of a stationary or progressive policy. In
limestone, and partially in coals, advanced prices have
lately been declared, while the miners have required and
obtained higher wages. To meet this, in some measure,
it is stated that manufacturers have a sufficient margin
to allow considerably higher prices to be given for their
pigs, and that they will have to give them ; but, whether
to a sufficient extent, without advancing their articles,
remains to be seen.—A7 is's Birmingham Gazette.

THE ELECTRIC TIME BALL IN THE STRAND.--The
directors of the Electric Telegraph Company have issued
a notice to chronometer makers and the public in gene-
ral, for regulating their watches and time-pieces, " that
the system of dropping the ' time signal ball ' on the
buildings of the Electric Telegraph Company, 448, West
Strand, opposite Hungerford-market, by a galvanic
current from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich-park,
after the experience of several months, has been per-
fectly successful. Chronometer makers and others are
informed that when no extraordinary signal is exhibited,
implict reliance may be placed in the accuracy of the
time given by the drop of the ball. The same galvanic
current which liberates the ball in the Strand, moves
a needle on the transit clock at the Royal Observa-
tory, Greenwich-hill. The time of movement of this
needle is observed by the officers of the Royal Observa-
tory, and, duly registered, is found to be sensibly cor-
rect. The time occupied by the transmission of the gal
vanio current, from the Royal Observatory to the Strand
is about 1-3,000 th part of a second. The time occupied
by unloosing the machinery which supports the ball is
only 1-sth of a second. Chronometer makers, and the
public are requested to remark that the instant which is
to be taken as truly corresponding to one o'clock, p.m.,
Greenwich mean solar time, is that of the commence-
mencement of the drop of the ball." Thu same galvanic
current is also communicated to the electric transparent
dial, which has been found to be so correct since it has
been erected in the Strand, and being lit up at night,
the hour (is always visible on each side of the Strand,
Hungerford-street, Adelaide and Duncannon-streets.
There is likewise an electric communication to the clock
at the Horse Guards, and the electric dial at the new
Houses of Parliament, as well as to all the different
metropolitan railway termini, and the principal seaports
and commercial towns throughout the United Kingdom.
SUICIDE OF A RESPECTABLE BUILDER IN CAMDEN
TOWN.—A lamentable case of suicide was discovered to
have been perpetrated on Tuesday evening, by Mr. Wm.
Shaw, a highly respectable builder, resident in Arling-
ton-street, Camden-town. Mr. Shaw, who has for many
years taken an active part in local matters in St. Pan-
cras, and was highly respected, had latterly become
somewhat flighty in his manner, and would at times ab-
sent himself from home. He had not been seen, it is
stated, since Sunday evening ; but on Tuesday night he
was discovered suspended from a beam in some back
premises in the rear of his house, and it is supposed he
had been hanging there from the time he was first missed.
Mr. Shaw was of a literary turn of mind, and some
years ago contributed occasionally local news to some
of the daily papers. An inquest is expected to be held
on the body this day.