The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-14 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

(From the Alancliester Guardian.)
In consequence of the excitement which prevailed in
the Liverpool Cotton Market on Monday, and the ad-
vance of price consequent upon it, there was a very
uneasy and irregular market here yesterday. The
spinners and manufacturers, scarcely knowing at what
price they might be able to replace their cotton, were
not disposed to sell except at an advance, which the
buyers were by no means disposed to give ; and the
coriz:equence was that a very limited business was done,
especially in reeled yarn. For goods the demand was
sornea hat better ; and though the manufacturers were
not able to realize the advance which they had at first
demanded, some sales were made in 27-inch printing
cloth, at an improvement of I,ld. per piece on
the rate of the preceding Tuesday. Both spinners
and manufacturers, however, are now in a worse
condition than before the late advance in cotton, as
the prices of their produce have not increased in
proportion ; and the buyers generally deem the
recent excitement in Liverpool entirely unfounded,
and do not permit it to influence their operations. In-
deed, the accounts of a short crop of cotton, upon
which the speculation in Liverpool appears to be
founded, arc generally disbelieved here. No doubt, the
severe weather, experienced in the United States. in
the beginning of the last month, has in some degree ex-
tended to Georgia and Carolina ; and the produce of
those States may be expected to fall considerably below
that of last year, when the season was more favourable,
perhaps, than was ever before known ; but, so far as
we arc aware, there is no reason to suppose that the
frost has extended into the valley of the Mississippi.
Indeed, the most recent accounts from the ports of the
Gulf of Mexico speak of the weather as being decidedly
favourable, and the receipts of cotton large ; and, unless
there should be some considerable falling-off in that quar-
ter, of which, at present, we know nothing, the injury to
the crop in Georgia and Carolina will not account
for the prodigious falling off which appears to be calcu-
lated upon at Liverpool. The whole produce of those
States, in the year 1839, was only 600,000 bales ; and
if the coming crop should amount only to two-thirds of
that quantity, or 400,000 bales, there must be a dimi-
nution of nearly 400,000 bales in the Gulf States also,
before the crop can be reduced, as alleged, from
2,177,000 bales in 1832, to 1,600,000 in 1840 ; and
we can gather nothing from the recent letters from New
Orleans and Mobile, to induce us to suppose that any
such falling off is likely to be experienced, or that the
entire crop will fall short of the previous estimate of
1,800,000 to 1,850,000 bales. It is generally stated that
the speculation in Liverpool, after the arrival of the
packet, on Monday, was commenced by purchases on
American: account, which may possibly be true ; but
we believe there is no doubt, that, up to the very
latest dates from all parts of the United States, cotton
was seliing there at prices, which, when compared
with the current rates here, would leave a fair profit to
the importer ; and it seems strange, that, under such
circumstances, the speculations of American merchants
should be made in Liverpool rather than in New York
or New Orleans. This, at least, is the view
very gene-
rally taken of the matter in this town ; and if the pre-
sent excitement in Liverpool should lead to any material
advance in prices, the effect will be a cessation of buy-
ing, except for immediate use, until either the importers
and speculators at Liverpool give way, or the buyers
of goods and yarn consent to give the advance which is
necessary to remunerate the spinner and manufacturer.
ROCHDALE FLANNEL MARKET, MONDAY, JAN. 11.
—Though today has been whet is called the " First
Market," we have had but very little change in the de-
mand for goods. Upon the whole, there has been a
little improvement, but no alteration in the prices. The
wool market rearanis steady, and prices looking up.
HUDDERSFIELD MARKET, JAN. P.—This was a
tolerably brisk market, especially in low, plain, anti

fancy woollens, for which the demand contia nu-
&ated, arising principally from foreign orders. in ()Oleg
descriptions there is not much animation ; but, on the
average, a fair general business is doing. Prices still
continuo firm, but low, which makes it difficult to rea-

lise a profit on wool In the warehouses, these is little
or no change. Stocks are not large, and all the mills
are working full time.

THE BATTLE OF THE BEGGARS

A scene, at once singular and ludicrous, occurred
last week in New-road. A couple of those blind
mendicants who are in the habit of perambulating the
streets accompanied by dogs holding little caps in their
mouths for the purpose of receiving the donations of
the charitable, happened to be pursuing their "
but with this difference, that while the one endea soured
to procure a livelihood by vending those necessary ap-
pendages to the female toilet termed " stay-laces„." the
other contented himself with exhibiting his sight tless
orbs, and simply uttering the pathetic cry of " poor
blind!" The two chanced to be going in oppt .site
directions, and on the same side of the way, " tappi,ng"
the pavement with their iron-shod sticks, and varying
the monotony of their " taps" with the alternate cries
of " poor blind" and " stay-lace." It appears that a
sort of rivalship exists between them, and on nearing
each other it was observed that the " tapping" be-
came much more energetic, and the tone of their voices
much louder and less supplicatory. The very curs
seemed to partake in the excitement of their masters,
for they simultaneously dropped their 'caps, pricked up
their cars, and commenced tugging away at their
strings " like mad." The eagerness of the " quadru-
peds" quickly brought the " bipeds" in contact, and
the " scrimmage" commenced by the animals worrying
each other in a style that would have thrown the veriest
costermonger in all Christendom into ecstacies. At
first the united efforts of the beggars were directed to
separating their four-legged companions, and which,
after considerable difficulty, was effected, And, each
dog being secured under the arm of its respective
master, the following colloquy commenced, to .the infi-
nite amusement of the crowd who began to collect .round
the belligerents. " An' its you that ought to be ashamed
of yersclf, ye dirty Scotch tbafe, to be after taking! the
bread out of the mouth of myself and the children, by'
coming with your mongrel baste across the bate of a
honest man. An' its bamboozling the ladies ye are,.
with yer dirty laces as rotten as a dry rush from the.
bog of Ballyshannon. Och ! and it's the treadmill
that's too good for the likes of you, ye dirty spalpeen
of a Scotch beggar." " Whist, whist," retorted the other,
" ye're downright daft, man, or ye wudna' be just ax,-
posing yerself in sic fashion. Canna' ye just quietly
gang ye'se way and let me gang mine, without fashem
yersel aboot me an' my wee bits o' laces ? Beggar,
too ! na, nit, I'm nae beggar. I dinna gang aboot
wi' a tang face and a loud whine like you Irish lunzies
(beggars), with Dan O'Connell at the head o' ye."
This was enough. The word" Dan" had an electric
effect upon the nerves of the Irishman, who, guided by
the speaker's voice, dealt him a blow with a stick that
sent his hat whirling to the distance of several yards and
left a mark on the Scotchman's brow, that looked any-
shing but " cannie." The blow was immediately re-
turned, and a curious sight it was to see these two blind
men striking at each other, and to witness the sagacity
with which they sometimes warded off the blows, by an'
ticipatin,,,,, where they might fall. However, some
friends of the men, arriving at the spot, separated the
combatants, who a short time afterwards were seer'
" tapping" their respective ways, as orderly as thougil
no interruption had taken place, to the well-known cries
of " poor blind" and " stay-lace."