The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-16 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

As we are just on the eve of a most exciting election,
but little attention is paid to trade generally. The eh. e-
tions in all sections of the country take place at about the
same time. Those, therefore, who have been here have
hurried home to attend the polls, and those who have
been preparing to come put it off until after the election.
This causes a stagnation in the market. We may, how-
ever, look for a short period of activity previous to the
closing of the canals, but dealers from a distance will not
risk the possibility of being caught by a setting in of the
frost. Already snow has made its appearance in the north-
ern part of the State. Many dealers look forward to a
large spring business, and as the stock of imported goods
here is very small, importers have been induced to send
orders to some extent by the steamers. Open policies, to
considerable amounts, have been made binding at the in-
surance offices.

COTTON TRADE. —There is very little doing in cotton
at any of the leading ports. In the Atlantic ports the
purzhasers are waiting for a further accumulation of the
stock before operating. In the southern ports, the orders
from abroad, particularly from France, are limited at
prices below the views of holders, who pretend to
place great reliance in the shortness of the growing
crop. At Mobile the prices are one cent. higher than at
other ports, and the speculators throughout the south
seem to be actuated by the same fallacious ideas that
led to the disastrous speculations of 1839. Tie mere
fact that the crop of 1839 was less than that of 1838 was
made the basis of a rise, without considering that the
crop of 18325 might have been superabundant, as
turned out to be the fact. The crop of 1840 was
2,175,000 hales, and it is generally allowed that the
growing crop will be 1,900,000 bales, or 100,000 larger
than the immense crop of 1838; yet became it will
be 30,000 bales less than last year, dealers arc
speculating for a rise. Their hopes are based, in
J., c great measure, upon ttio largo kin.r.titiog
taken for consumption in Liverpool this year. The pro-
bability is, that spinners laid in their stocks when prices
were low, in anticipation of a return of activity. This has
not taken place. The exports of yarns and goods from
England have been unusually small, an indication of which
is the low str:te of exchanges on the Continent. If. there.
fore, there is a continuance of peace and the crop does not
go above the lowest estimates, there is but little probability
of a rise in prices.
Tho following is a table of stocks, sales, prices, and
remarks, at the leading, ports, for the week previous to
date :

Stocks. Sales. Prices. Remarks.
New York, Oct. 31, 12,000 3,000 7:10111 decline a
New Orleans ... 21, 48,528 10,300 Bal I firm
,li bile ... 22, 4,955 500 71a101 fading
Augusta ... 22, -- 300 7a 9 do.
Savannah ... 23, 1,789 1,100 71 a9i do.
Charleston ... 23, 4,300 2,300 7a 94 :do
CORN TRADE.—Within the past week Flour has ad-
vanuti fully a shilling a barrel. Sales of Western brands
take place at $5 to $5 12. Small shipments only are
making. The receipts are fair, and the stock in the city is
accumulating for the winter wants, but not very rapidly.
From present indications the arrivals from the west and
north, for the remainder of the season, will not be very
great—not much larger than last year.