The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-22 00:00:00

REVIEW OF THE BRITISH CORN
TRADE.

The demand for the coarser kinds of wheat for ship-
ment to Ireland has in no degree abated; on the con-
trary each day has brought increased orders, at en-
hanced limits. And large as the shipments from Liver-
pool, Leaden, &c., to the sister isle have lately been, the
necessity for further supplies becomes more and more
urgent. We ventured to give an opinion last week to
the effect that a simultaneous rise in the value of
wheat might be expected in all parts of the kingdom,
and what has since occurred has proved that our im-
pression was well founded. Not only has wheat risen
materially at the principal consuming markets, but
even in the agricultural districts, though farmers
have brought forward good supplies, the rise has
amounted to fully 3s. per qr. The primary cause
of this state of things is, unquestionably, the great
scarcity of food in Ireland consequent on the
potato failure. Admitting that the first accounts
of this calamity, which described the loss as almost
total, were exaggerated, and supposing that about
half of the usual quantity of potatoes have been grown
in the United King-Joni, what an immense amount
of food must be required to make good even that defi-
ciency! In Ireland millions of the people subsist almost
wholly on the potato; need we, then, be surprised at the
position of that unhappy country, knowing as we do
that more than one-half the ordinary food of a large
class of its inhabitants has been entirely lost? Substi-
tutes, under these circumstances, must be obtained some-
how; and England will be looked to in this emergency.
Nothing can afford a clearer proof of the urgent ne-
cessity of our Irish neighbours than the enormous
rise which has taken place in the value of Indian
corn. At first this article was received with great
prejudice, but it soon took a higher place in the
esteem of the Irish peasantry, and has lately been selling
at Limerick and other towns at prices not obtainable
for wheat. So long as Indian corn was procurable,
wheat was comparatively neglected ; but the stocks of
the first named article have been completely exhausted,
and still the people are without food. The natural con-
sequence has been a greatly increased demand for low-
priced qualities of wheat ; and so large have the pur-
chases for Ireland in the English markets been of late,
that a great clearance of the old foreign stocks in gra-
nary has already taken place. The rise in prices of
Odessa, Danube, and similar descriptions of wheat, has
within the period of a fortnight amounted to about Bs.
per quarter at all those places where these sorts are to
be met with.
At Liverpool the influence of the Irish demand has
been more felt than even in London; and notwithstand-
ing the great rise which had taken place there the pre-
ceding week, wheat was quoted 6d. to 9d. per 701 b., or
3s. 6d. to 4s. per qr. higher there on Tuesday than on
that day se'nnight. Indian corn continued, however, to
maintain the lead in the upward movement, and for
parcels on the spot the extraordinary price of 70s. to
725. per qr. of 4801 b. were paid. On the same day
bonded flour was in great request at that port for ship-
ment to France, and for good brands of Western
Canal, 363. per brl. was obtained. Other articles
were equally dear. Later in the week the demand was
more or less checked by the extravagant pretensions of
sellers; still a fair extent of business was done on Fri-
day, wheat bringing a further advance of 2d. to 3d. per
701 b., and Indian corn being quoted 2s. to 3s. per 4801 b.
higher than on Tuesday.
Froth Hull and Leeds the accounts of Tuesday state
that some influence had at length been produced on the
wheat trade at those places by the advices from London,
Liverpool, and elsewhere, and that the millers had be-
come anxious purchasers at rates 3s. per qr. above those
previously current.
In the western and north-western markets the upward
movement has been more decided. The Birmingham
market, though plentifully supplied with home grown
wheat, was cleared at rates from 3s, to ss. per qr.
above those at which purchases might have been made
on that day se'nnight. At Bristol a large amount of
business was likewise done : the advance realised on
English being 35., and that on free foreign 4s. per qr.
The advices from Scotland give a very melancholly
account of the distress prevailing in the islands and
highlands ; and the value of food seems likely to rise
there nearly as high as in Ireland. Besides the demand
from the more destitute districts far all low-priced
articles, a lively inquiry appears to have been ex-
perienced at Glasgow on Irish account, and rather
extensive shipments were in progress of being made.
Wheat was on Wednesday quoted 2s. to 3s. higher
at that port, and all other kinds of grain were in
request at enhanced terms. At Edinburgh prices
have also risen materially. Letters, dated Wednesday,
quoting an advance of is. to 2s. per quarter on wheat, Is
to 2s. on barley, and Is. to Is. 6d. per qr. on oats ;
though in consequence of a heavy fall of snow, the
London accounts of Monday had not then reached the
Scottish capital.
The arrivals of wheat coastwise into London have
been quite moderate this week, and by land carriage
samples very little has been exhibited at Mark-lane
since Monday. The parcels offered from Essex and
Kent on Wednesday were speedily cleared off at an ad-
vance of Is. to 2s. per qr., while on Friday, with no in-
crease in the supplies from any quarter, factors suc-
ceeded in establishing a further enhancement of about
Is. per quarter. Foreign free wheat has been in
very lively request throughout the week ; the
extravagant pretensions of holders have, however, in
some measure checked business, or the sales would pro-
bably have been even more important. The bargains
closed on Wednesday were at rates quite 23. per quarter
above those at which sales were made in the beginning
of the week, and this advance was paid without any ap
parent reluctance in execution of orders from Ireland.
When, however, a further rise of Is. to 2s. per quarter
was demanded on Friday, buyers became somewhat less
eager, notwithstanding which, considerable parcels again
changed hands. Having but little wheat under lock at
this part, and a lively French inquiry being calculated
on, the rise in bonded has kept pace with that established
on free ; and for moderately good Dautzic as much as
655. per quarter has been realised.
The town millers have again put up the top price of
flour, and the highest quotation had risen on Friday to
60s. per sack. All other desoriptions of flour have felt
tie influence of this advance, and good households were
tithe close held at 2s. to 3s. per sack higher than in the
commencement of the week. For American flour the
inquiry has also been active, and owing to purchases on
French account, nearly as much money has been realised
for the article in bond as duty paid.
Of Indian corn we have none on the spot worth
naming, and having had comparatively few floating car-
goes offered, the transactions have been of less import-
ance than of late, but that higher terms would readily
hare been paid cannot be questioned, the demand having
in no degree abated.
THE FOREIGN CORN TRADE.
By the steam-ship Acadia we have advices of recent
dates from the United States. The New York letters
reach to the 30th of November. 'The weather had then
become winterly, and a speedy close of the inland navi-
gation was expected. Owing, however, to the very high
rate of freight to Europe, business in flour and grain had
become dull, the difficulty in procuring ship-room having
thrown serious obstacles in the way of business. Good
brands of Genessee, which had at one time brought $6
25e. per barrel, had gradually receded to S 5 37ic.
The supplies from the interior had been very liberal in
November, and notwithstanding the large shipment
made, the stock on the spot was then estimated at
500,000 barrels. From Camada we learn that winter had
set in, and that m4O t of the vessels had left the St. Law-
rence. Prices of flour appear to have been better sup-
ported at Montreal than at New York, and the latter is
certainly the cheaper market.
Owing to the non-arrival of the Hamburgh mail of Tues-
day, our advices from the Baltic are not of such recent
dates as we are usually enabled to furnish..
From Dantzic the latest accounts are of the Bth inst. ;
the weather was then severe, the thermometer having
been down to 18 degrees. The river navigation had,
consequently, been put a stop to, and no further arrivals
of grain were looked for down the Vistula till spring.
The animated Eaglish accounts had meanwhile caused

holders to raise their pretensions ; at 545. to 565. per
qr. fine high mixed new inland had met a ready sale,
and for 39Ibs. to 601bs. mixed Polish 51s. to 525. per qr.,
free on board, had been paid. Stocks in granary are re-
presented to be small there, and with a continued English
demand prices would, it was calculated, advance during
the winter months.
Advises from Rostock, of the 10th instant, inform us
that after several days' sharp frost a thaw had set in, by
which the roads had been rendered bad, a circumstance
which might, it was thought, prevent supplies coming
forward. Only a oargo or two of wheat had been shipped
from that port during a period of some weeks, so very
unimportant had been the supplies. Good 611bs. to
621bs. Wheat was then held at 505., Barley of 511bs. to
521bs. weight at 285. to 203., and boiling Peas at 393. to
40s. per quarter free on board in spring.
At Hamburgh the weather appears to have been very
changeable up to the 11th instant, since when we are
without advices. Short periods of frost and thaw had
succeeded to each other; and though there was much
drift ice in the Elbe, its navigation was still

practicable. We are, however, disposed to attri-
bute the non-arrival of Tuesday's mail to increased
severity of the weather, by which we think it very
likely that the river had become blocked up. In Wheat
the transactions at Ham burgh seem to have been of quite
a local character, but the town buyers had paid equal
to 545. to 551. per quarter for good 611bs. red marks of
Wheat. Several contracts had been closed to ship Bar-
ley from the Danish islands to Ireland, at prices varying
from 28s. 3d. to 295. 3d. pPr quarter free on board.
From France the rep( its respecting the Wheat trade
become more and more exciting ; and unless the wants
of that cour.try have been greatly exaggerated, a con-
tinued demand for bread stuffs may be reckoned on.
In some parts of the kingdom the scarcity of food
seems to be almost as great as it is in Ireland.—Mark-
lane Express.

_ - -
SMUGGLING EXTRAORDINARY.—On Thursday night
Syreen, a custom-house officer, apprehended a woman
named E iza Smith, a passenger on board an American
vessel, on suspicion of haring smuggled tobacco in her
possession. Upon exa,mining her dress, 171bs. of to-
bacco were f ,und concealed under it ; but the most re-
markable of the expedient 3 which have been resorted to
for the purpose of deceiving the lynx-eyed deputies of
the "stows, was that of giving to the contraband weed
the semblance of a loaf. A quantity of cut tobacco had
been pressed into a tin, over which a thin layer of dough
was spread, which, being baked, had the appearance to
the. eye of a veritable loaf. The quantity of tobacco
which the woman had contrived to secrete in this and
other modes, amounted to no leas than 701bs. She was
re Mr. brought hefo. Rushton yesterday, and remanded
to Tuesday, in ordFr :t4:, allow of a communication being
made to the commissioners of excise.—Liverpoul Chron.
The price of wheat according to the six weeks
average which governs the.
duty, is one shilling and
sew/Tepee higher than at the same period i„,t year._
Nark-lane Express.