The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-05 00:00:00

THE CORN TRADE.

The weather has been changeable during the week ;
up to Wednesday night the air was dry and frosty ;
Thursday, a great deal of rain fell in the neighbour-
hood of London, and showers appear also to have
boon omporienood in other parts of tho kingdom. Si neo
then the thermometer has sunk to near freezing
point, but the atmosphere has been very moist. These
changes in the temperature are decidedly unfavour-
able for grain in stuck, and until the weather becomes
more settled no improvement can be expected to take
place in the condition of new corn.
In the early part of the week much firmness was
shown by holders of wheat; but within the last few
days rather more anxiety has been manifested by
sellers to realise.

From our Scotch advices it appears that quite suffi-
cient wheat had come to hand to satisfy the demand.
At Edinburgh, on Wednesday, there was, in addition
to a good show from the growers, rather a large
foreign supply, and purchasers were consequently
enabled to buy on quite as easy terms as in the week
before.

Our Irish letters state that the markets had con-
tinued to be indifferently supplied, the farmers having
brought forward but little grain of any description.
The arrivals of wheat coastwise into London have
again been small.

—ln quotations of flour no change has occurred ; the
bakers seem to have sufficient for immediate use, and
being generally unwilling to hold much stock, the
article has met a very slow sale. American has been
held firmly at the full prices of Monday ; which
have, however, been paid with some degree of reluc-
tance.

We have again to report a good arrival of barley
coast-wise, and having in addition several parcels on
the market, the surplus of previous supplies, the
quantity offered has been plentiful. Notwithstand-
ing the reduction which has lately taken place in the
value of this grain, the maltsters and distillers have
manifested no disposition to purchase freely. Even the
finest samples, though comparatively scarce, have been
very difficult of disposal, and secondary sorts nearly
unsaleable. On Wednesday previous prices were
pretty firmly insisted on, but afterwards the anxiety
to realise increased, and on Friday rather less money
was in some cases taken. The operations in grindit'g
barley have been of very little importance, and prices
have undergone no change since Monday requiring
notice.

The value of malt has, as usual, been influenced by
that of barley ; and though we do not alter ~ur quo-
tations, the turn has been decidedly in favour of the
purchaser. •
The receipts of oats coastwise and from Ireland
rather fall off than increase.

Beans of home growth have come forward rather
sparingly, and though there has not been much doing
in the article, previous rates have been well supported.
Egyptian beans have also been held at quite last
Monday's currency.
Indian corn has been held with great firmness, hut
we have heard of no bargains in parcels on the spot.
Rye flour and Indian corn meal hare met with some
attention at previous terms.

By the Britannia steam-ship we have advices from
the United States of very recent dates. The weather
appears to have continued unusually mild, and in the
middle of December the inland navigation was still
open. This had allowed of supplies coming down
from the interior to the leading shipping ports to a
much later date than in ordinary years, and at New
York the stock of flour (which at one period had
been reduced into a very narrow compass) had again
increased to about 400,000 barrels. The demand
had, meanwhile, been comparatively trifling, and
prices had consequently receded.
The advices from the principal Baltic ports state
that the shipping season had closed, most of the rivers
and watercourses having become blocked up with ice.
The supplies from the farmers having, however, been
small, prices had not suffered any material depression.
From the Mediterranean the accounts are of very
little interest. A letter from Marseilles of the 27th
of December informs us that the tendency of prices
had, since the close of the preceding week, been down-
wards; still fine Polish Odessa had net been offered
below 425. per quarter free on board. Very little
had been done for export, but some purchases ►-.iad
been made by buyers from the interior.—Marl
Express.

FATAL ACCIDENT IN THE CHUENET VALLEI TUN-
NEL, NEAR LEEK.—About four o'clock yes; cerday
(Friday) morning, a fatal accident occurred in the works
of the Churnet Valley branch of the North Stat ford-
shire Railway. A number of the workmen were bt:lst-
ing in the tunnel, when an unexpected quantity of ro(
and soil fell, killing a man named David Smith, am'
severely injuring two others. These three were got out,
but the fallen rock had so closed up the entrance to the
works, that the other men could nut be reached. When
our informant left Leek, the greatest anxiety was felt
about the fate of the poor fellows still immured in the
tunuel.—Staffordshire Mercury,