The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-13 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.
MANCHESTER, JULY 11.—The confirmation of the,
^ armistice between Denmark and Germany, in reference,
to the unfortunate Schleswig-Holstein dispute, the in
-
1 crease of purchases both of goods and yarn, by the Ger-
man merchants, and the favourable change which has
taken place in the weather, have exercised a very favour
able influence upon our market to day; and it has been,
on the whole, one of the most cheerful and eacouragihg
that we have had for many months past. The advance
in prices has certainly not been large in any case; but
it has been much more general than on any recent occa-
sion. In goods, for which there is a fair demand, ex•
tending to almost all descriptions of fabrics, whether
suitable for the home or the foreign trade, an advance of
lid. to 3d. per piece has been pretty readily paid by the
buyers; and many manufacturers have refused to take
orders, except at a further advance. In yarns, neither
the demand nor the advance of prices has been so gene-
ral as in cloth. Low numbers of water and mule yarn
—especially the former—are in good request, and coin.
mend rather higher rates. There is also a good demand
for cop-yarns from the home manufacturers, at ad-
vanced prices. For the higher counts of mule yarn,
however, the demand is by no means active; and, though
the spinners are not very willing sellers at the low rates
recently current, they have not succeeded in establishing
any noticeable advance in prices. It is, perhaps, neces-
sary to remark, that in the common description of Ame-
rican cotton at Liverpool, there has been an advance
quite equal to the enhanced rates obtained for goods and
cloth; so that the spinners and manufacturers have not
i improved their position, so far as prices are concerned.
We do not believe, however, that the improvement here
has been materially influenced by the cotton market, to
which, recently, the buyers of yorn and goods have not
paid much attention. It has arisen rather from a ge-
neral impression that the market has seen its lowest
point; and as stocks have not been allowed to accumulate
to any excess, there is fair reason for believing, that,
with a moderately increasing demand, a remunerative
business will shortly be re-established. We understand
that arrangements have been making for re-opening a very
large spinning and manufacturing establishment in Man-
chester, which employed a considerable number of hands,
but which has been entirely closed for many months
past. We have received a copy of the circular, contain-
ing a series of resolutions emanating from a meeting of
the English and other important firms at Rio Janeiro,
held on the 10th of May, for the purpose of taking into
consideration the relations subsisting between the im-
porters and purchasers of goods. These resolutions are
intended for the purpose of providing that, for the AP.
ture, no sales of goods shall be made without duplicate
contract notes being exchanged between the buyers
and sellers; that, from the Ist of July, no credits shall
be allowed beyond twelve months, and that, in case the
term of credit should be exceeded, interest shall be
charged at the rate of three-quarters per cent, per
month. These regulations were to be observed by all
parties signing the engagement, under the penalty of
1,000 milreas for the first, and 2,000 for the second in-
fraction; and they were to be communicated " with all
possible delicacy," by a committee named for that pur-
pose, to the purchasers of goods. Whether the resolu-
tions of this meeting will have the effect of limiting the
extended and ruinous credits which have done so much
injury to the import trade in Brazil, remains to be seen.
It is certainly a consummation much to be desired. The
official return, prepared under the direction of Captain
Willis, shows the state of employment of the whole of
the operative classes within the borough of Manchester
who are employed in the various descriptions of mills
and works specified. A comparison of this return with
that of the previous week gives the following results:—
One cotton mill has gone from short to full time. Of the
hands employed in the cotton mills, there are 144 more
employed on full time, and 600 fewer on short time. Of
the total works included in the return, there are eight
more on full time, seven of which were previously on
short time, while the other was stopped altogether.
There are 213 fewer hands included in the table; there
are 212 more hands employed on full time than there
were last week, and 425 fewer employed on short time.
The return is, therefore, upon the whole, not of a very
favourable character.
ROCHDALE, JULY 10.—We have had less business in
flannels to-day than last Monday, but there has been a
better demand for kerseys and heavy goods. Prices
continue low. Great inactivity prevails in the wool
market, the manufacturers buying for immediate use
only, notwithstanding that there is a prevailing belief
that the price of the raw material has seen the lowest
point.

DERSFIELD, JULY have had a decidedly
better market. Extensive purchases bevel been made,
especially in old stocks, upon which manufacturers have
been willing to make considerable sacrifices, in conse-
quence of ithe great reduction in the price of the raw
material. German wools are improving in price.
HALIFAX, JULY B.—Scarcely any alteration, either
for better or worse, is perceptible in the trade of this
district, either as regards worsted goods or yarn. Wool
is somewhat lower, but the consumption is greatly re-
stricted, and very little is changing hands.
LEEDS, JULY 11.—Our market to-day has not been so
well attended as last week, nor was the amount of busi-
ness done so good as on Saturday. Still a better feeling
is gaining ground, and strong hopes for a revival in trade
are entertained, in consequence of the splendid harvest
prospects, and of the better accounts of continental affairs,
which bid fair to be settled peaceably.—Maschester
Guardian.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE,
WooLwicu.— The Basilisk steam-sloop, to mount
eight guns, and be fitted with engines of 400-horse
power, is to be launched at this dockpard about the end
of the present month, when the spring tides are at their
greatest height. The Basilisk is of similar construction
to the Niger steam-vessel, the former to bo fitted with
paddle wheels, and the latter with a screw propeller to
test their comparative merits.
The Reynard steam-vessel, Commander Cracroft, will
be ready for an experimental trial on Friday, and on
being found perfect will immediately proceed to Ports-
ineath.
The Monkey steam-vessel, on returning from towing
the Atholl troop-ship to the Nore on Monday, overtook
the Maria Soames, hired freight ship, and towed her to
Deptford.
The Onyx, Dover mail steam-packet, is under the
South Shears, at the basin, having new boilers put on
board.
Experiments were carried on in the blacksmith's shop,
at the factory, on Saturday and Monday last, before
Mr. Lang, master shipwright, and Mr. Atherton, chief
engineer, to test two portable smith's forges, or heat-
ing apparatus, submitted by Messrs. Brown and Red-
path. They are both en the same principle, only one
is worked by hand and the other by the foot,
to allow the workman to use both hands in turning
the iron in the fire, and are intended as substitutes
for the cumbrous and inefficient forges at present used by
the engineers, smiths, and armourers in the Royal Navy,
the leather and wood of the common bellows being so
liable to injury from insects and other causes in tropical
climates. The forges made by Brown and Redpath are
wholly of iron, and so compact that when folded up for
stowing away, they do not occupy a space of three feet
six inches by two feet six inches, and eight inches thick.
The blast is produced by an eccentric fan thirteen inches
in diameter, with three blades, which revolves with great
rapidity by means of an endless gut band and crank
handle, making upwards of 2,000 revolutions per minute,
and producing a more powerful blast than can be ob-
tained by the common forges. The experiments were
conducted by Mr. Caplin, engineer to the firm, under
whose superintendence the machines were constructed,
who introduced pieces of iron If inches in diameter
into the fires produced by the forges, and in four minutes
the iron was brought to a good welding heat in the small
one, and in 3f minutes in one rather larger, set in mo-
tion by the foot. A piece of iron of the same dimen-
sions was put into one of the fires produced by the engine
blast in the blacksmith's shop, and it required 3} mi-
nutes to bring it to a welding heat—exactly the same
time as that required by the portable forge, showing
a
power of producing sufficient heat to enable engineers
in charge of engines at sea to many
cast or repair
parts of the works which, without such aid, would.ma
require the return of the vessel to port to have them
effected.

DRILLING THE POurcE.—The Secretary of State
has given orders to the Commissioners of the Metropo-
litan Police to have all the constables drilled in the
exercise of the small sword, in consequence of the late
disturbances, which have caused the men to have cut-
lasses distributed among them. The Commissioners
have selected two constables from each division to per-
form that duty, and they have been for some time re-
ceiving lessons from Mr. Angelo, to perfect them in the
exercise of the cutlass. In the early part of next week,
it is stated, the drilling will commence at the respective
stations.
town for many years
opfasbt,
.lbdrionkges
eonut
DEsTßucrivis FIRE.—NOTTINGHAM, WEDNESDAY.
—One of the most serious conflagrations that have
eleven o'clock this morning, in an ext
oc-
curredt,b:3uftabaiinrry,
for(w omrkanedufabcyture,
Pthaisssittuated in a dense range
aacnh
and
ner
silky ui
be-
tween the marketplace and Parliament-street The
,%c.iothttonm,
is in the occupation
fewessrs. Hollins steam)
and
fruoirllp7eaps:itiZdwuopol
ins and Son, who
only purchased it amonths
Esq. The fire originated in
th ago from John Mills,
"
youth named Steele was en
cot ton, when a quantity of th gaged e iteasing-room." A
n carding and mixing
e yarn became entangled
round a portion of the machinery,
which caused the material
to the rapid evolutions of
ance could be rendered, the whole
and before assist-
and the flames speedilyresaperheaadd to other parts of the ma-
we write, men are engaged the roof. At the time
smouldering ruins, ande r in throwing water upon the
removing
bundles of damaged
goods. It is impossible to estimate the amount of da-
mage, but it must reach f
h ' fully 1,0001 We understand,
however, that the
premises were insured in several offices
to a large amount.
PAY •NE ' 11)
S PRESERVATIVE PROCESS YOE TERSER.— Leaving out of sight
ht
broue the question of who really
invented and
perfection the mode
of preserving timber canted Payne's process, con-
cerning which we were once called on to speak,
it appears to be
a fulnespsat
toe a
patent of
considerable value,
available with use
than it has been yet applied. The muchchieflaorrerct extent
b
filling the pores of the wood with an indissoluble is,
stance by means of exhaustion and pressure, to preserve
it from rot and the attacks of insects. Beyond this,
however, the process is said to make the timber unin-
flammable, and a few days ago some experiments on a
large scale were made on the patentee's premises in
Westminster which appeared fully to bear out the state-
ment Two model houses were subjected to the
action of ignited shavings ; one of unprepared timber
was destroyed, while the other, formed of timber vihi h
had been impregnated, remained little 'c
injured.--The
Builder.