The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-06 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL POSITION OF THE

UNITED STATES.

Within the past two years there ha's been a complete
revolution in our foreign export trade. We are now ex-
porting articles of food in immense quantities to Great
Britain; and the foreign demand for our staples is in-
creasing so rapidly that we can hardly suptply it. Our
packet ships are crowded full of flour, grain, beef, pork,
cheese, &c. Cotton at present appears to be a secondary
article fur shipment, and is taken principally by transient
vessels. Two-thirds of the aggregate value of our ex-
ports, in former years, have been in the great southern
staple; the planters of the south have been almost ex-
clusively benefited by the increase in our export trade,
as it was confined to the productions of their section of
the country. Our exports are now drawn from every
section of the Union: the wheat and corn of the west,
the productions of our northern dairies, are as important
to the people of Great Britain at this time as the great
staple, cotton, has been heretofore. The United States
are destined to occupy a position among the commercial
nations of the world second to none. We have furnished
the raw material to clothe the people of every country.
and we are rapidly becoming the granary of the world,
and the principal source of supply for food to feed the
most powerful and wealthy nation in existence. Efforts
have been made to cultivate cotton in the East Indies,
but they have failed, and the manufacturers of Great
Britain are compelled to consume that grown in this
country by slave labour. Our breadstuffs are becoming
necessary to the existence of the operatives of that
kingdom, and they will be compelled to admit them upon
the most favourable footing. Considering the immense
exient of soil within our• limits, our agricultural pro-
ductions are very few, which can be attributed almost
entirely to the want of markets. The population of the
States is so limited that our surplus products are annu-
ally large ; but with an external demand so large as the
opening of the ports of Great Britain would give us, the
growth of the principal grains would be immense. The
western States alone would supply any deficiency in the
harvests of Europe, and nothing would enrich those
States so much or so rapidly as au active demand for all
the bresdstutls they could produce. Our principal staple
productions arc so necessary to the nations of Europe.
that they must have them. Tfey must be fed and
clothed, and in a few years we shall have to supply them
with the raw material f.‘r these purposes more exten-
sively than we ever yet have, and our position, as a pro-
ducing and exporting country, is therefore every year
becoming vastly important.—American paper.

THE LATE ANTI-CORN-LAW
MEETING AT 'HEREFORD.
TO /'HS EDITOR OF THE SUP/.

Sm.—Having read in y. ur paper of the 2d inst. your
comments on the anti-corn-law meeting K hich took
place at Hereford, on Wednesday last, I observe it stated
that in my allusion to the wages of the agricultural la
bourers in this vicinity, I was met by " indignant cries
of six shillings a week, and that I did not venture to as
sert that the average rate of wages was more than six
shillings a week." During the time I was speaking the
noise was so great that although the remark may have
been made I did not notice it ; but when at the close of
the proceedings Mr. Nash, in his speech, made allusion
to it, I immediately stated that he was in error ; that
we pay Bs. a week and drink, and charge them 6s. per
bushel for their wheat. You will find that tam borne
out in this statement, by referring to the report of the
proceedings which appeared in the Hereford Times of
Saturday last. I therefore trust you will allow this ex-
planation to appear in your next number, as I feel satis-
fied that upon your part the misrepresentation was un-
intentional, and I remain, Sir, your obedient • humble
Servant, JOHN TOMKINS.
Weir, near Hereford, Jan. 4, 1846.

INAUGURATION OF THE NEW

POSTMASTER•GENERAL.

On Saturday last the Earl of St. Germans, the newly-
appointed Postmaster-General, was inaugurated into
the office, and commenced his charge of the establishment
by visiting the several departments in the course of the
day. His Lordship was attended in his progress through
the office by the Secretary, Colonel Maberly, and received
by the gentlemen appointed to preside over the various
sections of the establishment, who minutely pointed out to
him the nature of the several duties performed in each of
the upper offices. In the afternoon he visited the inland
office, where the intricacies of the daily business were ex-
plained to his Lordship by W. Bokenham, Esq., the super-
intending president. To the several ramifications of the

duty, from the posting to the dispatch of the letters, his
Lordship appeared to pay great attention, discoursing
freely with the executive officers with reference to the
nature of the duty in their charge. In the newspaper-
office the magnitude of the business appeared to surprise
the new Postmaster-General, who entered these offices
a short time before the great supply of newspapers
were posted. As the hour of six o'clock drew nigh
(the time when the window in the office in St.
Martin's-le-Grand is closed for the reception of at ws-
papers passing without charge), the sorting-tables in
the centre, and at the end of the office rapidly filling,
and upwards of 200 men being engaged in the several
duties of " facing," " assorting," " throwing-off," re-
sorting the papers a second time into the boxes repre-
senting: the post towns—his Lordship paused to witness
the scene before him. Lie then closely watched Of.
window near the hall, where immense bags were being
put in by the vendors and others. Upwards of 30,000
newspapers being posted at this window in less than a
quarter of an hour, forming a pile as they were emptied
trom the sacks several feet square, and some yards high,
his Lordship was quite surrounded with daily and weekly
journals, and ai the hall clock tolled the hour for closing,
the papers fell thickly around him, as they were hurled
through the opening of the already descending sash
filch closed the scene. At this moment one of the
papers, flung by some boy out of breath, who had just
managed to " save post," struck his Lordship on the
breast, but he good-humouredly smiled at the incident
to his attendants. Having carefully examined the vari
ous stages of the duty, from the commencement to the
close, his Lordship took his departure shortly after the
mails were dispatched to their several destinations.

MARKET NE WS.-( YESTERDAY.)
CORN—EXCIEELATGE
The arrivals of Wheat of home produce up to our market
during the whole of the past week—arising, chiefly, from the
late boisterous weather—were on an unusually limited scale,
and of very middling quality. Of English Barley, Malt,
Oats, Beans, and Peas, including Flour, the receipts were
again small. From Ireland very few Oats come to hand;
but from abroad the imports of Wheat, Barley, Oats, and
Flour were seasonably extensive. Fresh up from our own
coasts, as well as by land carriage and sample, very little
Wheat came to hand ; hence the stands were extremely
bare of samples of that article. The attendance
of buyers being tolerably numerous, the factors
were very firm, and, .at the opening of the trade, suc-
ceeded in obtaining a trifle more for selected qualities of white.
That slight advance was not, however, supported, and the
market closed somewhat heavily for most descriptions, at
about last Monday's quotations ; still, a fair clearance was
effected. The show of free Foreign Wheat was small, yet
the amount of business actually transacted in it was trifling,
at unaltered currencies. In Corn under lock next
to nothing was doing, yet the importers were firm,
and would not sell except at extreme prices.
There was a full average quantity of English Barley on the
stands; but by far the largest portion of it was greatly out
of condition. The best malting qualities commanded a very
steady trade, and must be considered the turn dearer. In
all other kinds very little was doing at late rates. Superfine
Malt moved off freely; other kinds slowly, at late rates.
The supply of that article on offer was comparatively small.
The supply of Oats, from all quarters, but more particularly
from Ireland, being small, the Oat trade was steady, at an
advance in the. quotations of 6d per quarter. Beans and
Peas were in, full average supply and heavy inquiry, at pre-
vious currencies. Flour was a slow inquiry, but not cheaper.
CURRENCY PER IMPERIAL MEASURE
Wheat—Essex & Kent, Malt—Chevalier
Red, New.... 54s to 67s Oats— Yorkshire. and
Ditto,White, Old.. 57s 728 Lincolnsh., Feed. 24s 27s
Norfolk and Lin-
Potatoe
coin, Red... • • 528 653
Ditto, White ..
--s 688 Youghar and Cork,
Black ... •
Irish, Red , ale 548
Cork, White .• •
Ditto, White 533 575
Scotch, Feed. • •
stye—Old • „
Barley—Grinding.....
323 378 Maple . ....... .. • 415 443
•
Chevalier •. .• • . . 37s 35s
ea—wlt Matting •• iB6" Its4B Pease—Grey. ee asa g GeTori Pigeon
ysk ... . ••••
3438343: 4445115:
Malt—SUffolk and Nor-
•
folk ••"••• • • • • • 58s 62s Flour—Town-made .• • 555 573
BWohilietres . : ::: ::: : : ' 5184: 5563:
Brown s7s 60s Suffolk
Kingston and Ware 63s 65s Stocktn & Norfolk 46s 483
FOREIGN GRAIN AND FLOUR IN BOND.
Wheat—Dantzic ..
liamburgh 56s 62s Pease ••• • • .
Berle,iat -
25s
ss
2278: Flourn—American _

—.New • • • • • • • •
22s 23s
SIVIXTEIN7ELD.
Since this day se'onight the imports of live stock into
London have been moderately good, they having amounted to
40 Oxen and Cows, together with 114 Sheep, from Rotterdam,
while from Schredam, per the Attwood, we have received
47 oxen, 30 cows, 1 bull, 300 sheep, sod 2 pigs, in, for the
most part, fair average condition. We had on sale 40
foreign beasts and 190 sheep. The former found buyers, at
from 161 to 22i; the latter 353 to 44s per head. At the out-
ports, 70 beasts and 100 si Nip have been received from Holland.
From our own grazing districts, the arrivals of beasts fresh
up this morning were but moderate, though of fair average
quality. The attendance of buyers was by no means large,
yet the primest Scots, Sec., commanded a steady sale, at fully

h•gle
last wc-ek's quotations. Otherwise, lirw,fver, irP,
wrlf7 5.411,v:hat inactive, at art w
bullock droves from the northern counties comprised 1,75,
short horns., from the ea,tern districts 300 Sc:00,-
short horns, &c.; from the western and midland 'd
Herefords, Devons, &c.; from other parts of Erg'a'
400 of various kinds, and from Ire 120 bens„.
:.T
The minila r$ 11Sheep were again limited, owing to "'2
the mutton trade was firm, and lust week's p,iees were
tlilc supp -,rted--1 he be,t old D,,wns prctinci/
and at which a good clearance was effected. Calves wereilie
short supply, and steady dernand, at very full prices. rrj
pork trade ruled steady, but DO improvement can be ;artier'
in their value.

Per albs: to sink the offal. . 4,
s. 41. e. d. d. le
Interior Beasts .. •. 2 8 3 Second quality ditty 4 2 15
!zseottil quality ditto. 3 4 3 6 Coarse-woolled ifit to 4 8
Prime largo Oxen.. 3 8 310 Southdown Wethers 5 U
Prime Scots ...• .• 4 0 4 4 Dittea out or the wool 4
Large coarse Calves ; 4 4 IV; t,arge flogs .. •••• 3 I" i 1
I.:•itis small ditto 5 0 5 4 small Porkers .4 .
,uekling Calves •18 0 3: 0 Quarter old .. 16 A d
'nferior Sheep A
• 3 6 4 0 Lambs .... .. 0 v

Beasts.
2,945

SUPPLY AT MARKET.
M&,(). Calves. I r'„
I
23,600 74 2t"
NMI/GATE AND LEADEztautx.X.•
For the time of year very limited supplies of county
slaughtered meat have come to hand for aese 1112r"eif
during the past week, owing to which, and the comparstiren
limited quantities on offer killed in the metropolis, the generP
demand has ruled steady, and prices have been well sup'
po,ted in every instance. h
Several imports of foreign 5114
tered meat may be shortly expected ; and we understasd
that the few packages which have already come to LOT,
have paid the shippers extremely well. About twenty c!,,,
cases of foreign Beasts and 100 of Sheep, di4posed of inrce
first instance in Smithfield, have changed hands here stn
our last.

At per stone, by the Carcase. , d
s. d. to s. d. s. d.to -
Beef, inferior...... 110 3 0 Mutton, inferior .. 3 6 4
middling .. •. 3 2 3 4 middling.. 4 2
prime large .. 3 4 3 6 prime .... 4 6 ,
prime small .. 3 6 3 8 i Pork, 1arge........ 310 "4
Vea1.............. 4• 5 2 --small . ... 4 8 '

Lamb. Os Od to Os Od.
ARRIVALS DURING THE PAST WEER:. .
Beasts Sheep Calves PO'
30 200 230
20 150 200
30 100 80
10 30 73
10 40 190
25 50 90
20 70 60 lth)
25 80 80 920
70
90 40 83
100 Go 2°°

tcotland
Yorkshire ...............
Lincolushire
Norfolk
Cambridgeshire
Essex ..... ..............

Surrey ••• • • ...........
Devonshire •••••.•• a• • • • •
Wiltshire
Other parts .. .

Total • ... • 220 910 240 1,460
Previous week's arrival...... 325 1,560 340 .1,660
100 190

Difference since par last • • • .

csri-