The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-05 00:00:00

STATR OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, March 4.—The market has been rather
&nor, and in yarns a fair busio3ss ha, been done, but
the demand has riot been active for cloth. Buyers for
Germany, and also for India, have been taking yarns
with ruaderste freedom, and prices may be quoted 0.
per lb. above the rates of last Tuesday. Manufacturers
have also been active buyers, and spinners have in some
cases demanded id, per lb. advance for cops, but the
average prices do net reach more than d. per lb. higher,
either on home trade or export yarns. Yarns suited to
the Yorkshire as well as the continental trade go off
well.

There has been a good deal of inquiry for cloth, and
prices are very firm,. Messrs. J. Slag and Co. say :
" There has been mare animation in the market yei-
terday and to-day than we have had for the last two or
three weeks. The accounts from Calcutta and the China
markets, received yesterday, are better than were ex-
pected, and a considerable business has been 'done for
ttiose quarters at an advance on shirtings of full 11d. per
piece on last week's rates. For the home trade also there
has been an active demand for printers and shirtings, and
some kinds of domestics, at gradually hardening prices.
Long-cloths and T-cloths, on the other hand, a-e compa-
ratively neglected, owing to the unfavourable advices
from Constantinople and Egypt, but prices are firmly
maintained."

The prospects of peace have a tendency to induce
caution among the buyers for the Levant trade, but
there is little doubt felt that this branch of our foreign
trade, though it may fall off comparatively after hottid-
ties have ceased, will take a more important position
than it did before the war.

Messrs. Da Fay and Co. have published an interest-
ing table (one of an annual series), giving an "estimate
of the difference in pounds sterling of the sums accruing
to the trade in cotton-manufactures during the years
from 1846 to 1855, to pay for the expenses of fuel, ma-
chinery, drugs for dyeing, printing, bleaching, interest
of capital, and every kind of wages, profits, &0., after
deducting the actual cost of the raw material." Last
year's table will furnish an example :—They estimate
the cotton consumed in Great Britain in the year 1855
at 836,000,0001 b., and allowing 1i ounces per lb. as the
waste in spinning, this would produce 744,563,0001 b. of
yarn. Of this they calculate that 142,715,5001 b. has
been exported in the shape of yarn and thread, and
358,578,000ib. has been exported in the form of cloth
or manufactured goods, leaving 243,269,500,b. as the
amount of hone' consumption. We then come to values.
The declared value of thread and 3 arns exported in the
year is 7,785,9001., ar.d that of manufactured goods
27,025,9001. ; while the home consumption, estimated
in the same proportion as the declared value of the
exported goods, plus 1., is 24,446,0001. ; total,
59,257,800/. ; from which deducting the total cost of
cotton (836,000,0001 b., as above stated, at the average
price of Sid. per lb., or 19,739,0001. sterling), the
balance left to meet cost of production, profits, &c., is
39,518,800/. It will be seen from this table that
the home consumption of cotton fabrics last year was
equal to 243,269,5001 b. weight of yarn, or less than one-
third of the whole 744,500,0001 b., which is a much
smaller proportion than has been retaised in previous
years. In the prosperous year 1852, the home consump-
tion was 272,000,0001 b., out of a total of 668,000,000.,
and in that year, with a consumption of only 751,000,0001 b.
weight of cotton, at sga. per lb. (or 16,819,3001. ster-
ling), the total value of our manufactures was
661,500,0001., of which 31,594,0001. worth were re
tained at home, and the balance towards cost of pro-
duction, profits, &c., was 44,730,700/ , or an excess of
5,211,900/. over the balance of last year.
LEEDS, March 4,—ln the woollen-cloth trade we have
to report a steady market. In the coloured cloth-bail
this morning a fair amount of business was done, chiefly
in mixtures and spring fabrics. In the white cloth-hall
only a limited business was done, but the general tone
of tie trade is firm and satisfaotory. The teport of the
Huddersfield market is as follows :—" We have bad fully
an average attendance of buyers. Purchases were, how-
ever, more numerous than extensive. There was a
brisk inquiry for new spring fancy patterns, and ready
sales were effected in black mixture doeskins and other
descriptions of plaid trouserings, at medium prices. The
wo9l trade is firmer."