The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-14 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, Mallen 13.
The holidays have taken away many of our manufacturing
and mercantile people, and the meeting on the Exchange this
morning was much less than usual. We bad, consequently,
a flatter market than we have had for some time, and sellers
of yarn could only do business by submitting to a decline of
about -4(1. per lb. At this reduction the Germans did some
business in water twist, but the trade for export as well as
home consumption was inconsiderable in amount.
In cloth there was a little more inquiry, but at lower prices,
and, stocks beinc, small, manufacturers were generally very
unwilling to accede to any modification of terms. Buyers
were here and there able to pick up lots below the rates cur-
rent, and in some descriptions a fair business was done in this
way, but, generally speaking, the market was characterised
by steadiness among most classes of producers. This is not
so much to be wondered at, because at the prices pail for
yarns, manufacturers, especially those who are not spinners,
have but a small margin at present rates wherewith to meet
the charges for producinc, cloth. In some kinds this margin
must leave a positive loss,' and hence the greater tenacity
with which they cling to last quotations. Probably quite as
much business has been done in cloth to-day as on last Tues•
day, but not in yarns.
Messrs. John Slagg and Co. report :
"There was a large business done in India goods during
the last three days of last week, at a slight reduction from
Tuesday's prices ; but, the stocks which had been accumulat-
ing for the last two or three weeks having been considerably
reduced, there is no longer any anxiety to sell, and wo resume
our quotations of Tuesday, at which we have a firm but quiet
market. For the home trade there is a fair demand for
printers and shirtings of various widths at steady rates ; for
long cloths, T cloths, and domestics the demand is languid ;
but, though stocks of some descriptions begin to accumulate,
there is as yet no giving way in prices."

LEEDS, MAY 13.
Considering that Whitsuntide holidays are now holding,
to-day's market has been well attended, and an average
amount of business has been done ' • indeed, buyers have ope-
r ted more freely than they did last week, so that the market
upon the whole has shown some improvement.
The report of this day's market at Huddersfield is as fol-
lows :—" There have been several representatives of large
London and Glasgow houses in the market to-day, but the
maintenance of the rise in wool has caused much hesitation
in their purchases. Any description of articles, at old prices,
are readily purchased. The market is dull. Stocks have
slightly increased. Plain goods are mostly purchased."
Wools are very firm in price, and have advanced a little
since the opening of the current sales in London. A new
feature, and one worth mentioning, has just been developed in
the Australian wool trade. By advices from Melbourne of the
25th of Feb. we learn that there had just been a sale of about
700 bales of wool, which had realised full rates ; but the new
feature was that engagements were made to deliver parcels of
the wool at Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, and Rochdale, at a
charge for freight of ?td. per lb., which was at the same rate
as to London, and 3d. per lb. more than to Liverpool. If the
practice should prevail of shipping wools direct from the Aus-
tralian colonies to the clothing districts of England, there
must be a corresponding dirainutiou in the business of the
metropolitan wool brokers, accompanied with seine advantage
to the woollen manufacturers in this district, who will save at
least the expense of the carriage of the wool from London to
the West Riding.

CHANGE RINGING.—The London City Amateurs made
their annual excursion to Greenwich on Monday last,
when a merry touch was rat,g by the following gentle-
men, which was much Admired by the inhabitants G. Morris, treble, J. Hubner 2d, C. Gilchrist 3d, J.
King 4th, W. Davis sth, F. Brown 6th, C. Bartham
7th, W. Kay Bth, J. Boulder 9th, and J. Burton tenor,