The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-05 00:00:00

MONEY MARKET AND CITY IVEWS.

CITY, Two o'CLoCK.

During the past week there has been a slight
improvement in the general aspect of commercial
affairs in the manufacturing districts. At Man-
chester the advices from China have stimulated pur-
chases of goods suitable to those markets, and there
has been more activity in the demand for the home
and continental requirements. The woollen trade
of Leeds has been dull, but seasonable fabrics have
been dealt in to a moderate extent. At Bradford
piece goods have been in more request, chiefly for
the 'United States; wools and yarns, however, con-
tinued inactive. The hosiery trade at Leicester
contin aes active in most departments, and at Not-
tingham a decided improvement has taken place in
the cotton hosiery. At Birmingham, Sheffield, and
Wolverhampton a seasonable business has been
transacted, without material alteration in prices.

The liquidation of the bills which arrived at ma-
i turity on Saturday did not stimulate the demand
for money to any great extent, and the market has
remained quiet, without any variation in the rates
of discount. The abundance of money, and a
limited enquiry for commercial purposes, trade
throughout the country being dull, render capitalists
rather anxious tr) employ a portion of their re-
sources in the negotiation of short dated bills, on
terms slightly under the Bank rate, although the
prospects of the market keep them from touching
securities having a long period to run, witless at full
quotations. It is evident, however, that .a perma-
nent diminution in the efflux of gold would
speedily lead to easier rates of discount, and the
results may yet prove that a good deal of unneces-
sary apprehension has lately prevailed in regard to
the future.

Business in the Liverpool Cotton Market on
Saturday continued very active, and prices tended
upwards, owing to the limited supply. The sales
were 20,000 bales.

There were no bullion operations of importance
at the Bank of England yesterday.
A call of £2 per share has been made by the
directors of the Oriental Inland Steam Company on
the A and B new shares, payable on the 7th of
January next.

On the 15th instant an instalment of 10 percent.
is due on the last Russian Loan of £5,000,000.
The Africa has arrived from New York with
£1,600.

The following remarks respecting the wine trade
are from the circular issued by Messrs. Groves and
Co. :—" The imports of the United Kingdom of
French wines for the eight months ending 31st
August last, were 1,835,085 gallons, being an excess
of 14:07,139 gallons over the imports for the cor-
responding period of 1859; and the home consump-
tion 909,031 gallons, as compared with 478,595
gallons last year. This return is highly
satisfactory ; for although much of the wine
taken into stock is still unconsumed, it evidences a
growing taste for French wines, notwith-
standing their high price, and the very unfavour-
able season we have had for their consumption.
The stock of French wines in bonded depots in the
United Kingdom on the 31st August last was
1,408,674 gallons, compared with 458,955 gallons
at the same date in 1859. Of the present stock,
however, a large proportion is of very doubtful
quality; much of it having been shipped from
France immediately after the reduction of duty, in
the expectation of a large demand in our market
for common French wines. It is therefore more
than: ever necessary for merchants to purchase only
of importers of known integrity ; for doubtless
much of the liquid now filling our public vaults
will, ere long, be utterly unfit for human con-
sumption."