The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-13 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, Nov. 12.—The market for ship-
ping yarns has assumed a rather quietar tone to-
day. There is more firmness among some of the
leading spinners than others, on account of their
being well engaged to order, but others have to
concede id. to id. per lb. on the prices of last Fri-
day, in order to make sales. For home trade yarns
also prices are rather easier. Many of our manu-
facturers having supplied themselves freely of late
there is less disposition to operate. A rumour on
'Change, to the effect that the receipts at the Ame-
rican ports last week reached 60,000 bales, did not
tend to improve values. In the quotations of sellers
there is not so much change since Friday, as buyers
find practically in dealing with them. In the cloth

market the removal of immediate causes for appre-
hension as regards continental affairs had some effect
at the close of last week in improving prices, but
we did not perceive much business resulting, and
since then the market has gradually been relapsing
into much the same position it was in previously.
We find buyers to-day exceedingly timid in making
offers for cloth, and for the most part unwilling to
put down fresh contracts. At the same time makers
are in many cases too well engaged to be very will-
ing to make concessions in price. Makers quote
prices nominally the same as last week, but we find
but little business has been done at them to-day.
Where there is any change in actual values it has
been in favour of the buyer. The telegrams lately
to hand from India have no doubt had the effect to
some extent of deterring buyers for that market

from operating. Messrs. John Slagg and Co. report
of to-day's cloth market :—" The more pacific as-
pect of continental affairs, while tending to harden
prices, failed to induce much business. To-day the
inquiry is very limited, and though we cannot re-
cord any change in prices, there is a marked disin-
clination among buyers to venture on further
operations."

CARDIFF, llth.—Steam coal proprietors continue
tolerably busy, and the business doing shows a con-
siderable increase as compared with a few weeks
ago. To the Mediterranean markets, which have for
so long a period been smaller purchasers than usual,
there is an addition to the quantity shipped, and the
rumours of war on the Continent will probably
further increase the demand. French houses are buy-
ing more freely, and France is still by far the best
customer for Welsh steam coal. The exports for
the mail packet companies that are to supply the
Government at Aden and other stations with coals
for the Abyssinian Expedition are large, and the
impetus brought about by this demand has been the
main cause of the partial improvement in the trade.
The coasting inquiry for house qualities is about
the average by rail and sea, and the railways com-
pete to a slight extent for the West of England
traffic. The home consumption is increasing. At
the ironworks employment keeps without change,
and makers are afraid that the winter will be a hard
one to pass through, owing to the difficulty of se-
curing fresh contracts.

LEEDS, 12th.—The woollen cloth markets have
been almost of a nominal character this morning.
The weather has been too foggy to allow of buyers
to judge fairly of either the colour or the texture of
the fabrics offered for sale. Hence much less than
the usual amount of business has been done. The
reports from both the large and small manufacturers
show that though the trade is rather dull there is
not so much depression as to create any alarm.
Prices of wool, woollen yarns, and goods are alike
steady.

ROCHDALE, MlL—The manufacturers of flannel
keep tolerably well employed, and, though for some
time past the demand has been of a quiet order,
stocks in the bands of makers are not more than
usual at this period of the year. To-day there was
a little more doing than last week, but as a rule
buyers bought only small parcels. The Yorkshire
goods trade shows no improvement, but a late
average amount of business was done. The local
wool trade continues dull, but prices are firm, as
are those of flannels and other goods.