The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-26 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, Dec. 24.—Through the arrival of
what are interpreted to be peaceful accounts from
the United States, the Liverpool cotton market has
been suddenly excited, and an advance has taken
place of about td per lb. This has reacted upon the
cloth market here, and though very little business
has been done, there is a feeling of very much
greater firmness. Purchasers are offering prices
which last week they would have refused to enter-
tain the mention of, and manufacturers are refusing
prices which they would gladly have accepted on
Saturday. The advance is pretty general, and
checks sales to a great extent. This report applies
to all sorts of goods suitable to India, as well as to
T-cloths, domestics, and printers. In the yarn mar-
ket there has been a rather extensive business,
although in that also the transactions have been
very much limited by the advanced rates demanded
by sellers. Those who have sold realised a per lb.
advance-on the prices of Friday. Several sales have
been made at per lb. advance on Friday, and one
case at least may be mentioned in which the price
obtained is ld. per lb. higher than last Tuesday.
There would have been a much larger business if
spinners had been anything like moderate in their
terms, but many prefer withdrawing their stocks
entirely from the market, having great confit.c
that peace will be maintained, and believing now
that prices will go higher than they have ever yet
attained. The tone of the market is more cheerful
than for many weeks past. Advices from Shanghai
to Nov. 5 report gray shirtings active; but at Cal-
cutta on the 20th shirtings were dull of sale, and
prices unchanged. Messrs. John Siagg and Co
report :—Since Tuesday last the market has gra-
dually improved, and a moderate business has been
done at the prices then asked, but which could not
then be got. To-day business has been checked by
the sudden advance in the cotton market, as a pro-
portionate advance on goods is generally asked,
which, so far, buyers will not listen to."
LEEDS, Dec. 24.—The cloth markets to day have
been tolerably changed in tone, but very little busi-
ness was done in either the coloured or the white
cloth hall. A few light goods for spring were
bought, and a sprinkling of purchases of a miscel-
laneous character constituted nearly the whole of
the rest of the business. Prices keep steady, those
of goods equally with these of wool. The blanket
manufacturers are in good employment, but several
of the clothiers are only poorly employed.
LEICESTER, Dec. 24.—There has been as much
doing in the hosiery trade this week as could have
been anticipated, considering the period of the year.
Goods are being made to order, but there will be no
amount of business done until the new year has
commenced. At Loughborough and Hinckley trade
is quiet. Yarns are selling at late rates, the de-
mand being fair. There is no change in the price
of wools, which are not much in request.
NOTTINGHAM, Dec. 24.—There has not been
much doing here this week in the lace warehouses.
Yesterday business was a good deal suspended in
consequence of the funeral of the Prince Consort,
most of the warehouses being closed. There are
some tolerable orders making up for the continent,
but the home trade is dull. Some small lots of plain
nets are finishing, and cotton fancy goods are meet-
ing a fair demand. There is not much doing in silk
goods, but in all departments an improvement is ex-
pected after Christmas. The hosiery trade has been
quiet this week, the same causes having operated
against it as in the lace. In both lace and hosiery
the stocks are very low. Yarns hold high, with no
disposition to recede in price.
ROCHDALE, Dec. 23.—As this was the day ap-
pointed for the funeral of the Prince Consort,which
was duly observed in this town in common with all
others in the kingdom, it could scarcely be expected
that the market would not be a little interfered
with. Upon the whole, however, the market for
both wool and flannel was nut much different from
that of last week. There was little demand except
for fine goods, and in Yorkshire goods, heavy flan-
nels and wools, but a small amount of business was
done.

FOREIGN MAIL PACKET LIST.

MAILS DUE.

Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton. Jan. 18.
via Marseilles Jan. 12.
Brazil and Cape Verds, by British packet Jan. 4.
Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena Jan. 1.
China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton Jan. 2.
via Marseilles Dec. 27.
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar, via Southampton
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton Jan. 2.
via Marseilles Dec. 27.
India (Bombay), via Southampton Dec. 26.
via Marseilles Jan. 4.
Lisbon Dec. 21.
Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton Dec. 26.
via Marseilles Dec. 27.
Newfoundland
Oporto and Vigo . Dec. 21.
U.S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet .. .. Dec. 25.
by U.S. packet....
by Canadian packet. Dec. 25.
W.C. of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriffe Jan. 10.
Bahamas, via New York Jan. 16.
Mexico
...Dec. 30.
All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru
1 California,and British Columbia.. ' 1 Dec. 30.

In consequence of the activity in each deparf-
ment of the Royal Arsenal, and the large amount
of stores to be shipped, the establishment will not
be entirely cloned during the usual Christmas holi-
days. At the new foundry in the Dial-square a
monster anvil bed for a steam hammer has just been
turned out, the weight of the casting amounted to
upwards of 33 tons. A number of 100 pounder
Armstrong guns for the naval service have recently
been tested in the presence of members of the Ord-
nance Select Committee with the utmost success.
Each gun fired consecutive rounds, including every
I stoppage, at a rapidity exceeding a round per
minute, and the guns remained clean, without
sponging, for at least 60 rounds.