The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-10 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

BLACKBURN, July cannot record any
improvement in our market to-day. The attend-
ance of spinners and manufacturers on 'Change
were much below the average, and although prices
were slightly in favour of buyers, as compared with
the quotations on the Manchester Exchange the
preceding day, business could hardly be effected.
BRADFORD, 9th.—The wool-market to-day is un-
usually quiet, and the quantity of wool changing
hands is extremely small. The large quantity of
good wool now brought forward tends to prevent
consumers from operating beyond the supplies of
pressing demands. Some are waiting to see whe-
ther wool will go any lower in price, and are quite
unwilling to purchase. Some staplers, believing
that prices will not be lower, hold to their quota-
tions with great firmness, while others, who hare
less confidence on this point, are more disposed to
meet the buyer. Middle and inferior sorts of wool
are still easier, but fine choice lustre wools are firm
in price. The worsted yarn trade is quieter than
it was. Still there is a steady business doing both
on export and home account, with a softening ten-
dency in price in some quarters. The piece trade is
unusually quiet, the demand for every quarter being
small and prices weaker.

IRO.VMASTERS' QUARTERLY MEETLYG.

BIRMINGHAM, Thursday Evening.

The second of the quarterly meetings of the iron-
masters of this district was held in the Town Hall
this afternoon. There was a large attendance, all
the great iron producing firms in this and other
districts being represented, as were also the
dealers and the various shipping houses. The
amount of business transacted was not large, but
there was an unquestionable improvement in that
respect on the two previous quarter days of this year.
The tone was better, and the prevailing feeling was
that as soon as the hot weather is over the trade will
look up; in fact, the orders given out at this meet.:
ing showed an improvement, which is general as
regards all descriptions of finished iron. There
was no approach to buoyancy to-day, but producers
left the hall with a feeling of more confidence and
cheerfulness than for the last eighteen months at
least.

There is a fair demand for Staffordshire pig-iron,
all mine ; to quote prices is to convey a vague idea
only as to the quotations in transactions of this com-
modity, so varied in quality is the make ; but the
particular class of iron above referred to is £3 ss. to
£3 7s. 6d. per ton.
The contracts for Shropshire iron were entered
into as usual; prices firm.

The Royal Connnissiou ou Courts-martial met
yesterday at the E Committee-room, House of Lords, and
proceeded thence to visit the military prison at South-
wark. Present—the Chairman, Colonel Wilson-Patten,
Lieutenant-General Peel, Mr. J. R. Mowbray, Lieutenant-
General Sir James Yorke Scarlett, K.C.8., Lieutenant-
General Henry Eyre, Major-General Sir A. H. Horsford,
K.C.P., Colonel Lowther, C. 8., and Mr. S. Whitbread,
M.P. The secretary, Ur. J. L. Wharton, also attended.
All receive with satisfaction the announcement, that in
consequence of the Reduction iu Duty, Horniman's Pure
Teas are sold Bd. per pound Cheaper. 2,500 Authorised
Agents—Confectioners in London and Chemists in the
proyiuces—supply Borg Mart's Tea only its Packet:.