The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-12 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL NEWS.

The money and stock markets are without marked
change since our last; the same state of feeling continu-
ing to prevail.
In the cotton market the news by the Niagara has pro-
ducel little effcct, except a tranquillising one, with,tin
some instances, a trivial reduction of price. Gulf cottons
are still firm.
The quotations are as under:—

N. Orleans Mo-
Uplands. Florida bile and Texas.
Good ordinary ...••• 131 ... 13/ ... 13/
Middling l4 .. 141 ... 144
Good middling 144 ... 14i 141
Middling Fair l4ll ... 14i
Fair

Fully fair l5 ... 151
Good fair lsi ... 151
Stock in city in all hands estimated at 30,000 bales.
Freights—Rates continued heavy to Liverpool, with
light engagements. 3,000 bushels of wheat were taken
for Liverpool, at 41d. Flour was taken at ls. to Is. 3d.
Dead weight at 153. to 17s. 63. Cotton was nominal.
There was no change to Havre and London.
Ashes—Tee market is steady, with a fair demand;
sales of 100 bbls., at 6 l2i for pots, and 5 814 for pearls.
Flour and Meal—Our market is less buoyant for
Western and State flour, with less speculative inquiry
and less doing for export. Canadian is heavy, at 4 62k.
The sales of domestic reach 16,000 bbls., at 4 184 to
4 44 for No. 2 superfine, 4 68:I to 4 75 for common to
strait State and mixed Wisconsin, 4 75 to 4 871 for
mixed to strait Michigan and Indiana, 4 81 to 4 94 for
good Ohio, and 5 dolls. to 5 06 for pure Genesee.
Grain—There is a good degree of firmness in our
market for wheat. Canadian is plenty and firm, with a
fair inquiry. The sales are 5,000 bush, good Ohio, at
104 c.; 3,000 ditto prime Genesee, 122 c.; 1,000 ditto
prime Southern red, at 1 dell.; and 500 ditto prime Ca-
nadian, at, 106 c. to 1061 c. Rye is very plenty and easier;
sales of 20,000 bmh., at 79c. to 810., closing at the inside
price. There is no barley offering, and the nominal
pricJ is 9Sc. to 105 c. Oats are rather better, and in
lair demand at 45c. to 461 c. for Northern, and 42c. to
44c. for Jersey. Corn is a shade lower.
Provisions—Our market for pork is rather lower, with
more doing, in part for the settlement of contracts. The
sales are I,SOO Wile., at 11 doll.. 314 c. to 11 dolls. 371 c.
for mess, al:d 8 dolls. 37} for prime. Beef is in bettor
demand; sales of 650 bbls., at 5 dolls to 8 dolls. 250. for
old mess, and 8 dolls. 75e. to 9 dolls. for now country
mess. Prime is nominal at 4 dolls. 75c. to 5 dolls. 75e.,

and quiet. Bed' hams are dull, but firm, at 12 dolls. 50e.
to 13 cloth. 50e.

Tobacco—The market is firm with a fair demand.
The sates to-day are 220 hhds, Kentucky lean, 10c. to
13A.:..; 60 choice ditto, 123 c.; and 50 "'Hs. Maryland, 64c.
Wool—The musket is very active. The se.les of the
day are large, and embrace 12,0001b5. Washing ton Co.
fleece, 50a.; 10,0001bs. Dutchess Co., 50e.; 15,000 to
20,0001b5. State fleece, 46c.; 7,0001b5. ditto, 44c.; and
some other small lots at 35c. to 45a. Fine qualities have
realized an advance of sc. per lb. Pulled wool has also
risen about
Hemp—Only a retail business in dew-rotted American,
at 112 dolls 50c. to 125 dolls., and dressed American,
145 to 160 dolls.

STEAM- ROUTE TO AUSTRALIA.
The letter in the Times to-day on the various steam
routes to Australia has attracted attention from the
practical natare of its statements. It tends to confirm
all the arguments that have lately been put forward with
regard to the complete superiority of the Western line,
from Panama to Sydney, and has increased the unfa-
vourable feeling with which the leading persons inte-
rested in the welfare of Australia have long regarded
the strange want of decision shown by the Government
on this important question. While the attention cf the
whole world is turned to the Pacific Ocean, and to the
vast commercial benefits that are destined to arise from
the extension of enterprise in that direction, the
sole object with our Ministers seems to have
been to carry the route through the Indian Seas
(where the development of our traffic calls for
no extraneous aid) at an alleged additional cost as com-
pared with the Pacific route of at least twelve days in
time a-ad 100 per cent, in the charges for freight and pas-
sage, besides unnecessary risk and inconvenience.
" Throughout the entire range of the Pacific route, both
going aad returning, fine weather, smooth seas, and a
pleasant temperature almost everywhere prevail," while
in the course from Singapore through Torres Straits it
is believed that, even apart from the best nautical skill,
vessels must always be liable to irregularities, and also
to the most serious accidents. To pay the penalty of
longer time and double fares for the latter line
seems, therefore, an inexplicable proposition, yet
it is surmised that although the Government
plan has been obstructed by the India House,
there is a probability that rather than it should
be abandoned an effort will even still be made to carry it,
through by some temporary expedients. Should any
such attempts take place, the mercantile classes will look
with strong interest for whatever explanations may be
given with respect to it on the meeting of Parliament,
since from the facts that have thus far been shown the
selection seems so preposterous that people find it diffi-
cult to believe there is not some reason in favour of it
which remains yet to be stated. Meanwhile, however,
all parties are kept in suspense, and fresh irritation is
engendered in the colonies, where the accounts that con-
stantly arrive of the success of the final postal service
established by tho United States Government to Califor-
nia, even before the gold mines were discovered, are
calculated to keep alive the most unsatisfactory compa-
risons.— Times.