The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-08 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, Jan. 7.—ln shipping yarns there
has been a fair business doing at the prices which
were current and easily obtainable last Tuesday,
but buyers were unwilling to give the rates de-
manded on Friday. The principal buying has been
in yarns suitable for the markets of Germany,
China, and to a moderate extent for those of India.
Home trade yarns have been quiet but steady. A
moderate business has been transacted in these, and
prices are generally the same as last Tuesday for all
counts of yarn. Spinners and manufacturers are
now feeling in a little more comfortable position
than they have been, owing to pretty good supply
of contracts, and are less disposed to press goods
upon the market; but even yet there are some ex-
ceptions to the rule, and spinners are found easier
to deal with than others. For cloth we have bad a
fair number of offers from buyers of India goods of
the better makes ; China shirtiugs have also been a
good deal inquired for. The offers, however, show
no improvement in the rates buyers were willing to
give last week. On the other hand, manufacturers
have been more disposed to listen to such offers, be-
cause of yarns being a shade easier. We cannot say
that a very general business has been done, or even
an extensive one; but a fair number of orders have
been taken to make, chiefly of the India and China
staple makes of cloth. There has also been more
demand for printing cloths, with n more cheerful
feeling pervading the market generally. Sellers'
quotations remain without much alteration. Messrs.
John Slagg and Co. report of this day's cloth-
market :--

" Though a moderate business was done on Fri-
day and Saturday, the past week has been on the
whole a quiet one ; and even the advance in cotton
failed almost entirely to influence our prices. To-
day the low offers of last week are in many cases
repeated, and the easier tone of the yarn-market
has in some instances enabled makers to accept
them."

CARDIFF, 6th.—After two or three weeks rather
dull times, business at the docks is again beginning
to assume some of its former vitality, and there
have been a good number of departures during the
last few days. The demand for steam coal from
the Eastern markets is not quite 60 good as a
short time since, owing, it is said, to a belief that
the Abyssinian prisoners will be liberated, and
the object of the expedition will thus be accom-
plished. Should, however, the war continue, there
is likely to be a considerable increase in the de-
mand, as the stocks at the mail packet stations
are known to be low at the present time.
France continues to purchase ratherlarge quantities,
the principal shipments being made to Nantes. For
house qualities the demand has slightly improved,
and with the continuance of cold weather the con-
sumption will probably keep about the average.
In consequence of the low prices obtained for both
steam and house qualities, the colliery proprietors
have given notice of a reduction of from 10 to 15
per cent. in wages. In the iron trade business
evinces no vitality, and it is the opinion of many
that a reaction will not set in until the spring.
There are a few shipments to be made this month,
but to no large extent. For tin plates the American
inquiry has fallen off.
LEEDS, 7th.—There was but a small attendance
of buyers in the cloth halls this morning. A few
Manchester and Bradford buyers were present, but
scarcely any from other towns. The chief demand
was for spring goods, but the parcels purchased were
small in amount. The fabrics which sold to the
largest extent were tweeds, and of these the medium
and low qualities were in most repast. Plain steel
mixtures, blue-grey shades, and those of fancy
warps seemed to be most approved by buyers. A
few London buyers are in the town, but their
operations, which are confined to the warehouses,
are marked by great caution. Their visits in many
instances appear morn for inquiry after new pat-
terns and the range of prices than for the actual
purchase of goods. The country clothiers report
work, except in tweed-making districts, as rather
slack. There is no perceptible alteration in prices.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, TUESDAY, Jan. 7.

Two of our journalists are at present in prison instead
of in their.bureaux. M. Duchene has been there some
time. M. Lepage's term of one month's incarceration has
only just commenced. He was sentenced for a libel on
the Princess of Metternich, tile particulars of which will
be familiar to your readers.

Tho Courricr Francais has also been exposed to the fire
of persecution. The Correctional Tribunal has been called
on for judgment in an action of defamation brought by
certain persons composing the representative committee of
wine agents against that paper. - The offence was com•
mitted in an article which appeared on the 20th of August
last, imputing to the plaintiffs the practice of mixing water
with wine which they sold, and of ruining the persons who
confided their produce to them to be disposed of. The
court condemned M. DucUne, the ged.ant, and M. Town;
the printer, the former to a month's imprisonment, and
the latter to a fortnight, and to costs; also to _ "Wish the

judgment in their journal and to advertise it in five other
public prints. M. Vermorcl, the editor, not being con-
sidered responsible for the article, which was not written
by him, was discharged from the proceedings.
The late elections for the two seats in the Legislative
Body, rendered vacant by the promotion of M. Gouin,
sen., and Dr. Conneau to the Senate, have set the breasts
of the Opposition rejoicing. M. D'Estournel, in the de-
partment of the Somme, polled 13,005 votes ; the official
candidate, 11. Villemant, only 12,703. M. Houssard, in
the Indre-et-Loire, registered 10,879 votes ; his opponent
LT. Gouin, polled 7,627.

I mention as an item of intelligence of interest to your
commercial readers that during the past year the Tribunal
of Commerce of the Seine has pronounced no less than
1,620 bankruptcies. I believe this number shews an ex
cess of 120 over the list of last year.

In March next the Prince Imperial will attain the age
of 12, and already preparations are being made at the
Tuileries for his first reception of the Holy Sacrament.
I have to mention the sudden death of M. de Rebous,
vne of our deputies, who was in his place and took a part
in the debate only a few days since.
Two of our manufacturers think free trade and ruin
synonymous terms. M. Pouser-Quertier and Li. Brame are
anxiously endeavouring to restore protection and prohibi•
tion to France. This may be set down as foolish. M.
Pouser-Quertier has gone further, and adopted a course
which is mischievous, for, feeling that he cannot compete
with England, he has closed his manufactory entirely. By
this means six thousand men are thrown out of employ-
ment.

A fight between soldiers and sliders is not a very digni-
fied proceeding. Such a scene, however, has been wit-
nessed in the vicinity of the barracks of the Prince
Eugene, in the Place of the Chateau d'Eau. A number
of man and boys were disporting themselves on the ice,
which proceeding was disapproved by the officers in the
barracks, who despatched a file of men to disperse the
crowd. They took nothing by the movement, however,
for the sliders would not give way. The file of men was
then increased by a detachment under the command of a
sergeant, and a very amusing free fight ensued, ending in
the capture of half a dozen prisoners.
Ono of our papers contains the following extract from
the Gazette de Konigsberg :—" In the Russian village of
Kasan a new theatre has been erected, and the governor
of the department has issued an ordonnance according to
which the manager is bound to give, at least once a week,
a representation to which mothers may not be ashamed to
take their daughters." The journal in question supple-
ments the extract with the comment : " Here is a very gal•
lant governor, whose example our Parisian directors would
do well to follow, if it went only so far as to correct what
is offensive to the eye."
I believe many of your sporting men during the pa,
year have been heavy losers. It may comfort them to
know that their misfortunes on the turf are not without
parallels in our clubs, where high play is the rule. If the
Figaro may be believed, Khalil Bey has lost 43,000 pounds
—not francs—in one night.