The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-03 00:00:00

THE PUBLISHING TRADE.

We alluded some time since to the healthy condi-
tion of the London publishing trade, and of the state
of the book market throughout the three kingdoms.
What we observed then has been more than confirmed
by the result of Mr. Murray's great annual trade
sale at the Albion Tavern, in Aldersgate-street,
during the present month. Few of our readers are,
perhaps, aware, that it is the custom of the two great
London houses--Murray's and Longmans'—to put
their books up to a kind of auction every year; that
the sale is prefaced by a dinner, at which all the
booksellers of " credit " in London are invited to be
present; and that as soon as the cloth is removed, Mr
Hodgson, the auctioneer, of Fleet-street, commences
the business of the daysby offering the books seriatim,
as in the printed catalogue, to the attention of the
guests. The practice is not, as at other auctions, to
knock the lot down to the highest bidder, but to
put the book up at a certain price below
what is usually called " subscription price," or, in
other words, below the figure at which the book can
be obtained on any other occasion. It is also the
custom to put up books not ready for delivery, but
only nearly so ; and it is curious to watch the interest
that is felt throughout the room when a book of name
is offered for the first time. It is a matter of
ancient and proper deference to the great houses to
let " the Row" begin. Thus, with a popular work,
Longman will start with 350, Simpkin with the
same number, Whittaker with 250, Hamilton and
Adams with the same number, till at last it comes
to twenty-fives and fires, and at times to only one.
Not less interesting is it to behold the eager way in
which the numbers called out are placed promptly on
paper by the several booksellers, or the quick trades-
manlike manner in which they cast up the several
totals, and look with mute astonishment one at another
at the greatness of the demand. Sales of this descrip-
tion are limited to the two houses we have mentioned,
and are always looked forward to with interest as
affording an index of the approaching season. Mr. Murray's last sale was the best he has had since his
fathers's death, he disposing of books on that day to
the amount of 19,0001. Nor will this be wondered at
when the numbers sold are put together. lor in-
stance, the trade took on that occasion 2,000 of Lord
Campbell's Chief Justices, 5,000 volumes of The
Colonial Library, 1,400 of Layard's Nineveh, 1,400
of Byron's Works in one volume, 1,300 copies of
Borrow's new work L'Avengro, 900 of the new
edition of Mr. Cunningham's Handbook for London,
750 of Mr. Grote's Greece, 750 of Mr. Curzon's
Levant, and 600 of M. Guizot's new work. School
books sold in still greater proportions. 5,000 Mark-
ham's Histories, 4,000 Little Arthur's History of
England, 2,000: Wordsworth's Latin Grammar, 1,200
Somerville 's Geography, and even Mrs. Rundell,
though thought to be antiquated, maintained her re-
putation with her new dishes and in her new dress.

S N,

L u N,

.A!t'llors lac
Jike this.—A enerunz.

.7,dt as well as b.;c1::e11( rs 1.)- a r.,Je

STATE OF TRADE.
(From the Manchester Guardian.)
MANcuEsTr.3, Mo.ND.kr.—The very hza!thy tone
characteri.ied cur mirlt...t duri:!g tug last few
weeks continues to b fully InttintAintd, although the
doing is considerably curtailed, owing to the
thin attendance on 'Change to-day, of both buyers and
sellers, particularly tho latter, there being but few
country manufacturers in town. The Germans are more
eager in their.,inquiries after yarn to-day; and
spinners being in no way disposed to press their
production upon the market, they will probably have
to pay full prices when they operate. In India
qualities business is limited, not for want of demand
but the want of supplies. The home manufacturers
are steady buyers, at full prices. In cloth, the chief
business doing continues to be in qualities suitable for
printing, including everything, from a 31b. 26-inch to
a 91b. Boz. 40-inch. The demand for India qualities
is unchanged. Within the last few days some con-
siderable stocks of 39-inch long cloths have been
cleared out ; and very seldom has a year closed with
stocks so light, on the whole, of both yarn and cloth,
as 1849.

ROCHDALE, MONDAY.—We have had but a poor
attendance of buyers in the market to-day, and but
very little business was transacted. In wool there is
no change either in price or demand since last Monday.
MACCLESFIELD, TUESDAY.—Trade here goes on
steadily, without any undue excitement. Hands
are all well employed, and, with good wages and
cheap provisions, have not been so well for
years. The demand for manufactured goods keeps
pace with the production, and a continuance of
this will, no doubt, tend to remunerative prices
from present high rates of silk. The only branch of
the trade we have complaints of is the thrown silk
department, where, as yet, they have failed to
establish a rise in prices equal to that on raw
silk ; but, should the inquiry for export con-
tinue, added to diminished imports of foreign
thrown, we may hope to see that equilibrium in
prices established, which is at all times desirable, to
promote a healthy state of things. We think the ap-
pearances for the opening of the new year are favour-
able. The dyers continue full of work. Prices are
very firm in the raw silk market.
HUDDERSFIELD, TUESDAY.—The market has not
been brisk, but a fair business has been done in long
woollens. In fancy goods there is a slight im-
provement, and the prospects for the spring trade
look well.

HALIFAX, SATURDAY.—We cannot note any par-
ticular change in the aspect of our Piece Hall to-day,
except that a few German merchants were on the
look cut for job lots of fancy goods; but, as stocks
are far from large, and the demand is tolerably steady,
job lots, at low figures, are not readily to be met
with. The inquiry for yarns has undergone no
diminution, and they go off freely at improving
quotations. Long wools maintain their firmness, and
a moderate quantity is changing hands. Short wools
are in better request, at advancing rates.
LEEDS, TIIESDAY.—There has not been much done
in the Cloth Halls either to-day or Saturday, but the
deliveries direct to the merchants have in some cases
been considerable. Business in the warehouses is
good, and there are confident expectations entertained
of a good foreign trade. On the whole prices are
higher.

HAMBURGH FUNDS.
11A3IBURGH FUNDS, DEC. 28.
Bills. Money.
Hanoverian New Loan,s per Cent..... 10514
Ditto, 3% per Cent. ..............
Bank Shares— —— .... ——•••• • • ••
Prussian 5 per Cent. ......... ...... 106 105%
Hamburgn Certificate .... .. .......... 99 99
Anglo-Russian Loan • ....... —••• .. 106% 1061 A
Hamburgh, 31., per Cent ...... ••• • • •
Russian 4 per Cent—. ... •—.••• •• • • ••
New 4 per Cent., Hope and Co. ••• • • • 95
Ditto Stieglitz .... ........ ••••• • • • • • 85 84%
Belgian Loan,2% per Cent.. ••••• • • • • •
Anglo-Danish Loan, 3 per Cent ••• • • • 70M 70
Ditto, in 1001. Shares ............ .. 71% 70%
Ditto, 5 per cent...—. •• —•..• • . . • • 95
Anglo-Swcdish Loan ..... ....... •• • •
Ditto, Transport Loan ........ ••• • • •
Norwegian l oan, 1848 .• • • ..... •• • • 99 99
Spanish New 5 per Cent.. .•——• • • • •• 11%
Ditto, 3 per Cents. .. • ... ........ .. 27% 27%
Ditto, 1846...................... - .
Anglo-Portuguese Loan, 2% per Cent..
Dutch Actual Debt, 2% per Cent..
Ditto 3 per Cent. •.••••—• • . • • • • •
National Bank Shares ——••..— ••
American, 6 per Cent. .............. 105