Star.
London, England, 1817-11-26 00:00:00

LRIPSK MICHAILMAS FAIR.

FROM A GERMAN PAPER.
The ifigewarie Z./tally contains, in its supplement of
the 1 Ith end 12th instant, a pretty detailed account
of the Leipsic Michaelmas'Fair. The following ex.'
tracts, however, are the only parts of it that have any
reference to British commerce, or any interest for the
British merchant :
le It could not escape the notice of the attentive
observer for some menthe past, that the Leipsic Mi-
chaelmas Fair held out a happy prospect, and that it
would be much more important for its sales than
those that for some time have preceded it.
44 In the chief manufActuring places of Saxony,
great orders were received, and every where revived
industry became active, particularly in the manufac-
ture of the fine articles of cotton prints, the finest
woollens and lace. Even some prospect seemed to
open here and there, for the linen manufactures para-
lysed for a long time. The Brunswick summer fair,
and the autumn fair of Frankfort, were looked upon
as auspicious harbingers; and the latter in particular
furnished the most favourable prognostics. From
the middle ot September rows of waggons covered
the roads which bad been established fur the carriage
of wares and merchandise from the east and north to
Leipeic. Two weeks before the fair (a week before
the usual time, owing to a mistake about the dAy of
fipening) Leipsie was full. The public Was juitificil
in expeciii.g uncommon activity of business ; ani the
event not only fulfilled the expectations which were
entertained, but in some branches trAnscended any
hopes which •:suld have been formed. If we take
into consideration the quantity of ready money.ex-
pended ill the spot, and the almost exhausting of the
great magazine,. of some kinds of commodities, we
must allow that this fair has been the most successful
which has lately occurred. Tito success was evinced
in the solidity of the transactions and the distin-
guished punctuality of the payments. There was no
instanse of inability to fulfil the conditions of the pur.
chases heard of, except in a few unimpurtant failures
in transactions about colonial produce or drugs. The
merchants who attended on this occasion in such
numbers, and with such means of purchase, looked
nut every where for patterns of the most costlr na-
ture, and of the newest and most elegant fashion,
having the least eight in proportion to their value,
and therefore best adapted for distant carriage. All
the merchants, therefore, who had felt the pulse of
the public, and brought to the fair articles suited to
* taste of the times and the varying fashion, had
mason to congratulate themselves on the extent of
their sales. The wind even seemed to fa:our at. the;
beginning the disposal of native productions. A set-
lied east wind had retarded the arrival of the newest
English calicos and printed cottons at Hamburgh fcr
wore than a week. The impatience of the northern
purchasers was by this means confined to Saxon pro-
ductions, which were calculated to allure them by
ntrw patterns and attractive colours (especially the
kmaraeth). At the very beginning, many houses of
Chemnitz (a manufacturing town of Saxony) did
much business and received great orders in these ar-
ticles. Many northern buyers found themselves die.
appointed in the prices when the newest English
wares Actually arrived, (three ship-loads of which
were Mulled on to.Leipsic with .redoubled speed be.
fore the rest), as they expected these prices would be
as low as they had formerly been. But the Britons
bad now got quit of the refuse of their warehouses;
and with regard to their fresh productions, they had
found a convenient market beyond die Atlantic.
They, therefore, held up their good undamaged coin.
modems at a high price, and thus induced many
dealers to resort to continental wares (particularly
she French and Swim cottons); which were not infe-
rior to the English in intrinsic value, and even stir.
passed them in the elegance of the pattern, and to
take advantage of the opportunity offered them by
making great purchases. If we nevertheless hear
that the English wares were sold at reduced prices,
and thereby were nearly thrown away, we shall find
on closer examination that the English merchants
merely allowed such reductions when they wished to
disencumber tbernselves of their damaged or old-
fashioned articles. The silk-manufacturers of Lyons
and other parts met with a good market • • • 44.
1. AU woollen manufactures over which capricious
fashion had waved her magic wand found in this
fair an eager sale. Merinos under their various de-
nominations were favourite articles; while, on the
contrary, kerseysneres and other articles of the kind,
as well as common woollens, and whatever was not
superfine, were little sought after, and disposed of
with difficulty. The northern dealers frequently pre.
(erred the Saxon Merinos to the English. The latter
have more gloss, but they are not so soft and kindly
to the touch as the Saxon; for when made of un-
mixed English wool they have always a rough feel.
The Saxon yarn, spun with the band, excels in cloth
that made by machinery. Bet spinniag machines
ova now mokiplying so much in Saxony as to excite
some anxiety about those whom they will throw out
Of employment. The price of the best wools at the
fair role very high, and, according to their quality,
mere sold as frams.S4. to 40 aisefollarre mostly for
Dutch and English account. Great business Was done
in leather, but very inconsiderable in linen. The
qteculative glint of the British is desirous of intro•
ducing cotton instead of linen shirts. The Levant is
oveifiiiwed with such articles, sold at the cheapest
rate, and even disposed of in the ready made form.
le The Spanish ports of Cadiz and Bilboa, for-
merly se well supplied with German linen have long
ago broke* off all connexion with us. Tile Spanish
dominions to South America appear for ever to have
dissolved all cenneaion between themselves and the
mother country, and to have their pore open only to
British and West India commerce.
In the United North American Provinces, linen
11111Inufaetures have made antxpeeted progress. Flax
*ere used as the ballast of vessels.
“ there was not wanting .abundance of British
iron Wires at the Leipsic Fair, but they were so high
in pito, like all the other products of British in-
dustry, that home products did not suffer by them.
Few only can ply Ave riz•dollars, or a guinea, for
that de* anu*rs,.ai the improved Mantle, as they
Ball it, though pettvided with ad apparatus to remove
die evitbr a *ler."
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