The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-11-12 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

LEEDS.—This week has been unprecedently dull, and as
;here seems no reasonable prospect of amendment for some
,ime to come, manufacturers are seriously thinking, or rather
will be compelled, further to limit, the productions of each
workman. Whether this stagnation arises from the news
brought by the Liverpool, or from apprehensions of measures
now in operation by the bank, or through both combined, it
is hard to state ; but never was there less doing in the recol-
lection of any one in the trade. A further limitation as to
the productions of each workman seems the only remedy for
such a state of things—a sad prospect for the poor.
BRADFORD MARKET.—The market today was more than
usually depressed, the recent arrivals from America having
for a time, and it is to be libped but for a short time; checked
the enterprising spirit of our merchants. Very few sales of
manufactured goods were effected, and no alteration can be
noted in prices. The yarn market scarcely underwent any
variation ; certainly it exhibited no improvement. The prices
of combing wool of the middle and inferior qualities continue
firm, but, for the superior sorts there is very little demand,
and prices tend downwards.
BARNSLEY LINEN TRADE.—The borne trade remains
moderately steady with a fair demand. The drill houses are
in the midst of their season, and are working long hours.
WAKEFIELD WOOL MARKET, Nov. B.—There has been
generally more doing in all descriptions of combing wools
this week at former quotations. For clothing wool there
continues a moderate inquiry at the reduced rates; but
scarcely any demand for blanket wools, except of the best
descriptions. Prices are nominally the same.
DEwssualr.—The demand for goods at our Blanket Hall,
on Monday, was rather more limited than of late. The for-
mer prices of blankets were scarcely maintained, and very
little business was done in shoddies and other descriptions of
goods.
HECKMONDWIKE.—The Blanket Hall continues to be but
thinly attended by the merchants, in consequence of which
prices are on the decline.
ROCHDALE MARKET, Nov. 4.—There has been a very
dull market again to-day, with a very limited demand for
flannels of all kinds. Those manufacturers who have made
sales have been obliged to take less money than last week.
When trade is anything like brisk, November has been gene-
rally considered a busy month for the flannel manufacturer;
and the demand has usually continued good till the middle
of December. This year a fair business has been doing
during the summer months, and up to the beginning of
October; but since then it has been growing considerably
worse, and if no change takes place, we fear the flannel
weaver may expect a severe winter. The wool-market has
been heavy, with prices rather on the decline.
DUNDEE TRADE.—We can as yet state no improvement
in our commercial relations. There is no appearance of a
fall in the prices of raw materials in the foreign markets,
while the prices of yarns and linens remain stationary here.
The manufacturing of cotton-bagging, at one time a staple
article of our trade, is at a complete stand, with little hope
of any revival; as it can be purchased cheaper and of better
quality in Russia, where the raw material is grown, and
labour can be had at a lower rate. It is also alleged that our
manufacturers have done themselves an irreparable injury by
using jute and other rubbish in the making of this article.—
Dundee Courier.

CONCERNING CATS.—We lords of creation seldom love
cats. Most women do—and no wonder : both are graceful
aturboth domestic; not to mention that they both scratch
(libellous!) Still they have an authority or two among us to
quote in their favour; no less a person than Mahomet him-
self patronised the breed, and if his disciples " have writ
their annals true," the said prophet actually allowed his
feline favourite to turn the breast of his robe into a nursery
for his purring progeny ! (not so exactly—he cut off the cor-
ner of his garment, rather than disturb the cat asleep upon
it!). Only fancy the Founder of the Faithful with a bosom
full of kittens ! * * Southy kept a cat at Balliel—or if he
did'nt he wrote lines to one as if he did (one never knows
when to believe a poet); and he praises the said cat, real or
imaginary, for being " a domestic beast." Well, the said
laureate was a democratic young gentleman enough in those
days—but he knowS better now : no doubt he got well
scratched one fine morning, and discovered all of a sudden
that demoCracy in theory was a far finer thing than de-
mocracy in practice. Scott, even—the dog-loving and dog-
loved Scott—admitted in his latter days a sneaking kindness
for pussy. " The greatest advance of age," says he, " which
I have yet found, is liking a cat, an animal which I detested,
and becominc, fond of a garden, an art which I despised."—
Blackwood'elliagazine. [To which we may add of another
poet, Moore, that he is fond of the gambols of kittens.]
MATHEWS'S MYSTERIOUS DOMESTIC.—On the p ea of
liking characters about him, he kept a man for a long time,
in the quality of dresserat the theatre, whose self-importance
was his best recommendation ; he unconsciously amused
though he as often teazed his master by his peculiar manner.
Like all blockheads, his gravity was profound ; he was fond
of " adding weight to trifles" when he could ; and all this
was very diverting to his employer when no anxiety was likely
to be touched upon. Above all, he loved a " misery " would
rather than not have a grievance to relate ; his face was dole-
ful and the expressive " title to a tragic volume." His mas-
ter bbristened him Batt Owlett, from his love of the dismals,
which were in general elicited by the most trivial causes.. For
example :—One night, while my husband was under the most
intense anxiety about the state of Charles's health (who was
then extremely ill in Italy) and painfully alive to every look
or word that might seem to relate to the sufferer, he went to
perform at the Adelphi, in "The May Queen," with spirits
unusually depressed : "Batt" met him at the door of his
dressing-room, with face elongated and eyes cast down, and
addressed him in a hollow impressive tone with, "I'm sorry
to say, sir, that I have some very unpleasant news to com-
municate to you!" " Good God ! ' exclaimed his -master,
sinking upon a chair, " tell me at once, don't keep me in
suspense." " Well, then, sir, Tra sorry to .say—l can't find
your tinker's hat anywhere!" The next night he met his
master with less of misery , but with a brow which meant
suspieion in its worst form : and Mr. Mathews was thus sa-
luted by Batt—" Sir, I have something very extraordinary
to tell you." " Well?" " You will be surprised to hear,
sir, that by a very strange coincidence I have found your
tinker's hat !