The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-11-03 00:00:00

THE COTTON TRADE

The past year has been remarkable in many respects: the
season last year commenced late, in consequence of the low
state of the rivers ; subsequently, when the rivers rose and
the influx of cotton became larger, prices began to recede,
and continued to do so up to April, when a fall in freights,
an improvement in exchanges, and favourable news from
abroad, caused the markets to rally. Since that period they
have gradually been rising. The following is a table of the
average monthly price, at the four principal ports throughout
the year :

PRICES OF COTTON AT FOUR PRINCIPAL PORTS THROUGHOUT
THE YEAR 1839-40.

N. Orleans. Mobile. Charleston. N. York.
Oct. 101 to 13 .... 121 to 13 .... 101 to 13 .... 101 to 141
Nov. 91 to 11 .... 111- to 9 to 11 .... 101 to 134
Dec. 81 to 91 to 91.... 94 to 91.... 9 to 12
Jan. 81 to 84 to 81.... 91 to 91.... 91 to 11
Feb. 71 to 81.... 71 to 7/.... 81 to 81.... 71 to 10
March 61 to 7 to 71.... 74 to 8 .... 61 to 91
April 7 to 74.... 71 to 74.... 71 to 81.... 61 to 9
May 7 to 71.... 71 to 74.... 8 to 81.... 71 to 91
June 71 to 8;.. 71 to 74.... 74 to 8 .... 71 to 94
July 81 to 91.... 81 to 81.... 81 to 9 .... 8/ to 10-1
Aug. 81 to 94.... 8 to 81.... 81 to 81.... 9 to 101
Sept. 9/ to 91.... 81 to 81.... 91 to 94.'... 91 to 11
The cotton-growers have, indeed, received low prices for
their produce. but the quantity has been increased, in some
cases, near 90 per cent. The prices of the articles of con-
sumption have been very low ; and the purchases of foreign
and manufactured goods have been exceedingly limited.
Under all these circumstances, the season has not been an
unprofitable one to the planter. The growing crop will, in
all probability, not fall much short of that just closed, while
the abundance of all other agricultural productions promises
a continuance of reasonable prices. The state of Europe
also promises, in the event of a continuance of peace, such
an increased consumption that will advance prices beyond
their average of the past year. The receipts of cotton, thus
far, have been large. The average quality of the receipts
has been " middling fair " to " fair." It is supposed that
the proportion of fine cottons will be less than last year.

CANADA.
The act lately passed by the Imperial Parliament for the
union of the Canadas, seems to meet with greater opposition
in certain quarters than was at first anticipated. The oppo-
nents of the union state that the measure will lead to a sepa-
ration between Canada and the mother country. They see
that Canada has now the power to separate if she pleases;
but why take for granted that she will use that power for that
purpose ? They do so because they assume that the United
Provinces will be governed as each of the two has been, upon
the mixed system of representation without executive re-
sponsibility, and that the verging-on-revolution state thus
produced will render the colony discontented.
A large meeting was to be held at Quebec, on the 13th in-
stant, of those opposed to the union. It is thought, however,
that the opposition will graduully diminish, and that the mea-
sure will eventually become popular. The evils apprehended
strike us as entirely imaginary, and when the subject is un-
derstood, the measure must meet with general acceptance.
Horse racing has become quite the rage ip the Canadas
during the two past years, and we hope it will be a source of
improving the breed of horses, besides affording sport to the
public. The Niagara meeting was to take place on the 14th
and 15th instant.