The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-02-07 00:00:00

pretty saleable at our quotations, but for inferior and bad
bred Wools there is very little demand, and prices for some
descriptions are at present quite nominal."

Messrs. HUGHES and RONALD say :

" The transactions by private contract have not been
extensive, still there has been a steady demand, and at the
recent public sales, from the 17th to the 21st ultimo, when
13,278 bales Colonial and Foreign Wools were brought
forward, advanced rates were obtained for the most current
descriptions, which were then chiefly cleared off; there
has, consequently, since been less doing, but for all useful
qualities, which are now light in stock, prices are very
firm."

Messrs. JOSEPH ROBINSON and Co. say :
"The earlier part of the month exhibited a somewhat
quiet tone, as regards the Wool market, which is not
unusual at the commencement of the year; as it pro-
gressed, considerable buoyancy was evinced, and this with
an immediate prospect of a war with Russia, thus showing
that the patience of the trade is worn out on the Eastern
question, and that question no longer becomes the pretext
for lowering the value. While some branches of manu-
facture are flat, particularly the worsted class, others are
the reverse; in some quarters consumption has increased,
so that the preponderating influences demonstrate that the
increase is greater than the drawback, and leads to the
conclusion that the probability of overstock is distant,
especially as freights still maintain high rates,'
TIMBER.—'We subjoin extracts from the annual
circulars of the following brokers :
Messrs. HOLME, SLATER, and Co., say :

" Our own ideas of the Timber trade of the Mersey are,
whatever the results of the present negociations may be—
as regards war or otherwise—timber of all descriptions
must advance, and our reason for expressing this opinion
is that there is a short supply at all the outports, which
must be supplied from the stocks here or from London—
that market being well supplied with all descriptions of
wood goods—the high price which will be required by the
producers, and the high rate of freight which will be
demanded by the shipowners for the forthcoming impor-
tation, and the short supply of vessels suitable for this
trade. The import of Quebec yellow and red Pine exceeds
that of last year, and there is a small increase of St. John
Board Timber ; of Spruce Deals the import has been the
most extensive ever known. During the early months of
the import they were rather dull of sale at the closing rates
of last year, but they gradually advanced, the consumption
keeping pace with the supply, and it must necessarily
increase considerably as the price this article is furnished
at is far below the price of-square Timber."
Messrs. DUNCAN, EWING, and Co., say :

"In taking a retrospective view of the business trans-
actions for the last year, it is satisfactory to be able to say,
that, in almost every department of trade, they have been
carried on successfully, and that those parties who have
had to do with timber, whether as shipowners, importers,
or dealers, have largely participated in the general pros-
perity of the country. A large amount of tonnage is still
occupied on long voyages, and thereby a considerable
number of vessels withdrawn from their useful employment
of conveying timber and deals from British America to this
country. This withdrawal of tonnage was, in itself, suffi-
cient to account for the advance which took place in the
rates of freight last year, which opened—when the season
of import from Quebec commenced—at 425. to 435. per
load for timber, to 555. to 565. per load towards its close,
with corresponding enhanced rates for timber and deals
from other ports. But another cause has materially aided
in curtailing the amount of available tonnage for the pur-
poses referred to, viz.—a deplorable list of losses and dis-
asters which have for some time past, and are still being
related, as of almost daily occurrence amongst shipping,
which will necessarily tend to maintain freights at an
extreme range for some time to come."
Mr. J. HOUGHTON says :
" The importation of so vast an amount of raw material
from our colonies renders this trade of great importance,
both commercially, politically, and locally; there having
been profitably employed in carrying cargoes of wood goods
only from our North American colonies to this port, no
less than 498 ships, 337,626 tons ; or 116 ships, 83,675 tons
more than in the previous or any preceding year. The
chief part of this tonnage has been British, and a large
portion of it consists of new ships built at the various
shipping ports during the season ; but the trade has not
been confined to ships of our own country, our transatlantic
neighbours taking advantage of the recent abrogation of
our Navigation Laws have directed their attention to it,
and found very advantageous employment for a consider-
able amount of their tonnage in carrying Deals from New
Brunswick to this port ; we have also had the assistance of
a few Prussian and other European ships."

IRox.—The market for Scotch Pig Iron has been very
quiet during the last week. On Saturday, owing to the
favourable news from the Continent, a better feeling was
displayed, and sales were effected at 775. per ton. The
market closes nominally the same this evening, with
nothing doing, speculators evincing no desire to operate
at this price in the face of a diminished export as com-
pared with the same period last year.