The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-12-31 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

CHRISTMAS-DAY AT THE ANTIPODES.—For some
days before Christmas, in our drives near the town, we
used to meet numbers of persons carrying bundles of a
beautiful native shrub, to decorate the houses, in the
same manner that we use holly and evergreens at home.
Men: women, and children, white brown, and black, were
in the trade ; and sometimes a horse approached, so co-
vered with the bowery load he bore, that only his legs
were visible, and led by a man nearly as much hidden ;
carts heaped up with the green and blossomed boughs
came noddingly along, with children running beside them
decked out with sprays and garlands, laughing and show-
ing in proper Christmas jollity. I liked to see this at-
tempt at the perpetuation of some of )ur ancient homely
poetry of life, in this new and general), too prosaic co-
lony, where the cabalistic letters £s. d. and R U M ap-
pear too frequently the alphabet of existence. It seemed
like a good healthy memory of home; and I doubt not
the decked-out windows and bouquet-filled chimney in
many a tradesman's house gave a more home-like flavour
to his beef or turkey, and aided in the remembrance of
old days and old friends alike numbered w th the past.
The shrub chosen as the Sydney " Christmas" is well
worthy of the honour. It is a handsome verdant shrub,
growing from two to twelve or fifteen feet high, with
leaves in shape like th, se of the horse-chesnut, but only
two or three inches broad, with a dark green, polished,
upper surface, the under one being pale. The scent of
its flowers when freshly gathered, is like that of new-
mown hay. The " Christmas dinner" truly seemed to
me a most odd and anomalous affair. Instead of having
won a seasonable appetite by a brisk walk over the crisp
snow, well muffled in warm winter garments, I had passed
a miserable morning, half dead with heat, on the sofa,
attired in the coolest muslin dress I possessed, sipping
lemonade or soda water, and endeavouring to remember
all the enviable times when I had touched a lump of ice
or grasped a snowball, and vainly watching the still, un-
ruffled curtains of the open window for the first symptom
of the afternoon sea-breeze.—Sketches of New South
Wales.

TOWN EDITION.

LONDON MARKETS OF YESTERDAY.

MARK-LANE CORN EXCHANGE.

At this day's market there was a short supply ,of English
Wheat, the condition in general so indifferent, caused a dull
sale at our previous currency. Foreign is held for full prices,
but millers only took sparingly.
pine English Malting Barley in fair request, and the turn
dearer; but no other improvement in any other description.
There was no perceptible change in the value of either Malt
or Beans; Pease Is dearer.

During the past week the supply of Oats was exceedingly short,
and consisted only of two Scotch cargoes, and about five Irish ves-
sels got up to this day's market. The needy buyers took these off
at rather more money.

CURRENCY PER IMPERIAL MEASURE.
Wheat, Essex and Kent. s. d. s. d
Red 4O 0 50 0
White 46 0 56 0
Norfolk and Lincoln, red 3B 0 46 0
White
Irish, red
White —
Rye, old 3O 0 —34 0
New
Barley, Grinding 26 0 —3l 0
Malting
Chevalier 3B 0 40 0
Malt, Suffolk and Norfolk 5B 0 62 0
Brown 56 0 6o 0
• Kingston and Ware
Chevalier
Oats, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, feed 22 0 23 0
Potatoe
Youghall and Cork, black
Cork, white
Scotch, feed , 23 0 24 0
Beans, tick 35 0— 37 0
Pigeons:
Pease, Grey
Maple
White
Boilers 3B 0 43 0
Flour, town made
Suffolk 13 0 35 0
Stockton and Norfolk
FOREIGN GRAIN AND FLOUR IN BOND.

Wheat, Dantzic
Hamburg
Barley
Oats, new
Feed
Beans
Peas
Flour, American
Baltic

32 0 -36 0
30 0 - -
27 0-29 0
17 0 - 18 0
15 0 - 17 0
24 0 -29 0
28 0-32 0
21 0 - --
20 0 - -

SMITHFIELD CATTLE MARKET.

The supplv of Beasts brought forward was but limited, and
of very inferior quality. The demand for all kinds of Beef was
in a very sluggish state at a decline on last week's quotations
of 2d. per Blbs., the highest figure realised for the few prime
Scots offering not; being more than 45. 2d. per a lbs., and at
which a clearance was not effected.

Since this day se'nnight the imports of foreign stock have
been miseratly small. The bullock droves fresh up from Lin-
co'nsliire, &c. were composed of about 800 short horns. From
Norfolk, &c. we received 400 Scots, &c. ; from the Western and
Midland districts, fOO Herefords, &c.: from other parts of Eng-
land, 400 of various kinds; and from Scotland, 185 horned and
polled Scots.

The number of Sheep was sufficiently numerous; the very
primest old Downs were in fair demand, at late rates, but the
general trade was extremely dull. Notwithstanding the supply
of Calves was small, the inquiry for them was inactive, at about
stationary prices. Upwards of 200 Pigs were on sale from Ire-
land, while the Pork trade was in a sluggish state, at our quo-
tations.

Per gibs. to sink the offal.

a. d. a. d. 8. d. s. d.
Inferior Beasts.... 2 2 2 1011 Second quality do. 3 6 3 8
Second quality do. 3 0— 3 4 Coarse do. 3 10— 4 0
Prime large Oxen. 3 6 3 10'SouthdownWethers 4 2 4 4
Prime Scots, &c... 4 0— 4 2 Do. out of the wool --
Coarse Calves .... 3 4 4 0 Large Hrgs
Small do.
Suckling do. each.lB 0-31 0 Qr. old Pigs, each 16 0-2 u 0
nferior Sheep 2 10— 3 4 Lambs

SUPPLY AT MARKET..
Beasts, 3,063 .... Sheep, 24,510.... Calves, 75 .... Pigs, 280