The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-01-04 00:00:00

FOREIGN (5

COLONIAL INTELLIGENCE.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE BRITANNIA.
The Britannia, Captain Harrison, arrived on the even-
ing of Thursday, after an excellent passage. We have
inserted elsewhere the handsome compliment paid to this
distinguished navigator by the passengers whom he took
on his outward trip, handed over by Sir Donald Camp-
bell, the Lieutenant Governor of one of our North Ame-
rican possessions. The following summary of the news
embraces all the points of interest. The latest accounts
from-New York are to the 15th of December.
Since our last paper was issued the Congress of the
United States has assembled, and we have the Message
of the President with the accompanying reports of the
.different executive departments presenting the annual
compte rendu of the affairs of the nation.
With the exception of the war with Mexico, the situa-
tion of the country in its various interests and pursuits, as
there set forth, is in the highest degree flourishing and
satisfactory. And even the war with Mexico, if only
some possible outlet to it could be found, so as to render
peace po sible and prompt, would soon be only remem-
bered as presenting a field whereon American valour and
high military skill and science had an opportunity of dis-
playing themselves with unsurpassed and glorious suc-
cess.

But success does not bring peace for the prospect of
peace. The message holds out no hope of any such con-
summation at present, but looks steadily and boldly at a
further and vet more active prosecution of the war ; to
holding all that our arms conquer and to the immediate
and irrevocable annexation of New Mexico and the Cali-
fornias, by establishing therein territorial governments
similar to those existing in the recognised territories of the
United States, antecedent to their becoming States.
The war, moreover, it is nOw determined, shall be made
to derive its support from the Mexican people, their in-
ternal duties and revenues are to be seized—forced con-
tributions are to be levied in money and in kind, and the
whole country is to be overrun.
To effect these purposes, the message asks for some
thirty thousand men immediateld, and contingently for
twenty thousand more ; and of money, some eighteen mil-
lions immediately, and contingently for some twenty mil-
lions more.

The impending calls upon the youth of the country,
and upon its wealth, do not, however, seem to produce any
misgiving, nor to affect sensibly the ordinary course of
business, nor the value of the public securities.
U. S. Treasury Notes bearing 6 per cent. interest, and
convertible at the option of the holder, into a six per
cent. stock, with twenty years to run, are at par 994; and
the paying stocks of the States maintain themselves well.
The recommendation of the Secretary of the Treasury
that a duty of 25 per cent. ad valorem be imposed upon
tea and coffee does not seem to us at all likely to meet
with; favour. We presume there will be no change of
any sort attempted in the existing Tariff. of which a very
glowing account is found in the treasury report, together
with a glorification of " free trade," in the course of
which Sir Robert Peel and Mr. Cobden—though neither
of them is Earned—come in for elaborate compliments.
The business community stands yet unshaken by the
failures on this side of the Atlantic, and by the
somewhat stringent pressure for money at home, occa-
sioned by the distrust of foreign exchange, and the con-
seq_dent exportation of specie.
The latest advices from Europe were per Britannia to the
9th ult.' and their tenor somewhat relieved apprehension
there, by indicating a revival, gradual and faint indeed, but
still encouraging, of confidence in London.
The increasing probability moreover, deprived from
those advises, of a rise in price, and of a certain demand
for .breadstuffs, as promising for next year a continua-
tion of the profitable exports of the past year, gives con-
fidence to the dealers, and sustains prices there. The sea-
son thus far.has been open, and though, owing to a few
days of sharp frost towards the end of November, the
canal was obstructed with ice, and many boats were in
consequence withdrawn from navigation for the season,
that great artery of circulation still keeps open, and
we are daily receiving from it, some addition, though
much smaller than in the height of the trade, to our stock
of flour, corn, and wheat.
Shipments of the two former are moreover making, to
a much more considerable • extent, to England than for

many weeks past.
We hear of some 50,000 to 70,000 bushels of Indian
corn purchased for shipment within a day or two, and last
week the shipments to Great Britain were were f
Flour
Indian Corn ..
4,814 barrels

against, for the-preceding week, of

Indian Corn
Meal. „
(From the New York Courier and.EnquirerforEurope.)
The recommendation of the Secretary of the Trea-
sury, that a duty of 25 per cent. ad valorem be imposed
upon tea and coffee, does not seem to us at all likely to
meet with favour. We presume there will be no change
of any sort attempted in the existing tariff, of which a
very glowing account is found in the Treasury Report,
together with a glorification of " free trade," in the
course of which Sir Robert Peel and, Mr. Cobden—
though neither of them is named—come in for elaborate
compliments.

6,357 barrels
36,000 bushels
2,021 barrels.

Our business community stand yet unshaken by the
failiires on the other side of the Atlantic, and by the
somewhat stringent pressure for money at home, occa-
sioned by the distrust of foreign exchange, and the con-
..

_
sequent exportation of specie. -
Foreign exchanga rules at high rates, and buyers are
very fastidious about names. cto.:3 hills may be had at
10, but, the current rate for favourite signatures of sixty-
days bills on London is 101. On Paris the quotation may
be put at from $5.23 to 85.264.
The Britannia will take out, it is estimated, from 50 to
£60,000 sterling in gold, though sovereigns of •the requi-
site weight are now only to be obtained with difficulty.
Of this amount, £20,000 are sent from Canada.
Shortly after our report for the steamer of Ist instant,
-,lvanced nearly half a cent per lb. in tbis market,
_..., receded one quarter of a cent, and
are now firm at one quarter of a cent above the rates of
30th ult.

but they have sin

The prevalent estimate of the crop appears to be
2,300000 bales, and there seems little reason to doubt
that it will exceed 2.200,000.
ONE O'CLOCK, P.M.—The sales at the Stock Exchange
this day were to a limited extent only. Treasury 6's
closed 991. There was a little better feeling in the fancy
stocks, but the advance was unimportant. Exchange on
England closed at 110 to 1101. The market has been
well supplied with bills, and the demand has been mode-
rate. Continental exchanges close at our quotations.
Cotton.—The sales to-day have been limited to about
500 bales. At yesterday's quotations the market is firm,
and the amount offering is small.
Thur.—The weather continues unfavourable for out-
door operations, and the market is exceedingly quiet.
Common Western ranges from S 6 to 56.121; Genesee,
56.25 to 46.31+; prime Genesee is not pressed on the
market at these prices. Common Southern flour is dull
at ,56.50. Rye flour, 434.374 to -84.50. Corn meal,
83.22 t 0.3.50. Wheat and corn are held at yesterday's
prices.
_ _ _

- Ashes, steady and in fair demand at 55.50 for pots,
and $7 for pearl.
Freights are still dull. Engagements have been the
last week of corn 6d. to 7d. per bushel, and of flour
15. 6d. to 2s. to Liverpool, to a moderate extent.