, 1866-12-24

Last week.. ........ EG,IT,66s.67 1,0al, IS
1lcrc IL no improvement In the Wholesale trade
ofthe city, and from every QuaEter there Is ont
cue response dull" In the county, buainess
IL very slow. The Interior dealers arc selling ILL.,
Tie; the farmers arc not paying up. and In numer-
oue pacts Of the country we hear Of failures. Aer-
chants IN Arrears and unable to pay. are making
nsEigumeute, and In soma instances frautu1ent
transfers OF properly have been made. This Is Ill
wrong. II the country merchant nnds he is IN
able to meet his paper At maturity. there Is no
necessity for his mailing any assignment. Let
him see his creditors and explain tho aifu4tion-
In ninc cases ont of ten he viii bo granted su
extension, ard nursed along, until better times
ccme round This IL what the great majority of
our merchants laye resolved upon doins.
The week closea up on tight money market.
there ia an active demand for accommodation
from Ill classes Of lraders. but more particularly
trim provision and produce opcta1osa- The untl-
ness OF trade tn tht city, and the s1owness Of col
lee4ions In The countrI, Cause large demand for
renewals on mercantile account Tho drain Of
cu1rencJ to The interior 10 move The hog c1op con.
tinuce and each succeeding day auds the market
more uncomfortable. Tho shtpmects OF produce
10 the East arc very light and until such becomes
active, We need not Look for any rrturn dow OF
currency. P1per is ec111inixed win seventy
rarely seen in this MARKET and The discount houses
cun1pe theif favors exclusively to those whose
claims cannot be ignored. The bank nate IL steady
at 70 per cent In the open market. the-e is
good demand fur money at rates ranging from
1H TO per cent per month.
The demand for Exchange ts less active, but a.
the supply Ia iuad eqrate, the market Is toesahly
h1m and f4tes are we'll sustained. Round tota
| were plAced between Banks at IS cents premium.
Some Of the larger iratitu1lons Icse taking Sight
hills from pro:sion operators at 10 cents discouut
| but this VEG exceptional. The counter rites wert
steady at pst, buSine, md LID premium ael1ing.
| Business On the Produce Exchauee VIA dnli,
and lie leading ma1aets were quite heavy. Fiouz
~as tame. Wheat VIE lat ut decline Of 995c OF
No. !, and e..s@ac On No. Spring. Com dscl1ned
1Alse. Oats wtTc heavy, and 1c lower Rye wn.
1@lxc OF. Sample Barley was in steady demand
1 hrt others wc5c dali.
Nh1Ekey Wus unstable. It is asserted that hi
amount OF coutrabsnd Wh,skey Offering has bro
Ern down the market. Operators nre afrale
| to touch II, aud commission merchants refuse x
make advances. This stste OF attirs Is likely tc
continue mill the tax shall be reduced 10 such
figure rs will not allow Il profit eomueusural,
with the risks incurred In the illicit dfstiilatiou
Provisions we're dull. Mess Pork was heavy
lard YVES quiet bat h1rn. Groceries were aloN
and weak, with slight concession On Codee-
The downward coursc Of Gold during the pas
three or forr days has excited considerable alten
ton Various REASONS have been assigned for 1t
diseountins the effects OF The payment ofthe Jan
mary iute1rst-thc appreciation OF our boote Il
Europe, md the decline Of tue same In New York
One Of The strongest rcasuus may be found In TIT
falling OF In our imports. and the consequent 1cs
demand for gold for customs and the purchase o
| foreign exchange.
To-day the mzEket was sgaln lower. It opeuei
ii 1s3t, declined to 13sI. advanced to 1857, ant
closed at 1871. The following quotations wer,
| tuT Hzr. ND H{n eFr nireNA