COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 48, 26 February 1864, Page 4

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

MELBOURNE OOMMERpiAL. (From the Argus, Feb* vary 17.) Business has been active to-day, aad goods have been quitted at last week's rates in the majority of instances. There has-been a rise in butter, l'ljd having been paid for a parcel just landed. Threebushel bags have been sold at 2os. There haa been a speculative feeling abroad, bufc this has not resulted in, any very large transactions. The movement in tobacco bus continued, and higher rates have been asked, whioh ara nofc quotable in the absence of sales, Messrs. Fraser and 00, Ws»oi',t having yestordav plaoed privately the cargo or fche Chance, from consisting of 6,121 baga of sugar* also, the residuo of the eargoof the Adieu, and : sundry parcels es other ships, about 4,00'J bags, at prices not transpired. ! Also, about 100 half-tierces Barratt's twist, afc aa extreme price The same firm sold by auction, afc the Australian Wharf' this day, the damaged portion of the cargo of the Belle, from Foo Chow, consisting of 203 packages; congou, at very full rates, for net cash. At their rooms, an invoice of rope, at fair prices, the Manilla rope ex Australian and Jan Hendriok being withdrawn for higher rates* and, in the upper rooms, invoices of platedware and furniture, at fair prices. Messrs Greig and Murray sold at their rooms : *— Yellow Mauritius crystals, L43 10s per ton ; yellow Madras do, L 42 10s do ; grey Java do. L42to L 42 10 do; Java sugar (browns), L 33 los to L 35 5s ' do ; foreign full-weight candles, 10|d to 10£ d per lb ; bottled fruits, 10s 9d to lis per doz • half pints salad oil, 6s Od do ; quarts do, 22s do 5 herrings, lib tins, 9s do; oysters, lib tins, 12s 3d do ; Taylor's ' chicory, 3fd per lb, in bond; nutmegs, Is s£d to Is 7d per lb ; mace, Is ld do ; cassia, 10£<I do ; Joyce's pint pickles, 6s 3d per dozen; Joyce's jams and jellies, 9s 6d to 10s 6d do. Messrs Gemmell, M'Caul and Co report having sold, at the Australian Wharf, timber, with all faults, at the following rates : — fin. T. «nd G-. spruce (flooded), per 100 ft lineal, 8s 6d ; lUn clear pine, dressed one side, LlO 12s 6d per 1000 ft; l£in do (flooded). L 9 15s do : 2in do, Ll3 to Ll3 2s 6d do ; 2in do (flooded), Lll 15s do; lin do. LlO 15s to LlO 17s 6d; lin do (flooded), LlO 2s 6d do; l£in do Ll2 10s do; Hin do (flooded), LlO 17s 6ddo; l£in clear pine, rough, Ll2 2s 6d do ; l^in do (flooded), Lll 10s do; Sin do, Ll3 lOd do^ 2in do, (flooded), Ll2 10s do; 2£ia do, 1/12 h to Ll2 10s do; 2£in do (flooded), Lll 5s do ; 3in do, Ll2toLl2 2s 6ddo; 3in do (flooded), Lll 12s 6d do ; 4m do, Ll2 do -, 4in do (flooded), L 9 os and Lll 10s do. Ths Mills. — Flour continues in steady demand for both town and country trade at unaltered rates. Quotations are-. — Flour, iirst quality, si!!c-.dressed, new, Ll7 to LIS ; beit brands, Adelaide, new, Ll7 to LIS per 3,0001 b.; bran, Is 8d ; pollard, Is lOd per bushel. Oatmeal, L 26 per ton. Retail Markets.-— Butchers' Meat — Beef, 4d to 6d per lb ; mutton, 3j^-d to 5d do. (according to quality); veal, 7d to Sd do ; pork, B£d lo 9d do. Poultry — Turkeys, Ss to 12s each; geese, lis to 13s per pair ; ducks, Gi to 7s do ; fowls, 5s to 6s do: rabbits, 4s to 6s per brace; butter, fresh, Is to Is 2d per lb; cheese, Is to Is Id do; eggs, 2s to 2s 3d per dozen; bread, 8d the 4lb loaf ; milk, 6d to 7d per quart. Hay Market. — The supplies sent ia have been of more moderate extent, but the inferior qualities of the bulk at market renders sales difficult to effect, and keeps quotations low. The few loads of good quality offered have found ready purchasers at full rates. Quotations are :— Besfc hay, L 6 10s to L 7 15s; inferior and second class sorts, from L 2 10s per ton upwards; straw, L 2 to L 2 10s. (From the Argus, Feb, 18.) There has been a fair amount of business doing in the import market, and prices generally have been welt sustained. Sales of teas to a considerable extent were effected tow ards the tslose of the market, at slightly advanced rates on those procured by auction in the earlier part of the day. Low quality congous are in good inquiry. Country orders bave come forward freely, and tended to support prices. Flour continues in gold trade demand. Best brands of Adelaide are quoted at Ll6 10s, and small parcels of old, of the same make, havo been placed at from Ll7 to Ll7 10s per ton. Messrs Fraser snd Co. offored at their roonis, this day, the balance of the cargoes of the Balder and Ismyr, from China, and succeeded in placing 4902 packages tea, at from Is 3d for low congou, to Is 9.1 for medium; Is 9£d to 2s 6-klfor scented orange pekoe ; Is l|-d for souchong; and Is 51 for low Canton gunpowder. Tiie same firm also sold tbe damaged portion ofthe Balder's I cargo, at Clove's Bond, consisting of 99S packages, which realized full prices, condition considered, for net cash ; and, at fcheir rooms, the residue of the cargo of the Marion, from Colombo, consisting of about twenty-five tons plantation cotiee", at ll^d per lb. Messrs Greig and Murray sold, Ht their rooms — b'uli weight foreign candles, 10^-d per lb; light do, 8d per packet. And at tlie stores of Messrs Beckwith Broth rs— Port wine, L 56 per pipe; sherry wine, L 36 per butt: JDKZ I geneva, 37s per c.ise, duty paid; Thin's whisky, 26s Gd per case, duty paid ; stout (as per sample), 6s 3d to 6s 6d per dozen, &c. 4, The Australian and New Zealand Gazette gives the following intelligence : — The half-yearly meeting of the London Chartered Bank of Australia is called for the llth insfc., when a dividend will be declared of 4 per cent, on the paid-up capital for the half year. The following is the abstract ol the profit and loss account on the 30th June : — To dividend, 4 per cent, on paidup capita), 1863 (free of income tax-), L 40,000; carried to reserve fund, LSOOO ; balance to next half year, L 7791 14s 9d, making a total of L-52.79L 14s 9.1. The balance of profit and loss in London aud in the colonies for half year ending 30th June, 1863, after deducting current expenses, income tax, nod making provision for bad and doubtful debts, was L 10.298 17s sd. The directors of the Bank of Qoeensland have issued a circular stating that convenient and wellsituated premises in Brisbane were opene 1 for public business at the beginning of the month of August lasfc, and that the Colonial Legislature has without opposition passed an act incorporating the bank and confirming the privileges obtained by the English Limited Liability Act, as well as conferring all necessary powers and advantages requisite for carrying on an extensive business. In addition to the principal office at Brisbane, a branch is in course of establishment at Ipswich, ani further branches will be opened without delay in other important towns and places in the colouy. It is also stated thafc the greater part of the paidup capital has been safely transferred from this country to Queensland afc profitable rates to the bank, and the business taken up is already considerable and of a satisfactory kind. Ifc is the intention of the board that the first general meeting of the shareholders shall be held as soon as possible after the receipt of the accounts from Brisbane to the 31st December next."