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Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 20, 16 July 1864, Page 4

SotjThla>"d Times Offick, | "Wednesday Eve>-t>-q-. i The revenue collected at the Custom House for i past two days was as follows : — Yesterday, £148 | 7s. lOd. ; and to-day, £152 10s. 7d ; in all, £300 I ISs. 5d., being duty paid for as follows : — Brandy, 5S gallons £26 2 0 Geneva, 263 „ 118 13 10 Rum, 62 „ 27 18 0 Wine, 136 „ ... ... 20 8 0 "Whisky, 87 „ 40 1 0 Beer, in bond, 450 galls. ... 11 5 0 Do. bottled, 38 „ ... 118 0 Sugar, 4,340 lbs 18 1 8 Tobacco, 289 „ 21 13 6 Tea, 475 „ 7 IS 4 Drapery, 1 17 8 Sundries, 5 15 £300 18 5 The Kevenue for the month, from 15th June to 15th July, 1861, (both days inclusive), amounts to £2 : 379 11s. 3d., of which £1,216 11s. 7d. belongs to the current quarter, commencing Ist instant. We have pleasure in reporting a visible improvement in ail departments of trade during the past month, although there is yet a wide margin to fill up ere the career of prosperity we formerly enjoyed is reached. This change for the better in our markets and business relations may be mainly attributed to the resumption of the railway works, which for the past two months hare beea suspended- A morp healthy tone, as a direct consequence, has been imparted to busi-

ness, and ' stocks which were much too heavy for our declining trade, are now beingconsiderably lightened. From the Lakes (an almost certain monopoly of , which traffic we may in a short timo count upon) wo hoar of stocks being very low, and an improved toiie noticeable in the district from an accession to the mining population of a great many of those who loft the place some tune ago for the Picton goldfields. We may, therefore, calculate upon a brisk Spring trade, and the line weather wo are at present experiencing is tending to impart an increased degree of confidence. •Our banks still continue to be very cautious and limited in their discounts, which tends materially to curtail businoss. The local managers, of course, cannot be expected to act much otherwise, as a great responsibility rests upon them, and they, in fact, act only in accordance with the instructions given them. We are inclined to think, however, that if 'instead of 'obeying orders from head quarters in other provinces, they could fall back upon a local directory here, it would not only be a great convenience to the bank agents j themselves, but a decided boon to mercantile men generally. Every important town or shipping port has local directories, and doubtless such an arrangement for Invercargill would meet with universal approbation. The most important events of the month have been thoeo in connection with the sales of the cargo of the wrecked s.s. Scotia, at Bluff Harbor. The hull of the vessel itself has also been disposed of at the extremely low figure of £290. A company of merchants hero are the speculators, who intend to use every effort in endeavoring to raise the vessel off the rocks, where she now sits fast as a rock itself. The superintendence of the operations lias been entrusted to Mr. J. R. Davies. railway contractor, -who is one of the company. A gentleman more able to get her off, if she can bo got off at all, could not have been charged with the Wol'kß ", and. great interest is feeing felt as to the success of the venture. If she can be lifted into deep water once more, even though at a considerable cost, the speculation will prove- to be one of the most fortunate which we have heard of for a long timo ; the £290 above-mentioned, iacluding the engines, spars, rigging, a boat, &c., in addition to the hull itself. The cargo has been disposed of by auction, in Dunedin and Invereurgill; and a great quantity of the goods being only slightly damaged by contact with the seawater, very satisfactory prices were realised in many instances. Quotations during the month remain almost, without change, with the exception of flour and other brjadstull's. In consequence of anticipated scarcity of supplies from Australia and California, flour maintained, for so reral weeks, the high price of £40 pe-- ton. Within the last week, howevor, the apprehension that the Oalifornian harvest would this season prove a failure in consequence of the severe and long continued droughts of February and March, lias been dispelled by the arrival of several cargoes of flour at Auckland, and the intelligence that many more would follow. The ruins, too, hud conic down in plenty, and fear of a bad harvest was in a groat measure removed. The prices, consequently, have declined here to to the extent of £■!■ and £5 a ton, with a downward tendency still. Best Adelaide brands can now be purchased for £35, and other brands from £2 to £3 less money. Simultaneous with the increase in price of flour, oatmeal, rice, and potatoes, were more inquired after, The two former may now be purchased at 2ns. per cwt, and potatoes which had been selling at £7 10s. to £8 per ton, have advanced to £10. With these principal exceptions, alteration in quotations for the month have been immaterial. We quote current rates as follows : — Flottr. — Best Adelaide, £35, other brands, £31 to £33. Oatmeal. — Scotch, 255. per cwt. Potatoes, £10 per ton. Rice, 255. per cwt. Bacon, and Hams, lid. to Is. 2d. perlb. Butter. — D. R. Cork, Is. 1-Vd. ; Tasmanian, and Victoria, Is. 4d. CUEESiS, Is. to IS. l^d. Sugar. — Middling yellow, £46 per ton ; white crystals, £56. "geseva, JDKZ, 14s. 6d. Brandt — In bond. Martell's, 11s., do., in case, 30s. Whisky, 4s. 6d. per gallon, in bond. Rum:, 10 0.p., 4s. per gallon, in bond, in case, Ik. Ale. — (Bulk). Jovil's, £10 per hhd, new brew ; old brew, £7 per hhd. Bottled Ale and Poster, 1 is. per case. Wire (fencing), 17s. to 18s. Galvanized Iron, English, 38s. to 40s. Do., Scotch, 365. Candles, full weights, Is. 2d. Jams, Colonial, Is. Id. to Is. 2d. Pickles, 13s. 6d. to 14s. 6d. Tobacco, tens, 2s. 6d. to 2s. 9d. Do., halves, 3s. to 4s. «»