COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 80, 6 December 1864, Page 2

COMMERCIAL INTEL LIGENCE.

Southland Times Office. Monday Evening. The revenue collected at the Custom House for 1 the past three days, for articles cleared for home consumption, is as follows : — Friday, £15 13s. 81.; Saturday, £130 Ba. Gd. ; to- Jay, .6106 lis. oil. ; iv all — £282 16s. 7d., being duties levied as follows : — Tea, 8971bs £14 19 0 Ale, 40-1 galls 20 4 0 Wine, 27 galls 4 10 Brandy, 183 galls 83 11 4 Bum, 66 gals 29 14 0 Whiskey, 50 " 23 6 11 Geneva, 132 galls 59 8 0 Tobacco, 4731bs 35 17 0 Sundries 12 5 4 £282 16 7 <s> By the s.s. Gothenburg, we have Melbourne files to the 29th. The Aryus of the 29th has the following : — The week has commenced without much animation in tho import markets. Thy St. Louis, from I Boston, has arrived opportunely, au.l considerate parcels of karosenc, to be landed from her have been sold — Oriental at ss. 3d., and Downcs's and Cozzen's at ss. 9d. She lias also brought a quantity of lobsters, which were scarce. A thousand cases have changed hands at from 9s. to 9s. Gd. Manilla cigars, to laud, ex Great Victoria, cbangod hands for shipment ac 78s. ; a parcel of coarse salt (St. Übe's), at £'2,f. o. b., for shipment ; and a small parcel of Liverpool coarse salt at £2 10s., in store. 150 chests new season's tea were sold at Is. Del. £or blackish leaf, and broken. The flour market is somewhat easier as regards prices, though the demand for the country mills has been somewhat active. The best qualities may be quoted at £20 10s. to £21 10s. South Australian wheat is saleable at from Bs. to Bs. 3d. per bushel. Chilian dour is quoted at £18 per ton, but for superior samples higher rates are asked. The greater portion of this description of Hour which has arrived lately is passing into store. Chilian wheat is quoted at from 6s. lid, to 7s Gd. l<or Californian dour £20 is asked. Californian wheat is out 'of first hands. There was a good demand, partly speculative, for colonial oats. Maize has improved, and prices have been run up to is. 9d. and 4s. lOd. per bushel. The JJo iloaug. from Port Louis, with sugars, has arrived at Portland, with dates to the 22nd October. Site reports the Alexandria, Norman, and Waverley, loa ling for the colonies. The arrivals in Hobson's Bay to-day comprise the steamship Great Victoria (released from quarantine) the Yorkshire and Glendower from London, the Queen of Australia, from Liverpool, and the Batavia, from Hamburg. The mail steamer Madras passed Capo Otway shortly before eight o'clock this morning. The Great Victoria has amongst her carg0"2,232 bags of flour.

The Soy.th Australian Advertiser of the 22nd inst. says .- — *" Messrs. Elder, Smith aud Co. have received a letter from Mauritius, bearing date October 15, and containing the following information : — • Sugar-making continues to be carried on with much activity throughout the island. In the high districts the canes are yielding tolerably well ; but in the low parts and on the coast they are proving worse than was anticipated, and there seems to be good reason to fear, especially if our rainy season should set in early, that the crop will not much exceed 110,000 tons. Every description of sugar continues in active demand, and prices have somewhat advanced. Really good grocery kinds are far from plentiful, and the proportion as yet manufactured is much lass than usual; many estates which formerly produced them being unable to do so this season, hi consequence, it is supposed of the .injury done to tho canes by drought, insects, and disease. We quolo : these descriptions as follows :—^Finest white crystals, 7dol. 25c. to 7dol. 75c per 1001 b .; good do., Gdol. 50c. to7d<L : crystalised yellow, G.loL to Gdol. 75c. ; finest yellow counter, Gdol. 25c. to Gdol. 75c. ; good do., Gdol. to'6dol. 50c. ; middling do.. sdol, 75c. to 6dol. 25c. ; finest yellow syrup, 6dol. to '6dol. 50c. good do./ sdoL7sc. to Gdol.; . brown do., sdol. to idol. 50c. Shipments to the Australian colonies are going forward on a much larger scale, this month thahvhas. been the case sometime past; but our es^rt&ai'o. still much less than those of last season, being, since the crop commenced — say from the IstAugust — only 4,055 tons, while to .this date last year they were 8,462 tons.'." .-.■■ The same journal says :— „ - ; !' We liave bet-n 'kindly favored with the following extract from a Mauritius letter received by Mr. T. Graves:— ' Mauritius, October, 15, 1864. — Every description of sugar continues . in active demand,^ aiid prices have somewhat advanced. Keallygood yellows are manufactured in much less proportions than- formerly, .many estates being unable to do so this season in. consequence, (it is supposed) of tlic injury done to the canos by disease, ;&c, in the high districts. The canes are yielding tolerably wcU,.but; those .near tho coast arc proving worse than" was" anticipated. There seems .good reason to suppose our ; crop- will not I oxceei 120,000 tons.' ? ; y_^ . ■■* , ; . y t , ,. .«■'. ,- We have our files from H obart Town and I^unccßtohvtp the 28rdiniik 71. T. Mercury of i the- 22nd, says : J On account of the weather there was very" j little bueinees doing to-day, and scarady any fea- j tute in trade worth noticing, excepting the rgduo- I

tion by thehakers bf-the price of "the ij 41b. lbaf ! from Is. to^y-Vi'^ the recent small importatiohaof'iiqur from -:the'' neighboring colonies, as also to the arrival, on Saturday last; of the barque Adelaide, from Sydney, with 150 tons of Oalifornian flour and 7000 bushels of wheat; 'and "which are now on sal ;i at the rs tores ! of the agents.; The millers are quoting best flOtiv at-£25, but the market is very unsettled , and will, continue so untU. v aftcr thq.receipt of the , next news from tlie" other colonies, exp'ecfedhere to-morrow (this day). There was very li tile colonial wheat offering, and the price continues at 10s. Bran, Is. 4 d. There rwas.i a small;sale ; of. oats reported at 3s.,. but for barley there was ho inquiry. ; The. w?>ol trade lias scarcely yet commenced, but Sevei'fti small clips have'eome forward,; the. price: varying from Is." 2d; to Is. 4d. : For butter .there, is but a litnited inquiryV audi sales of; the best ; brauds of potted arei with difficulty ■ saleab :e aooye :Bd.' : Several forced sales -of last: season's .make have ..-.taken place at:3d." -''and' 4d:.l; ; ' ■".-..';. The same journal: uf the 23rd remarks : — The market for breadstuffs continues, most-un-steady, owing to the-arrival- of- several- parcels- of Chilian flour from the neighboring colonies, some of which having been forced into the market, have caused prices to slightly recede. The cargo of wheat and ■■flour by the Adelaide, 'how in- the bar-.: bor, is at present under offer," the! former -;(7;000;' bushels), at 10s:, and the flour at £23; this j latter : ; price boing ■£2 • under the prices quoted at the , 'several mills. At the commencement of the week the bakers reduccd-the price of -the 4lb. loaf from Is.' to lid., and.a further decline is expected, and "will ensue should another cargo of -wheat, and flour come forward, of which there is every proability. . " ! :■!'■•.: ■.'."..; ';' .:.:./'.. We take the following from the Launcesion Examiner, of the 23rd : — , We are glad to be able to report that during the, past month business has decidedly improved, transactions, though on a niore limited -scale than that which has hitherto prevailed, having boeu conducted on a safer and more solid basis. Two estates, with liabilities of from £3,000 to £10,000 each, have been, put in trust, one or two small dealers in soft goods and groceries have succumbed, and Messrs. Thos. White and Son have declared themselves insolvent. But we ure.of opinion that things have now really come to the worst, and the tide of all'airs will now turn. The recent failures have had the effect of opening the eyes of the coium unity, and business transactions are being established on a sounder footing. We may mention thut the estate of Cohen Brothers has been wound up by the creditors accepting the offer 'of 2s. 6d. cash in the -pound. The only foreign arrival during the month has been the Dunorlan, with a full cargo of English manufactured goods, which will fully supply ad present requirements ; aud the Fugitive, from London, may very shortly be expected with a similar cargo. We regret that tho crop* do not promise so well as was anticipated last month. In some places they languish for want of moisture, and in other the aphis has attacked the wheat, and the barley is infested with a small black insect, which does great damage. However, we trust that matters will not be so bad as sonic persons represent. Via Sydney we have papers from San Francisco to (lie 29th September. The following is from the Daily Alia California -. — •Since our l^ist a decided advance has taken place in flour and wheat — more especially the latter. Best brands of city extra Hour have advanced 25 cents per barrel, aud quotations are: — New, 10 dollars to 10 dollars 75 cents per barrel ; superfine, 9 dollars to 9 dollars 95 cents. Wheat closes at 3 dollars 50 cents to b" dollars 60 cents per 100 lb. The demand for feed grain, is, for the moment, slack, and, under the influence oi liberal receipts, prices show a tendency to weakness. We quote new barley at 3 dollars 20 cents to 3 dollars 25 cents, and choice oid brewing at 3 dollars 50 cents to 3 dollars 60 cents per 100 lbs. ; oars at 2 dollars 75 cents to 2 dollars 85 cents per 100 ibs. <Jt ' iuiancial matters we have 320 new featwe to remark. The money market for last steamer occasion was decidedly easy, and all requirements for legitimate business purposes were promptly met at bank at I.V per cent, per month iiuerest. Hars were in light request ; gold ruling at 838 to 810, and silver at i per cvut. premium to S per cent, discount. A light business was done in sterling exchange at- 48d. to 48.fd. for bankers' GO days' bills. Commercial I'ldinsj nominally at 49i1. Io -PJi-d. For coin drafts on Eastern cities the usual rates at 3^ to 4 per cent, premium were prevalent. Currency bills were done at 110 per cent, premium on gold. Kates for telegraph transfers were ol to 6 per cunt, premium, in sympathy wilh the rapid decline in gold, legal tenders during the week have risen to 53 cents to 5") cents, leaving off to-day at 51 i cents to 52a cents.