COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times, Volume VII, Issue 516, 11 July 1866, Page 2

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGEN CE.

SOUTHIAND TIJIE3 Office, Tuesday Evening. j The following are the Customs Eeturns for — Tuesday, 10th July.

The Daily Times of the 4th July has the following items of commercial news : — '• As yet the business of the week just opened ha3 shown no improvement upon the quiet state of things recorded as characterising trade lately, importers remaining very quiet, and very little activity being observable in any branch of business. In the flour market transactions have been limited to the supply of actual requirements, beyond which no demand exists; rates as last given. The Camilla has furnished the market with a sufficient supply of South Australian for present wants. Teas and sugars maintain recent improved rates, and demand is lively for small parcels ; high prices and limited stocks operating in the case of the latter article against any considerable operations. Buyers for malt liquors are coming forward, and soms parcels to arrive are reported as having been placed at fully maintained prices. Market quotations are generally unaltered, or too little deviation has taken place to call tor notice." By the arrival of the Alhamlira, from Melbourne, we are in receipt of our files of Victorian papers to the 2nd July. We take the following commercial artic.efrom the Herald of that date : — The week just concluded has been a very quiet one in the import 'marker, the mail engagements absorbing the greater portion of merchants' attention for several days. Breadstuffs are not so firm, and lower prices may be looked for. Fiour has been bought very sparingly at about £16 10s to £17 for Adelaide brands ; C.-iliforniau £16 10s ; transactions in wheat liave also been very insignificant ; we quote Adelaide at 7s to 7s 3d ; Californian 6s 3s to 6s 6d. Several considerable sales of oat?, have been recorded ; Tasmania^ are worth about 53 3d to 55.-8d ; colonial, 5s 9d to 6s ; Californian, 5s 6d. Barley has been in fair request at about. ss. Maize has improved in value, 5s 6d to 5s t)d having been obtained for prime samples. Bran is valued at Is lOd to Is 10£d. Bagging still continues neglected at last week's quotations. Bacon and hams oave been in only moderate demand at last rates. Butter brings Is 7£d for best Cork, in bond. Cheese calls for no remark, showing no alteration in value. For coffee a somewhat better demand has been noticeable, and a transaction comprising eighteen tons of plantation and triage and eight tons of native has occurred, the prices not transpiring ; trade sales continue to be at the prices given last week. Candles have again come into some little favor; Price's Bclmonts have been disposed of at 15d to 15£d ; Dc Eobaix at is£d, by auction ; tallow candles, colonial, at S^d. Dried fruits exhibit little variation ; currants brought 5d in bond for a shipment. Ot chemicals, tartaric acid and cream of tartar have beeu sold to arrive at equivalent to the prices ruling for trade lots— viz., 2s and Is 2d, Hops nr<? still altogether neglected, ajid. malt |a again

lower, having been quitted at leas than 12s. Of metals, pig iron again shows improvement, sales to arrive being spoken of at an advance on the extreme rates quote 1 last week. Kerosene oil exhibits a weak market at the price quoted for, best brands, 5s 6d ; parcels afloat hare changed hands at much less money. A large parcel of oilmen's st ores was disposed of by auction on Tuesday, at the following rates:— Pint pickles, 8s 6d to 9s per dozen ; half-pint sauces, 6s to 7s 10|d do ; lib lobsters, 8s 6d do ; quart salad oil, 24s 3d do ; pint do, 11s to 11s 7£d do ; half-pint do, 7s 4£d do ; Oriental pickles, 12s do ; half-pint W. I. do, 4s 10^d do ; decanter salad oil, 24s do ; glass jar salt, 5s 6d d» ; quart vinegar, 8s 6d do ; figs, 7-Jd per lb j tarfcaric acid, 2e do ; red cabbage, 8a 9d per dozen ; soap powders, 8s 6d per gross ; lib English jams, all faults, 7s 6cl per dozen ; lib salmon, as per sample, 16s 6d do; Tasmanian iams, 6s 6d do ; white starch, s|d per lb ; Barcelona nuts, sfd do ; hair oil, 5s 7£d to 6s 9d per dozen ; thumb blue, 9&d per lb ; pint castor oil, 8s 7^d per dozen ; currants, all faults, s£d perlb; one-eighth sardines, 4s ljd to 4s 6d per dozen ; sultana raisins, 9d per lb. Privately a parcel of 1200 cases of sago was placed on private terms, and black pepper at something under the current quotation, 4d to 4£d. In quick silver or blasting powder there is no appreciable variation in value. Trade in rice has not been brisk ; quotations rule about the same as last week. Salt is very dull. Sugar has fallen in value, but a large quantity has been placed through the medium of the auctionroom at the reduced rates. On Tuesday, 20,162 bags, ex Bourbon, from Mauritius, chielly rations and low couuters, were offered, and 18,854 bags quitted at the following rates : — 2Bs 6d to 30s 6d for low rations, 31s 6d to 32s 6d for middling do, 33s to 34s 6d for good do, 36s 3d to 38s for low counters. On Friday, 5236 bags, ex Elizabeth, also from Mauritius, were submitted, and about 4500 bags cleared off at the following prices : — 30s to 31s for rations, 35s for medium counters, 39s for good do, 40s 6d to 42s for yellow crystals, 45s to 45s 9d for white do, all duty paid. These prices show a decline of £4 per ton on rations, counters, and yellow crystals, and £2 10s to £3 on white do. The biddings were languid, and very little disposition to purchase was evinced, although there was a large attendance of the trade. Privately, transactions have been few and unimportant. Of the tea market a report will be found below. A moderate trade has been doing in tobaccos ; Barrett's twist brings 2s 9d in small lots, and half-pounds have been placed at Is. Bulk ales do not move off readily, although a slight concession has been made, with a view to cloaring off some brands ; Trent Brewery Company's has brought equivalent to £7 12s 6d, duty paid ; Carlisle Company'?, £7 ss, duty paid; Joule's is-* quoted at £7 17s 6d, and Marrian's at £7 15s. Bottled ales are very quiet at last week's rates, but Brass's bottled stout has attracted some notice. In brandies, little is doing; Hennessy's case realises about 2Ss 6d, and pale in bulk, hhds, 7s 9d. Geneva has been bought rather largely ; JDKZ is now quoted at 13s, and other brands' at proportionate rates.

! Wine, 26 gals £5 4 0 Brandy, 27 gals 16 4 0 Whisky. 17 gals. 10 4 0 Su 2 ar, 6605 lbs 27 10 5 Tea, 1290 lbs 35 5 0 £91 2 5 Monday, 9th June. Whisky, 36 gals £21 12 0 Geneva, 5 gals. ... ... 5 6 2 £26 IS 2