COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times, Issue 945, 4 May 1868, Page 2

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Times Office, ' Saturday Evening. The following are the Customs Beturns for- — ■-.--•■■ Saturday, May 2.

( : •. Tho " Argus" of the 25th contains the following commercial article : — „ „ \ The import markets have been totally devoid of animation. The publication of the agricultural statistics, created a good deal of excitement in . breadstuffs, but very little action has jet been

taken in the markets, the declared decrease, es compared -with last year, of 1,150,000 bushels of wheat, having been more than anticipated in the operations of the last thivo months ; but tuough less activity may now be evinced for a short time, there is no doubt but that pricc3ji\ust rule much hipher before the closo of the year, unless the deficiency 13 mado up from the seaboard. Transactions in flour' tc-day havo 'pot been ext n*ive, and owing to' 1 , the' uncertainty ■which prevails, a go.od deal of irregularity regarding prft^^ja. ; stll T aHqvred_ t) exist. About 200 Tp'Js^y'jil'Vn-rcels 'of fifty tons, -will about cover ttio aales'.of the day ; nnd though wo cannot act q^Vof thc'iower quotation of L2O 103 given of late, buyers Wyo also been met with Trilling to givoijj2ljssrand in one instance, L2l los ; terms was refused for a line 01 150 ton 3. The advertised sale, on Tuesday next, of 100 tons of Adelaide and 150 of Victorian,, has had in some degree the effect of restraining buyers. Ybtorian wheat hos been sold at 9s 3d, and the same figure has been offered end refused for Port MacDonncll. Maize is very dull of sale at 3s 5d to 3s 6d for trade pirctb ; quantities, however, cannot be got rid of at those quotations. In tobaecoes we hear of aro- 1 matics having attracted speculative notice, all to be j found in first hands having bsen taken up by one | buyer, and even from the trade purchases have been made. An advance on the prices hitherto ruling will now be required. By auction, some 2b70 I bags of Mauritius sugars were offered in the forenoon, of which 15^0 bans were sold under the hammer, at current rates, while the balance of 11(57 bags was subsequently dispose! of in one Hue on private terms. Calcutta cornsjicfes have found buyers at IL3 9d in bond. Small lots of malt hare been placed at Us 31 to 9s 6d. In candles, we learn of some 500 boxes having been | purchased for export at 10£ d. in bond. The entire cargo of flooring, weatherboards, and deals' per Dover, was quitted at auction. In liquids; we learn of a shipment of Bass's now ale, the first of the season, having been quitted at a figure sußttiining our quotation of : £B"lsa for-twde parcels. ...

Wuid, 20 gals. ... ... £4 0 0 Brandy, 20 gals ... ... 11 If? 3 • Sugar, 2240 lbs ... ...96.8 £25 2 11