COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times, Issue 1085, 6 January 1869, Page 2

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Times Office, Tuesday Evening. The following are the Customs returns for—

The 'New Zealand Sun,' of the 4th January, | contains the following item of commercial intelligence: — No business was done throughout the day, universal holiday being kept, and the centre of attraction being the Caledonian games. Uur latest inquiries point to an uncertainty as to the date of the Panama mail, leaving, it being queat ion able whether the boat will leave here on the sth as usual. This ie particularly annoying *o merchants, as they have been under the belie! that the mail would leave at her appointed time, and thus have run the chance of missing the opportunity of repl^iug to their home correspondence, which otherwise could have been attended to by the Suez mail. We notice by ad. ▼ices by the s.s. Gothenburg, from Melbourne, that brandies are much firmer in Australia, and anticipate our late remarks on this article will be found correct, and that the market here will receive a corresponding increase in value. The ' Lyttelton Times/ 28th December, reports : — A very dull week of business has passed, it being for the most part confined to the execution of station orders. The arrival of the Rio at Port Chalmers, from Mauritius, will supply our rather bare market with sugars, aa part of her cargo is intended for Canterbury. Spirits of ail kinds are now in excess of our requirements, and prices mußt be reduced to effect sales. Although the season has arrived there is no demand for light wines. There is little doing in teas. Jhe arrival of the Martha, from Frederickstad, with a cargo of Baltic timber— principally tongued and grooved flooring — has taken most of our timber merchants by surprise, but as the neighboring markets are better than this there is little probability of her cargo being landed here, the consignee having the option, we believe, of sending her to any other two poi ts. Wool is now coming to hand more freely. The Light Brigade has rather more than lOOu' bales stowed, and, also, a quantity of flax. She is expected to sail about Christmas. This season's clip of the wool will be one of the best, as regards quality, that has been shorn far snme years pa>t. We do not look for any considerable increase in quantity. We hear of no transactions in grain. The crops everywhere promise exceedingly well, and the weather has been very favorable. Oats could be bought at 2s 3d ; wheat, 5s 6d ; barley, 5s 6d (good malting samples).

Monday, Jan 4. Brandy, 129 gals £78 14 4 Stout, 111 gals ... — »x ° £ Kerosene, 296 gala ... ' ° « Tea, 1580 lbs 39 10 0 Sugar, 16,160 lbs 67 6 8 Sh^wasb, 4552 lba ... 56 18 0 Sundries ia ia J £269 7 U Tuesday, Jan. 5. Duty on Bonded Warehouses £75 O O Tobacco, 81 lbs 10 2 6 Cigars, 87* lbs 211, 6 Sugar, 1874 lbs 7 16 I Boots __ £115 1 2