With the price of cotton in Manchester up to 20d. the prospect of China doing any business of consequence in piece goods thas become more remote than ever, and even the. strengthening exchange does not hold out any particular hopes. This is the position in spite of a distinct firmness in the local market, wit ere, realizing the shortness of stocks, dealers have been offering distinct advances. The tightness of native money and the consequent high rate of interest demanded, have had their effect upon clearances, and although these have been perfectly satisfactory in some cases, in others deliveries have distinctly slowed down. This latter condition indicates how strongly the belief is held by speculators for a continuance of -a distinctly firm market, Woollens—In woollen. goods there has been little doing during
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.