The week before Christmas is always a dull one, and
Mark Lane seldom forms an exception to the rule, _There was, however, a pretty fair at- tendance yesterday, and a large amount of business would have been transacted had prices shown the slightest symptom of giving way. In_ stead of that, however, wheat showed rather an upward tendency ; and the opinion becomes more and more prevalent, that unless the demand for the Continent decline,-'we shall have to pay considerably more for corn in the beginning of 1854 than.we are paying at present. Those who predict lower prices profess to disbelieve the reports regarding great defi- ciency in France and Italy, and calculate that England will be able to ob- tain a portion of the "boarded surplus" from those countries, when the corn-merchants there find out that they have been providing more than their wants require. Thirds a very pleasant prospect to bold out, but it is not in accordance with the latest evidence we have on the subject. In spite of the very large quantity of wheat and flour which has been poured into France lately, prices do not exhibit any tendency to give way; and therefore we may safely conclude, that the great bulk of these sup. plies has gone into consumption. Parties who have carefidly watched the markets at home and on the Continent for the last two or three months are beginning to express fears lest the food panic of 1847 and the losses which followed it may have caused the trade to act with too much caution this year ; and we must confess that we are not without similar apprehensions.
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