To give any thing like a correct picture of the
depressed state of' trade in Birmingham, and its consequences, would be no ensy natter; a few facts may give some ides. The oldest, most extensive, and respectable merchants, manelacturers, and traders, concur in repre- senting the present depression as unpreetelented in their experi- ence. Ten thousand applications. by wonking men and swealen, for free passages to Australia have been made. aml refused, within the last two months, at one emigratioreoffiee is the town. Between twenty and thirty good houses and retail-shops are entenanted in three of the prin- cipal streets, told thousands of middle and small-rented hnuses are un- occupied in every part of the borough. The walls are literally covered daily with unction bills, and a purehaser een hardly be foe el 'for either leasehold or freehold property. The brokers' shops are crammed with goods purchased at half the cost-price. The pawnbrokers, being com- pletely stocked, refuse any except whet are termed best pledges. Thou- sands of mechanics are living on half-wages, thousands on quarter- wages, and numbers of creatures nee sustained by means known Only to the Almighty himself. l'pwards of three hureired applications were made to the Gloucester Railway Company, fin' situations as guards, &e., within the last month. The poor-rate is doubled, and numbers are leaving their houses to escape peyine. it. All is ;:Lanny, and no one can see a prospect of improvement.—hientingham
A meeting of the merchants and mennfareurers of Birmierrham was held oa `fonds}' at the Town-hell. to take into consideratien the pre- sent unexampled depressed state el trade here, and to :elute such reme- dial measures as might be suggested end agreed upon. Janes James, Eq., was in the chair. The reel:Inflow proposed Wen... adopted ; which attributed the distressed ce-elithm of trade to the m eesent con- tracted state of the currency ; and a Committee was appoin.mel to com-
municate with the Clemeelier of the Ex eleept Rohm.: Peel, and
others, with the Gee- of adopting :,ticit as might be deemed ad- visable to relieve the existing- pressure, We are sorry to say that there is no improvement in time demand for worsted hosiery ; and the glove branch, whiell has animated employment to so many hands, is name very dell, and less doieg in it. "fhere is no alteration in the price of yarn. The wont-market is not so firm, but little has yet been done in new wools. The staplers appear to act with caution ; and, although prices are full as. per tad less than this time last year, they have not confidence km their being maintained.—Leicester L'hronicle.
A general dulness has pervaded the wremRen market daring the week. The prices of goods do not at all improve; and as no one can foresee when time existing stagnation will come to an end, the temptation to adventure is cosnpletely checked, and scarcely any thing is done for foreign markets, except to order. In the home-trade the business is rather brisker. but still very far from what is usual at this season of the year.—Leads Intelliyeneer.
The Surveyors of Taxes have been visiting the Slirmelmire towns, and the inhabitants have received them very unkindly : indeed, such has been the effeet even amongst the most extreme Liberels, that they openly complain of the 31inisters; and at Oswestry met other towns the Sunday was profaned by stopping up all useless wheleefi to prevent the extra eeeessment.—Shrewsimee/ The borough of South Shields, which recently established a Chamber of Commerce, has now formed a company, with a large capital, to trade with the East Indies. A vessel is already freighted for that quarter of the globe ; and the time occuided on her voyage will be spent in the erection of lar:ze warehouses in South Shields, suitable for the purposes of this new branch of the commerce of the Tyne.
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