Commercial.
Richmond Markets, Feb. 4, 1861.The day is inclement — a snow storm prevailing — and the excitement of the election absorbs public attention. There is but little doing, and business with the Northern cities is very much restricted, being confined to immediate necessities. There is little change in quotations.
Tobacco.--Sales still limited, at former quotations. We notice the sales of some Lugs and common Leaf Lugs, $1.75@2.50; Leaf $3@4.50; some stemming Leaf $ @.50, no fine manufacturing in market. Stock on hand of the old crop very light, and mostly of inferior quality.
Flour.--There are no sales for shipment. The stock of country is very limited, and sales confined to home consumption. We quote $4.25@5.50 for Superfine; Extra $6.75@7; Family $7.50@7.75,
Wheat.--Receipts light and market firm at $1.50@$1.56 for White; $1.30@$1.35 for Red.
Corn.--Market steady at 60@65 cts. per bushel.
Oats.--30@35 cts. per bushel.
Hay.--$1.10@1.15 per cwt.
Rye.--We quote 60@65 cts. per bus.
Bacon.--Market firmer; demand moderate; we quote Prime Sides 11 ½ cents; Shoulders 9 cents; Plain Hams (new) 12 ½@12 cents.
Lard.--Prime Western Leaf, in bbls., 12 cents; Baltimore 12 ½ cents; kegs 12 ½ @13 cents, all for new.
Sugars.--New Orleans Sugar we quote 7 ½@8 cents; Cuba 7 ½@8 ½ cents; Porto Rico @ cents; Loaf 11@11 ½ cents; Crushed and Powdered 10 ½ cents; Coffee Sugar: A 10 cents; B ½ cents; Extra C ½c.
Salt.--Last sales from wharf $1.65; from store $1.75 per sack.
Molasses.--New Orleans 45 cts.; Cuba Muscovado, in bbls., 35 @37 ½ cts.; In hhds., 25@30 cts.; English Island 37 ½ cts.; Ochenhousen's 25 cts.
Coffee.--We quote Rio 14@15 cents; Laguayra, 13 ½@1 cts.: Java 18 ½@19 cents, Mocha 18 cts.
Cattle, Hogs, Sheep, &c.
Beef.--Sales this week at $3@4.50 for good to prime cattle. Market well supplied.Sheep.--We quote sales at $3.50 per head for ordinary sheep, and $5.25 per cts gross for the best quality.
Hogs.--Sales of corn-fed at $8.25@8.50 per cwt.; distillery-fed $7.75@8.
Freights.
foreign.--Nothing to add relative to foreign freights.Domestic.--The following are the present rates as coast wise freights:
| New York. | Boston. | Philad'a. | |
| Coal, ton | $1.50 | $1.75 | $1.25 |
| Flour, bbl. | 20 | 25 | 20 |
| Tobacco, hhd. | 2.50 | 3,00 | 2.50 |
| Tobacco, box | 20 | 25 | 25 |
Coal to Baltimore, 3 cts bushel; Flour 12 ½ cts. bbl.
Money matters.
We give below the best quotations we can obtain.Exchange on the North is scarce and rates lower. We quote on New York 6 -- scarce; Philadelphia 5 ½ and Baltimore 4 per cent. premium.
North and South Carolina Bank notes 2@2 ½ per cent. discount. Planters' and Miners' Bank of Murphy (N. C.) 20 per cent. discount.
Specie 4 ½@5 ½ per cent premium.
List of Virginia Bank notes Bankable in Richmond
All the Banks located in Richmond, and the branches of such as have branches.
- Bank of Commerce, Fredericksburg.
- Bank of Howardsville, Howardsville, Albemarle.
- Bank of the old Dominion, Alexandria.
- Bank of Rockbridge, Lexington.
- Bank of Rockingham, Harrisonburg.
- Bank of Scottsville, Scottsville.
- Central Bank of Virginia, Staunton.
- Danville Bank, Danville, Va.
- Farmers' Bank of Fincastle, Fincastle.
- merchants' Bank, Lynchburg.
- Monticello Bank, Charlottesville.
- Southwestern Bank, Wytheville.
- Branch of the Bank of the Valley, Staunton.
- Branch of the Bank of the Valley, Christiansburg
- Bank of the Valley and branches, save at Staunton and Christiansburg.
- Bank of Wheeling, Wheeling.
- Manufacturers' and Farmers' Bank of Wheeling and branches.
- North western Bank of Virginia, Wheeling, and branches.
- Merchants' and Mechanics' Bank of Wheeling and branches.
- Bank of Charleston, Malden, Kanawha.
- Bank of Berkeley, Martinsburg.
- Branch Bank of the Old Dominion, at Pearisburg.
- Bank of Philippi, Philippi, Barbour county.
- Bank of Winchester, Winchester.
- Fairmont Bank, Fairmont.
List of Virginia Bank notes Unbankable in Richmond.
Virginia Bank notes that are at twenty-five per cent. Discount.
The notes of the following Banks are at 25 per cent. discount:
- Bank of Manassas, front Royal.
- Bank of Weston, Lewis county.
- Trans-Allegheny Bank of Jeffersonville, Tazewell.
the Journal of Commerce has the following announcement:
‘ the Secretary of the Treasury has written to the Collector here confirming the statement which we made, that the only penalty which can be applied to the clearance of vessels from an United States port for a foreign country without the signature of a proper United States officer, is a fine against the master of $500, which penalty in no case attaches to the vessel or cargo. This penalty could only be inflicted in case the Captain should return to a United States port, and the authorities should be disposed to prosecute him, and could prove their case. The Secretary also writes to the Collector, that while the laws must be enforced, and the Department could not in advance grant any indulgence for their violation, yet the Secretary of the Treasury has power in all cases to remit the penalty, and that where vessels are forced into any infringement of the laws by the circumstances of the case, while engaged in legitimate Commerce, they may be sure of all proper consideration at his hands.
’ this is all that could be said to clear the way for lawful enterprise, and there need be no farther trouble in the way of regular Commerce. The Department has for wise reasons abstained from formally assenting to the proposition made by some ship owners to obtain a clearance at some near port where United States officers were still in authority, in cases where no such officer could be found at the port of departure. It is clearly the right of any shipmaster to adopt this course under existing laws, and the preliminary sanction of the Department is not needed to render such a clearance formal and valid.
the New York Shipping List says of the freight market:
‘ the market for breadstuffs for Great Britain has been less active, and rates are again easier. To Continental ports there is no change.
’ the movement of the Banks in the four principal cities of the Union, in which weekly reports are made, as shown by their last statement, is as follows:
| Loans, | Deposit. | Specie, | Circul'm. | |
| N. York, Jan.2. | $123,935,153 | $7,386,946 | 24,968,942 | 7,929,298 |
| Boston, Jan. 28. | 53,237,798 | 18,185,122 | 4,538,019 | 6,374,426 |
| Phila., Jan. 28. | 26,89,265 | 14,894,200 | 4,412,781 | 2,737,638 |
| N. Or'ns. Jan. 20. | 15,987,828 | 19,711,637 | 16,289,86 | 6,988,081 |
| Total | $229,653,112 | 140,174,011 | 64,244,10 | 24,029,493 |
| Last week | 231,00,78 | 142,024,286 | 54,08,415 | 24,192,492 |
| Last year | 232,22,42 | 11,035,7 | 41,,545 | 22,444,183 |
