The Press. — London, England, 1857-05-16 00:00:00

476 I rejoice in your Excellency's professions of peace ; but it would only do harm to the interests of peace, to which you profess yourself so friendly, were I to tell the Em- peror that, because of Yeli's act, you have precipitately broken the peace that the treaty said was to last for ever. Another reason against my addressing the Throne is that Yeh, and he alone, is competent to deal with commercial questions; and this can be nothing else, being a question with foreigners. A variety of documents relative to the poisoning at Hong Kong, including protests thereon from the representatives of France and America to Commis sioner Ych, then follow. Yeli, in his reply to Dr. Parker, doubts any inten tion of the Chinese to injure the Americans, but be adds : The English hsve now, for several months, in a most unprovoked manner, brought their troops and engaged in hostilities, repeatedly setting fire to the shops and dwell ings of people, and destroying a very great number of buildings, and have ruined some entire families. Doubtless there are many Chinese whose hatred against the English has been much increased by this ; but to poison people in this underhand manner is an act worthy of detestation ; still, as it all occurred in Hong Kong, it is impossible for me to examine into all the facts. The act is owing to the unnumbered evils which have been inflicted upon the Chinese by the English ; and the natives of the surround ing districts have taken this way of revenging their private wrongs. To the Count de Courcy lie writes : The news of the poisoning of the bread at Hong Kong has shocked and saddened me the more profoundly because friendship and harmony exist as a matter of custom between China and your noble empire. But since, without reason or cause, the English continue their hostilities during whole months, setting on fire and burning an infinite num ber of the people's dwellings and of establishments of all kinds, entire families without number are necessarily reduced to misery, and the populations of all the districts breathe only hatred and vengeance against them. The proofs of this are to be seen everywhere, and your despatch says, truly, that " when hatred seizes upon a people, it thinks only of avenging itself, and, discarding the rights of reason, it has only one desire, that of injuring its enemy." Whoever he may be, the author of the poisoning is an abominable being, but he is at present. at Hong Kong, and it would be difficult for me to take proceedings against him. A copy of an imperial edict issued on the 27th of December last, forming the latest instructions fur certain provincial authorities relative tothe hostilities with England, is of interest. In this document the Emperor says : We have this day instructed Yeh, that if the English barbarians turn from their present course of their own motion, anger (or hate) need not be carried to extremity, but if they dare to persist in their extravagance and ob. stinacy, peace Is not to be negotiated by a conciliatory movement on our part, as this would open the way to de. mends for other concessions of importance. Yeh•ming chin has been ver, long in charge of the Kwang Provinces, and is so thoroughly cognisant with barbarian affairs, that he will be able in all possibility to devise a proper course of proceeding. Directions then follow to secure the coast towns from all danger of attack, but in such a manner as not to "disturb or perplex the public mind." Despatches from Admiral Seymour to the Ad miralty contain an account of proceedings in the Canton River, already known to our readers. On the .18th of February, Sir John Bowring writes to the Earl of Clarendon : My Lord,--I have received, with peculiar satisfaction, your lordship's despatch dated the 10th January, advising me that her Majesty's Government entirely approve of the Course adopted by Sir Michael Seymour, Mr. Parkes, and myself, in reference to the late operations in the Canton River. Indeed I may safely state that I have rather had to struggle against demands for more violent and destructive measures than to fear censure for those which have been adopted. It has been throughout my desire and that of the ad. miral to spare, as much as possible, the innocent and un• offending people of Canton, but I grieve to say the fem. dons and barbarous element disposed to avail itself of means, however atrocious and savage, is widely spread among the fierce population of that place. The remaining papers include communications re lative to the capture of the steamer Queen, and further despatches from Admiral Seymour, the latter observing on the 15th of March : As regards the Imperial High Commissioner, from all that l can learn his Excellency is still animated by feelings of the deepest hostility, and has increased his garrison at Canton ; nothing hut an adequate military tone can, in my opinion, replace our relations on proper footing, and ulti mately secure the due fulfilment of treaty stipulations. I am in daily expectation of the arrival of the steamsloops and gunboats. On the 26th February Vice-Consul Meadows for wards to Sir John llowring a memorial from a Chinese governor, which has come into his hands, embodying an imperial decree. " The edict," says Consul Meadows, writing from Ningpo, "shows that at the date of its being issued, about the 15th of last month, the Emperor was not inclined to listen to anything adverse to the Imperial Commissioner Yeb, though communicated by other high provincial authorities; and that his Imperial Majesty specu THE PRESS. lated on hostilities not being finished at Canton at the time of the spring rains." Sir John Bowring on the 10th March observes : I am disposed to think that the Imperial Commissioner will maintain his present position as long as we are unable to visit him with any serious molestation, trusting to the chapter of accidents for some turn in his favour. A proclamation of the acting chief magistrate in Heang Shang district is also published. This docu• went is of importance, as showing the extreme view really taken in the province of Canton of the question at issue. The proclamation calls upon the Chinese subjects to contribute towards the expenses of a war against England : The district of Shun•teh has undertaken to furnish 200,000 taels ; and as it appears that the districts of Heang•Shang and Sin•hwung enjoy the reputation of great wealth, and contain nos - mall number of zealous and public spirited inhabitants, it is my duty to desire their respective magistrates to call on Heang-Shang for a contribution of 100,000 taels, and on Sin•hwnng for a contribution of 120,000 taels, fur provision of the necessaries of war•. THE SUPPLY OF COTTON. Mn. J. B. Small, M.P., at the weekly meeting of the Society of Arts, on Wednesday evening, read a paper, of which the starting•point was the question—How can increased supplies of cotton be obtained ? The importance of our cotton manufacture was best shown by the fact that, besides providing clothing for our whole population, our exports last year amounted to 32,284,7001., being one-third of the value of cur entire exports to foreign countries, and, unfortunately, our supplies of the raw material were principally derived from one source. The imports of cotton into Great Britain last year amounted in round numbers to 000,000,0001b5., of which 700,000,0001b5. were received from the United States. But not only were we exposed to the danger of being limited chiefly to one source of supply, but to a still greater hazard, viz., that this supply was the production of slave labour. In the last forty years the consumption in Great Britain had increased from 88,000,000 to 891,000,000 lbs. The increase in the growth of cotton had not for some years past kept pace with the increased consumpiion, and Mr. Smith expressed it as his opinion that we had arrived at the turning-point of the consumption, having overtaken the production. The possibility of developing other sources of supply became therefore an important question. Mr. SMITH began by speaking of the capabilities of Western Africa, mentioning some efforts that had been made by Mr. Thomas Clegg, of Manchester, to promote the cultivation of cotton by the natives. After touching upon some other places where the growth of it hereafter might he extensively carried on, Mr. Smith went on to speak of India, which he considered capable of furnishing an unlimited sup ply. The imports from that country bad always been irregular, and to secure a constant demand it was necessary that she should be able to compete with America. He was thus led to the inquiry into the capabilities of India for producing cotton equally cheap and good with that country. The soil of India in general was by no means fertile, and the cause of this sterility was the want of sufficient moisture. The ruins of great irrigating works still found showed that formerly the people were impressed with the importance of irrigation, but lately this had been entirely neglected. Mr. Smith was of opinion that we should avail ourselves of the superior engineer. ing skill of the present age to devise a great syste matic plan of irrigation, by which the whole country should be furnished with canals of irrigation, which might also he used as canals for the cheap convey ance of produce. It was estimated that land might be furnished with a constant supply of water for irriga tion by these means, at a cost of 2s. 6d. per acre per annum, besides providing water conveyance. Another difficulty was the want of roads and other means of com munication. When the railway reached the cotton dis trict, which at the past rate of progress might be ex pected some ten or fifteen years hence, the transit to a shipping port, which on an average had hitherto occu pied sixty four days, would be accomplished in thirty six hours. One of the greatest obstacles to the in creased production of cotton in India was the tenure of land ; for, except in Bengal, no person in India, native or European, could hold in fee-simple a single acre. Mr. Smith dwelt at some length on the in jurious effect of this system on the enterprise of the people, exposed es they frequently were to exactions from corrupt officials, and spoke of the beneficial effect of a wiser policy in other parts of the world. The state of the law and the police was another evil; and it was remarkable how small a number of Bri tish subjects voluntarily settled in India ‘‘ho were not actually in the service of the Company. After SATURDAY, replying to some of the attempts that had been made to defend the existing state of things, Mr. Smith drew especial attention to the province of Candeish, one of the richest of India, and containing five lion acres of land capable of growing cotton, with great facilities for irrigation. He thought there was land in this one province alone capable of producing more cotton than is grown in the United States. At present only fourteen per cent. of the whole pro. vince was cultivated, the remaining eighty-six pe•r cent. lying waste ; and be considered this a favour able opportunity for trying the effect of giving a secure tenure of land in perpetuity, a system which had resulted in so much prosperity in our colonies and in the United States. A discussion ensued, in which Sir Erskine Perry— who commented on the absence from the melting of Colonel Sykes, Mr. Mangles, and other members of that society connected with the Government of India, who, if they had been present, might have dispelled Mr. Smith's errors or confirmed his arguments— Lord Stanley, M.P., Sir John Pakington, M.P., Dr. Livingston, Messrs. Walker, M.P., J. B. Sharp, Hyde Clarke, Crawford, Montgomery .Martin, and the Chairman took part. Lord STANLEY remarked that an increase of Id. per lb. on the price of cotton caused a loss to the peuple of this country of between 4,000,000/. and 5,000 0001. sterling, or very little less than the total amount of the income tax paid before the war. Again, our de pendence on America not only remained, but yearly increased : In 1801 43 per cent. of our entire consumption was de• rived from the Urited States ; in 1826 the ratio rose to 72 per cent.; while, according to the last returns, it had now actually reached 80 per cent. How did this bear upon slavery ? At the beginning of the century there were '220,000 slaves in the cotton•gr•owing States of America. The number was now 2,000,000. t,wo•thirds of whom were employed in the production of this one article, an enor mous proportion of which was shipped to England. Cotton composed four•fiftha of the whole exports of the slave States. The stimulus thus given to the system of slaveholding in America was too obvious to need to bo stated. Next, as to the remedy. Besides America, they must chiefly look for their supply of cotton to India at the present and to Africa in the future. With respect to India he could indirectly confirm the statement of Sir E. Perry as to the example of the comparatively small colony of Ceylon. While he (Lord Stanley) was in that island an idea got abroad that it was about to he annexed to the Indian Government ; and he well recollected the alarm— he might, perhaps, use a stronger word—with which that idea was entertained by the inhabitants. It was better to avoid the perplexing Indian land•revenue question. That source furnished two-thirds of the whole income of the State ; and it therefore could not be very easily given up altogether. But, assuming that the land revenue was continued, it was fair matter for consideration whether it could not be made a fixed instead of a fluctuating pay. ment. This would obviate the objection founded on its operating as a discouragement to improved cultivation. It was hardly possible to exaggerate the present deficiency of internal communication in India. Where the nature of the country rendeted it practicable canals would be the best means of supplying this want, as far as regarded the transport of cotton, inasmuch as they would serve the double purpose of conveyance and irrigation. Railways, while they would answer only one of these ends, were better adapted for passenger traffic and light goods than for heavy commodities. Where, however, it was de• sirable to introduce railways in India the American plan would be more suitable than the English. That was to say, they should be of rough construction, little cyst, and low speed ; and when the first returns of the original line enabled them to do so, they might lay down a more perfect scheme. Sir J. PAKINGTON remarked that the direct pe cuniary interests of England pointed untnistakeably to a better fulfilment on her part of the grave re sponsibility she had undertaken in connection with the Government of India. Mr. CRAWFORD held that Mr. Smith had over rated the capabilities of India for the growth of cotton. The more populous parts of the country did not grow enough of the article for their own consumption, and to import it in considerable quantities. Pegu, however, might perhaps be mado to afford us a portion of our supply. Mr. MONTGOMERY MARTIN briefly replied to the last speaker, and maintained that until the pei plo were allowed to obtain the fee simple of the lanti in India, British capital and skill would never be in roduced into that country. A BEAUTIFUL DESIGN for the memorial window for the late Duke of Rutland, to be placed in the Vernon chapel of Bakewell Church, has been sub mitted to the committee. It is intended to fill the middle of the three windows with stained glass, the subjects being entirely scriptural, and on the others, north and south of the central window, to introduce armorial bearings and heraldic ornamentation appm• priate to the object of the windows. Nearly 1401. have already been received by the committee, but we believe about 601. more will be needed before the design can be fully carried out.