Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-21 00:00:00

INCREASED CULTURE OF COTTON

Tins object, so important as it has been shewn
to be to the interests of England, and indeed of
the world, is engaging earnest . attention in the
United States, not from those who are interested
in the culture of Cotton in that country, but those

who seek to promote it in Africa, as a means of pro-
viding for the absorption of the free_ negro popula-
tion of the north. The African colony of Liberia
presents a -field, they contend, for such :culture,
which promises to furnish .the product Oun-
dantly and cheaply, at the same time that it
affords a rare opportunity of civilising the negro
race. The people of that colony, it is argued, tare
struggling to prove by experiment that the negro
is capable of maintaining a free government,
formed on republican principles ; that he can pros-
perously carry on business in all its departments of
agriculture, the mechanical arts, and trade ; that he
can maintain religious and literary institutions ;
that his race can be elevated equally with other
races ; and that 'it can take a respectable rank

among the leading nations, of the earth. So far,
although the experiment has been partially:suc-
cessful, the sable colonists have laboured under
many disadvantages, and " a great part of them," we
see it stated in an addressOin their behalf to the
free coloured population of New England, " were
slaves manumitted in the Southern States for the
purpose of being sent as colonists to Liberia."
Their owners being generally philanthropic men,
gave them some preparatory education, but it must
have been very imperfect at best. They lacked
experience in self-government. They had been
accustomed as slaves to have tasks assigned to
them, and had not that invaluable training which
the free labourer has in assigning his own tasks.
The habit of their whole - lives would, there-
fore, strongly incline them to indolence; as soon
as the compulsion of a master was removed.
It was under this great disadvantage that they
went out to commence their industry. Nor
had they been trained to habits of economy,
and calculation." The object of this state-
ment is to induce the negroes of the free States to
go and assist them in an experiment so !important
to their race, and for the more advantageous
working out of which, it is urged, they are so
much better qualified. " Many of them," they
are reminded, " understand northern farming,
and many of them are pretty good mechanics.
All of them have 'seen good tools, and a
large part of them have considerable acquaint-
ance with the use of tools, and with skilful
processes of, labour. They have had opportunity
to observe the improvements that free
labour and educated labour is constantly making,
and they could do much to suggest and introduce
improvements in agriculture and the mechanic
arts in Liberia. They have much valuable
knowledge in respect to the management of
religious and educatiOnal establishments here, and
could render valuable aid in their organization
abd management there. They are accustomed to

live here, not like the slaves of the South, but in
families, many of which are well ordered. They
are accustomed to the use of comfortable furni-
ture, and to the restraints, courtesies, and enjoy-
ments of social life. In this respect many of their
women could do much to improve the social
condition of Liberia." All this, we believe, is
perfectly true ; and although it may perhaps be
suspected that the motive for seeking the
removal of the free colonial population
of New Eagland proceeds as much from
a wish to get rid of them, as from any higher
and more disinterested desire, still it is calculated
to serve a good and useful, and probably a bene-
volent purpose.

But, with respect to their chances of cultivating
Cotton to any considerable extent in Liberia. It
has been ascertained, we are in the first place to
bear in mind, that not only Liberia but other
extensive regions of Western Africa, are admirably
adapted to the growth of Cotton. It grows
perennially, and therefore its cultivation requires
much less labour than in America. "In Liberia,"
it is observed, " the culture is still in its infancy ;

but its success is so great that Gov. ROBERTS

proposes to encourage its extension by offering
legislative premiums for the best Cotton fields. "
And it proposes to be in furtherance of this idea,
that the friends of the negro race in' New
England are appealed to, as having it in their
power to give effect to their wishes by
donations for such premiums. Then. they
are informed of the eagerness with which
some of our English manufacinrers are
seeking supplies of Cotton for Liberia, and other
portions of Western Africa. " In 1852, they
imported 1,800 lbs. from Western Africa. In
.1856 they increased their import to 11,500
lbs. ; in 1857
,it was 35,400 lbs., and in the first
five months of 1858 it was 94,400 lbs. The in-
crease of quantity is partly owing to the fact
that they have introduced the cotton gin, and
have taught some of the people how to use it.
They had last year sent two hundred and fifty
cotton gins there, capable of cleansing 14,0001b5.
of (MUM per day, and these machines had been

bought and paid to: by native Africans who
understood how to use thebli, and were going into
the business of preparing Cottt.'n for the English
market" We give this statemeni, be it under-
stood, on American authority ; and are not at
present in a pogtion to vouch for its aecurtzcy in
all respects. But certainly, if it be anything near
the truth, such beginnings, it must be -admitted,
are highly encouraging.

Of course, England has at present a.deep, an
Imperial interest in promoting the culture
of Cotton in British India,—in preference, as a
source of supply, to any other part of the world.
But then, under the most sanguine hopes and
expectations, it must of necessity be a long time
ere India can be calculated upon to furnish any
large proportion of the quantity required, or even
of the excess of our demand beyond the American
supply. In the meantime, therefore, Western
Africa may but reasonably and conveniently, and
may we not add, benevolently also, be attended to
as a source of supply. The Liberian enterprise,
we are not denying, deserves encouragement and
support on other and higher grounds than those of
commercial interest or convenience. And we
believe with the American writer we have quoted,
"that there is sufficient capacity in the coloured
people to meet this great exigency, and that they
can not only secure individual prosperity
to themselves, but help to establish a great
nation in Liberia, to redeem Africa to civilisation
and Christianity, • and destroy negro slavery, not
only in this country, but throughout the world.
It will probably," he adds, " require much effort
to arouse them, and the cause will need the aid of
the ablest men among them. There has hitherto
been so little that they could do for themselves,
that their minds are unaccustomed to the:contem-
plation of great enterprises, and instead of.,*being
self-reliant, they have leaned too much on the
sympathy of professed friends. Providence now
hedges them in no longer, but opens for them a
wide field for noble deeds, where every man who
enters must try the strength of his own right arm,
and every one who has ability will find ample
scope for its exercise." There can be no question,
then, that such a work as this is one of great
public interest, as well as of real philanthropy.
And if, while obtaining increased supplies of
Cotton, we can' promote sUch a, work, by all
means let us endeavour to take advantage of the
opportunity.

THE NEW REFORM BILL

THE certainty of an immediate measure of :Par-
liamentary Reform, from her Majesty's Ministers,
having now been confirmed by the fixing of so
early a day as next Monday week for its introduc-
tion in the House of Commons, the public anxiety,
not so much, perhaps, as to its real character, as
with respect to its details, has been excited anew.
The announcement of the day, so near at hand,
just at the very moment when the opponents,
who are too generally also the assailants of the
Government, were giving it out that " Ministers
are disposed to play a somewhat dangerous game,
and that they are ready to deal with all smaller
questions and abbreviate all lesser difficulties, if
they can but escape the one great difficulty of
Reform," made it only all the more hopeful and
gratifying. Surely we may now not unreasonably
conclude, that such suspicions were not merely
unfounded, but unworthy. Standing, as we do,
independent of all Ministerial, connection; and all
party influence whatever, having nothing to
unduly bias us, either in favour Of the A dminis-

tration or against them, save, their earnest
pursuit or their neglect of a liberal policy, we
cannot be fairly supposed to have any partiality
when we say, that, so far as it is open

to us to form an opinion, the conduct of
Ministers appears to have been honest . and
straightforward in dealing with this question.
It is one, not of their own choosing, as it were.
They found it prepared for them by preceding
Ministries—Reform Ministries, as they loudly
professed to be—which had over and over again
hGlared their intention to have it disposed of in a

Way satisfactory to Parliament and the country,
but who only "kept the word of promise to the ear,
and broke it to the hope." Lord DERBY, on as-
suming office, in his address to the Houe of Lords
in explanation of the position and intentions of
his Cabinet, stated that further Parliamentary

Reform was one of the questions which his prede-
cessors had left him to deal with, and, if possible,
to settle. This object he has evidently kept
steadily in view,—he has never appeared disposed
to shirk it, in anywise ; and we think it must in
justice be admitted, that he, at any rate, has taken
the earliest convenient opportunity of—not, like
those who preceded him in office, inexcusably
breaking, but faithfully keeping that word of pro-
mise to the hope, which they had.been. content to
keep only to the ear. •
But though LORD DERBY ha's only taken
up the work of others, he is not by any
means unqualified, or at an disabled, for its
performance. He might not, probably, have
undertaken it, at this particular time, of his own
accord. But finding it before him,—seeing it had

been promised to be done, and that the people
calmly awaited it, —his sense of duty led him to
take it up : he has had the good faith to resolve
to try and discharge what he felt had fallen upon
him as an obligation, at the post to which his
Sovereign had called him, and for which his former
experience as a practical Reformer must have assured
him that he was not unfitted. For Lord DERBY,
be it remembered, was himself one of the authors
of the Reform Bill of 1832. There is surely no in-
consistency, therefore, in his undertaking to adapt
the measure to the altered circumstances of the
country,—a step which the country's accelerated
progress, during the more than a. quarter of a
century that has now elapsed, has rendered so
palpably and so urgently necessary.

The principles of the Reform Bill of 1832 were
considered by the liberal party of that day—of, we
believe, all shades-4o be constitutional principles,
—all shades, of course we mean, of those who
had any respect for such principles, and
professed to be guided by them. There were then,
is there are now, violent men, who sought revo-
lution rather thatt reform—to destroy the Consti-

tution, instead of strengthening, by
amendingit
and as ,at that timer_the Reform Bill, though saves..saves..
factory to the country at large, was not S 6 't°
revolutionists and republicans, so now, it is m°ll
than probable, no measure which those who have
the responsibilities of the Government upon till'
can reasonably be expected to bring forward, Will
be likely to satisfy such as have objects in vie's'
beyond, and out of character with, the prinelPleks
of our representative system, as one that is to vgnr
with three estates of the realm, the object being t°
make that• Constitution provide for its own primer
vation, as well as for the interests of its subjecis'
That the new Reform Bill will be of this.chl.
racter, we think may be taken for granted. 111°
great question is; how far it will go in the popular

direCtion-. It certainly must go a long w,io
if it is to satisfy the hopes and wishes 0f
the country. There must be a generous meastle
of confidence shown, in its . details, of t?
worthiness of thousands and tens of thousan4g
who are now so unjustly excluded frOm the electife
franchise, to possess so, rightful a privilege. At
present, however, all is mere conjecture on this
head. A London contemporary, usually well
informed, states we see, that it' is believed " that
the Government have resolved to grant the fr4ll-
- in the counties (occupancy of £lO value) s°,
often proposed, and sometimes carried, by 31r"
LOCKE KING ;" that "the extension in boroughs
to include all householders rated at £9 a year;
and that "some thirty or forty of the seats for the
worst of the smaller boroughs are to be disfrary
chisel, and the others to be increased by contra'
butory towns and districts taken from the neigh-
bourhood, which would leave the 'counties still

agricultural, and counterbalance to some extent
the effect of the £lO qualification." Our contenr
porary further states, that " there are rumor
also about, respecting the ballot to be granted t°
constituencies, when demanded by two-third'
of the electors." Of course it would be idle
to discuss such a measure as that on Met:
conjecture; it might not improbably turn ou
to have been fighting with a shadow. But be the
Bill what it may, in its details, which Ministers
are prepared to submit to the House of Commons:
it is one of those measures which that House 41

doubtless feel itself bound to deal with, regardlesg
altogether of the predilections of its authors'
Public opinion must, in such a case, undoubteall
have its will ; and we live in hope that the vice
11
of the country, ,constitutionally expressed, ¶
secure, as it undoubtedly demands, a measure that
will give a full, fair, and therefore, real represen"
tation of the people in the great Council of the
Nation.

1,
SALAMANCA, THE SPAN[SH BANKER.—A fortnight bard'
we gave an account of a curious dinner in Madrid,
by certain Gacetilleros to the great capitalist statesul3ll'
Salamanca ; and we have received more than one CO
ment upon our report, which has indeed run the round °t
the English press, has found notice from our gren.t
illustrated contemporary, and has excited no small intend
and curiosity. One correction which has been suPPihie
to us has been recorrected ; the cost of the dinner a•
been Is. Bd. or Is. 9d., and not more. Bat we since
learn, and from a very curious quarter, that the dianei
had a conclusion, and indeed a moral, altogether differen
from the original purpose. The dinners of the great
capitalist were thought to have been somewhat " grand
~.0
The Amphytrions on the recent occasion were, in comb vav
with most journalists, Andalusians, the sharpest an
wittiest race in Spain. It was imagined that the moneyed
magnate would feel himself uneasy in such com Pall
under present circumstances. The dinner was more dill°

.- • ,
" modest," it was, says one of our several correspondent;
"mean." The wealthy Salamanca, who daily comninn „
his Jerez and his Havannahs, was now invited to chin'
Spanish brandy—a pure spirit of wine, and to o°ll
halfpenny cigars. Such a man, however, is always
home - equally in the midst of 'Prosperity or adversity,
safety or danger, ease or embarrassment ; and Salanotl,;;
knew where he was, with whom he was contending.
accepted the amenities of his hosts ; they found that lie
could drink and smoke, more than any of them, even °f
Spanish brandy and halfpenny cigars, without being `;
the least disturbed. It soon turned out that the adverse
or ironical disposition of the guests was becoming Con-
verted into admiration - into enthusiasm. The Ant
lusians were beaten at their own weapons, and they locv-
their victor. Andalusian wit being outrun in this practiOl
manner, Adalusian poetry was. evoked, speeches were
extemporised, and even verges, and a magnificent albunt
has recently been forwarded to Salamanca, destined t°
contain those burning speeches, those ardent verses, With
the portraits of those who were present. Those Wb°
asked him to dine with them that they might se°ll'
followed him with their prayers ; and in all Spoilt:
probably, he has no warmer or devoted friends than 1114
intended satirists

—Spectator

THE COURT

The Queen and the Prince Consort, accompanied I)3'
Prince Arthur and the Princess Alice, honoured the Per-
formance at the Olympic Theatre with their presence 0r24.
Friday. In,attendance were Lady Churchill, the Earl °`
Verulam, Colonel F. H. Seymour, and Captain the 11°I/'
Dudley de Ros.

The Prince Consort presided on Friday afternoon at
meeting of the Commission for Promoting and Encourar
ing the Fine Arts in the Rebuilding the Palace at West-