Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-13 00:00:00

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GERMANY AND DENM&E.K.—A Berlin letter of the 4tli
instant, in the Nuremberg Correspondent, states that the
Copenhagen Cabinet has again addressed a circnlar to the
various foreign powers, declaring that the concession'
called for by Austria and Prussia in their last notes are
ineompatiable with the unity of the Danish monarchy.
GLASGOW CATHEDRAL.—PAINTED IVINDDWS.—A. meet-
ing of the subscribers to the scheme for filling in the
windows of Glasgow Cathedril with painted gloss, was
held on Friday aftergoon. The Lard Prevost narrated
the proceeding's of the committee, and state:l that they
had come to the conclusion that the Munich artists were
immeasurably superior to all others in the department of
glass-painting. Mr. Stirling, of Rein, M.P., moved the
adoption of the committee's report. Lord Belhaven and
others advocated delay, that the other subscribers might
have time to give their opinion upon the report ; but it-
was ultimately agreed that the committee be appointed a
working committee to carry out the aCtem?. On the sug,
gastion of Mr. G. Crawford, ao represeutieg the Trades.
House, the committee was instructed to introduce &ob-
jects illustrative of the Reformation, so as to give the•
cathedral more decidedly the character of a Protestant
church.
TEN MANCHESTER ARTS EXHIBITI ,N.—CALITIIa TO
LIVERpooL LADIES_—" A Victim" makes the following
complaint to a Manchester contemporary :—"Sir,—lt may
prevent considerable annoyance to visitors (especially
ladies) from Liverpool to the Exhibition if they are put on
their guard as to the evening arrangemeets of the
passenger train frem Manchester to Liverpool, on
the above line of railway. Upon reference to a railway,
guide, it will be seen that there is a train to Liver-
pool at a quorter to five p.m. if a passenger inquires
at the station what class of train this' ia, he will be
told " express." Now, the fact is; that this train is
express to Southport, and not to Liverpool. Passengers
for the latter place are carried at express speed to Bol-
ton, and hare to alight there and wait the arrival of
a slow train from Yorkshire, to take them to their
destination. This Yorkshire train is due at Bolton
twenty-five minutes after the nnival of the expresi at that
place, bat (of course on this line) is scarcely ever punc-
tual. But in the almost improbable event of punctuality,
passengers must change carriages, and wait twenty-five
minutes at the least. Last evening, however, the Liver-.
pool passengers by the 4.45. train were detained at Belton
60 minutes before the train arrived by which they were to
proceed to Liverpool, If the waiting rooms at Bolton
were all that could be desired this detention would be
g
annoyance enough ; but when the extreme discomfort of
the station is considered, I think yoa will aree with me,
that the Liverpool visitors to the Exhibition should be
informed of the inconvenience they mast be prepared to
encounter if they return home by the, train above alluded
to. The least the company's servants at Victoria Station
can do, is to inform passengers not only that they must
" change at Bolton," hut that they must wait there for an
indefinite period of time. This absurd arrangement of
) trains has only been in farce since the Ist a May, and haft
I caused great inconvenience and many complaints. It is.
t I presume, ore of the liberal, arrangements of the con3pan9
promised on the opening of the Exhibition. tour ;peer-
whet] I tom of PTCvnt Others becoming I Is.

INCREASED SUPPLY OF
coTTJN.

PUBLIC MEETING, YESTERDAY.

A public meeting was held yesterday, in the Cotton
Sales' Rooms, Exchange Buildings, for the pu'pese of
taking into consideration the present deficient supply of
cotton. The meeting was announced to be held in the
Sessions House, but there being no room unoccupied in
that budding, it was found becessary to ajourn to the
Cotton Sties'll iorns. At the hour appointed 'Tor the
commencement of the proceedings, the very large number
of gfntlsmen who war, present evinced the deep public
interest felt in the important. subject involved. Among
those on the platform were—Mr. John Torr, Mr.'Thomas
B. Hord...ill, M.P. ; Mr. John Cheetbam, M.P. ; General
Chesney, Mr. Striith, of Wellington, New Zealand; Mr.
Thomas Bazlev, Manchester; Mr. W. H. Andrews, Man-
chester; Mr. Christopher Bushell, Mr. William Rathbone,
the Mayor of Liverpool, (Mr. Francis Shand) ; Mr. George
Booker, Mr. Alderman S Mr. Harold Littledale,
Mr. R. A. Micfie, Mr. Barber, Mr Bauch, Mr. A C.
Stewart, Mr. Woodruff. Mr. Watson, \l r. James Riley,
and a great number of the lea-ling merchants and traders
of Liverpool, whose names, owing to the crowded state of
the meeting, it was impotshle to ascertain.
The chair was taken, am dst load cheers, by John
Torr,
The CHAIRMAN said: G,ntlernen, in opening the pro-
ceedings of this day's meeting I feel much regret to have
to do so with an apology. It was :.tur intention that you
should have be,n assennb'ed, as you are all aware, in the
Sessions House. (Cheers.) Mr. Bushell, our vice-presi-
dent, kindly undertook the arrangement of our meeting,
and I therefore call upon him to extdain to you the reason
why the meeting has been adjurned to this muci smaller
and less commi,dious raorn.

Mr. Bushell said : I feel, gentlemen, that both an ex-
planation and an npelegy is due to you. At the some
time I have something to "ifer in my own defence. It was
not by neglect of duty upon my part that this matter has
taken place. I was requested to apply to the Mayor,
which I did through Deputy Town Clerk, to
grant us the Seestoosouoe YO.l know how difficult it is
to find a building near the Exc'nanee, where merchants
could be got to attend in an affair of this kind, and
you know how inconvenient this building is
I applied to the Mayor, and he very kindly granted my
request. Some dais afterwards I received a note from
Mr. Veen, to say that the stipendiary magistrate had made
some objection to the Lve of the Court being given for a
public meeting; and a, ding that, if I saw the stipendiary
magistrate, the objection could perhaps be removed. I
went, theref ere, at the first opportunity I had yesten7ay, to
the police court, knowing no other place where to see the
stipendiary magistrate. I asked one of the officials if I
could speak to the stipendiary. He slid, "Oh, certainly ;
step into that little biz, and draw the curtain of the
bench." I waited a favourable opportcnity, and then did
so; and said, in the most courteous manner I could, " Sir,
can I speak to you for one moment?" He replied, "If
you want te speak to roe, sir, go into the body of the
court." (Oh, oh.) " Sir," I said, "I am here at the
request of the Moyer." " Sir, go into the body of the
court." " But, sir, it is not upon court business I
am here—is there eny other place where I
can ask you a question ?" " Sir, I shall not speak to yon
here—go into the body of the .court ; if you want to see
me,see me some where the." " But where else con I see
you ?" " Don't answer me—doe,t talk to re." This
being said in so loud a tone as to subject. me—the subject
matter of our conversation not being then known—es I
spoke in a low voice—to the gaze of all assembled in the
court. (llelr, hoar.) The M qur was afterwards applied
to; bet i believe he has been unable to prevail neon Mr.
Mansfield to grant his r• quesr, and iha.efore we are obliged
to bring you here. I leave yea to judge how far the
manner in which the stipendiary magistrate has acted was
consistent with the character of a gentleman. (Hear.)
The Chairman : GAnlemen, the only comment I can
offer, is si.no:y that the doe rive, or the zert of notion put
into the heads of young men, is proved to be totally erro-
neous in that letter—"Doctrina emollet mores nee
sinit esse feros." I Low beg- to read to you
two or +hree letters of apology which we have
received from gentlemen who were not able to attend.
lam happy to say that our friend, Mr. Horsfall has come
some distance, and at some inconvenience to attend here.
(Cheers). The Chairman then read the following letters
of apology

Reform Club, Wednesday,

My Dar Sir,—l hare just got your message. lam placed in a
most unpleasant position, having a most important duty to perform
to two pa and moat anxious to do both. But as Mr. Horsfall has
kindly agreed to go down to Liverpool, and as the Irish Commtmica-
bon questßn (in which my colleag'ae cannit take my part here) is
really important to Liverpool and tae courary, I feel it my duty, very
reluctantly, to remain here at my Tod. Whi you have tho kindness
to explain all this to the council and to the meeting, with the expres-
sions cf my great regret that I am unable to join yen all on Friday.—
Ever faithfully yours, J C. EWAZT.
J. Torr, E-q.

Manchester, 2nd Jane, 1857.

Sir,—lam most anx'ous t> co-operate, as far as I can, in the very
important object of your meeting on the 12th Mat., bat I fear that 1
shall be unable to 7 e present. lamon a committee for private bine,
and I think it probable that our work will not be concluded on the
12th.—I have the honour to be sir, your most obealent servant,
John Torr, E3q. JOHN POTTER.

Fentln'a H .tel, London, 2nl Jane, 1857

My Deli* Sir,—l have your favour of the Ist 'not., and quite agree
with you, that to obtain a 'arger supply of cotton is a nation 11 object.
and that everything we can du ought to be done to increase it. If I
am prevented being with you on the 12th inst.. at your meeting, pray.
say for m. that I am ready to promote any measure that will accom.
'Ash the end.—Yours, very truly, WIL lAM BROWN.
John 'Corr, Esq.

6. York-street, St. James'.-square. London

Dear Sir,—l havebeen too long in sending an answer to your letter
of the Ist of Jnne, Inviting me to attend a meeting in Liverpool, on
Friday next, on the subject of increasing the supply of cotton. I have
been in doubt whether I could manage to leave town for that purpoa
or not. Icm desirous of attending your meetinz oa this most impor-
tant subject. and was in expectation that a meeting in Manchester
would have been arranged on the day previous to your meeting, in
which case! should have attended h -Ili. As, however, I must attend
the Manchester meeting on the following week, I fear that I may not
find it convenient tc make two journies into I ancashire. My sympa-
thies, however, are entirely with you, and I will attend your meting
if I can manage to do so without much inconvenience; at the same
time you must excuse my leaving it a little doubtful.—l am, dear sir,
yours faithfaliy, J. ASPI VALE TURNER.
John To: r. Esq.

'the Chairman—However, gentlemen, we have several
other friends around 11F, and I'llave no doubt that we shall
have valuable information given us upon the subject which
has now brought us together. I may say for myself, that
when I reflect upon the vast importance of the question
which we are now about to discuss—the question un-
doubtedly of the day, 13;th as regards the world at large
and more parti culaely our own country—l naturally feel
much diffidence in occupying the chair upon an occasion so
important as the presen*. —But, gentlemen, I feel that no
apology is rimier! on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce for
callingyou t,gether upon this occasion. (Cheers). Indeed we
felt, when we saw `the question of the supply of cotton
discussed es it has been in Manchester, and in:roduced into
commercial discussions in other places both of this country
and others, that we, as a Chamber, would be remiss, and
Liverpool herself would be remiss, in the performance of
her duty, as the great empo.ium of the cotton trade, if she
remained silent upon a matter in which all her own
interests were coo deeply involved. However clear the
question may be to us, there have been objections sug-
gested. Why call a public meeting ? it has been asked—
the question is already exhaestel. Gentlemen, with that
opinion I totally disagree, and I think you also will dis-
agree, a:111, lrfore the close of the meeting, will rather
agree with me that the question has not yet been fairly
opened, much less exhausted; and I believe, however
long our meeting may be extended, however able
the speeches delivered may be, we shall not exhaust
the question today. (Hear, bear). An objection
has been offered, which is merely a matter of price. It
will be dealt with, no doubt, by other speakers; hut it has
also been said that it is a matter for Manchester and not
for Liverpool. Here, ag in, I totally disagree with those
who offnr that objection. No doubt, cotton is the main-
stay of the very existence of Manchester; bet is it not
equally the mainstay of the very existence of Liverpool ?
(Hear, hear.) What would Liverpool have been in her
past career—what would she be in her future course—if it
had not been, and if it were not, for the article of cotton t
(Hear, hear.) But, gentlemen, one cf the principal objects
of our meeting to-d ,y, is to give to that question a much
wider range, tine to show that it is not one for the manu-
facturers of Lancashire, or for the merchants and ship-
owners of Liverp,ol alone, but that it is a question of
vital importance to every town, to every village, and to
every inhabitant of this island. It is the article in
which the great prosperity of the nation at large mainly
depends. It is a question vitally affecting all classes of ,
society, and it is one which should excite the smpatby
and support of the first minister of the crown, and of the
government. who are held responsible, to a certain extent,
for the well-being, not only of this country, but of our
colonies. It is a question, the interest of which, can hardly
be exceeded to the mind of a philanthropist, who looks to
the greatest amount of good for the greatest number—for
I feel that if the Anglo-Saxon is destined to be the reformer
and civiliser of the world at large, then, depend upon it,
the despised cotton bale will be one of the most powerful
levers in his hand to introduce civilization throughout the
benighted regions of the world. (Cheers) But, gentle-
men, probably there is no class more deeply interested in
this questi el than the frietele of emancipation. How can
we, would ask, weep and whimper over the
elege, r:;ted horrors of " Uncle Tom," and yet
comfortably clothe ourselves in the produce of
his labours ? Or how can we, as men of common sense,
as men of common forethought, give utterance to the
doctrine that the dais of slavery are numbered ; that liebt

and darkness cannot long remain in such close juxta-
position as they are now placed; and that the advance
of civilisation, knowledge, and education, most sooner or
later—and probably at no very distant date—jeopardize
that very institution which now gives our almost entire
supply of cotton. 'I say how can we, as men of common
forethought, pronouns: sech opinions, and not see that it
is our duty to provide, if possible, for such a contingeney ;
ra'her than to leave ourselves and our millions of artizons,
who are dependant for their very existence upon the supply
of cotton, to the fearful risk of such a catastrophe as that.
(Rear), We are met by the idea that his discussienupon the
supply of cotton will not be agreeable to the Americ ens.
The impression appears to have got abroad in some quarters,
that we are trying to raise an opposition to the Americans
as growers cf our great s'aple commodity. Far, very far
from that, I assure you, is my feeling ; and I am sure I
m ey speak for every member of the Chamb-r ot Commerce.
(Hear, hear.) Let the Americans grow double—let them
produce two bales for every one they have yet produced—
let them grow six millions of bales instead of thr ,e, and
the only thing we shall feel is that they are entitled to a
double debt of gratitude. (Hear, hear.) But if their
machinery is limited, aid. if their region is such that one
night's Iron may almost paralyse the cotton market,
and throw discomfort into all our calculations—surely
there cannot be a more powerful argument in the
minds of Americans and in the mouths of Americans;
and the time may arrive when they themselves may
thank us for the efforts we are making to extend
the groundwork of the production to! cotton. I
believe that they themselves will so increase the number of
their consumers that they will he able themselves to cm-
, same in their own mills the m ijor par`, if not the entire,
of their own pro leeeion. A circumstance has come to ray
knowledge within the last week, of purchases having been
made of Surat cotton in this market 1,,r the spinners of
Lowell, and considerable orders have gone out to Bombay
on American account—not that they have not cotton,
enough in America, but that there is a cheaper quality of
cotton which is useful and necessary to mix wi,h their own
cotton, in order to proince a cheaper article for the cloth-
ing of many parts of the world. There are great varieties
of other reasons which might be made use of as arguments
for our meeting to-day; but it is not the duty of the
chairmen to anticipate what he calls upon his different
friends to introduce. I may first, in conclusion, mention
that there, are speakers who will take up the different
pars of theuestion, and I would merely enforce
I
the opinions I have uttered by the words of one
who, although dead, yet speaks in language wh ch
no Lancashire man can hear without attaclain.e, to it the
deepest importance. I shall read for you portiotes of a letter
addressed by the late Sir Robert Peel some few years ago—
indeed, it bears data IPso—to my partner, Mr. Harold
Littledale. You are aware that the prices ot cotton were
then nearly as high as they are now, and some doubts as to
the supply of cott -an began to agitate the minds of most
thinking men. In corrsepending with Sir R. Peel, Mr.
Littledale mentions the fact, and this is his reply --
- Drayton Manor, San. 8, 1350.
IF i •
I feel the full importance of the subject to which you allude in the
concluding part of your letter. Every measure that can be devised
for the purpose of extending the area from which our supply of cotton
can be derived, ought to receive the most serious consideration.—l
am, my dear sir, faithfully yours, ROBERT PEEL.
Harold Littledale, Esq.

Now, gentlemen, you will ask us what we purpose to do.
It is not ou- ideation to form as inr'epentient association
in Liverpool for increasing the supply of cotton, nor is it oar
intention inthe city of ;Manchester to become cotton growers.
Our great object is to remove the various obstacles which in
every quarter of the world may be found to impede the
growth of cotton; to aid in every possible manner the
development in different countries of the production of
that al:-important plant. We propose to form simply, in
Liverpool, a corresponling committee with the cotton
supply association of Manchester. We propose to ask you,
gentlemen, all the firms in Liverpool who take all interear
in cotton—and I hope when I say that, I may inclucl all
the mercantile firms, or thereabouts, who frequent. the
Exchange of Liverpool—each to give same trifling dona-
tion towarls the funds of the body, or to give a subtcription
of something like two guineas a year. We know well the
energy of our sister town of Manchester, and what the
people of Manchester have done by combination. We
feel that by uniting with them, like the bundle of sticks,
we shall be stronger than if we formed a number of inde-
pendent and smaller ossociations, and are now likely by
that means to attain our end. (Hear, hear.) The Chair-
man then concluded his address by calling upon Mr.
Horsfall to propose the first resolution, and resumed his
seat amid loud applause.
Mr. BUSHELL tit--n came forward and said : I have just
received a note which was put into my heed since I made
my few observations, and I trust you will al ow me to read
it. Mr. Bushell then read the following :
Sessions-house, Liverpool, 12th Jane, 1857.
Sir, I have just been informed that you were the person who spoke
to me on the bench yesterday, and to whom I made sons remarks
which you probe:Ay have tho,ght uncalled for. As I have not the
honour of knowing you personally, I mistook you at the time for an
applicant who interrupted me in a similar mariner the preceding 'icy ;
and my object was simply to put a stop to an es parte statement which
the applicant had no business to make. I trust this explanation will
acqnl me in your opinion of any intentional discourtesy to you-self.
—I am, sir, your obedient servant, J. S. MANSFIELD.
Mr. BEI.HELL : I have great pleasure in reading that
note, and certainly had I had it before-hand I should not
have made the observations I did. I regret that Mr.
Mansfiel.l did not know me personally, as I have met him
at dinner on one or two oweesions. I never hid the plea-
sure certainly, or pain as the case may be, of appearing
before him in his official capacity. (Laughter.)
Mr. Heaseaee, M.P., then came forward, and was
received with loud applause. He said : I have very great
pleasure indeed in complying with your request, that I
shoal move the first resolution, although on many grounds
I should have been glad if the resolution had been entrusted
to some gentleman more competent, to address you on the
question which you have submitted to the meeting. The
resolution which I have been requested to propose, states
a fact—a fact startling, it is true, and one to be regretted,
but a fact which no one will qu stion, and no one can
deny. It states, " That this meeting is deeply sensible of
the inadequacy of the present supply of cotton to meet the
requirements of manufacturing industry." (Hear, hear.)
Sir, this statement naturally presents to our minds a cries-
tion of the greatest importaece, not more to the commercial
than manufacturing county of Lancashire, and I maintain to
the social well-being of oar country. (Hear, hear )
It is a question not of local but of national
importance. (Hear, hoar, and cheers.) Sir, we all
feel the difficulty of the position in which we are
now placed. It is easy to see—it is not so easy to solve—
that difficulty. There are those who think that the defy
of solving the difficulty rests with the government and
with the legislature. lam one of those who think that it
rests mainly with British enterprise and British capital—.
(bear, hear) —but at the same time I am vary far from
desiring to absolve the government or to absolve the
legislature from their duty, for I think it is the duty of
the government, and it is the duty of the legislature
to assist such an association as this in promoting the
great national object which it has in view. (Hear, hear.)
What is our position at this moment with regard te our
supply of cotton? I believe lam within the mark when
I say that at this moment we receive four-fifths of our
supply from America. (Hear, hear) Is that politic, or is it
not ? I am not one of those who anticipate any interruption
to the good feeling which exists between this country and
America; nor should I be apprehensive that, even if such
an interruption took place, the cotton would not find its
way to this country. But there is the great quesnon to
which you, sir, have referred—a question of great import-
ance—.of which we should not lose sight. We cannot lose
sight of the fact that in America there are, I believe, two
millions of slaves, and that these slaves are the principal
cultivators of cotton. What, then, would be the result,
supposing the possible—l should say, the probable—event
to take place, of either a legalised emancipation or an
insurrection of the sieves ? What would be the conse-
quence ? Look at our own colonies, when emancipation was
legalised. Has not the result been a decrease in the pro-
duction of those colonies ; and assuredly, even without
looking at the worst feature of the case. but assuming a
legalised emancipation of the slaves to take place in
America, we have a right to assume, and should assume,
that there would be a great falling-off, even in the present
supply of cent!). (Hear, and cheers.) Now this is the
point of view which I think we ought to bear in mind, and
this is the point of view which, to my mind, makes it most
important that we should look around and endeavour to
discover where the deficiency, which may arise, can be
supplied. (Hear, hear.) We naturally turn to India.
From India we receive now a very large supply, but the
improvements which we have a right to expect in India,
when they take place, will cause us to receive a verymuch
increased supply. (Hear, hear.) If the land were held
there under a different tenure, if encouragement were
given to those who are willing to embark capital there,
to employ irrigation, and other improvements, I beiieve
that the supply of cotton would be increased very
materially, and would be supplied to this country at prices
at which it cannot be now ;supplied, to compete
with American cotton. There are other points of view
connected with India which should be brought before the
meeting, but I know that there are others more conversant
with the growth of cotton then I am, prepared to address
the meeting, Others, again, have asked why the supply
cannot be brought from our West India possessions.
(Hear, hear.) They say, and sty truly, that it came from
thence before, and 'they ask why can it not come from
thence again ? Circumstances have totally altered since
the supply came from the West Indies; bat notwithstand-
ing that fact, I believe that if the Government now
encouraged an adequate supply of labour to the West
Indies, by encouraging emigration more than they do from
India and from China, labour would become so abundant
in the West Indies, that a very large, a very adequate,