Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-24 00:00:00

THE SUPPLY OF COTTON.

" A Planter" wi ites as follows to the " Royal Gazette,
Georgetown, British Guiana:—
Sir,—The Manchester manufacturers hold meetings by
the hundred and make speeches by the thousand. They
form committees and despatch delegates to the furthermost
parts of the earth, to ascertain were cotton con be grown.
Sea Island seed is shipped to islands in the Pacific, to the
plains of India, to endeavour to secure a supply of this in-
dispensable article, and latterly it is in contemplation to
farm the upper Niger, or some other equally delectable
spot in the interior of Africa, where, if the superintendent
survived the malaria, he would probably be devoured by his
labourers within the year. Such are the practical plans of
the most practical people under the sun, as the "Manches-
ter folks" delight to term themselves. Tne extraordinary
part of the proceeding is, that while they are thus ransack-
ing creation, w4thin 20 days' steam of Liverpool there is at
their command a vest continental British colony of un-
equallel fertility, conteining hundreds of thousands of
acres of the finest cotton lands in the world ; a potent fact
because fOit many years the staple of British Guiana was
cotton, and the whole of its crop ranked next to that of Sea
Island, produced only in a certain district of the United
States, the average quality of the colonial crop far ex-
ceeding in value that of the Republic. From 1800 to 1820,
the production of British Guiana ranged from 40,000 to
50,000 bales, when the cultivation. was gradually extin-
guished by Imperial legislation reducing and eventually
equalising the duties on all cotton, while it highly pro
tested British plantation coffee and sugar. As a matter of
course the seanty'supply of available labour left the unpro-
tected for the protected articles. At this moment there
are, at least, three hundred abandoned cotton plantations
io the colons laid out in strips of about 500 acres, having
facades on'the ocean or on a navigable river and bounded in
the interior by available crown lands. If labour were pro-
curable, these estates could, within a year, be replaced in
cotton and made to produce somewhere about five b Iles to
each able hand. Nor is the labour question by any means
hopeless ;—for the colony, during the last 15 years, has,
from its own resources, in the face of the greatest obstacles,
governmental, if not national, introduced some 30,000 im-
migrants, by which means it not only saved its existence as
an exporting country, but increased its sugar crop from
40,000 to GO,OOO hhds. Lord John Russell, in one of his
many perorations, said that cotton should' be brought to
labour and not labour to cotton—but his lordship in his
love of ant hesis forgot two most important but un-
manageble ingredients, namely—climate and soil, which
even his lordship must leave where nature placed them.
But, if the Manchester manufacturers are really as much
in earnest about the supply of cotton as they pretend to be,
if they are prepared to put their own shoulders to the wheel,
let them send out a commission to verify what has bean so
frequently told them about this colony. Let them force
from Government the permission to obtain from the redun-
dant supplies of Africa, India, and China—labour suitable
for tropical cultivation. Let them, in fact, do what prac-
tical men under the circumstances ought to do, go to
work in earnest—and before ten years are over the beautiful
cottons of Guiana would fill no contemptible place in the
Manchester imports, and the manufacturers will have in
their own hands what neither foreign policy nor revolution
can interfere with.-25th July, 1857.

The following relates to the cotton producing capacity
of Mexico. All the statements of the writer with regard to
the qualities of the soil and climate coincide with the
testimony of other correspondents, and are probably not
overdrawn; but his assumption that nothing is wanting
but British capital to cause the production to become
ample and profitable cannot be assented to. Good laws,
good roads, and efficient protection for life and property
must precede the development of this or any other kind of
industry. Perhaps the day is not distant when a resusci-
tation of Mexico may b 3 witnessed. The present Govern-
ment, although opposed at all points by the ecclesiastical
power, have done much in that direction, and should their
efforts fail the Republic is evidently destined to fall to the
sway of its neighbours, who will perhaps produce an
alteration with as much rapidity as in C ilifornia. Mean-
while it is unnecessary to say that our capitalists can
hardly exercise too much caution, whatever may be the
invitations given to them in this direction :
" Sir,—The following is the transla'ion of an extract
from the latter of a wealthy and influential gentleman of
the city, of Puebla, who, with many of the gentlemen farm-
ing their own estates, is anxious to meet with the co-opera-
tion of the Cotton supply Association of Manchester, or of
()thus of the manufacturing interests for their assistance in
the cultivation, export, and market'of cotton to be grown in
Mexico :

"'Do me the favour to interest yourself that the English
people may turn their attention to the cultivation of the
cotton plant in Mexico—a want so much felt by the manu-
facturing interest in England. In no other country of the
world will they be able to obtain it so readily both in quality
and abundance, and at so small a cost as can bo obtained here.

" ' You well know the rescrarc.2s of this country and its
extent of cultivated soil in the warmer temperatures near
the cities of Mexico and Puebla ; from Atlixco (21 miles
from Puebla to the coast) cotton can be cultivated at a high
remuneration; the same in the counties of Oaxaca, Vallo-
dolid, Guadalajara, &c. What we require ase moneyed and
intel igent men, to direet the operations, as the Mexicans
are docile and laborious, so that one or two able men well
acquainted with the management of the plant would suffice to
the proper direction on each emote. I can offer many thou-
sand acres—land proper for the growth of the cotton plant in
the counties of Mexico and Peubla.

" Several fanners aro anxious to embark their money and
land in the undertaking, but they desire- the co-operation of
the English buydrs to insure the export and open a steady
market for the produce. I assure you, I will remove any
obstacle if you assist me, in effecting the arrangement of this
matter with the manufacturing interests of England.
" ' Not more than three years ago •I had an American
cultivator, who began his experiments, and ho met with
great success. I would urge upon you to lose no time in
addressing the parties most interested in this undertaking,
and I will guarantee heavy profits. The plant yields abundantly,
is of a fine clean fibre, and of quicker growth than, under any
other climate.'

" The cotton plant grows wild in many parts of Mexico,
and is of a glossy, clean fibre, to which the soil, the tem-
perature, and the aptness and docility of the native races
cnr the greatest facility for its perfect cultivation, and the
future supply of cotton for the English manufacturer. All
that is required is able men to instruct and to direct operations,
and a finer field does not exist on the face of the earth. " C.''

BRITISH ASS( CIATION.—The above named association
will commence to hold its twenty-seventh annual meeting
in Dublin upon Wednesday, the 26th of August inst. In
this age of scientific development the meetings of such a
body, which includes all the m-ist learned men of these
kingdoms in every department of human knowledge, must
be regarded with the liveliest interest. The proceedings
will be opened at the Rjtundo, upon the evening of the
above day, by the President, the Rev. Humphrey Lloyd,
delivering an address to the members. The business of
the several sections will be carried on as usual upo❑ the
succeeding days, and as a large attendance of the learned
society will meet, the session, it is expected, will be one of
more than ordi❑ary importance. Amongst the tames of
the celebrated persons who it is expected will attend arc :
Sir David Brewster, Major General Chesney, Professor
Daubeny, the Earl of Ducie, William Fairbairu, Esq.,
Manchester; M. Faraday, Esq.; Sir J. F. Herschel!, Dr.
Livingstone, Sir Charles Leyell, Sir Robert M‘Clure, Sir
Roderick J Murchison, Professor Owen, Colonel Sir Henry
Rawlinson, Major General Sabine, Rev. William Whewell,
Csmbridge ; Wrettesley, President of the Royal
Society, c.