The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-25 00:00:00

THE COTTON SUPPLY ASSOCIATION.

The sixth annual meeting of the the Cotton Supply Asso-
ciation was held at the Town-hall, Manchester, yesterday
afternoon at 3 o'clock—Mr. John Cheetham, the president,
took the chair. There was a good attendance of spinners
and manufacturers.

The report of the executive committee stated that they
had had to deal with an amount of correspondence far ex-
ceeding that of the previous year, including communications
from all parts of the world where it was posible to grow
cotton. In reply they had given instructions, and, to the
extent of their resources, assistance. So great had been the
demand that they were reluctantly compelled, in conse-
quence of scarcity, to restrict the quantity of seed supplied,
and in some instances to decline applications. Their re-
sources, if doubled, would have been insufficient. In five
years they had distributed 6,107 cwt. of cotton seed, and had
placed in the hands of those who could most usefully em-
ploy them 642 cotton gins, 62 ploughs, and numerous other
agricultural implements, horse and cattle gear and driving
wheels for gins where steam power could not be obtained.
Medals and prizes had been awarded in India, Egypt,
Turkey, Asia Minor, &c., for valuable assistance and for
the best treatises on the management and cultivation of the
cotton plant. They had called into existence a variety of
agencies in Turkey,ltaly,Egypt, Spain, Portugal,Australia,
Brazils, Paraguay, and South America, whose efforts were
relied upon as valuable in developing the resources of their
respective countries. After alluding to the enlightened
policy of the Turkish Government in granting uncultivated
lands belonging to the state for cotton cultivation, rent free,
with exemption from all taxes for five years from import
duties on implements and machines, and commutation of
tithes, together with a liberal distribution of seed, the
report states that in Upper Egypt uncultivated lands are
to be exempt for ever from all contributions to the state if
turned to cotton growing ; whilst the Portuguese-Govern-
ment in India had granted a like exemption for fifty years
--an example of Government interest and encouragement
in striking contrast to the inertness of our Indian Govern-
ment, of which the committee had so often had reason
to complain. In Madras an improved policy had been
initiated in a few cases by the remission of assessment
for five years, but in July, 1862, Sir C. Wood revoked the
offer of the local government, and ordered their instructions
to be withdrawn, on the ground that the remission of rent
was not only objectionable in principle,
but rendered the
trials to grow cotton quite unsatisfactory. During the pastatisfactory.
year cotton had been received from Belize, Canary Islands,
lonian Islands, River Gambia, China, Hong Kong, Vie.
toria (Australia), Japan, Tortola, St. Lucia, Cuba, Mexico,
Central America, and Chili; all of which places, had sent
no supplies in 1861. The large supplies of cotton which
the American war had suspended could only be
gradually
obtained elsewhere after years of exertion; but in propor-
tion as the association, by the spread of information,
supply of seed, and establishment of agencies, should be
able to multiply the sources of new supply, it would contri-
bute to abridge the present severe crisis, and prevent recur-
rence. The committee call the attention of machinists to the
fact that there is still great room for improvement in ma-
chines for cleaning cotton. The aggregate quantity of seed
dudsoi swtr4i bs,ot
oe o
ai
rtehseopf al satn
dy.e aTr
The
acs 1n2,2m0i5t
tcewe th. ,a dor
62 cotton gins to Queensland, alsosuffi sentcien sufficient tot
Sydney, Adelaide, Africa
Bonny, Natal, and other parts of the world. The committee
think any relaxation of effort now would' be greatly to be
deplored, and say that at a time like the
present, when so
many mills are standing idle for want of
cotton, no means
should beleft untried to remedy such a state of things. The
instincts of self-preservation ought to obtain for the associa-
tion the hearty support of the trade. " The large amount of
capital embarked in the cotton industry, the vast population
employed and dependent upon it, the remembrance of its
former prosperity, and the imperial as well as local interests
involved in its restoration, shall doubtless make every one
eager to rescue it from the ruin with which it was now
threatened." The accounts state the subscriptions at £4,096
10s. 4d., and the total receipts at £6,235 Os. bd., of which
there is a balance of £145 Is. lid. still in the bank.
Resol ut ions were moved adopting t he report and accounts,
and appointing the president, committee, and officers to can.
duct the hwiness for the ensuing. year, which were aeopted
unanimeurly.

RUSSIAN CLEMENCV.—The Posen Journal has
the following:—" Madame M—, the wife of a
landed proprietor in the neighbourhood of IVilna, waited
on General Mouravieff, the new governor, and requested
him to revise the papers connected with the case of her hus-
band, who, she said, had been condemned unjustly by the
former governor, Nazimoff, to six years' banishment to a
distant government of the empire. Mouravieff listened
very politely to what she had to say, and promised to make
known the result. On the Bth Madame M— received
information that her husband was condemned to be shot,
and on the 10th sentence was carried into execution."