The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-28 00:00:00

provers to gain ground, and not all Herr VON
BISMARK'S epistles can hide the fact that he is
seeking to shelter himself in a forest of words
from the condemnation he merits.

The Prorogation of Parliament and the dispersion
of its members gives an opportunity very willingly
seized upon in various quarters, for meetings of
different characters in different parts of the country.
Freedom of discussion upon every possible topic
has become an essential element of the British Con-
stitution, both physical and political ! and by the
active agency of the Press with its
-" thousand tongues,
Its throat of brass, and adamantine lungs,"
the voice of popular opinion is daily rendered
audible in every quarter of the kingdom. Science
and Politics, Agriculture and Manufactures, Law
and Literature have their various arenas foi' the
open discussion of their necessities, the various
exponents of their especial rights and wrongs and
requirements, and it is right and just that so it
should be. By general and open discussion not
only does every individual matter of public inte-
rest receive more elaborate attention and more
judicious development, bat by the generalh habits
elicoaf-
tion of such very diversified information,
thought are daily and hourly encouraged and n
sti-
mulated among the great bodyapd eoplef the .
This truth must be apparent toall who consider the
subject. It becomes very evident on even a cursory
glance at any
impression of any one of the daily
At the present moment
organs of public opinion.
first and foremost among the public meetings
of general interest and importance is the
great assembly now collected at Newcastle,
at the welcome bidding of the British Association.
The second day's proceedings of this venerable
Institution were rendered doubly attractive and
important by a masterly discourse from the eloquent
lips of Sir RODERICK MURCHISON, in which he
gave a brief but emphatic summary of the
great geographichal discoveries of modern
times, in which our own countrymen
have borne such a prominent and distinguished
part. Alluding also to the resources and develop-
ment of Australia, the learned orator very judi-
ciously remarked, that the Mother Country was
happily not likely, in this instance, to become
estranged from these, her powerful and extensive
dependancies, because, wiser than in former times,
she treated them and would continue to treat
them in a more liberal and considerate spirit. "It
has been truly remarked by a recent Governor of
Australia," said Sir RODERICK 11L-RcnisoN, " that
the loyalty of Australia is a homage to the en-
lightened rule of England of which her states-
men may be proud." Sir RoDEßicK's speech
is a study in itself. The student and the lover of
geographical research will derive great plea-
sure and profit from its perusal ; while
even a cursory glance will convey to the ge-
neral reader, for we hardly think that the general
reader will dare to venture upon more than a cur-
sory glance at its mysteries, even that brief
glimpse will afford him matter for thought
and wonder, and he may perhaps regard
the world as even a greater place, and science as
even a more marvellous study than he had before
believed ! In another direction, at Leicester, the
agriculturists have been holding their assemblies;
in one of which, Lord BERNERS, in returning thanks
for the toast of the House of Peers, very naively and
ingenuously admitted that during the last session
he did not think that in the way of legislation either
House had done much to boast of l—a sentiment
likely to meet with a very unanimous assent
throughout the country Mr. lIEYGATE,
in following his noble friend, strongly
urged upon the agriculturists a more extended
spirit of inquiry, and a more general encourage-
ment of the diffusion of agricultural knowledge and
information. This advice was most judicious and
well-timed, and we trust it will be cordially responded
to and very readily acted upon by our farmers and
agriculturists. The good of one and the good of all
are synonymous terms in the prosperity of the
great body politic, and every discovery and im-
provement in agriculture and every other art only
becomes more valuable by extension, and its bene-
fits become redoubled as they become further
developed and diffused.

At the recent meeting of the Central Relief Com-
mittee, under the able presidency of the Earl of
DERBY, it was boldly stated by Mr. ASHWORTH
that the Cotton Supply Association could promise
a supply of cotton for 1864, equal to 41 days' work
per week for the Lancashire mills. This promise
is no mere visionary hope, no ingenious illusion,
but it is based upon the crops now actually known
to be growing. The statistics which Mr. Asn-
worau brought forward in support of this view
were admitted by the Chairman of the meeting to
be most important, since, if their calculations were
accurate, nearly five days' work per week would be
supplied to the mills without any assistance from
America; whereas he reminded the meeting that
we have hitherto been dependent on American
cotton to the same extent that we are now able to
dispense with it—that is to say, five-sixths of our
supply has been exclusively drawn from American
cotton-fields, and yet We are able to look forward
to working five-sixths of the usual time with mate-
rial drawn from totally different sources. Among
the countries mentioned as likely to contribute the
most efficiently to our aid, some surprise will pos.
sibly be felt to find the Turkish dominions. No
less than 350,000 bales, equivalent to 250,000 bales
of American cotton, are expected from that quar-
ter. If this be the first fruits of the improved
Turkish Government we have heard of, it is cer-
tainly very acceptable and appropriate. The
Viceroy of Egypt is also said to express con-
siderable interest in the cultivation of cotton,
and the encouragement thus afforded has pro-
bably something to do with the dofiffetrheent
African
representing Egypt and therest
continent. Exclusive of Egypt, the African supply
is not reckoned at more than 10,000 bales, though
this must not be taken as a sample of the capabili-
ties of the soil or climate, when we recal the days
when all Europe drew its cotton supply from
Africa, through the medium of the Spanish and
Portuguese traders. Egypt is to furnish, accord-
ing to the calculations made, 50,000 bales addi-
tional this year, while a considerable increase is
expected to take place in the Brazilian supply.
The more important change, however, is to come
from India. Sir CHARLES WOOD has, it seems,
been able to blame the bad season of 1862 for the
errors of long-continued neglect and perversity, and
is fain to alter the lugubrious view in which be
once looked upon Indian resources. The increase
to be expected from the large tracts of land added
to the cultivation both this year and last will pro-
duce their effect, and the import anticipated from our
once unheeded colony is no less than 250,000 bales.
The manufacturers felt called upon to express their
opinions with decision and confidence, owing
to the
depressing and unfounded fears indulged in by
some persons. One of these gentlemen expressed
his conviction that the whole of Lancashire might
be at full work in two or three years, without a
bale of the required article being received from
America, supposing the war to be still in full force.
That these observalone were funded on fact ib