The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-19 00:00:00

plainly and steadily before us to admit of our
cherishing in regard to these efforts any overween-
ing sense of exaltation—the thought that as the
funds pour in, so they pour out also towards the
relief of the afflicted. Immense as the distress is,
munificent as are the accumulated funds collected
together to relieve it—the whole system of relief

is (necessarily, we should premise, under the circum-

stances), a hand to mouth system. There is no pos-
sibility of husbanding the resources now being
gathered together. Large though they are in
themselves, they are in a manner insignificant

when compared with the world of afflic-
tion they may be the means of dissipating
if but promptly and judiciously applied—as they are
being ! Considerable though the amount received

already by the Central Committee and the subordi

nate Committees co-operating with it—the moneys

have come to hand piecemeal, and have been dis-
tributed out of hand piecemeal. There has been no

opportunity whatever of laying them out, in the
ordinary acceptation of the phrase, to the best ad-
vantage. Supposing the capital could have been
realised at once by some miraculous process—the
interest upon it, even then, would have been wholly
inadequate for the alleviation of even a sectional
part of the great mass of misery and destitution
that had to be taken into account and helped
promptly and practically. From hand to mouth,
we must insist therefore, that alone could any real
relief be afforded. Aud from hand to mouth it has
been afforded in consequence. During the last
week not far from £20,000 (according to the se-
oretary's book, £19,300) have poured into the
relief fund cared for by the Central Committee at
Manchester. Yet—before the new weekly grants
were authorised at Monday's meeting—the Central
Committee retained at the bank no larger reserve
fund than £76,565 altogether. This—to meet a
distress that, estimated by the loss of wages alone,
amounts, according to Mr. COBDEN'S figures, to a
weekly mulcting at the annual rate of £7,000,000
to £10,000,000. Notwithstanding all which there
is no room, happily, for the nation being in any
way disheartened. By this time the magnitude of
the difficulty is becoming on all hands fully realised.
Our magnates are in no respect disposed to blink
it. It is fully realised—and it is being manfully en-
countered. So far as the country can contrive to
deal with it, it will be allowed to do so. When the
difficulty becomes too great for these spontaneous
efforts on the part of the community, the Govern-
ment, in obedience to the Councils of the State, will
interpose to guard the afflicted multitude in the
north from the horrors of actual starvation. A
Government Grant is the National Reserve of Bene-
volence. It is the thought that is, there, always
ready at hand, to be applied to some supreme dis-
tress at an ir.stant's notice, that heartens the people
on in their spontaneous charities. Not in any way,
however, leading them to relax their own indivi-
dual efforts. But, on the contrary, inciting them
even to renewed exertions—by the influence, as one
might almost call it, of an anticipatory emulation.
So long as they can in any way contrive to do so,
we may be certain that the People of England will
strive to meet the difficulty themselves. When
their efforts to this end shall prove unhappily in-
efficacious, then, but not sooner, let the Government
promptly and resolutely come to the rescue.

If the Economist be right, and its figures ap-
pear to be well authenticated, there is some hope
that with this winter we shall have have passed
the worst of the cotton crisis, and that by the
beginning of 1863 there will be such a resump-
tion of work, as shall greatly alleviate the suffer-
ings of the great body of the workmen. At pre-
sent the price of cotton is so high, and the price
of the manufactured articles so disproportionately
low, that manufacturers dare not work. Nothing,
indeed, more clearly proves the great extent to
which production had been overdone, than the
comparatively low prices of manufactured cotton
goods at this time. They bear no reasonable
comparison with the prices demanded for the raw
material. This state of things is, however, tend-
ing to remedy ;thelf. The high prices of raw
cotton being it to Liverpool from every quarter,
and so tend, ultimately, to reduce the price ; on
the other hand, the cessation of production must,
before long, raise, the prices of yarns and goods.
Thus. at last, the relation between the prices
of the two will be such that work can bo resumed
without too heavy loss. As soon as this is the
case manufacturers will be but too glad to avoid
the heavy loss attendant on stopped machinery,
and the partial support of their operatives.
Our contemporary, whose introductory remarks
to the following statement, appear to be well
founded, sums up as follows:

The estimates for 1863 will then stand thus :

Bales. Bales.
Stock of all kinds on Dec, 31, 1862
Probable imports from India .. 1,400,000
19 ~ Egypt
Brazil

tl Other quarters..

25,000
- 1,775,000

Total supply for 1863
Expert demand
Consumption, for say four days a week,
about 28,000 bales m 52 weeks= 1,456,000
2,056,000

Stock, Dec. 31, 1863 .. 119,000
The amount required for four days' work a week we have
oalculated on the standard of 1861. But with the economy
that has since been enforced in every mill and in every pro-
cess, a less quantity might perhaps suffice. The result,
however, is in in any case encouraging; since it shows
that, even without a single bale arriving from America,
there would still be cotton enough to afford our operatives
about two-thirds their ordinary work and wages, and still
leave a stock of upwards of 100,000, bales at the end of 1863.

This is an encouraging prospect, and we hope will
be verified by fact. As soon as only short time to
the extent of four days a week can become general,
we may hope for the dawn of a more cheerful
state of things. The prospect is one which should
however encourage to contributions of every kind,
by removing the chill of hopelessness; since it is
perfectly certain that all which can possibly be done
will barely preserve life, and the health
.requisite
for the resumption of work ; not to mention that the
resumption of work will at best be very gradual,
and all calculations of this kind, are liable to dis-
turbance from unforseen causes.

THE LORD RECTORSHIP OF GLASGOW

UA 1 VIFITY.

(From the North British Mail.)

Yesterday morning the subjoined letter was re-
ceived by the secretary to the Liberal Association
from Lord Palmerston, who, it will be seen, has
accepted the rectoral chair for the next three years :
" 94, Piccadilly, 17th November, 1862.

" Sir,—I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 15th instant, informing me that the University of
Glasgow have done me the high honour of electing me
their Lord Rector for the ensuing three years ; and I beg
to assure you that I shall accept the distinction so conferred
upon me with much gratitude and pride. There were rea-
sons founded on circumstances wholly unconnected with
Glasgow, which led me before the election to wish that the
choice of the University might fall upon some other pet -
son, but those reasons must give way to the very flattering
decision which the University has been pleased, to make.—
I era, sir, yours faithfully,
(Signed) 44 PALXEREITON.
" George Faulds, Esq."

A volume entitled "London Scenes and London
People" is announced for early publication. The book will
consist of a series of papers on the antiquities of London,
and also. modern sketches, which have been contributed to
the G'"l/ —Pros, under the signature of " Aleph."