The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-19 00:00:00

711 E MANCHESTER COTTON COMPANY.

The first annual meeting of the shareholders was held on
Friday afternoon, in one of the committee-rooms of the
Manchester Town-hall. The gentlemen present included
Mr. H. Mason (Ashton), Mr. J. R. Kaye, Mr. W. Morris,
and many other well •known cotton .spinners. Mr. J. Platt,
the chairman of the company, presided.
Mr. D. Chadwick, the secretary, read the report of the
directors. The following is an abstract :
The first business of the executive committee, after their
appointment, was to communicate with the Secretary of
State for India in reference to Mr. Haywood's proposed
mission. This resulted in the Government agreeing to order
the completion of the road at the Keggah Ghaut from
Dharwar to the harbour of Sedashegur without delay; to
afford to the Manchester Cotton Company the opportunity
of purchasing land at the new port of Sedashegur for the
erection of cotton gin factories, presshouses, offices, and
stores ; and to send to the Governors of the Bombay and
Madras presidencies, and also to the collectors, surveyors,
and other Government offices in the districts through which
Mr. Haywood might have to pass,instructions to afford him
all the assistance and information in their power. The Cot-
ton Supply Association contributed £5OO, being about one-
fourth of the expenses of Mr. Haywood's mission. Mr. Hay-
wood arrived in Bombay in September. He was detained in
India in consequence of the anxiety felt in regard to the
transfer of North Canara from the Madras to the Bombay
Government, without which no satisfactory progress could
be expected in the making of the new road from Dharwar to
Sedashegur. Mr. Haywood's official report, when ready,will
contain valuable information upon the system of cotton cul-
ture, its purchase from ryots, and its present mode of clean-
ing and packing, and other details relative to roads, &c.
Last month the chairman of the company received 11 bales
of cotton grown from American seed in Dharwar, and for-
warded thence to Sedashegur. The present value in Liver-
pool of this Dharwar cotton is stated by brokers at 16d. to
17d. per lb., while under ordinary circumstances the average
price has only been from sd. to 6d. Although the Govern-
ment of India promised that the new road over the Khyga
Ghaut should be open for traffic last May, it was onlyopened
to a width of 12 feet-6 feet scarped out of the side hills, the
remainder being for the most part only loose earth thrown
over to form the rest of the 12 feet road. The consequence
has been that the rains of the monsoon have already com-
pletely destroyed the.road in many places, and rendered it
impassable for traffic. Carts could not safely pass each
other on the 12 feet road, even if in repair. It is the inten-
tion of the Government to commence opening this road
to a width of 24 feet immediately after the monsoon. The
work will occupy, probably, two years. A temporary but
inferior cart track has been opened to connect the Arbyle
Ghaut Road with Sedashegur. The Seringapatam was
chartered for the company, and was despatched on the 10th
of December with a full cargo of machinery, cotton presses,
cotton gins, &d., together with a quantity of ploughs, sent
by the Cotton Supply Association. The harbour of Sedas-
hegur has been proved to be quite equal to the expectations
of the committee, formed from the reports of Lieutenant
Taylor, R.N., and other Indian officers. Six experienced
mechanics were sent out with the machinery—one of them
died on the passage. The company's warehouses,workshops,
and machinery are now being erected on a site of land (19
acres)selected by Mr. Haywood, at Allyghuddy, and front-
ing the harbour of Sedashegur. A second shipload of ma-
chinery, stores, &c.—about 600 tons—was sent out on the
28th of July, in the Harriet Humble. It is much to be re-
gretted that the object of Mr. Haywood'a mission to India
has been to a large extent misunderstood and misrepre-
sented, and he has, therefore, had many difficulties to con-
tend with which were not foreseen. The committee have
much pleasure in recording their high opinion of the manner
in which he has discharged his trust. At Winnebah,on the
West Coast of Africa, the committee have entered into a
satisfactory arrangement with and have afforded assistance
to Mr. A. C. Hutton, an active and energetic Englishman,
who has purchased 300 acres of land from the King of
Winnebah, the greater portion of which is under the culti-
vation of cotton. If it can be proved that cotton can be
profitably grown by free labour in Africa, it is hoped that
the success of this great experiment will induce the native
chiefs to follow this example. Being desirous that some
steps should be taken to introduce into the Berar districts
the improved machinery for cleaning and packing cotton,
arrangements have been entered into to supply Messrs.
Robert Watson and Co., of Nagpore, with the new gins,
bullock power machines, and a cotton press. It is ex-
pected that the railway between Nagpore and Bombay
will shortly be completed, and this will afford largely
increased facilities. The total receipts of the company up
to July 31, 1862, are £41,990 7s. 7d. ; payments,
£38,064105. 6d.; leaving a balance in hand of L 3,925 17s. ld.
It is expected that in a few months the press houses at
Sedashegur, with the machinery, will be completed. It is
estimated that the machinery will clean about 1,400 bales of
cotton per week. The six cotton presses will press one bale
per minute. Up to the present time the company's ope-
rations have been necessarily preliminary; but the directors
must look to and require from the Government of India
that assistance which it is bound to render by means of the
speedy construction of roads and other public works, which
all commercial communities have a right to expect at the
hands of a Government. The position of the company is
now such as entitles it to the prompt and fullest support of
the trade and the public in the present crisis.
The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report, and
congratulated the shareholders upon the cheering appear-
ance of their first annual meeting. When they first com-
menced operations they looked upon India in some mea-
sure as a maiden field. The sole object in sending out Mr.
Haywood was to see how far the Government reports were
correct, and also to gather information as to the best dis-
tricts in India for the operations of the company. It had
been found that the districts of Dharwar and North Canara
were those especially adapted for their operations. When
the matter was first decided upon by the committee, North
Canara was under the presidency of Madras, which was
notorious for its dilatoriness in all mutters connected with
trade. The company represented to Sir Charles Wood that
it was advisable to transfer North Canara to the Bombay
Government. A great delay followed. The district of North
Canara contained Sedashegur, one of the best ports in India;
and the moment it was discovered that the transfer of this
harbour to Bombay was probable, all the appliances of
red-tapism were put into requisition to prevent it. But, by
Sir Charles Wood's perseverance, the transfer was effected.
Since then progress has been very rapid, the failure of
hthaerbBooumr
haileds fromomfartoeardiallyimpeded operations, and it was to
be
nregrettedester that
Cotton m
cmon:
the interior of Dharwar to the
anicy Ic
ations did not receive greater
Manchester
acc o
attention at the hands of the Gwoeveonied
rnmenatl.l
companies(Hear.) Thed
and
associations, both private and public, They had no Jo.
t