The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-30 00:00:00

armies.

It is probable that one very great grievance
which has for the last few years pressed heavily
upon the industrial classes will soon be greatly
lightened. Not the least of the attendant evils of
the cotton famine has been the high price of one of
the most useful and übiquitous of domestic com-
modities ; a price, in fact, which has for a large
number of persons amounted to a prohibition.
Calico is so extensively employed for household
purposes that the families of the working classes
have felt its deprivation greatly, and even persons
of a higher station have suffered inconvenience.
Besides the high price, the quality of the costly
goods of the last few years has been con-
siderably inferior to that of the cheap calico
of old, so that after paying double or
treble the money of former days, the purchaser has
the satisfaction of finding that the " dress " or
stiffening with which it is whitened conceals very
poor stuff. It is therefore good news for all house-
holders and mothers of families, besides the larger
grounds of congratulation to the manufacturer and
the mill hand, that better days have dawned for
the cotton trade, and there is now on hand a larger
supply of cotton than there has been at Liverpool
since 1861. The stock on hand in the week end-
ing last Saturday, the 25th,. was 630,000 bales,
while the corresponding week of last year only
showed an amount of 307,410 bales. The first
quarter of this year has exhibited an increase of
more than two hundred thousand bales, an en-
couraging sign of the times, so that we
may hope that the darkness of the cloud
has finally passed away, and that we may now look
out for the dawn growing to the daylight. It will
be necessary, however, to bear in mind the lessons
of the past, and carefully to avoid the errors which
have occasioned so much anxiety and distress. We
must never again depend upon a restricted source
of supply, and we should hope that our merchants
and manufacturers will profit by the bitter expe-
rience of the last few years, and 'encourage the
cultivation in every favourable place. But there
will be the inevitable reaction attending reduced
prices to guard against. In India, especially where
the exorbitantly high prices have encouraged specu-
lation, the cultivators must prepare themselves for
the loss of a portion of their extravagant
profits. Even supposing the profits to be
reduced two-thirds, they would still, now
that the preliminary expenses are over, have ample
return for their labour, and it will be necessary to
convince them of this if we would avoid a collapse
of the Indian supply. We are glad to find that at
the recent meeting of the Cotton Supply Associa-
tion it was resolved that a deputation should wait
upon the Indian Council, so as to represent
the importance of adopting speedy measures to ren-
der India a more satisfactory and permanent source
of supply. The members of the association do
wisely to keep their attention fixed upon that coun-
try as one of our principal resources for the future.
It has been amply proved that the cotton
cultivation can be carried on to a vast ex-
tent and with great success ; indeed, so
various is the climate and the soil, that it
scarcely needed experience to decide upon
their capacities. As a source of profit and plenty
to both England and India, the cotton cultivation
can hardly be over estimated in importance, and it
will have the immense advantage of supplying
one of our principal manufactures with the produc-
tions of our own dependency.

OPENING A GRAVE.—In terms of the remit to the
Sheriff of Banff to have the grave of the late Hans
George Leslie of Dunlugas opened to search for a parcel
stated to have been placed in the coffin at the time of the
burial, Sheriff Gordon had the grave opened on Friday last.
The Dunlugas burial ground is in the church of Alvah,
within three milesbf Banff. The family ground is enclosed
by a wall, the masonry being carried- several feet down-
wards into the soil of the graveyard. The Sheriff arrived
at the churchyard about 9 o'clock in the morning. Besides
the Sheriff, there were also present at the opening Drs.
Manson and Barclay, Banff ; Mr. G. Cumming, writer, Banff
Mr. Allan, solicitor, Banff ; and' Mr. Crawford, S.S.C.;
Edinburgh. The parish minister and sexton, at the request
of the Sheriff and parties, were present to point out the
grave ; and we are glad to say that besides those officially,
connected with the proceedings there were no other persons
present. Under the direction of the Sheriff, and after the
usual forms, the workmen commenced to open the grave.
The work was one of considerable labour, the coffin being
8} feet below the surface. When found the coffin was en-
tire ; it was raised to the surface by means of tackle erected
by Mr. Lawrence, mason, Banff, and, being placed upon an
adjoining gravestone, was opened. Tho remains were found
partially imbedded in a moist dark substance, and part of
the grave-clothes were to be seen. At first, and for some
time, it seemed as if there were nothing like a packet in
the coffin. On closer examination, however, and on touch-
ing the chest there appeared to detach itself from the left
side what had formerly seemed to form part of the body, but
what was not unlikely to be the parcel said to have been
'deposited at the time of the funeral. It appeared to be
about 10 inches long by four inches broad, and about half
an inch thick. That it was parchment or paper, or indeed
what particular substance it might be, was not, at least at
first sight, very evident, the substance having an almost
pulpy consistency. There could be little doubt, however,
that it was a packet of some kind or other, and on being
cleared of the enveloping matter and washed this packet
was placed in a tin case which had been provided by Mr.
Allan. The coffin was closed, replaced in the grave, and
covered, and the Sheriff then left for Banff, taking with
him the box and its contents. The operations occupied
from 9 o'clock in the morning till nearly 6 in the evening,
Of course, we are not in a position to say that the parcel
found contains the deeds said to be missing, nor probably
will the full information be known until the Sheriff makes
his official report. The instructions from the Court of
Session, we may here recall, were to search for the parcel,
"and, if found, to examine tho contents thereof, so as to
ascertain whether it does or doesnot contain the said writs,
or Dither of them, and to report the result of said search,
and if said writs or either of them are found, to transmit
the same, along with his report, to the clerk of this process,
Mr. Currie." From the term of the remit, it is evident that
the Sheriff would not have taken possession of the packet
unless he considered there was prinzoi fade ground for be-
lieving that it contained the missing papers.—Banffshire
Journal.
A VERBAL DIFFICULTY.—IrritabIe Captain :
Your barrel's disgracefully dirty, sir, and it's .not the first
time ; I've a good mind to --L. Private Flannigan :
Shure, sor, - I niver —. Captain (Irish too) : Silence,
air, when you ?Take to'an'offiver!--Funch: • • - t