The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-05 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 5, 1862.

1 pain occasioned to the patient, and failed to esta-
t blish the presence of the projectile, yet from the cri-
tical signs obtained by examination and otherwise,
it is the present opinion of the doctors assembled
in consultation that the ball exists in the wound.
It will therefore be necessary to repeat the exa-
mination at a more opportune moment, and deter-
mine the precise position of the ball ; and, if possi-
ble, extract it without occasioning dangerous con-
sequences or serious lesions. At present the case
calls for no surgical operation whatever." Still
more it calls, on the contrary, for what is now be-
ing conceded abundantly to the illustrious patient
, —rest, fresh air, nutritious diet, cold water dress-
, 1 ings, and fewer visitors.

The Cornhill 3lagazzne has an article in this
month's number on "Indian Cotton and its Supply,"
which is of special interest at the present time.
It is written by one who has the most thorough
knowledge of the subject, and makes use of infor-
mation as to the quantity of cotton grown in India,
which, singularly enough, has been overlooked by
all, though it is quite conclusive. Though for-
gotten now, the writer observes that it was with
Indian cotton N.V. YATT, PAUL, ARKIVRIGHT, HAR-
GREAVES and CROMPTON first produced the yarns
which banished all fear of competition from Indian
goods. He answers the question how New Or-
leans cotton has driven out the Indian cotton in
the usual way—superior cleanliness being the chief
reason. It works thus :
" When it is considered that the produce in yarn of a
pound of American cotton averages thirteen and a half
ounces, while that of a pound of Surat is twelve ounces, it
will be no matter of surprise that the one should be pre-
ferred to the other ; and when to this is added the fact that
the spinners obtain threepence halfpenny for converting a
pound of Surat cotton into yarn, while for the yarn from
American cotton they receive but threepence farthing, the
only wonder is that Indian cotton has been used at all
while American was obtainable."

The shortness of the staple does not appear to
be of the importance frequently imagined ; and the
colour of the Indian cotton is so beautiful as to
cause it to be mixed with badly-coloured Orleans
cotton to improve it in that respect. All these
defects, indeed, hitherto noticed, are easily cor-
rected. Nothing is needed, but the certainty of
a reasonable price to insure extensive cultivation.
How important a part price plays in the matter
is seen by comparing the cost of cultivation of an
acre of the lowest kind of grain, maize, by a native
ryot, compared with the returns. These are
minutely given. The result is that the clear profit
on the cotton, as now cultivated, is 12s. 61d., while

from the maize it is Li ls. 6d. There are certain
local reasons which induce the ryot, notwithstand-
ing this difference, to cultivate cotton, but of course,
it could not be, under the circumstances, a largely
grown crop.

Interesting evidence is given of the perfection to
which native Indian cotton may be brought, merely
by reasonable care in the cultivation. The case of
a gentleman is mentioned who made this evident by
properly attending to a few acres in the very midst
of the neglected fields of the native growers. His
produce was treble theirs, the quality equally
superior, and by selecting the seeds of the best plant
he grew the next year cotton quite equal to that of
New Orleans, and surpassing it in brilliancy and
colour.

The price needed to bring a large supply from
India is not the extravagant one which now rules.
The cultivator has a profit on his crop at 2d. per lb.
on the spot ; at 3d. he would have the inducement
to grow it considerably. And it could in that case
be landed at Liverpool, all charges included, for 541.
Hence at 6d. a pound, as a steady price, we might
look for a fair supply from India. The great thing
needed would be, to introduce European local
superintendence and direct dealing with the ryots;
the frauds to which they are subjected by the native
dealers being one principal reason why the grower
is eomewhat shy of the crop, and why the Liver-
pool merchant finds it does not answer his purpose.
The quantity actually grown in India is very
fairly ascertained, through the transit duties, now
abolished ; these duties from the province of Ben-
gal amounted to 1,500,000, at a rate of a shilling
for every 801 b., " showing an annual export from
the provinces which furnished it of 800,000,001b.'
Estimating the surplus of the other cotton produc-
ing districts at the same amount, it would furnish a
total of 8,000,000 bales of 300 lb. each, as the total
of what India produced 40 years ago in excess of
the demands of the cotton districts themselves. It
is remarkable that this amounts to just the six
millions of ba.es spoken of by Lord SHAFTESBITRT
as the produce of India; but then this was not all
disposable for foreign markets, it only shows what
India actually grew—a considerable surplus, how-
ever, going to China and England.