The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-15 00:00:00

CULTIVATION OF COTTON 1N

INDIA.

MANCHESTER.—A special general meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce was held on Thursday to re-
ceive the Report of the Directors on the measures taken
by the East India Company for promoting the growth
of cotton in India, and to confer on the prospect which
is held out of increasing the supply of this important raw
material. There was a numerous meeting. J. B. Smith,
Esq., the President of the Chamber, in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, alluded
to the importance of increasing the supply of cotton,
and stated that the Board of Directors had thought it

necessary, in consequence of the interest excited by the
' steps recently taken by the East India Company, to
call the members of the Chamber together, and to lay be-
fore them all the information they possessed. There was
nothing in the. course pursued by the Chamber to afford
ground for jealousy on the part of their brethren in the
United States. The Chamber deprecated the idea of
dealiug with our colonies in preference to any other coun-
try ; they wished to see the growth of cotton promoted
wherever it would flourish, and above all things, to see
the existing colonial monoplies abolished, and that the
people of this country might no longer be taxed to pay
for the government of the colonies, and at the same time
be obliged to pay for the produce of those colonies
double the price at which the same articles could be
purchased from other countries, as was the case at pre-
sent with regard to timber, coffee, and sugar.—(Ap-
plause.) He hoped the time was approaching when our
industrious and rapidly increasing population would
have the world thrown open to their exertions.

Mr. Hoole, the Vice-President of the Chamber, then
read the Report, which was principally confined to a
statement of facts that have already been laid be-
fore the public in the papers. It noticed the fact,
that the importance of cultivating cotton in India
had been felt in this country for several years,
and in 1837 had been pressed by the Man-
chester Chamber of Commerce upon the Chambers
of Commerce of Bombay and Bengal. The Chamber
of Bombay had, shortly after, forwarded to this
country one of the chircas, or machines used in India
for the cleaning of cotton, for the purpose of experi-
ments being made thereon, with a view to its improve-
ment. The attention of mechanics in this country was
publicly drawn to the subject by advertisement, and the
result was, that several improvements had been effected.
In 1838 a deputation from this Board had suggested to
the East India Board the abolition of the land-tax in

India as a means of promoting the culture of cotton;
and though there were difficulties in the way, the depu-
tation had obtained the promise that the subject should
be taken into serious consideration—a promise which
it was not likely would be suffered to remain a dead
lett,..r. The Hon. Court had recently authorised his
Excellency the Governor-General to offer rewards to
persons exhibiting specimens of cotton well cleaned by
machinery. The transit duty on cotton had been
abolished throughout the Presidencies of Bengal and
Bombay, and it was hoped that the same boon would be
conferred on the Presidency of Madras. A modification
had also been made in the land-tax. By accounts re-
ceived from India last week, it appeared that the Go-
vernor-General had offered three prizes for the growth
of a certain quality of cotton, of 2,0001., 1,0001., and
SCOI. The earnestness of the East India Company
was further evineed by their sending over Captain
Baylis to the United States to engage skilful persons to
proceed to India, there to superintend the growth and
cleaning of cotton. While in the States Captain Bay-
lis had provided himself with a quantity of seeds of the
best kiiids of cotton, and with the saw-gins used for
cleaning the article. On his return he had come to
Manchester to seek personally such information relating
to the cotton brought to this country, and to the im-
provement that might be made in the means of prepar-
ing it, as would best enable him to effect his object.
While here he had visited several houses, and had had
pointed out to him the deficiencies in the Indian cotton,
both as regarded its quality and its staple. In the
meantime the saw-gins brought over from America had
been set up in Liverpool, and a deputation from
this Board had been present at the experiment tried
upon them on the 17th ult. They had since witnessed
their operation in Manchester, and the result was, upon
the whole, highly satisfactory, as proving the practica-
bility of cleaning Indian cotton by means of the Ame-
rican saw-gin, though, no doubt, experience would be
necessary to adapt the gin to the species of cotton
which had to be operated on ; and there would also be
some difficulty in India in providing the power neces-
sary to drive machines of that description. It was,
therefore, a wise measure to send over to America to
olicain experienced persons to superintend the process ;
and the deputation wished to record their grateful
sense of the zeal and energy displayed by the East
India Company in promoting this national object, and
of the manner in which their views had been carried out
by Captain Baylis. The saw-gins commonly used in
America produced from 1,000 to 1,200 lbs. a-day, while
by the chirca, the Indian machine, only from 3S to
401bs. a•day could be produced. The board confidently
expected that the mechanical genius of Manchester
would be able to produce an improvement on the Ame-
rican gins. The machine which had hitherto produced
the best cotton was one built by Messrs. Fawcett and
Co., of Liverpool, under the superintendence of Dr.
Jones, the patentee. The board were confident that
if the efforts of the East India Company were per-
severingly followed up as they ought to be, for the
mutual, interest of England and India, no doubt need
be
ontertained of their success.
_ _

-Mr. Edmund Ashworth, of Bolton, moved the adop-
tion of:the B.eport, and in so doing remarked on the
advantage of our dcriving a supply of cotton from a
eountrywhich'would take our manufactures in return.

Mr. T. linty, jun. (Boroughrteve of Salford), se-
conded the resolution, which was unanimously adopted.
Mr. Holland Hoole, Vice-President of the Chamber,
moved—" That this chamber must ever regard it as
most desirable that a constantly-increasing quantity of
the raw material upon which the capital, shill, and la-
bour of the surrounding population are employed, should
be derived from as numerous and diversified sources as
possible, so that the danger of any interruption to its
regular supply, whether from the vicissitudes of season,
war, or the speculative operations of individuals, should
be, as far as practicable, prevented ; and these views
are especially applicable to the lower qualities of cotton,
upon which the greatest quantity of our machinery is
employed."
Mr. R. Gardner seconded the resolution, which was
also unanimously adopted.
Mr. Alderman Shuttleworth moved—" That from
the experiments lately made this chamber feels con-
vinced that cotton may be produced upon the soil of
British India of a quality suited to the wants of the
majority of the spinners and manufacturers of this
country ; and whilst it views with the most cordial satis-
faction the steps already taker by the East India Com-
pany to effect this object, especially in sending out to
India persons from the United States experienced in
the cultivation of cotton, this chamber begs to express
its earnest and respectful request that the Directors of
the Hon. Company will follow up their enlightened
undertaking with a zeal proportionate to its importance
to the best interests of the people of Great Britain and
India ; and that any regulations or impediments which
may exist in the way of a rapidly augmenting production
of cotton in our Eastern possessions may be entirely re-
moved."

Mr. J. Brooks (boroughreeve of Manchester), in
seconding the resolution, aliuded at some length to the
oppressive nature of the land-tax of India, and cited
several authorities to show that, until very recently, it
had been in lull operation.
Mr. J. Adshead also addressed the Chamber on the
same subject, and cited a number of authorities. He
contended that this was the greatest impediment to
the increased cultivation of cotton, and ought first to
be removed.
The resolution being passed, thanks were voted to
the Chairman, and the meeting separated.