The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-26 00:00:00

MEETING OF SALT MANUFAC

TUBERS AT BLACKWRN.
On Monday a meeting of the salt manufacturers re-
sident in Blackburn and its neighbourhood was held at
the Hotel, King-street, to take into consideration the
important question of the East India Company's salt
monopoly. The meeting was most numerously attended.
Mr. M. J. FIELDEN was called to the chair, and
opened the business of the meeting by announcing that
Mr. Stocgueler, the honorary secretary of the salt trade
in this country, was present, and would explain the
working and prejudicial effects of the existing system
under the Hon. East India Company's salt monopoly,
and suggest for consideration a course of action by
which this meeting might aid in procuring its abolition,
and consequent advantages.
Mr. STOCGUELER then addressed the meeting, and
entered at great length into the question of the ad-
mission of British salt into India on fair and reason-
able terms. He had not the least hesitation in ad-
vocating the destruction of this baneful monopoly, be-
cause the advantage supposed to be derived from its
continuance was purely imaginative, and at the most
could only benefit a limited and very wealthy body,
whereas its total abolition would be an unquestionable and
immediate blessing to millions of our fellow-creatures in
India, and would be followed by solid and lasting benefits
to the manufacturing, the shipping, the commercial, in
short, to all the interests in this country, of the poor as
well as of the rich. The forty. six millions of persons
who inhabit the districts within which the monopoly
prevailed, and all those who lived in the countries into
which the Company's salt was transmitted, were com-
pelled to pay for the article 75 per cent. more than it
could be purchased for in Liverpool. The price charged
by the Company at present for 8,200 pounds of salt was
9,360 pence, or above one penny half-farthing per pound.
The price of Cheshire and Worcestershire salt, of a
quality far superior to that made in India, was 20s. per
ton, or twelve pence only for 112 lbs. ; something very
much under half a farthing per pound. In England,
when the salt which entered into our own articles of food
was so concealed that we were almost unconscious of its
presence, we could not form an adequate idea of the im-
portance of the commodity to the wretched Hindoo rus-
tic. It was almost his only, certainly, his chief condi-
ment—and to obtain it, so miserably disproportionate
were his earnings to his actual wants, that he sacrificed
ten weeks' labour per annum to obtain it. All he then
obtained was 121bs. for each adult person, a quantity
less by 31bs. than the Government, judging by the sup-
plies to their troops, considered necessary for the poorest
classes of Hindoos, and consequently leaving hiaa none
for his cattle, none for purposes of manure, none for any
purpose but that of partially seasoning his own insipid
food.
After several other gentlemen had addressed the
meeting, and advocated the necessity of destroying in a
great part the present monopoly enjoyed by the East
India Company, resolutions were unanimously passed,
to the effect that the East India Company's monopoly of
the manufacture of salt in the East Indies, was not only
extremely oppressive to the natives of that country, but
injurious to the manufacturing interests of Great Britain,
by limiting within Tory narrow bounds the capabilities
of the natives to purchase the other necessaries of life.
An influential Committee was appointed to promote
the object in view, and the meeting separated.

UNPUBLISHED LET TER of BURNS.
(From the Ayr Observer.)
Everything connected with the name of Burns pos-
sesses more than "an interest," whether it relates to
his poems, his songs, or his correspondenc©. The in-
dustry which has marked the search for whatever wears
the impress of his pen, leaves little, at this time of the
day, to reward the labour of those who would add to
his already voluminous correspondence: but occasion-
ally trifles aro brought to light, which, if they contribute
nothing to the great name of " Coila's Bard," fill up
links, or at least show the interest inspired by the
smallest remain of him.

A correspondent (whose name has frequently appeared
in the poetical department of our paper, and who seems
to be an enthusiast in poetry, and in all connected with
it), has forwarded to us a copy of an unpublished letter
of Burns--the MS. itself being so jealously guarded by
the possessor, that he will not intrust it out of his own
keeping. The letter itself is of no great importance--
perhaps (from incorrect copying, possibly) not altogether
intelligible ; but still interesting as a relic of Burns. It
is as follows:

TO THE HON. HENRY ERSKINE, DEAN OF FACULTY,

EDINBURGH.

Two o'clock.
Sir,—l showed the inclosed political ballad to my Lord
Glencairn, to have his opinion whether I should publish
it ; as I suspect my political tenets, such as they are,
may be rather heretical in the opinion of some of my
best friends. I have a few first principles in religion
and politics, which,
I believe, I would not easily part
with ; but for all the etiquette of, by whom, in what
manner, &c., I would not have a dissocial word about it
with any one of God's creatures, particularly an
honoured patron, or a respected friend.—His Lordship
seems to think the piece may appear in print, but de-
sired me to send you a copy for your suffrage. I am, with
the sincerest gratitude for the notice with which you
have been pleased to honour the rustic bard, Sir,
Your most devoted humble servant.
ROBT. BURNS.
We have searched the whole correspondence of Burns,
and find no communication with Henry Erskine. The
present discovery, therefore, opens up a new connexion.
As to the " political ballad" which the letter conveyed,
we are of opinion that itis as yet unpublished. Of noll
the preductivws
,of the poet, We C 41494. Su UPC% NO

likely to be that referred to. As to the time when the
letter was penned, there is every reason to believe that
it was immediately after Burns's visit to Edinburgh, in
the winter of 1786. Sir Walter Scott says that the
Hon. Henry Erskine was one of those who stirred them-
selves actively in favour of Burns immediately after his
arrival in Auld Reckie. Taking this fact in connexion
with the other--that no correspondence between Burns
and Erskine is published—the above letter, trifling as it
is, acquires some importance.
The letter itself is upon a common sheet of paper;
and the characters cannot be mistaken for those of any
other hand than that of Burns. It is in the possession
of Mr. Alexander Campbell, Miramichi Buildings, Port-
Glasgow—a distant relation, we are given to under-
stand, of the lamented Mary Campbell.