The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-29 00:00:00

COTTON PACKING.

The following statement on behalf of the Liver-
pool American Chamber of Commerce and the
Cotton Brokers' Association respecting the evils
arising from the false packing of cotton has been
forwarded to us for publication :

" Liverpool, Oct. 23.
" To the Chambers of Commerce of New Orleans, Mo-
bile, Charleston, and Savannah, and to all concerned
in the cotton trade of the United States.

"The inagnitiide and importance of the commerce of
Great Britain with the United States in the article of
cotton is sufficiently known, and to those who are ac-
quainted with the details of the trade it is a matter of
sasisfaction that the machinery by which the distribu-
tion of so enormous a quantity of material is effected,
has, up to this time, worked so smoothly, owing to the
honourable character of all concerned, from the planter
to the manufacturer.
" But in order to sustain the character of the trade,
and to retain the mutual confidence which has hitherto
existed, it is essential that every sample of cotton offered
in the market should fairly represent the quality of the
bulk from which it is taken, as every deviation from this
rule tends to create distrust.
"Of late, however, so many instances of careless
packing have occurred, causing a discrepancy between
the sample and the bulk, that serious loss has been sus-
tained, both by the manufacturer and the merchant, and
it has become a duty to call the attention, not only of
the American planters and factors, whose reputation is
thereby injured, but also of the trade generally, to the
present growing increase in the proportion of irregular
and false packed bales, and to invite their serious consi-
deration of the evils which must inevitably follow the
continuance of the practice, and to solicit their assist-
ance in checking it.
"In most cases the irregular packing is only disco-
vered when the bale has reached its ultimate destination
and is opened by the manufacturer, and the trouble, cost,
and inconvenience of repacking and returning the bale,
and the trouble and difficulties which attend a prosecu-
tion of his claim have freqaently induced him to bear
the loss in silence. Similar reasons have prevailed with
the merchant to suffer the loss resulting from such cot-
ton, returned by the manufacturer, rather than resort to
the tedious and often useless process of seeking redress
against the planter abroad.
" It is on this account that so few instances have oc-
curred in which the real offender has borne the conse-
quences of his neglect, and, presuming on this forbear-
ance, the evil complained of has, from carelessness or
otherwise, increased to such an extent that, in a large
proportion of shipments arriving in Liverpool, instances
of false or irregular packing are discovered, and occa-
sionally whole parcels, consisting 'of 20, 50, and even
100 bales, are found mixed in the bale, and sometimes
plated ; in other words the outer layer, from which the
sample is taken, is more or less superior in quality to
the interior of the bale.
"It is hoped that all parties will see the urgent neces-
sity of promptly co-operating to stop and remove this
serious and increasing evil, which will otherwise disor-
ganise the trade, and destroy that mutual trust and
confidence without which such an extensive and impor-
tant branch of commerce cannot be carried on.
"THOMAS SELLAii; President American Chamber of
Commerce.
"Ti3O3IAS HAIGH, President Cotton Brokers' Asso-
ciation."

At a meeting of the shareholders of the Surrey Gar-
dens Company, held this day, the report (which has
already appeared in The Sun), declaring a dividend of 5
per cent. for the half-year, vras adopted unanimously.