The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-05 00:00:00

RIGHT BOA JAMES WILSON IN
MA NCEESTER.

Yesterday (Tuesday) / at two o'clock, a deputation
from the Bradford Cha tuber of Commerce had an
interview with the Rigvit Hon. Jas. Wilson, touch-
ing the growth of wool in India. The deputation
consisted of Mr. Foster, Mr. Whitworth, and Mr.
Darlington. Mr. Bazley, M.P. for Manchester,
was also present.
Mr. FOSTER called the attention of Mr. Wilson
to the great desirability there was for growing wool
in the hilly country of _lndia. From the specimens
that had been imported in..4,^ this country, it was
clear that wool might be grown Lliere very profit-
ably. The merchants of Bradford and !IA fizjgh;
bourhood, and he believed all in England, weiZsslaa
that Mr. Wilson was going to India, and they wer:"
satisfied that his residence there would increase con-
siderably the trade and commerce of that great
country ; and he might add that it was confidently
believed that the nurture of the wool trade would
not a little tend to increase the Indian revenue.
Mr. WHITWORTH followed on the same subject.
Mr. WiLsoN, in replying to the deputation,
in substance said that what he had heard should
have his best consideration, for he took a deep
interest in the woollen manufactures of this
country. Mr. Freer, our resident in Scinde,
wrote to the Indian Board in 1851 to the
effect that if the port of Kurrachee was
opened a good trade might be established be-
tween that district and this country, and with that
object he proposed that when the port was opened a
fair should be held there annually, as an induce-
ment for the people of the interior to bring down
their goods for sale and exchange. Steps were at
once taken by the Indian board to carry out Mr.
Freer's suggestions, That gentleman was written
to, and requested to send home samples of all goods
in the country. He did so, and the board sent
them into the manufacturing districts. This was
in 1851, and then it was that he (Mr. Wilson)
visited these districts, Leeds and Manchester,
among other places, with the view of getting up a
trading disposition with the new port of Kur-
rachee. In 1830 they would find no wool was im-
ported from Kurrachee into this country. Ulti-
mately, it found its way in small quantities. In 1851
Kurrachee sent four millions of pounds, and now,
since the fair was established, it had crept up to 19
millions of pounds. The trade of that port since
1851 had grown from nothing to £2,000,000 ster-
ling. This he looked at as evidence of what might
be done by carrying out the trading principles in
India. With regard to the black mail dues spoken
of by Mr. Foster, he might inform them that Mr.
Freer took the personal responsibility of lending
to some of the native chiefs a few British soldiers,
and they had, he was glad to say, successfully
cleared the passes which the marauders alluded to
frequented, and now such illegal toll was no longer
levied. With regard to the improvement in the
quality of the wool, he suggested that the manu-
facturers and merchants of this country should
send out samples of long wool, and by sending
those samples to Mr. Delaney they would find
that that gentleman would aid them in
every possible way. He would also be both able and
willing to explain to the natives how, if they grew
long instead of short wool, they would receive a
much higher price for it. If such an explanation
were made by Mr. Delaney to the natives, with the
suggestion that they should adopt it, he (Mr. Wil-
son) had no doubt but they would at once do so.
Without doubt the hilly districts were much better
adapted than any other for the growth of wool.
To grow
it were
wool a temperate climate is neces-
sary—if were too hot or too cold, the wool was
no longer wool but hair. The great thing wanted
in India, however, was the means of transportation
and that was the real explanation why the numer-
ous products of that country had not been supplied
to us long ago, Mr. Freer, he was glad to say,
had just been .appointed a colleague of his as a
member of the Supreme Council at Calcutta, and as
soon as he (Mr. Wilson) arrived at that city, he
should lay before that gentleman what he had that
day heard from Mr. Foster and Mr. Whitworth ;
and as soon as he had done so, he had not the
slightest doubt but Mr. Freer would remove every
obstacle that stood in the way of producing more
and better wool in India. And, as regarded him-
self, the subject to which they had called his atten-
tion would, he could assure them, receive his best
support, and if he heard of anything at any time
that would be of use to them as information, he
should not hesitate to communicate it to them. In
conclusion he thanked them for the honour they
had done him by the visit, and in wishing him
success.
The deputation soon after withdrew.