The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-24 00:00:00

Cotton in the Southern States.

An English merchant, who has travelled exten-
sively in the Southern States, communicates the fol-
lowing letter regarding cotton to the Liverpool
Post:—

" You will have the information already on your
side with regard to the quantity afloat, and the
amount already received, and these I do not in-
clude in my estimates ; but I judge the amount now
in the country to be not far from 300,000 bales—
viz.,. South Carolina, 25,000 bales; Georgia, 45,000
bales ; Florida, 15,000 bales ; Alabama, 40,000
bales ; and Louisiana and Texas, 175,000 bales.
(The amount from New Orleans may be somewhat
increased by the rise of the smaller rivers in the in-
terior). This cotton is very nearly all on the plan-
tations, but has been detained inland by the want
of means of transportation, notwithstanding the in-
ducement to push it forward which was offered by
the high prices ruling.

"In regard to the crop now being planted, I
have made most particular inquiries, and having
(as you are aware) a wide acquaintance among the
planters, I have good opportunities of acquiring in-
formation.

" The planters generally were so delighted to
find the negroes willing to work at all that on
the Ist of January last they sent out the most en-
couraging statements as to the prospects of a crop.
I have been long enough in the free West Indies to
have a good deal of scepticism about free labour,
and my recent experience has not removed that feel-
ing. The negroes are not working as they formerly
did, the discipline of the plantations is gone, and
the average amount of labour now secured is not
over two-thirds in quality as of old obtained from
the same number of hands, while the quantity is
certainly one-third to one-half less. I give as
illustrations the following plantations :—E. T. S —d,
Columbus, formerly 80 hands, now 27. R. H. T—s,
formerly 110, now 23. W.B—n, 100, now 17,
and his upper place 40, now 25. G. B--n, for-
merly 45 hands, now 17. A. T. N., formerly 45,
now 19. Dr. T—n, formerly 60, now 20. C. 8.,
formerly 80, now 25. W. W., formerly 90, now
15, &c. &c. What has become of the hands
Many have gone back to their old homes in Ten-
nessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina.
Many have been killed in the war. Many have
since died from disease and neglect, and many
decline to contract work. On the whole, consider-
ing the violent and calamitous change which has
come over the institutions and labour of the South,
I think all parties, white and black, are behaving
unexpectedly well; but, as I before remarked, the
discipline of slavery is gone, and I found no planter
who expected to make as much to the hand as he
formerly did. During the months of June and July,
when the grass attacks the crop, a military efficiency
was required, and so in the cold days of fall
(autumn) and winter picking out. This efficiency
cannot be secured from the negro when free ; it
never has been, and never will be. Some calcula-
tion is made upon the immigration here of Northern
labour and Northern planters, but Ido not con-
sider it of sufficient importance to make it an
element of the calculation. Cotton planting is
a difficult business, requiring skill and experience—
I may almost say it is an instinct. lam glad to
see immigrants from the North, but they come
slowly, and they must remain until they learn the
trade before they can affect the crop.
" What then may we expect from the next crop?
I say now, and beg you to make a note of it, —•
1,750,000 bales to 2,250,000 bales—not over the
last amount, and probably less than the first. I
express with the deepest regret my belief in the
decline of cotton production, because in it I see a
decline of power and influence of the South ; but it
is the logic of events ; and it remains to be seen
whether the South can change the direction of its
energies from the cotton-field to the mill, the mine,
and the meadow, so as to recover its lost prosperity
and prestige.

" I was among the first to estimate the cotton
in the South at the close of the war at 2,000,000
hales, and I stake my prophetic character ou the
above vaticinations.--Yours truly, c45.,7

COUNTRY MARKETS.

LIVERPOOL-FRIDAY.

The market to-day was rather thinly attended, and
wheat was slow of sale at Tuesday's rates. Flour rather
pressed for sale at about previous rates. Indian corn in
good demand, and fully Gd per qr. dearer. Beans in better
request, and 6d per qr. dearer. Oats dull, and ld per
bushel lower. Oatmeal slow of sale at former rates.

DERBY—FRIDAY.
There was a fair supply of wheat, but the trade was dull
at less money. Barley was not plentiful, and finest qua-
lities commanded high prices. Oats in good demand, at
extreme quotations. Beans met a good inquiry, at full
prices.
New white wheat, 43s to 48s ; old red, 49s to 52s per 36
stone. Barley for malting, 38s to 40s per qr. ; grinding'
27s to 28s per 30 stone. Oats, new, 21s to 265; old, 28s to
31s per 24 stone. Beans, old, 50s to 525; new, 44s to 453
per 38 stone.

WAKEFIELD.—FRIDAY.
A moderate show of wheat. Demand limited,
Friday's prices barely maintained.- In barley less doing.
Other articles unchanged.
4-0
Averages, March 19—Wheat, 1,436 qrs, at 48s ;
barley, 785 at 41s 51-d ; oats, —, at —s. and last

S TAMFORD.—FaiDAv.
With a fair show of wheat the demand was dull at a
small decline. Very little barley offered. Oats were dis-
posed of at late rates. Beans fully maintained their value.
New white wheat, 49s to 50s ; red do., 45s to 47s per 70
stone. Barley, malting, 38s to 41s ; grinding, 33s to 363
per qr. Oats, new, 24s to 26s ; old, 28s to 30s per 24 stone
Beans, 46s to 48s per 38 stone. Peas as of late.

LINCOLN.—FRIDAY.
Our market was freely supplied with wheat ; business
quiet. Barley in fair demand, at extreme quotations. Oats
a middling supply, and trade firm. Beans scarce, at quite
last week's prices.
New white wheat, 52s to 56s ; new red, 42s to 48s per 36
stone. Barley for malting, 36s to 44s per qr ; grinding,
32s to 34s per 30 stone. Oats, 24s to 30s. Beans, 43s to
51s per 38 stone.

BRISTOL SUGAR.—FRIDAY.
The sales of the week have been small, and prices are,
about 6d per cwt. lower. Refined is dull, at 3d to
decl►ne.

Foreign kali Packet List
- --4.-- -
MAILS DUE.

Australia and New Zealand, via Bouthampton., April 0
Ditto, via Marseilles April 13,
Brazil and Cape Verde. by British packet April 6
DIV o, by French packet .. Mar. 2L
Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St Helena. —Mar. 24
China, Penang, and Singapore, via Bout hampton..Apr il 6.
Ditto, via Marseilles. Mar. 30*
Falkland Islands
_.

Gibraltar, via :iouthampton
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton.... April 5
Ditto, via Marseilles
Mar. 30
India (Bombay), via Southampton.. M. 31*
Ditto, via Marseilles . Mar. 25'
Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton ....•• Mar. 3t.
mar, 2.
Ditto, via Marseilles
April 153.
Mauritius, via Southampton
April 7.
Ditto, via Marseilles
Newfoundland .
Portugal , ..... ...AP
pr
rl in I le:

Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon ...... •• •
United States and British North America, by Bri-
tish packet gar. Oh
Ditto, by United States packet, via Southamp-

ton
Ditto, via Cork ...
Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londonderry. •li --ar ' 23.
West Indies and Pacific (except Bahamas and
gar• 31'
Honduras)
Cuba and Mexic0......... ....... 3lAparril3sl:
Bahamas, via New York.
Bermuda, ditto April I
An 112
West Coabt of Africa. Madeira, and Teneriffe .. • • rl _

Births.
CHAPMAN—On the 22d inst at 48 Onslow-square, 3fr°.
.
W. H. Chapman, of a son.
HILL—On the 23d inst., at 7, Hamilton-place, Piceadgi::
the wife of Sir J. Hill, Bart., of the 17th Lancer6'
son.
her
PRITCHARD—On the 22d inst., at the residence 0f ors,
father, the wife of Major G. Pritchard, Royal Engiue
of a son.

Marriages.
MADDISON—ARCHBOLD— On the 221 inst., at Banburgil_.
Church, R. T. Maddison, Esq., of Wandon, Northumber
land to Annie, second daughter of W. Archbold, Esq,,
of Newham Hall, Northumberland. er
WHlTBY—HEnitox On the 22d inst. at at St. Luke's,
Lo e
Norwood, G. Whitby, Esq., of Twickenham, Middles scll
er,
to Julia Harriott, fifth dauhter of G. R. Herron, E
of Lower Norwood and Bermondsey.
Deaths.
BYAR—On the 22d inst., in Surrey-street, Strand, "CV°°j
roffe B. Byar, Esq., of Barbadoes, aged 23.
HASTINGS—On the 21st inst., at Worcester, Dame llann/.
Hastings, wife of Sir C. Hastings, M.D., D.C.L., aged
HAYDON—On the 21st inst., at p, Wellington-torrace,
Greenwich, Conn-. Charles Haydon, R.N., aged 72.
RICHARDS—On the 22d inst., at Tottenham, Melvin, in-
fant son of Basil Richards, Esq.

London : Printed and Published by WILLIAM ANDREWS
of No. 112, Strand, Pauter, at THZ Sust Oince, No. 11%
Strand, in the Preeinct of the Ssvny .in the Can*. °I
middleaezi— Saturday, March 24, Md.