The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-06 00:00:00

" 6 SUPPLY OF INDIAN COTTON TO ENGLAND.

" Home Department, Feb. 28.
•
" Resolution—His Excellency the Governor-GenerM in
Council has had under his consideration the possibilitnof a
greatly and suddenly increased demand for Indian cottern in
England, and he desires to draw the attention of each local
government within the territories of which cotton-produc-
ing and cotton-exporting districts lie to those measures
whereby the power of India to meet such increased demand
for cotton may be augmented by help of Government.
" It is to be observed :

" 1. That no measure which places Government in the
position of the private capitalist, cultivator, or speculator,
or which in any way interferes with private enterprise,
can be otherwise than permanently injurious in itself and
detrimental to the object in view.
" Therefore all attempts to stimulate cultivation or
labour, by any exertion of Government authority, directly
or indirectly, are out of the question.
" ' The same objection will apply to model farms and ex-
perimental cultivation conducted by officers of Government.
"' 2. No measure will meet the object immediately in
view unless it shall tell on the new production of cotton
during the next season, and on our means of getting that
season's crop to port. This limitation will exclude from
present consideration such projects as railways or canals,
which, although the surest permanent means of increasing
our power of export, could be made to tell to only a very
limited degree on the exports of the next few seasons.
Moreover, the attention of Government is already directed
to promote these works to the utmost extent compatible with
its financial means, and even so serious a calamity as au
apprehension of a short supply of cotton in England could
hardly add to the desire of the Government of Ihdia •to ad-
vance them as rapidly as possible.
" ' The question for consideration is, what can the Go-
vernment do towards facilitating an immediate increase of
production, and towards improving the means of bringing
the produce to port ?
" As to increasing production.—Thesolutiou of questions
connected with the tenure of land,and with the law regarding
contracts for the delivery of agricultural produce, which are
now under the consideration of Government, may ultimately
produce a very considerable effect on the investment of Euro-
pean capital in the cotton districts,but the result could not be
immediate. More probably an immediate increase of the
coming crop of cotton will depend on the rapidity with which
information regarding the demand and prices in England
can be communicated to the producers in the cotton districts,
and on the removal of all impediments to intimate and rapid
communication between those who grow or collect the cot-
ton in the interior and the merchants who export it from
the port of shipment. Directly and indirectly the Govern-
ment may do something to promote these objects, especially
if agents of the commercial community of our ports will visit
the cotton-producing districts, and do all that may be
effected by personal intercourse to reduce the number of
hands through which the produce must pass between the
place of production and the place of shipment. There is also
much valuable statistical information regarding the extent
of cotton cultivation which it may be in the power of the
Government officers to furnish from the public records, or
to verify, when. obtained through other means.
" ' The operations in the interior of our capitalists at our
seaport towns may be facilitated by affording them the aid
of the Government Treasury in their banking arrangements
in those parts of the country where as yet no private banks
have been established. The agents of respectable firms at
the Presidency towns might be permitted, under certain
rules, to have their bills on the Presidency cashed at the
Government Treasuries, paying no more premium than the
actual cost of conveying the coin. This, without entailing
expense on Government, might often prove a convenience
to the merchants.

" As to improving the means of bringing the produce
to port, it is by facilitating existing means of communica-
tion, even though it be in a rough way, that Government
can best aid the merchant promptly without exceeding its
legitimate functions.
" Projects for bridged and metalled roads are not prac-
ticable within the next year or 18 months ; but there is a
great extent of country capable of producing cotton, which
is now not easily accessible to ordinary country carts, even
during the fair season, and probably it is by improving the
present country cart and hack bullock tracks, and thus ex •
tending the mileage over which an ordinary load of cotton
may be conveyed at the rate of 21 or 3 miles per hour, that
the export of the next season's crop may be most effectually
aided.

" ' In this view the Governor-General in Council roquests
that each local Government will at once take measures to
have the lines of traffic between their cotton-producing dis-
tricts and the port of shipment, whether on soa or river,
examined and reported on by a competent officer. This
officer should note, in general terms, the extent and pro-
bable cost of any improvements required to bring the exist-
ing country cart tracks up to the stand,„.,lJ—e adscribed.
For the execution of tho improvements the Government
should select the nearest executive authority as the one to
be charged with the work ; and where there is no such
authority at hand, a special agency should be employed for
the purpose, the only conditions being that the work to be
undertaken should be capable of immediate execution.
" For such Purposes officers of high scientific attain.

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