The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-29 00:00:00

he moral verdict of mankind upon the just ice of
the cause which they have risen to assert."

All the recent accounts from India give hope that
general attention is awakened among the natives to

the growth of cotton, and that, with some excep-

.
tons, there is general good-will towards the object.
The exceptions we allude to are two :—One, that of

some poor peasant growers in the interior who
actually rooted up their crops on inquiries being
made among them as to the probable yield of their

crops; such inquiries having always, hitherto, pre-
ceded increased taxation. They took, therefore, as

they thought, the prudent precaution of presenting
a low basis of assessment when their crops should
be overhauled by the collector. The other excep-
tion is that of the Punjaub agriculturists. Some
years ago, they made great and successful efforts
to supply an American deficiency ; they erected
screws and gins, and invested much capital in
cotton. Slavery increased its produce again—
Manchester, of course, cared not a straw about

slavery—lndia was deserted, and the money all
lost. The memory of this makes, in colloquia

phrase, the burnt child dread the fire. They wan,
to know what reason there is to hope that, after
they have incurred all the expense, they shall not
again have their work thrown upon their hands.
But taking a view of the whole country the
prospects are very encouraging. From all parts
the accounts are that a larger area of cotton has
been planted, that ryots and Zemindars are alike
interested in it ; that the Madras and Bombay
Presidencies are making great efforts; and that
the district accessible by the water carriage of
the Godavery has considerably extended its
culture of the now so eagerly desired plant. In
Tinnevelly the efforts are represented as having been
great and successful to improve the plant and the
quality of its produce, by the introduction of dif-
ferent kinds of foreign seed. In Oude itself the
great proprietors are beginning to give themselves
to the cultivation of cotton. Altogether the response
of the natives is quite as general as could possibly
have been expected, and the only thing needed is,
that the American slaveholders and slavehunters
should continue for two or three years their com-
bination to lock up their cotton, and India will have
secured the essentials,—good plants, good clearing,
and good roads.
But there is yet another hope for India.
America sends us tobacco as well as cotton. Vir-
ginia and Maryland, the very seat of the war, are
the two great tobacco growing States. Their
supplies will nearly cease, and £5,000,000 of revenue
depend on English love of the practice which Sir
BENJAMIN BRODIE condemns. Sir BENJAMIN
however, will not interfere by his advice with
Mr. GLADSTONE'S calculations, if the " weed"
can but be obtained. It is, it seems, of universal
growth in India ; but also of such universal con-
sumption, being the one luxury of the poor ryot, that
none worth notice has been exported. No attention,
moreover, has been paid to the quality, which is
said to be capable of indefinite improvements. Expe-
riments with foreign seed, have shown that excellent
qualities can be as easily produced as of the other ;
and as in the case of cotton, the preparation of the
leaf for the market, which is now effected in the
rudest style, may be also considerably improved.
Mr. SETON-KARR has proposed, it seems, to lay a
tax on tobacco of 20 per cent. This it is urged, in the
face of the prospects now referred to should be
withdrawn. We should think it certainly will be.
When we add to the above that the indigo planters
and the ryots seem likely to settle their quarrel,
we may conclude with a hope that the prospects of
india are substantially improving.

Tower-hill was yesterday the scene of a very
interesting spectacle. Earl RUSSELL, who has
always been a staunch supporter of the Free
Drinking-Fountains Associations, has given a
practical proof of his conviction of their utility
by contributing largely to the erection of a sub-
stantial and beautiful fountain in this populous
locality. We have frequently expressed our cordial
approval of this movement, so conducive to
the health and temperance of the people, and
forcible testimony to its merits was given
yesterday by Earl RUSSELL in his inte-
resting observations on the subject. After com
menting upon the many social and otherwise great
wants of the crowded population of London, fresh
air and pure water, and the importance of supply-
ing as far as might be these requisites for public
health, he went on to show that the people fully
appreciated the benefits conferred on them by these
fountains. It has been computed that no less than
6,000 persons daily obtain water at the fountain
lately opened at the Royal Exchange. As the noble
speaker observed if we take only half that number
we shall see the large proportion of persons who
take advantage of the eighty-five fountains of the
metropolis. It must not be supposed that
they only supply the needs of the thirsty traveller
or diminish the temptations of the beershop and
gin-palace to the working man : although these are
great advantages. These fountains are largely used
by poor persons in the neighbourhood who readily
appreciate the benefits of dressing their food in the
pure water supplied by them instead of the tanks and
pumps they were formerly compelled to use. Every
one must remember that one of the great aids to the
cholera was the use of impure water, and those who
have penetrated among our London alleys and bye.
ways, may well ask how anything else
can be found in their vicinity. It is
almost more than we could have hoped that the
people should so readily avail themselves of the
better and purer water offered to them, instead of
showing indifference or ignorance of the benefit.
The supply, however, is as yet far from meeting the
demand. Eighty-five fountains, among a popula-
tion of more than two millions is a very small
number, and it is a matter of surprise and regret
that the :public who are generally so liberal
in a good cause have not come forward
more readily in their behalf. Lord RUSSELL
said justly yesterday that this movement ought to
be an object of municipal care. Up to the present
time, however, such has not been the case, all the
fountains having been erected by the Metropolitan
Free Drinking Fountain Assciations, aided by the
voluntary contributions of a few friends,among whom
the noble lord is conspicuous by his recent munifi-
cent gift to the city. It is satisfactory to have the
testimony of no less an authority than Dr. LANK ES-
TER as to the quality of the water supplied to these
fountains. The impurities contained in the tanks
and pumps from which the poor are forced in their
absence to draw their supply, he considers are very de-
trimental to their health, and he expressed his hope
that the public would give more ready help, since the
association was sadly in want of funds. We hope the
meeting of yesterday, and the example offered by
Lord RUSSELL, Mr. GURNEY, and others may
have weight with our men of wealth and influ-
ence, and go far to supply the existing deficiency
n the required 200 fountains of the metropolis.

The accounts from the Paris Bourse continue to
show a diminution of anxiety. Money is in demand, but
the supply is also good at 51 to 6 per cent. in the open
market. A. decline in wheat is reported from many of the
principal markets, and especially at Marseilles, where the
arrivals have been extremely large.