The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-23 00:00:00

PAPER IROIII FIBRE, BARK, 4.e.

A Writer In a contemporary says.—Tl.e repeal of
the excise restriction will enable the free applica-
tion of the thousands of tons of tanning refuse (now
valueless and of annual expense to the tanners for
its removal) to the making of paper; to which use
tree barks, fibres, reeds, rushes, and vegetable
wastes of many kinds are applicable. I can send
you splendid proofs in pulp and paper of this order.
A friend of mine, a botanist and M.D., produced
the pulps fit for paper by a simple process, whilst
he was in Whitingtonia some years since experi-
menting on and collecting the indigenous products
of that most prolific portion of the universe; if not
the Garden of Eden, assuredly the wild garden of
the world.

I submitted the facts and proofs to some tanning
parties in London and in the country, but could not
obtain their co-operation to patent and produce,
their remark being, " The excise botheration will
foil any such speculation." They deemed it safer
to speculate upon chamois leather and ready-made
rag paper. Equally extraordinary was the hostility,
or apathy by the Manchester Cotton Supply Asso-
ciation to my submission of certain fibres (of
Whitingtonia, Central America-19 days only
from England), of which thousands of tons are
annually to be had for the cost of collecting, and
paying a small sum as tribute or royalty for the
landowners' license to get them.
These fibres have been valued a
tfrom4
cloths,-dto4s
per
lb., capable of producing shawls, table
and a variety of other articles of utility, superior to
that of flax or cotton. I apprehend few of our ,
legislators are aware that the finest, cheapest, and
best collars and cuffs of ladies' and gentlemen's
shirts are now made from paper and sold for 12d.
per dozen, as a superior substitute for cotton.
When the excise restriction shall be removed from
pulp-making, the people will find much of their
wearing apparel made of materials now applied to
manure the land. Thousands of acres of bog and
marsh, unfitted by floods, &c,, for pasture purposes,
may be profitably applied to producing the common
meadow rush for paper-making purposes, for
which it is per se suited. The seed should be
sown thick on the ground, and bush-harrowed
in after the flooding season has ceased, or
much of the seed may be washed away ere it germs.
The thicker the plant the better the produce.
The barks and fibres of trees and plants will prove
of as much service and good substitutes for cotton
and rags, for paper and other purposes, as do the
potato and mangel-wurzel for the food of man and
animals. The opposition thereto is incredible. It
reminds me of the hostility to the potato. When
the latter was introduced into France the people
could not be prevailed on to adopt it for their food.
After a quarter of a century King Louis hit upon
an expedient—i.e., of wearing one day at a Court
levee, in the button-hole of his coat, a bunch of its
beautiful blossoms. This attracting attention,
enabled him to descant on the merits of the potato.
The effect was success in causing its general culture
and culinary use. The various purpose of manu-
facture to which the mangel-wurzel bulbs are appli-
cable may now be developed, and will astound the
people.

THE NEW AMERICAN MINISTER.—Mr. Adams
is the grandson and son of the two great men of his name
who were Presidents and Ambassadors in their day. He
has not proved himself equal to the great occasion of last
winter in the Washington State, having brought forward
a futile plan of compromise. But away from his trimming
political associates, and animated by the rising spirit of the
time, he is likely to be a better American Minister than any
that we have seen for a generation.—Once a IVeek.
inof
GENERAL TUBE AND THE HUNGARIAN LEGlON.popolo d' _ltalia :
this protest,
Respecting Italy, who,
Gal,onelitmay mbe remembered, was arrested by
order
the commander of the Hungarian
folltw
General Turr, has published in the Spada d. Garibaldi
a pro
test which he addressed to all the forei•gtl
Legionambassadors
GaceenreerdailteTdutorrtwit
the King ing of Italy,
to the
as
lo
~ To remove all doubt with regard to this arrest, I declare
that not only has Government received from
ters grave accusations various guar-
against Colonel Gal, but it has also
been confirmed by the Hungarian Committee (President
Kossuth) that
his proceedings are dangerous,
the cause not only to
of Hungary and Transylvania,
reputa-
tion, and we cannot allow but to our
trausfura 9ur grata d • one of our fellow-citizens
II 0 into ingrAtitude t w-citizens t
towards 1t44."