The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-01-19 00:00:00

occurrence,

All was quiet and orderly in Canada. The Boston
Atlas states that "Lord Sydenham appears determined
to remove, in a quiet way, that will cause no incon-
venient results to the government, all the Tories in
command in the British provinces in America;"
adding that, in consonance with this line of policy, Sir
John Harvey bad been ordered to India.
We subjoin the following extract of a private letter,
dated New York, Jan. 1, IS4I

" We have only to confirm ours of the 19th Nov., and in
confirmation of the opinion we then expressed, of the extent
of our cotton crop, prices are advancing in all the southern
markets, as well as our own, predicated on increased confi-
fidence, that the cotton crop will fall short of even that at
which it has been estimated. Whether prices advance on
your side, to bring out the present shipper even whole, we
think will depend upon the state of trade and money mat-
ters, of which you will be the best judge. Our exports to
France are now 32,000 bales against 89,000, and vessels load-
ing 17 against 51 same time last year. When we get our
accounts from New Orleans after this date, our exports to
France will show a deficiency of about 105,000 bales, com-
pared with last year, same time. To Great Britain our ex-
ports are now 120,000 bales, against 108,000, and vessels
loading 35 against 78 same time last year. Our reports to
Great Britain, when we got our returns from New Orleans,
up to this date, will show a deficiency of about 53,000 bales
from same time last year; and the failing off in our exports
will continue on the increase as the season advances, as the
crop will not exceed 1:600,000 bales, 350,000 of which will
be required this year for our home consumption, leaving us
the utmost we can expect, 1,250,000 bales against 1,870,000
total exports last year, and a total deficiency in our foreign
exports of 626,000 bales. The comparative receipts of cot-
ton in the Atlantic States are much smaller than last year.
At New Orleans they now begin to fall off, and will continue
to do so for the remainder of the season. It is not likely
that we shall be able to ship a single bale this 'season, with
a prospect of gain, as prices on our side will continue to ad-
vance in anticipation, under the influence of short crop
operations, as well as the general feeling among planters to
hold on to their crop, confident of still higher prices as the
season advances."

We have been favoured with a copy of the Annual
Circular of Mr. John S. Kewley, relating to the im-
ports, deliveries, and stocks of sugar, molasses, rum,
&c, for the last year, from our various colonial posses-
sions. This circular furnishes us with some highly im-
portant statistical details, of which we gladly avail
ourselves.

The aggregate import of sugar from the West India
colonies, during 1840, appears to have been 137,600
hogsheads, against 178,800 in 1839; 228,300 in 1838 ;
204,150 in 1837 ; 225,850 in 1836 ; and 230,350 in
1835 : the supply of 1840 is, therefore, 42,200 hogs-
heads less than that of 1839, and 79,000 hogsheads less
than the average import of the five previous years.
This statement fully corroborates the calculations
which were made at the commencement of last year.
The fearful deficiency which it exhibits arises in part
from the unfavourable season, but chiefly from the want
of continuous labour.

We are glad to find Mr. Kewley remarking that "if
the restrictions on foreign produce should be relaxed,
England would be dependant upon the Brazils for her
supplies of sugar, as the freedom so rashly introduced
into the British colonies, could never compete with the
slavery of foreign possessions, where the falling off in
the number of their victims is supplied by an annual
introduction of 120,000 slaves." This is precisely our
own view of the subject. And what would be the in-
evitable consequence of such a relaxation in the scale of
our restrictive duties ? Let Mr. Kewley answer. He
says the bulk of the carrying trade of sugar, so advan-
tageous to the shipping interest, would, like the tran-
sport of cotton, fall into the hands of foreigners—the
ruin of the colonies would close an important outlet-
for manufactured goods—and the measures so speci-
ously atlvoeatcd,by the cosmic of the colonies, under
the plea of rendering sugar cheap, might terminate in
disappointment, and be productive of no advantage to
the country at large.

The present high prices of sugar arise chiefly from
the sudden change from slavery. These prices; how-
ever, are not likely to continue. The competition
between the dependencies of India, the West Indies,
and the Mauritius, is now beginning to favour the
consumer, by increasing the supply of sugar, and
consequently reducing its value.

The following paragraph from Mr. Kewley's circular
contains some very appropriate remarks :
" If we consider that Brazil sugar in 1836 realised the high
price of 435., and Havana 525.; and that British plantation
sugar, in the autumn of 1838 (certainly of low quality) was
sold at 21s. per cwt., without duty, it would appear very
doubtful whether the admission of foreign sugar would pro-
duce a lower Gazelle average for the ensuing 10 years, than
the average of 1831 to 1840. The contingency which caused
a rise from 335. to 435. in 1836 might often occur ; and the
probable low price of the first year might at any hour be qua-
drupled in the event of war. It would be useless, then, to
look to those colonies, the wealth of England, and the up-
holders of her ships and commerce, when slavery should have
gained the advantage over freedom so weakly encouraged in
the British possessions. It would be well also to inquire
whether the clamour for the introduction of foreign sugar, be
not raised by parties secretly interested in the slave trade,
twelve millions of money being annually invested in the traffic
by powers who, without this assistance, could not advance it;
and, lastly, it would be well to reflect if the cause of " cheap
sugar," would not be more safely and more honourably ad-
vanced, by reducing the enormous and ruinous duty of 245.
per cwt.; by encouraging immigration into the West India
Colonies, and by fostering the growth of sugar in the Indian
possessions and the Mauritius. Freedom so dearly purchased
would thus be protected, and the prosperity of the colonies
would be instantly felt in the manufacturing districts, and by
the shipping interests of England."

We have not sufficient space at our command to give
the whole of Mr. Kewley's elaborate tables of imports,
deliveries, and stocks. We subjoin, however, a

summary of each :
IMPORTS, DELIVERIES, AND STOCKS OF ALL DESCRIP-
TIONS OF SUGAR, SUBJECT TO THE DUTY OF 245. PER
CWT., CALCULATED IN HOGSHEADS OF 131 CWT. EACH.