The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-01-21 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE IMPORTERS OF COTTON. the amendment, though he was in favour of it, because
the meeting was composed of parties who were all on one
side.
Mr. DUCKWORTH said he was glad to see Mr. Bower,
Mr. Wrigley, and Mr. Barnsley present, because it ena-
bled him to say that in dictating the letter to the American
Chamber of Commerce, he had no vindictive feeling to-
wards any man breathing:.
Mr. BARNSLEY, in seconding the amendment, erm-
plained of the practice of those merchants who gave their
orders to four or five brokers, in place of to one, and
thus caused the quantity in the market to appear larger, as
bad been alluded to.
Mr. RATHBONE said it was very desirous that the
spinners should have every advantage in buying the cheap-
est cotton in the market. He suggested that the best plan
would be to carry out the new system for a limited time
and to see how it would work.
Mr. TODD observed that if, after a time, the experiment
should be found not to work well, it would be withdrawn
or materially altered. It was a great mistake to suppose
that a small number only of the merchants concurred in
the present movement ; for those who did concur in it had
imported two-thirds if not three-fourths of the cotton of
last year.
The amendment was then put and lost, and the original
motion was carried.
Mr. Sands, who had another public meeting to attend,
here withdrew, and Mr. Todd took the chair.
Mr. WILLIAM WATSON proposed the second resolution,
to the effect, that for the purpose of carrying out the pre-
ceding one the declaration now read be adopted, and sub-
mitted for signature to all importers of cotton at the port
of Liverpool; but that if it should not be signed in a
fortnight by two-thirds of the body residing in Liverpool,
the same should be notified and published in the Liverpool
newspapers, in which case the parties signing the declara-
tion should be considered as released from their pledge.
He thought some change of system was necessary from
the fact that there was a complete anomaly i i the selling
of cotton, inasmuch as the person owning it had not the
opportunity of representing its good qualities.
Mr. HIGGIN seconded the resolution.
Mr. WRIGLEY said that when the report of the present
meeting appeared in Manchester, the people there would
assert that it was all on one side.
Mr. CROSS admitted that they were all on one side ;
that they belonged to one trade, and they were taking
steps to protect that trade. He had no objection to the
spinners of Manchester taking whatever steps they thought
proper to protect their trade.
Mr. RATHBONE suggested that the proposed experi-
ment should be limited to a trial of six months.
The CHAIRMAN said it was deemed advisable to leave
the time open, but, if the experiment did not succeed it
would be abandoned.
Mr. H. C. CH APMAM said that the great object of all
parties was to have centralization of the samples and a
good light • the way to remedy the evils complained of,
was to build a proper cotton market.
The CHAIRMAN said the proposition was irrelevant to
the question. He then read the declaration to be sub-
mitted for signature, to the effect that the selling broker
be instructed not to allow samples to be removed from
their offices before sale.
Mr. BARRY opposed the resolution, on the ground that
the present system worked well.
The resolution was then put and carried, and the meet-
ing separated.

On Wednesday last a public meeting of the importers
of cotton at this port was held at the Cotton Sales' Booms
with a view to effect an alteration in the present practice
of permitting samples of cotton to be removed, hefore
sale, from the selling broker's office. There was a nu-
merous attendance, and Mr. Sands was called to the
chair.

The CHAIRMAN ghid, he wished that some person more
interested, as an importer of cotton, than himself had
been called upon to preside. Ha should have been glad
to see Mr. Brown there, but that gentle:llan had been
prevented from attending, and he (Mr. S.) complied with
the wishes of the meeting. He had but little information
to afford as to the particular objects in view, end shoal_
therefore, call on those more conversant with the subject
to favour them with their sentiments upon it. The secre-
tary would, however, first read the circular calling the

meeting
Mr. DUNCAN, the secretary, read the, requisition, to
which were attached a long list of signatures. At the
suggestion of the Chairman, he then read (with the per-
mission of Mr. Duckworth) the following letter:—
" " Liverpool, 2711 s December, 1844.
To WILLIAM STUART, ESQ., CHAIRMAN OF THE
AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
" Sir,

" It is now 44 years since I was first introduced to the
cotton trade, and after serving the late Mr. Nicholas
Waterhouse four years, I commenced in the year 1805 on
my account as a cotton broker, and since that period I
cannot but be known in this capacity to most of your
respectable community, if not to the whole. My object
in addressing you is, to lay before you some of the cus-
toms of the trade which I consider not only detrimental
to the merchants, and to the importer, but as unfair in
many other respects; and I shall (without further preface)
endeavour to present them to your notice as they really
exist.

" The first matter of complaint is, the selling broker
giving up to the buying broker the possession of the
original samples.
" The second, the delay caused by his so doing, and the
impossibility of showing any lot of cotton to the
whole of the buyers attending the market in one
day.
" The third, the impossibility under the present custom
of keeping the samples entire, and the consequent
disadvantage to the sellers.
" The fourth, the usage of re-sampling the cotton after
purchase, with other matters which, with your as-
sistance, may be easily obviated.
" Then, Firstly,—The selling broker gives up the sam-
ples of any lot of cotton he may have on sale to the buying
broker at half-past nine o'clock in the morning, and the
sample is taken to the office of the latter, and he procures
in like manner the samples of every oV:er parcel (likely or
unlikely to suit) on sale in the market, and before the real
purchaser can make up his mind which lot or lots he would
wish to buy, be has to examine, it may be, 50 to 150 par-
cels; the time occupied is mostly upwards of two hours,
and every lot in possession of this broker (in any way
likely to answer) is frequently detained until the buyer
has completed his purchase. Nor is this the only griev-
ance the selling broker has to complain of : he is compelled
to make repeated applications to get the samples back,
otherwise they «re returned until after four o'clock, when
the business of the day is over.
" Secondly,—Let the selling broker be the most indus-
trious man on 'Change, he cannot give the whole of the
dealers or spinners at market an opportunity of examining
the cotton he has for sale, from the delay complained of The first public lecture for the present year, in the Col-
in my first remark ; nor is it possible for him to know legiate Institution, was delivered on Friday evening before
what attendance of the trade there is at market when the a crowded auditory, by the Rev. J. Todd Brown, an
buyers are engaged, and shut up in the baying brokers' eminent minister in the Church of Scotland. The subject
offices. On this account, I venture to state, that the was the Scripture History of the Deluge and Jewish Anti-
cotton trade cannot boast of a fair and open market at quities. Among the audience we observed a considerable
Liverpool.
numb of the cg, and a of gentl who
" Thirdly,—When the samples are first introduced into take an interest inler thye welfare ofnumber the Institution.em en
Many
the market, the selling broker delivers them in such form ladies were also present.
that the sample of each bale can be counted, and the The Rev. HUGH WNEILE, who occupied the chair,
number and extent of the lot determined : but they are introduced the lecturer in the following terms :—Ladies
seldom returned in the like manner ; and from this cause and gentlemen,—lt will be in the recollection of those
many disputes arise. This system, of course, operates among you who have taken an interest in the proceedings
also against the value of the cotton, and oftener than of this Institution from its commencement, that when the
otherwise causes a lees than a real value to be accepted, Principal delivered the opening lecture in this hall, the
or the lot has to be re-sampled at the expense of the selling chair was taken by our respected Senior Rector; and
broker.
upon a subsequent occsion, when Mr. Crowe opened and
" Fourthly,—The usage of sampling after purchase is illustrated his plan fora co-operative singin— I may call
carried on to an extent not known by the merchant, and it—my friend Dr. lattershall took the chairs; and now,
beyond all doubt for the benefit and profit of the buying when the committee have made arrangementc with Mr.
broker; and I might be considered personal if I were to Brown to deliver a course upon Scripture History and
mention the boasted yearly profits raised by this nefarious Jewish Antiquities, they have requested me to take the
practice. On this subject I will only add, that, with few chair. (Hear.) Desirous as I am, in common with all
exceptions (and the exceptions are well known) it is im- the directors, to render the working of have, part of this
possible that fairer representations of samples can be Institutien as effective as possible, I have, with much
made than are originally made by the selling broker ; and pleasure, complied with their request that I should intro-
that not one lot out of ten undergoes the routine of a duce to your favourable notice the gentleman who is now
comparison with the original samples. lam well aware to address you. (Cheers.) The subject announced for
that the matters of which I complain have twice before his lectures is peculiarly appropriate, I think, for this
been brought before you, and that each time the buyers place, being well calculated te combine lively interest with
have obtained the Privilege of going on according to the valuable information. (Cheers.) And from the charactee
old regulations, under promises that the evil should be and standing of Mr. Brown in our Sister Church of Scot-
corrected ; which promises, however, have only been par- land, as well as from the lively interest excited in these
tially fulfilled. But I beg now to remind you of the irn- lectures among the members of a scientific society in that
mouse increase of the cotton trade in Liverpool, and of country, for whose advantage they were originally corn-
the absolute necessity that the selling and the buying posed, I have little doubt that their delivery here will not
cotton brokers should come to a proper and equal adjst- only be attended with present gratification, but will leave
anent respecting the customs and usages of their overgrown behind enduring materials for profitable subsequent re-
trade, in order that it may in future be conducted for the flection. (Cheers.) I understand from the rev. gentleman
benefit of all the parties concerned. I would in the first that he designs to introduce to you this evening some re-
instance lay it down as an invariable rule, that the selling marks upon the Deluge, and the history of the wondrous
broker should never suffer the sample of any unsold lot of , preservation of Noah and his family • and I am reminded
cotton to be taken from his office. The sale being effect- by this of a very curious—and, if I heave been strictly and
ed, let him reserve a fair average sample for himself, to correctly informed in all its parts, a very instructive inci-
compare with the samples now in possession of the buying i dent which occurred in this town. In the history of one
brokers, in case of dispute in re-sampling the cottons; at of our chief shipbuilders—Mr. Wilson was the person
the same time allowing the buyer free access to the ware.- mentioned to tne, and I dare say he is a man known to
house to examine the condition of the bags or bales, and many now listening to me. (Hear, hear.) I was in-
also to have regular information whether the duty has formed by a gentleman of high respectability in this town,
been paid, &c., and when the cotton can be forwarded. that Mr. Wilson, impressed with the fact of mistake after
"By this rule the seller would have the opportunity of mistake having been made in the construction of
knowing the weight of the buyers, and from whence the steam vessels—that some bad been made too broad for
demand originated : in brisk markets there would be corn- adequate rapidity, and some too narrow for sufficient
petition, which, at present, is scarcely known ; there safety, and that divers other mistakes had been made—
would be no combinations amongst purchasers ; the buyers thought seriously of how they could be rectified: and going,
would have the advantage of all dull markets, and even in as became him, and as becomes all, to the Fountain Head
brisk markets of knowing and examining therein the of wisdom for
all his instructions, he thought that surely
quantity of cotton they now can do under the present sys- the best proportions for a vessel must be those laid down
tern ; they will, moreover, be better informed at all sea- by the Divine Architect who commanded the construction
sons of the existing state of the market, and will ultimately of a vessel. (Hear.) Accordingly, as I was told the story,
understand the true value of the article. As to re-sam- he took his Bible to his workshop : he determined the scale
piing the cotton sold, there ought to be no restraint in the he should ascribe to the cubit as mentioned in the history
quantity taken, but the seller should add the weight to the of Moses ; and he ordered the construction of a steam-
invoice at the cost price of the lot. For my own part, as ship upon the exact proportions of the ark. (Hea
a purchaser of cotton, I should prefer the plan I have laid hear.) The result was the Oriental—a steam-sh r,ip, I
down to the present system ; and I have reason to believe believe, that will bear comparison with any in operati
that there are other brokers who will bear me out in my and perhaps I may say she is the very best upon the on,
assertion. water.
" The plan laid down is simple and fair, giving the (Cheers.) Now, ladies and gentlemen, if this in all re-
spects be a correct story, (I tell it to you as it was told to
seller of his cotton the chance of an open market, and it me,) it affords a very valuable illustration of the wisdom
will give buyers the opportunity of knowing and examining to be found in the Sacred Volume. (Cheers.) We have
every lot of cotton for sale ; and the sel er will be enabled again and again argued for the Divine inspiration of that
to keep his samples complete and in proper order. volume from the perfection of the laws that it contains.
" The American shippers have for years complained of All human codes have required amendment. The only
the manner in which cotton has been offered for sale at code that stands to this day the test of inquiry, and baffles
Liverpool, and the abuses carried on with regard to the the ingenuity of man to amend, is that original code given
samples ; in this I fully agree with them. Ido not know from Mount Sinai. (Hear.) This proves the Divine
of any place or port where the samples go out to the buy- Wisdom of the law giver. Now if it can be shown also
ers as in Liverpool ' • in London (when a cotton port of that the very best directions for ship building, which the
consequence) and in Glasgow the sales are all made at the most improved scientific artist in this day of science can
selling brokers, and there has never yet been any difficulty adopt, are those given to Noah by his Divine instructor,
in selling cotton at auction, in this town, by means of the we have another and a similar argument for the Divine
sellers samples, although exhibited in the worst and most Wisdom contained in that volume baffling the possibility
difficult light in Liverpool—the cotton sales-room. of invention by man—baffling all ingenuity of infidelity to
" Before I conclude this letter let me remind you, that gainsay. (Cheers.) But I will not interpose between
you are the party called upon to put these regulations into you and the reverend lecturer, but at once announce that
force. Without your assistance the selling brokers can I hive great pleasure in intuoducing to you the Rev. J.
do nothing ; and, with your authority, I feel every confi- Todd Brown, of the Established Church of Scotland.
deuce that they will easily accomplish this task, so desire- (Cheers.)
ble to all concerned in the cotton trade.—l remain, sir, The Rey. Mr. Brown was very warmly received. He
very respectfully and sincerely, your obedient servant, said that after the interesting prefatory observations ad-
" HUGH DUCKWORTH." dressed by their friend, the Chairman, to whom the Col-
Mr. Ducgwortem proposed the first resolution, to the legiate Institution, the audience; and himself, (the lee-
effect that in the opinion of the meeting the present prae- curer), were under great obligations for his services that
tice of allowing samples of cotton to be taken from the evening, he might well be excused from troubling them
selling brokers' offices previous to sale is attended with with any introductory remarks. He then proceeded with
much loss and inconvenience, and that with a view to the subject of his lecture—the deluge, and the saving of
remedy this evil, it was expedient that the importers of Noah in the ark. At the onset he touched, for the sake
cotton should enter into a general resolution to instruct of illustration, upon the power and rapidity of immense
their selling brokers not to permit samples of cotton to be cataracts, and this portion of the subject he illustrated by
removed from their offices until after the sale is effected, a very beautiful drawing of the falls of Niagara. He next
so that all purchasers might have au equal opportunity or exhibited a drawing of the ark, floating on the mighty
inspecting them.
of , and beaing
He
ls and s fam and
CARNE said he cordially seconded the resolution. twowaste of everywaters anitliate species. He dwelt athi lengthily upon
The present practice had an injurious effect upon the the proofs visible to this day in surrounding nature, apart
market by the reports which it gave rise to in Manchester, altogether from the account mentioned in holy writ, that
and the fact of a letter having been written and circulated the deluge had taken place. Ile said that it had been
which entered into personalities_ Rhnu-pd •• contended by some that its ravages were confiued wholly
to the neighbourhood of the place where the ark was
erected, not far distant from the Garden of Eden. He
was of a different opinion. He believed that it swept
from pole to pole, and covered the whole surface of
crsation to the top even of the Himmalayan mountains
'is last drawing consisted e- clue' voices,—

COLLEGIATE INSTITUTION

~
Kuoa ground for bringring the matter forward cu tau Lllei, Via
at this•time.
He believed that the proposed alteration was at least
Worth a trial, and that bath importers and purchasers
would eventually be benefitted by the proposed change.
Mr. Toren said he would not have addressed the meet-
ing, but to correct an erroneous impression, that the in-
tpr”.l-1

alange was proposed in hostility to the interests of
111 Pro .

...",,,,uwers, whose interests were so much iden:ified
with those of the importers that it would he most impolitic
in them to come into collision. The change, too, was
only proposed as an experiment. The consumers w.old ho

a cluster of volcanic pro-
ductions, in the foreground of which the eruption of
Mount Vesuvius was brought prominently into view.
The lecture throughout, which was interspersed with
some choice passag,s from some of our best English poets
and writers, was warmly applauded ; and at the close,
Mr. Brown announced that he should deliver his second
lecture of the series, on Tuesday (this evening,) on Mount
Sinai, preceded by some explanatory remarks on the
Tower of Babel.

_.—
ue 'meat in the same relative position individually as now,
as the new system would give none of them an advantage
over the other,. The letter alluded to, containing perso-
nalities, did not fairly state the case. That of Mr. Duck-
worth clearly stated most of the abuses of the present
system ; but there were others, the mutilation of the sam-
ples, and their multiblientinA

uy uitterent
which last it was made to appear, if a parcel ofbrokers, 500 baksby were sold, that 5000 had been in the market. They en-
tertained no feeling of hostility to the consumers. The
past year had been disastrous to the importers, and pros-
perous to the consumers, but the latter, he trusted, svm-
nathis..d with it- _ .

JAW INTELLIGENCE

SITTINGS AT GUILDHALL, JAN. 18

RICHARD V. JONES AND ANOTHER.
It appeared that the plaintiff was a brewer carrying on
business at King's Ferry, Ches'aire, and that the defen-
dant Jones is the servant to a gentleman, whilst the other
defendant, Edwards, is engaged to be married to Jones's
sister. The defendants, seeing by an advertisement that
the plaintiff's brewery was for sate, employed a person of
the name of Evison to go over to see it on their behalf.
This he did, in company with Edwards, who subsequently
joined him, on the 31st of October, and their report of
the concern was favourable, and the result was that the
defendants agreed to take it at £l2O. A contract to this
effect was afterwards drawn up in Liverpool, on the sth
of November, and a day appointed for the payment of
the money. On the arrival of the day, however, the de-
fendants were not prepared with the whole of the pur-
chase money, but handed to Evison the snm of £l5, of
which £1 lls. 6d. was to be paid to the Excise for the
licence. whilst the remainder was to be handed to the
plaintiff, with an intimation that the whole of the money
would be paid to him in a fortnight. But it turned out
that the plaintiff would not give the time required, be-
cause, on the faith of the bargain he had entered into with
the defendant being puneWally completed, he had pro-
mised to pay various ka.ersons the clams they had upon
him for horses; harness, and other matters with which he
was about to cuter Rp.ll another business. A• long ox,

Li, writer, and he trusted that, with a
generous feeling, both parties would continue to go on
hand in hand. (Applause.)
Mr. BOWER said, there was a very unanimous feeling
amongst the spinners against the proposed change, which
they regarded as a practical denial of the fight of buyers
to examine carefully the article before they purchased.
It should be shown that great advantages would arise from
the proposed measure before it was adopted, and he be-
lieved it would produce ill-feeling and numerous disputes.
There was not much cotton bought by the light of the
cotton sales-room ; and many spinners, who bought three
or four kinds of cotton, would be greatly inconvenienced
by buying in lights to which they were not accustomed ;
and, by the new system, business which they could now
accomplish in three or four hours, would, by their being
obliged to go to many places, would occupy a day, or
perhaps two. The waste by the present plan of sampling
was greatly overrated, as it rarely exceeded 3d., and never
6d. a bale. He was certain that no practical man would
say it would work well for Sea Island, Egyptians, or prime
Orleans cottons ; and he concluded by moving, as an
amendment, that the further consideration of the subject
be postponed for six months.
Mr. WRIOLNY said, he should not attempt to second