The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-27
Growth Of Cotton In India.

Growth Of Cotton In India.
We give below continuation of the debates
in the House Of Commons on the petition OF the
Manchester factors, for commission to inquire
into the expediency of stimulating the culture
of the raw material in British India. The pre-
vious articles were prefaced with some remarks
of our own, but the following taken from the
comments of Wilmer g. Smith, are too full of
common sense fact to need any further remarks
from us - i'9A
.The debate in the House of Commons this
week relative to the cultivation of Cotton in
India, is interesting in various points OF view,
and more especially at the present time, when
the price Of the staple in this country, and the
prospects of the growing crop in the United
States, from which we draw our supplies, are
such as to produce fears that the British manu-
factares will be seriously cramped in their oper-
ations by the enhanced price OF the article and
its diminished consumption.
| The capacity of America to grow Cotton in
proportion TO the requirements OF the world has
been recently tested, and the result n such as to
awaken the worst apprehensions for the future.
The complete dependence on our country for a
primary article of commerce is of itself an evil
sufficiently great to suggest a remedy, for the
| vicissitude Of climate and of seasons cannot be
controlled by every human agency. To this
| must be added the fact that the country from
which we draw 10 IL per cent Of our supplies
is manufacturing largely for itself; nor must we
overlook the ugly circumstances, That an intiuen-
tal political party in the United States entertain,
and have given expression to opinions, with
regard to the export Of Cotton, quite inimical to
| Free Trade principles in England"
sWhether we look at the political or physical
aspect Of the case, the prospect is everything but
cheering. True, the crops the year previous to
| the last were the largest on record, but when
we find difference between that year and the
year following of 100000 bales, falling Off to
the extent of 25 per cent, a natural feeling OF
alarm arises, which is still further increased by
the accounts which reach us respecting the I'M
toward prospects of the crop at the present in
the ground s,,
Bright, for the appointment Of royal Commits
sion to proceed to Indiana, with view OF stimu-
| lating the growth of cotton there, an interest
which the subject never before possessed. But
while we concede to the Member from Manches-
ter the merit Of having made a very able and
telling speech, we will readily admit the incon-
veniences Of being almost entirely dependent on
| the United States for our supply OF cotton, we
question whether his remedy will meet the ur-
gency of the case. THE remedy is not to be
found in such means, referring to royal COM
missions. And the capacity OF India, under
the most favorable auspices, to grow cotton adap-
ted to the requirements of the home market, and
| fit to compete with the cotton Of the United
States, is questioned by many persons OF great
practical experience, who have paid the closest
attention to the subject.
.The East India Company have an interest in
this question hardly inferior to that Of the Man
chester manufacturers, and they have OF recent
years, exhibited praiseworthy desire to push
the cultivation of cotton for import, to the ut
most limits For the purpose Of improving the
Indian staple, they have purchased seed and inn
plemcnts for the natives they have sent out
American planters to teach them superior mode
of culture, and are now guaranteeing the for
nation OF two railways to bring the cotton to
| the coast"
| Sir John Hobhouse, in concluding his remarks,
said:
| aThcre was something in the production of
| India, which would not enable it to compete
| with American cotton He found that the gross
mass of cotton produced in India was not so lit
| for manufacture as American cotton, owing to
the shortness of the staple and the dirty state in
which it was sent to market. He found that in
some American cotton there was not more than
twelve and half per cent. OF dirt, and Indian
cotton had 25 per cent. In America from zoo
| lbs to 500 lbs were produced per acre In India
not more than so to 100 lbs. were ever pro-
| duced"
The Wilmer d. SnitFs Times adds:
aThe Indian native is slave by habit; all
changes are abhorrent to his nature; ne is ground
down by taxation, and is destitute OF the ambi-
| ton to put forth his energies by any pecuniary
L Mantle M nat ra
satisfy their wants-add to this that the charac-
ter Of the climate compel the wearing of cotton
garments. that more cotton is already used by
the Indians themselves than by any people in
the world, and it will be seen how insurmount-
able are the difficulties which exist in the way of
procuring good cotton in sufficient quantities to
effect the market price from that portion OF our
Eastern possessions"
| The East India Company have much to an
swer for on the score of their general policy |;
| many dark and bloody spot disfgures their es-
| cutcheon: and we fear that the condition ofthe
| millions of human souls in Hindoostan have de-
| teriorated under their sway.
sMr. Bright, in the course of his remarks, re-
| ferred to the West Indies as cotton field. His
feelings and prejudices as member OF the So
| ciety of Friends had no doubt much to do with
| this. He showed that the West Indies at one
| time yielded a fair amount Of cotton, but that
the cultivation had dwindled to nothing, although
| it was now reviving 1t is there, Mr.. Bright,
YOU must lock for the only field with which to
supply your Manchester friends with the staple
in quantity and quality fit to compete with the
produce Of the Union. Raise the West Indies
from their present PROSTATE condition, gire them
labor in abundance and they will compete sue
cessfully with the slave growing countries in
their vicinity. Take the utmost precautions that
your Quaker philanthropy for the negro can
suggest, and on the free soil of British colonies
he may become better man, he cannot posi-
| bly become worse one than we find him in
Western Africa. Encourage emigration to the
fair isles Of the west, and you will supcrsede the
necessity of royal commissions to India This
would involve no revival Of the slave trade on
the contrary, it would introduce the benighted
African to higher civilization, where, contem-
poraneousy with his own elevation, ne would
become useful member of the great human
| family H