The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-11-28


CorroN IN BRIrIsH ISnIA.-The London
Times, of August 9th, contains a long article
on the subject of cotton cultivation in India.
The increased dependency of British manufac-
turing industry upon the cotton crop IN the
United States, IS fact which very much trou-
hles the economists and statesmen of England.
and not altogether in spirit of hostility to-
wards US. Reliance upon a single great source
of supply is an evil which they desire to guard
against on economical principles. Long ago
this dependence on the United States was felt
and attempts were made to lesson it BY stimu-
lating production elsewhere, yet, according to
the acknowledgment in the Times, the depen-
dence is greater now than it ever was before,
A few storms at critical period of the plants
growth-an unusual drought, or one OF those
mysterious diseases which attack the pant-or
blight like that which has affected the potato
crop at home, and the vineyards on the CONT
nent-the Times suggests, too, possible
convulsion in the states on the slavery ques-
ton, may bring struin and misery" upon tho
manufacturing industry of England from which
there would be "no escape" Some instructive
lessons of political wisdom for the international
uses of the two countries might be drawn from
these significant confessions of the Times, that
England is so profoundly interested in the tran
guilty and progress of the Union, lessons which
her diplomacy in regard to abotionism. and
especially in regard to Cuba, disregards, but
we have now merely to inquire what progress
is reported in getting rid Of this dependence
and establishing adequate sources of indepen-
dent supply. The summary of the attempts
in India, recorded in the Times, is not very
fattering, although that paper is decidedly of
opinion that the American cotton plant will
grow in India and Australia, and all that is
wanting there is a steady encouragement by the
government The burden of the whole article
| is that the government has never given the ex-
pertinent fair encouragement, but has, on
the contrary, favored the experiments upon the
native cotton, which is altogether inferior and
incapable Of being raised to any advantage.
We have the accounts of the various expert
ments up to 1849 which were all more or less
in the hands of the government servants on
government farms, and totally failed. In 1842
the English collector at Deowar, in the south
Mahratta country, introduced among the natives
the cultivation of the American varieties, and
labored for years to extend it, but with little
success not from any difficulties in the eultya-
ton SO much as the Opposition Of the gov
ernment servants, who would give no assistance
to the attempt. The Times complains, too that
the American planters who were employed by
the government promulgated the same opinion
that the native cotton was really as good AS
the American, if properly cleaned, and this
helped to defeat the success of the enterprise,
Quotations are given to show that while the
experiment lasted, the American varieties
brought higher prices than the best native cot =
ton. A similar experiment was tried in another
5 part of the Indian territory-at Kandeish-in
1849, and although it is said to have gone on
prosperously for time, the government at that
time suspended the officer under whose care it
was, land appointed another who was opposed to
: the scheme, and we are now told that the whole
experiment has been abolished by order of the
government. The whole plan of naturalizing
and cultivatlng American varieties is failure,
: and the only experiments going on are in the
inferior and unimproyable varieties Of the ma
tive plant.
The progress made by England towards in
dependence of American cotton is, according to
these admissions, extremely small and the
prospect for the future is very remote. She
cannot, without ''ruin and misery" see con-
vusion in the United States which would affect
the growth of cotton, nay more, she has an In
: innate interest in our healthness, and the regu-
larity and serenity of our weather. 1t is 8
pity that, confessing all this, she does not be-
have accordingly, and keep her NEEDING states
men, politicians and presses from offending and
injuring those with whose prosperity that of
her manufacturing millions is SO closely inter-
twined,
EQUALITY OF THE STATEs.-The state depart
| ment has given the following opinions:
! l. 1t has been adjudged by long series Of
f1,off t,I
, States never held any municipal sovereignty,
f,r rfrbt nf coil IN fho of