New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-07-04
Talk on Change and Cotton.

The weeks business is closing very satisfactorily.
The health Of the city continues in the highest state
The heat is far from being oppressive, and gene
raj business is doing than in any former year within
our recollection and never entered the month of
July with more suspicious prospects. While we are
moving onward quietly and prosperously, we believe
our friends over the water Mr Bull and his children)
are getting into great trepidaon regarding cotton.
One of the numerous family Of Smiths has arrived in
Liverpool, from New Zealand, with specimens of flax
from that interesting part Of the globe, intended
to supersede the Of cotton 1t is not many years
since that the flax of Ireland was going to take the
place of cotton, but it all ended in talk and nonsense.
The fame of the Smith family will descend to pos
terty as the greatest benetactors of the age provided
cotton can be superseded by flax. But according to
the following paragraph, from the Liverpool Northern
Times of the 18th ut the English folks in very
tight place regarding supply of cotton:
The state of our cotton supplies and the latest
counts respecting the growing crop in the United
States are sufficient to induce merchants and manu-
factures to look ahead and not only to inquire what
is the remedy for the unprecedented evil, but to act
with promptitude in the matter. This consideration
should pervade the breasts of all who attend the
meetng-namey, that whenever can draw sup
ply from our own colonies it should be done. We
should not foster and feed the foreigner at the expense
of our own enterprsing fel0wcOuntrymen, scattered
over the entire globe in the various British posses
sions. But while are anxious for the extended
cultivation of cotton, and deem it essential to the
prosperity Of the United Kingdom, the meeting to-
day will do well to ask themselves if there is not any
| fibre which can be obtained and manufactured that
will decrease the demand for cotton and at the same
time open fields Of enterprise and pecuniary ad-
vantage to all persons concerned we believe that
there are. And we understand that Mr., Smith, from
New Zealand, will attend the meeting to-day, and
submit specimens of New Zealand flax, in its living
state, and also when cut down and dried.
Our readers will recolect that Mr.. Smith attended
the banquet given board the Great Tasmania, pre-
paratory to the sailing of the Oliver Lang for Wei
lington in September last, and delivered an interest
ing speech as to the capabilities and encouraging
character of the colony. Mr.. Smith, who has been a
resident of some sixteen or seventeen years in the
colony tells that there millions of tons Of New
Zealand flax growing tcld-that it can be applied to
variety of purposes for which cotton is used-trom
the finest cambria down to the strongest cable. Now
if this is so-and we have no reason to doubt tit
becomes question of the deepest Importance to this
country to take the matter up and see how far the
skill and ingenuity of Great Britain can turn this i'm.
portant article to advantage.
Indeed, nfantile though the Government of New
Zealand be, we learn that it has offered reward of
$4,000 for the discovery OF any process by which the
native flax can be converted into an article suitable
for the looms of England. Specimens of the flax will
be submitted to the meeting. These. although small,
: will, have no doubt, be deemed sufficient to
satisfy all concerned that New Zealand flax contains
all the useful and important properties which the
statements which will be made by parties who have
resided there feel satisfied that steps will
be devised to test the practicabity OF employing it in
many useful and important commercial purposes. We
shall enter more at length upon this subject on an
, early occasion.
A very singular report obtained credence late yes
terday. We suppose there is much truth in it, and
possibly little more, than in one-haf of the tee
graphic reports The purport Of the intelligence wa;
that heavy run was to be made on the Pass Chris
tan and Cat Island oyster banks and fears enter
tanned that they will be getting largely out Of line
and become liable to the penalties of the law, bu
fortunately for the market, they without the jur
n sdction of our Board of Currency and Attorney
i General As the crisis impending may be magnified
financial editor finding all the Banks in the city
y yesterday in good trim and condition, considers i
l. his duty to proceed and investigate the condition
Cat Island bank, also Pass Christian. He may ex
. tend his investigations further, and be detained unit
J. Tuesday next from his city yocatons
H~ Mercantile Library Association-At
meeting held in the Odd Fellows Hall Tuesday evening
the S0 june 1851 few of the advocates for the establish
Il 1nent Of aMERCANTII4E LIBRARY ASSOCIATION i'll OF
d midst, committee of six, consisting OF
70 GEO. SEYMOUR, VIM. GREGORY,
- 1T. MILLER, NJ kENIS0N,
~ C.s ERLUND, EDWARD NEWMAN,
III appointed solicit the signatures of all friendly to II
Is measure with view general meeting when suaice
a numSer has been obtained to warrant it.
n GEO. SEYMOUR, Chairman.
:. VIM. GREGORY. Secretary iy2 2p6t
pr OFFICE SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY,
81 Camp street, New oricN'S June q, 1901.