The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-03-30
COTTON IN INDIA.

The importance of a regular supply of cotton for
British manufacturers is such that for some years
various efforts have been made at the instance OF
the British Government to establish the culture of
cotton in India 1t is found however, that the eli
mate is unfit for its cultivation or that the alb
sence of railroads for the present. creates obstacles
to the transportation of heavy articles to the
coast for transhipment. We have before a
document read recently before the British Assoca-
tlon at Cheltenham, upon ''the actual relation OF
the slave system of the United States to the cotton
manufactures of Great Britain" The writer con-
cludes that in the present state of the CONNER
cial relations of the two countries the cotton plan
ters of the United States are interested to the OK
tent Of about two-thirds of their exportable pro-
duce, IN the maintenance of the cotton manufac-
ture of the United Kingdom.
Further that reciprocally, the cotton manufac-
turers of Great Britain, and through them the
entire population Of the Kingdom, are interested
to the extent of fourftths of the raw materials of
that manufacture, in the existing arrangements
for maintaining the cotton culture of the United
States. According to examinations made at Liver
pool the average weight Of the cotton bale is as
follows:
From the United States 45O pounds
From Brazil 200
From Madras and Bombay 420 "
From Calcutta 300
From Egypt 280 "
The increased weight in those of the United
States and Madras, appears to be due to increased
pressure in packing, to save freight.
If England could succeed in producing the cul-
ture Of cotton in India, so as to supply her own
manufactures she would lose the United States as
a large market for her cotton goods. In order to
show the grounds upon which the English writer
arrives at the conclusion above stated we recaptu-
late the items, VIZ
l. That cotton must be grown almost entirely,
out of Europe, and manufactured chiefly in Europe;
and in Europe, chiefly in Great Britain.
2. That cotton has hitherto been grown and as
far as yet appears, must continue to be grown,
chiefly by slave labor.
3. That for the last fifty years Great Britain,
seeking her supply of cotton all the earth with
preference, during the greater part of that pc
rod for the produce Of free labor has yet received
during the whole of that period, and continues to
receive all the cotton she imports of the better qua
ties and by far the greater part of all she imports,
in bulk we'll value, from the countries in
which it is grown by slave labor
4. That cotton is grown in the United States
exclusively by slave labor.
5. That two-thirds, at least Of the slave popula-
ton of the United States are employed in raising
cotton for expectation.
g. That ofthe cotton thus raised for expectation,
about two-thirds in quantity and more than two
thirds in value is raised expressly for the British
market, and is regularly imported into and manu-
facturcd in the United Kingdom and
l. That, of the entire quantity of cotton import
ed into, and manufactured in the United Kingdom,
nearly four-ffths in quantity and more than four
ftths in value, is, average of years, obtained
from the United States