Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1861-02-21
The Cotton Supply of England.

binary statements in regard to the sources
of supply to which England can resort for
Cotton. For instance, it is stated that, four
years ago, the United States sold to Eng
land only II, ,4S2, 900 bales, while ether
countries furnished l 900, 600 bales! Those
persons, therefore. who believe that no 9th
sr portion Of the globe save the Gulf States
Of this Union, can grow cotton enough for
commerce, are laboring under great mis-
take.
The entire article Of the London Times,
as showing the deep interest taken BY the
English people in the present condition Of
American politics, aud their determination
not to be dependent on Southern States for
thsir Cotton. II is in review Of an srticls
On tins subject, from the British Eeonomist,
that Time, thus speaks:
We gave insertion all the more willingly
10 the remarks Of the Economist, because
they were designed TO mitigate alarm
They profess 10 give the facts and figures
Of the case without exaggerstion, and to ir-
form the public exactly Of what might be
expected IL the worst came 10 the worst
Such being the spirit Of the article, it may
be fairly assumed that Of least all ths con-
sequences anticipated would really occur
in the event OF an American war, snd what
those consequences would BE- We can now
briefly explain. The number Of people &C.
tualIy dependent on our cotton manufsctur-
ers for their daily bread is estimated at
nearly 4,000, ,000-that is 10 say, at about
one-si1,h the entire population Of Great
Britain. The extent to which our export
trade depends on the same branches Of in
dustry is expressed by the fact that cotton
goods constituted more than one-third oil
the aggregate exports Of 1859. Finally,
the degree in which We have hitherto do.
pended for the material Of all this trade on
the Southern States Of the Union appears
from the statement that, upon an average
Of the last four years, America sent us
seventy -sevsn per cent, of all the cotton we
consumed. That much 10 admitted, and
the deduction is at once 60 obvious and s.
alarming that we do not see how il could
be exaggerated. ........
Our emporary. however, has some
crumbs Of consolation for rs. There are
many countries which produce cot,on, and
when the American supply falls shor. Of
our wants. as it has occasionally done, the
exports from other quarters increase. For
instance, four years ago the crops Of the
United States proved deficient, and the
consequence was that other countries, and
especially India. sent us an amount making
respectable approximation 10 the whole
American yield. From the slave States we
got 1882 600 bales, while from other
sources we actually obtained almost l ,O0O,-
900, of which India contributed nearly
two-thirds. Assuming, therefore, that our
yearly consumption may be reckoned at 2
400, 900 bales, it would not be extraysgant
10 suppose tho, the miscellaneous sources
Of supply might be made, under the extra
ordinary pressure which would snsue, TO
furnish US with 100000; or, in other
words, with half the amount requir.d.-
Here, then, we see the extreme effect
which might be produced by the suspension
OF cotton production in the Slave States Of
the Unisn, and the absolute interruption Of
supplies from that quarter. All our mills
would have 10 work half time. That it
does moi follow, as matter Of necessity,
that oil our work. people would earn snly
half wages may be perfectly true. 1t is
also true that the consequences would be
probably mi,igatsd ty economy Of consump-
tion and various otter incidents Of the cri.
sis, while it is certain that the dsarth Of
material would be ouly temporary. and
that the irresistible stimulus applied to cot.
ton production IN other quarters Of the
globe, would soon stock cur markets as
abundan.ly as before. All this may be
true, and j. may, moreover, be admitted
that the utter asstru ciion of the American
cotton crop is too extreme case to be fair.
" supposed. In the worst Of events we
should get something.
We are certainly not inclined TO dspreci-
ate these arguments. We prefer, on the
contrary. TO give them their full weight, and
to assume that the worst contingency
conceivable smounts simply 10 this
that for certain period, probably briei
one, oil cur cotton. mills would be compelled
to work half time. We take that as the re-
suit 70 Be anticipated. according 10 reason.
sble snd temperate calculation; snd We ask
1 u,hefheY any man in thu KlnOdom can CON.