New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-02-17
THE COTTON CRISIS IN FRANCE
what Manufacturers Think Condition OF
the Operatives.

the Operatives
WARRINGTON Feb. 10, 1861.
The following il an extract from y private letter
Of gentleman in Europe to friend in this country,
dated January %, 1868:
7 visited Yesterday ut Lille some Of the princi-
psl for tho msnuScture Of cotton, and
converted with those among the plost noiaoie per
sons connected with that business lhe Impressions
resulting from this visit but 20 TO confirm Opinions
expressed TO you in previous COMMUNICATIONS, ooih
AZ 70 the origin Of what 10 called the cotton crisis
and "a to the accounts OF 1t In France
In Lille. employing with its dependencies about
900 900 spindles, Little lees than one-dusrter
the whole number in France, every mill 10 In opera
ton. and was assured that there were no work
men out Of employ The manufacturers complained
of lack Of orders for their goods-tLat the general
condition Of uncertainty in their business, when
they ascribed 40 much 10 tie Franco Engl-h treaty
of commerce as TO the American war; caused puf,
chasers 10 confpe their orders 10 the limited demand
of The consumers, who, in their turn bought much
Ices than under normal conditions OF trade
| This sagnstioD oil business they ALEC assumed TO
be- in great part, tue result o! speculative nsoulac
ture OF cotton for years past notably IN Ensisho'
and which, far IN advance OF the wants Of ooesuui-
err, had eoue 10 slut the markes OF The wOrld-that
the distress in some districts was NOS on nc
CONT oil the scarcity in cotton, they aeemed TO
think proven by the fact Of the large STOCK now
! IN Liverpool, where sales are now made mostly 70
speculatOrs to be resod again aid again, and where
| the supply for the wants Of manufacturers Is Kept
up and was hrely 20 keep up from the CniIed
| States for some tiulo to come.
! Indeed, taking into cons Iteration the enormous
stocks Of cloths and yarns ttll remaining DO dis
posed OF, the fact that the manufacture for years
ns,, had been far in advance Of the wants OF the
cOpsumers, it seemed 10 be believed hat, with a
tainty Of supply OF over half the weekly consump-
tlon vi cotton in Europe during period OF manu-
featuring expansion, the neee7sities OF Europe
would lie supplied without the addition Of single
hale from the United States. Inc cotton crisis,
mainly caused by the OverprOducti0n Of inanuiac-
TIRES would have come without the war, which bas,
| 10 fact not only saved many manufacturers IRON
ruin. but made she two last year among the most
prosperous they have ever known, and 1t viii abae
| y hen tho causes which have excited II shall have
cea.ed 10 operate, viz: when this surplus stock OF
manufactured goods sball have flown oil INTO the na-
tural channels Of corruption, and custoners egnn
| DO found m the now Iolted markets
Ii 10 not the pHht, nor hardly ibe present, that dis
tresses the manufacturer. Their concern Ii ac-
count OF the uure and il seemed TO Inc that their
ueais, distress would be, not IN tho continued
| rhuting OIL OF lie cotton supply from the United
Sales, but IN its beng hgaln restored. Are you
really anxious for eace and an opening OF THO cot
ton rorls 2" said ! 10 one OF the most prominent
manufacturers Of Lille. AS q man, yes; rs Il man
ufhc.uer, bO;" was his reply, the throwing into
the markets of the world couple OF millions OF
bales Of cotton WOnld cause Immense and wide
.nread ,erurbaton aud disaster The same tpecu-
L,tiye spirit which Las now stimulated rise In cot
| ton beyond It's value, would equally exagserate in
a CONTRARY sense this suppy-ihe result would 10 a
panic, prodigious fall in the prices OF goods, aud
ruin TO manufacturers and merchants holding large
stocks OF goods
Tic distrct Of which Lille is the center. il mainly
employed in tie production Of the hDer yarns or
ti.sues IA which labor enters for much the Llrgest
proporion of the cost. The price OF cotton has
therefore less influence these nanaiaoioiiee than
| in RoQen where the c0aiser fnbrlcS Tor ordinary
consumption are manufactured.
| The department OF toe North, Of which IL is the
capital, il largely engaged also in tho manufacture
Of linen aud wOolen goods. These industries, IN
which tie law material il, IN great part, oil French
| production, are now very 1ourishing, having re-
ceived great stimulus by the high piice Of cotton,
causing, 10 considerable extent fabrics VI this ma
tsral wholly part TO be replaced by the former.
| 1t would thus appear that tue Department Of the
Seine lnereure,0 i which Rouen 10 The center, Is tue
only one where there is real distress among the
working classes Of the cotton disricts and there ts
causes 10 DO generally misstaed and its extent
exaggerated. II has become too much the fashion
to ascrbe every misfortune touching the public or
private pure to the American war; and in France,
can comprehend that this reiterated charge 10 our
door Of all the suffering Of the pee pie has motive IN
the desire 10 from the shoulders Of the Gov
eminent the responsibility for perturoations in trade
and manufactures which might be proved 10 lie due
In great part TO the commercial revolution caused
by the Late treaty OF commerce with England.
C..N nV. "a IL al a