Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-10-20
THE COTTON FAMINE IN ENGLAND.

A book has recently made its appearance in England
entitled Il History Of the Cotton Famine ln Eng
land, from the fall Of Sumter TO Me Passing of ihe
Public Won Ac" IL written by r A. Arnold,
aud is interesting as showing the woude fully recupera
tive powers of truly Industrial organizations and how
quickly loss however great may be repaired by
noderu society From copious extracts published, we
make few CONVERSATIONS:
The cotton famlue 10 England did not begin until
time after the breaking out of the Upon the
authority OF the London Spectator it is stated that
Tue trade had for two years previously been Cvestock
| Ing the markets OF the worll lavish prutuscress-
hey had glutted lLd,a, Aus raA, Am, rIca-nad
| IN tact, completely consumption thai they
were possession, directly or indirectly, OF surplus
stock CT 300 OO0 900 pounds weight of manufactured
goods With this enormous stock unsOd, and u gene
raj impression that the American Crisis could uOt ust
| no was willing to give any very heavy price for
material, and though the price rose il Was not
| rapidly"
Iu The year 1860 there in full operation in Eng
land $3.50 COTTON factories, with 440 900 operatives
whose wages amounted Ell 500 600 that year. or
these people SO per cent aduls and Sc per cent.
femas. a power equal to 100000 horses drove the
machinery which quick eyes and active fingers gov
erned ana guided. The Of splndes at wor k
akt away the breath only TO think OF them, whilst The
speed which each of these spndes revOlved makes
the brain glddy-3O 3o7 467 spndlts, each spindle
king from four to Six thousand revolutions per minute,
according to the fuenes5 OF the thread spun
The cotton required to teed all this legion Ct spindes
for year 02l 623 $50 pounds of prepared ma
terial The actual consumption OF the Year. inclusive
of waste, 1888, 900 900 pounds. Toe total guam
uty imported exceeded that amount to the vaiue of
over 97 900 O0U The invested capita in the mills
| and wAg,s 10 keep them going was abouC GG5,-
100000 Inc productions OF the year amounted TO
976 Ol2, $780,
Wneu LIE fact was realized that the raw material
must become there very sudden deprva-
OF work for the operatives The mills first began
work half time, though employing almost their
tull complement OF hands. Between January and Oc-
tooer, 1862 eighteen moDths after breaking Of
he conhct here, the mills closed their doors almost
| u half million OF operatives were idle.
The history OF tue famine says that the savings banks
depleted OF the hard earned savings OF poor
operatives 10 the full Of their deposits lhen
noble un WlllDgnt the part OF the Lancashire
operatives TO subslst money they had earued.-
Everything sacrificed before THEY applied tor relief
they had 10 come 20 II at last. Ou December 9th,
1862, the return OF the number relieved by The guardian
reached the highest point Inc industry were
DOW paupers, tne numbers we're iedrlu 36l ,o93;
cost C Outdoor and ludoUr rellet Exceeding G2U,OO0
sterlDg week. Ibe Lumoers supported by cJnmlt--
alone for the wr5G week OF the distress, 1885,
3l0 the weekly expenditure OF the committees vas q
general total ol 946 336. Calculating Iue loss o wa
yes some tGOusaods eIgnt mluIons year, the
operatives r.cVlug about IT uer oTdI-
aIy IucOme. Ibis mouL4 Ol DccemUer was The dark
Ind heaviest Il he OsLres.; had reacIed
mum. WIN the De, nnlug OI 1868 the tide Degan 10
though the suffering OF ,he ;rauotion staie OF
| even this dark Dccemoer.
The landowners forward to aid the charity
the a. VI December, 1862 memorable Tor their
great meeting IN LaEcasnlre which rtsued in q sup-
scrpton list OF Gl50, 900, Of wh Ca G70 900 was sub
scrDed IN the town, hail. The cOuuty usd Wnen this
meeting separated subscribed relief uud $500,
900. The whole sum expedited by The cCmmItLe, du-
ring the period OF dlstress, Was 81 ga 28l.
But this would not suffice, aud IL Is stated that the
greatest aid to The suffers, and when al same
OVE6 m mn-rO Ot thL
by OF act OF Parliament passed ou Lue "a
OF June, 1862. his act ouiy peEmltLed The local
thorIies, unlcpalILies and money
from The State tor pubic works. 1t worked admirably
euaollDg tne towns " employ some five thousand heads
OF families, or Say twenty-five thousand pesoug, Vu Ite-
nune.aUve WOrX, az Ihe cost OF an Immediate uebt
than a mllion and qlIrter.
Ihe majority OF The haLds either employed in
otter occupations than cotton Spinning,
grated. Ile oIsL may Dc said eud. La
muuhcence OF con rlbUtIOus The part o the rich,
AID The patient enOulauce OF terrible suerug tine
part OF the poor-una- cUmpunIcd lnIo Ianlue hos
oeen by the commission OF auy vIolenoe or crmus Of
any klud by The suh7lels-tne cJLtoA amlue ia Eug-
land stands uuIIValIeI DIstniJ.