The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-17
COTTON PLANTING IN INDIA.

| lhat cotton-Socl cotton could be grown out
| at'le the Southern States OF this Union, was II
proposition never entertained with the least de-
gree OF patience by our people before thu war.
Nor are thoy yet entirely cured Of this hnl,cina-
ton OF The alono sovereignty Of "AIiddling Up
lands and "aliddling Orleans" Had there been
no war, had our Industrial system received no
check, amounting Utmost 10 an olitirc suspension
OF This staple during several years, il might have
! been otherwise. India would have furnished her
hundreds OF thousands OF bales Of cotton, as sho
had done before that period; but there would have
been no monopoly 10 stimulate to cAtra prosluc-
tion. lndu has made cotton from tmo immcmo-
rial. The climntc, II may be, is not altogether as
well suited for it as ours; but OH the other hand
labCr is abundant and cheaper than IL WAS with us
even under tho system Of negro slavery. The
Government, moreover, very wisely did everything
in its power to foster this branch Of industry.
Railroads lave been bnit within tho last few
years in every direction, and highways construct
ed, calals widcl'ed md rcopcned, tho navigation
of rivers improved, bridges built aml the junslcs,
for tho first timo il: history, have boon rendered
passablc.
All this tho English Government did to stimli-
late the growth and cultivation of cotton Tho
Marquis ct DALHOusIg, Governor General of In-
da, in 1850 and 1861, inarguratcd the extensive
svstcm vi internal Improvement, which WINS to ci,-
nblc tho people of ltndostnn to compete with
America for the cotton trndc OF the world To Of.
feet this object great cXertions were required.
The most favorable cotton regions of India wcru
inaccessible for want Of proper facilities for COM
muncntion. In order to get tho staple to market
it was necessary to carry it BY mnn and horse
power over vast facts OF jungle, across mountains
and rayines, ard tvrry over groat rivers. TO
Obviale tlcso difficulties tho railroad movement
nangurated wns of the most comprehensive char
acter.
From Il recent article in tho Commercial aud
Financial Chronicle, wo have some interesting
facts concerning these railroads
Fur thousand six hundred miles Of railroad
to DO built mt nn estimated exponso of siOO-
900 900. Tho credit OF tho Imperial Government
was granted to private companies, guaranteeing
certain amount of interest OH oil money invested
in Indian railroads. Last year several Iuliau rail-
ways exceeded tho per cent. guaranteed interest.
During the half year ending December 31st the
East Indian and tho Great Poainsular railroad
companies were able to declare surplus dividends
Half the amount Of surplus income was dcvotcd 10
tho repayment Of former advances for interest by
the government, md tho other hnlf was divided
guaranteed interest paid by the government dimin-
tStIcs every year. In 1SJ tho amount FL 49,,
900; III 1866 il was GSO0, 600, and this year only
fG00 0I0 Was required These figures Indicate tho
profitable character Of these Indau railroad en-
tcrprises.
This Development of railroads in British India
is of tho highest impo,auco ns affecting tho cot
ton trade Formerly we endowed a monopoly OF
tho market; now nearly one-huIf or tle cotton
manufactured in England ia derived from India
alone 4 late Liverpool circular estimates tho
quantity of American cotton nov OH hand and TO
arrive before December S1st 1867 at $50 600 bales
riod ia estimated ut 92j, COO bales Without rx-
pressing any opinion ns 70 tho correctness OF these
figures, the more important fact for ,is To rcmcn-
her ia that tho manufacturers of England bayu 40
altered u,i,l improved their machinery ms to bo
able to use, i'll much larger proportion than for
merry, tho shorter India staple while ut the sano
time, tho quality of cotton fronl that country has
bccn decidedly ind steadily improved, and i be-
ing morc carefully prepared for market. Judging,
then; OF tho future from tho past, it may bo OK