The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1867-08-31
Facts About the Cotton Trade with
England

From the New York Bulletin.l
! The Commissioners of English customs
in a recent report on British commerce for
the year 1866, present some interesting facts
/ in relation to the trade between that country
/ and the United States. 1t appears that the
| imports to the United States from England
! in 1866 amounted to $I42, ,420, 700 The
chief articles Of import were as follows
I Cotton goods, S15, 100000; linen goods, $50,
/ 000000 millinery and haberdashery, S.
/ 100000; soea and alkali, s., 600, COO; worst
| ed stufs, $20,000,000; tea plates, ST 100000
! Notwithstanding the restrictions of the
tariff we imported S36, 81, go more goods
from England in 1866 than during the pre-
yious year. This shows an increase of one
fourth IN the amount of our purchases from
that country In a single year.
But England has also been a liberal Gus
toner Of this country. While our imports
Increased One-fourth amounting in 1866 to
more than double the amount in the two
preceding years. OF course this increase in
our exports was chiefly cotton. Last year
we sold England $Il0,0000 600 worth Of cot
ton. In 1864 England obtained from the
Confederate States cotton valued at 81 ,325,-
00O In 1865 our cotton exports amounted
to $25, 100000 Our exports of breadstuffs
amounted to very little, owing to the def
ciency Of cur crop, being valued at about
million and a half dollars, against an expor-
tation of grain In 1864 amounting to SI8,-
425, 10. But notwithstanding the draw
back, our exports to Great Britain were
larger last year than ever before, with the
exception of the year 1861 The total ex-
ports to Great Britain from the United States
amounted in 1866 to the enormous sun of
1924, ,2Gl ,420 in specie. OF this sum the ex-
ports from the Southern States amounted to
over half or to S120,000,000
From these statistics it will still appear
that cotton is still king. But his empire is
broken and divided The aggregate amount
Of exports last year was swelled to the in
creased prices of the staple. OF 1926, ,803
cwts of cotton imported by England, only
about third, or 1000, 900 'cwts, were pro-
cured from the United States, leaving about
100000 cwts. obtained from other sources.
Previous to 1861, the average amount of ex-
ports of American cotton to England was T.
100000 cwts. and the supplp of only ,00O,-
600 cwts. was obtained fron all parts Of the
world Now conditions are entiely reversed.
India alone sent to England last year not
less than 5,493,77 cwts. very nearly the
amount of cur exports before the civil war,
and larger than the quantity purchased
from this cOuntry. Egypt sent ,055 900 cwts
of cotton. Brazil Gil ,808 and China $4,000
cwts. Other countries sent smaller supplies
As an evidence Of the extent to which the
culture of cotton in foreign countries has
been stimulated by the inducements held
out by the English Government, it may be
stated that nc less than ninet-fVe countries
are mentioned in the customs report as hay
ing sent larger or smaller supplies to Great
Britain during 1866. These figures show the
comparative success that has attended the
efforts of the English Government to obtain
cotton from other sources besides the United
States They are also important as exposing
the faIlacy of certain writer's to the effect
that it is quite possible for us to recover our
monopoly of the cotton trade, even with the
heavy tax burdens to which it is now sub
jected