Year: 1861

It is worthy Of notice that, in the discus
sions in the British Parliament on the Queens
Speech, several speakers argued, while allud-
ing in kind manner to this country on the
necessity and feasibility of obtaining cotton
from other places than our Southern States
The Earl of Seton, who moved the Address
ian adulatory paraphrase Of the Royal speech
sent to the Queen,) said:


With regard to America, they must all re-
gret to see so 6ourishing, so large and 50 pros
porous community bound so closely by every
tie to ourselves almost on the verge ofu civil
war. They must also feel some alarm at the
effect of these events upon our import of cot
ton; but let them remember that cotton is to
be had from other countries besides America
and he was glad to to say that the subject
was exciting the deepest interest, not only in
Manchester but be trusted also in Liverpool.
He hoped that increased facilities of commu-
nication would soon bring an ample supply of
lsdfsII totton into the market, and the hardy
and adventurous pioneers on the coast Of AT
RIGA were striving to open up that country to
commercial enterprise.


The Earl of Derby, leader OF the Opposition
remarked:


! am quite sure that apart even from the
relations of the two countries, there is no one
in this country who has not viewed with the
deepest anxiety and the deepest regret, the dis
ruptou of community which, without Claim
ing perfection for its Constitution, which GER
tainIy had various disadvantages, has yet pro-
cured for its people an amount of prosperity
almost unparalleled in the world, and an
amount of personal liberty and personal free
dom which is only inferior to that which is
enjoyed by the people of this kingdom. But
it is impossible to overlook, in considering the
possible disruption of those States, the effect
that disruption will have on those States from
which we draw the raw material used in one
uf the great manufactures Of this county,
Unfortunately. it does SO happen i trust it
will not be so l0ng-that we have for many
years been too exclusively dependent upon
that country for the production of the raw
material iu the manufacture Of cotton, and it
will not be without IFS advantage if this dis
ruption should lead to the most anxious con-
sidcration ou the part Of those most deeply in
terested-for | do not think it is question III
which Her Majestys Government ought to or
eau intcricrc-as to how far they can obviafe
the danger of depending almost entirely for the
supply of cotton from the United States, and
to what extent they can obtain supply from
other countries. That a supply may be bad,
and in great abundance, provided proper
means be taken, am quite satisfied.


Earl Granville, one of the Ministry, alud-
ing to the unfortunate divisions in this coun-
try, declared that the general feeling, both
publicly and privately evinced, showed that
there was one feeling of sympathy and con-
Germ throughout the land at such misfortune
having arisen. Foreigner after foreigner had
said to him, You ought to be very glad of
this disunion-this weakening Of your great
rival across the Atantic;" but no English
man had ever made the same remark to him;
aud he believed that feeling far deeper than
mere commercial or manufacturing feeling
did pervade all classes of Englishmen on the
subject, and that there existed the sort of sym
pathy he had described between his country
and the United States, which, as the noble
Earl had so well expressed, was one of the
greatest nations of the world, and almost as
free as themselves. In that opinion he entire
| ly concurred. With respect to cotton. he said
that he "entirely concurred in the conclusions
cf the noble Earl as to the desirability of our
obtaining cotton from all parts OF
the world. He thought the advice OF
the noble Earl was excellent. From
political, as well as other reasons, it was not
wise that great staple of trade in this coun-
try should depend for its supply merely on
one particular part of the globe. Cotton was
a crop more dependent ON the weather than
any other, and there was no doubt that some
of our own colonies, as we'll as may other
countries, we're capable of furnishing US with
an adequate supply of that article. The Gov
ernmeDt would give their support, as much as
possible, to au extension of the cultivation OF
cotton, and they had already sent out circulars
10 British Consuls abroad to stimulate its in
PRODUCTION as far as they Iegitimatey could
but, after all, il rested with the merchants and
manufacturers particularly interested to take
active and energetic steps in the same direc-
tion."


1t is evident that England is impressed with
the idea that, from some cause or other, the
cultivation of cotton in the United States is
| likely to be interrupted or diminished, and
that it is absolutely necessary, therefore, to
use all available precautions to prevent the
evils which would accrue from a short supply
of what has become national manufacture.


Scarcity is identical with dearness of cottou
and involves greOtly reduced production oI
the wrought product, and greatly diminished
employment Of the working classes, who liter