1847 48.] MB. FINNIE'S FOUR YEARS IN TINNEVELLY. 141 



Madras Government refer the sample to Dr. Wight, C HAP. 

 the Chamber of Commerce, and the Court of Direc- - 

 tors. Before sanctioning large purchases of such Cotton as *'*' ^ , 

 Mr. Finnie recommended, the Madras Government referred Minutes of 



Consulta- 



the sample for the opinion of Dr. Wight and the Madras ^ n n e - 

 Chamber of Commerce ; and at the same time required f u a r r n (18 ^fJ 

 from Mr. Finnie a clear business like statement, showing p ' ~ 83 ' 

 how much Cotton of the same quality as the sample forward- 

 ed, Mr. Finnie could command within the ensuing six or 

 twelve months ; as well as the price paid to the grower per 

 candy, the cost of packing per candy, the cost of transit 

 to the port, and the freight charges. In a word, the Govern- 

 ment desired to learn the data on which Mr. Finnie based 

 his statement, that a safer remittance could not be made. 



Dr. Wight's report : Mr. Finnie's sample is " good 198 

 Tinnevelly," which no one could mistake for Ame- Dr Wi(rht , a 

 rican. Dr. Wight reported on Mr. Finnie's sample as follows. K^lS! 

 It is such Cotton as would be called in Liverpool " good t p u a r n' 

 Tinnevelly. " In average states of the markets, it would p ' 293 ' 



and I now have nearly a whole village at work producing such Cotton as 

 this ; and if I am encouraged to go on, I will pledge myself ultimately to 

 have the whole crop of Tinnevelly thus cleaned, provided always that pur- 

 chasers can be found willing to give a reasonable price for the article. 



" Hitherto I have not proclaimed success, because I did not consider 

 that it had been attained ; but I believe, now, that we have commenced a 

 very pacific " revolution" in Cotton among the democratic republicans of 

 Hindostan ! ! A free and more independent race does not exist. They are 

 not fond of a total change, especially when unprofitable ; but a little per- 

 suasive eloquence to convince them that we are in earnest, especially when 

 accompanied by the consonant clink of the coin they like, will speedily 

 bring them to compliance with reasonable demands on their efforts. 



" A complete reformation has taken place in some of the Native Cotton 

 cleaning houses here ; hitherto they have been filled with rubbish and a 

 "compound of villanous smells," and now they are clean, nicely matted. 

 This was effected by reason, applied through the shafts of ridicule, of which 

 the people are peculiarly sensitive. 



" Amidst mountains of opposition, I have persevered in my efforts to 

 awaken an interest in the people on the subject of the importance to them, 

 individually and nationally, of preparing their great source of wealth in a 

 manner that would render it valuable abroad. The people themselves 

 scarcely knew that they could make the Cotton so clean until they were 

 made to try. They have never had a demand for a .clean article, and it is 

 not strange they did not prepare it. Why should they ?" 



