INDIA, HEMP AND FLAX, AT LEEDS. 



51 



to the conclusion, that certain raw materials hitherto com- 

 paratively unknoivn, and their commercial value unappreciated, 

 may not only be used with advantage in connection with the 

 spinning of Silk, Flax, Wool, and Cotton, but may, in many 

 cases, superseed their use in point of economy, texture, and 

 durability. The specimens now before you, most of which are 

 from India, are what I produce in proof of my assertions. 



Sir,— Every man who thinks seriously and feelingly on the 

 past and present position of our relatives and countrymen in 

 India, must agree with the opinion of that great and good 

 man, Dr. Livingstone, namely, that there is something more 

 than scriptural influence required to civilize and re-establish 

 the Indian Empire. Indeed, the development of the vast 

 agricultural resources of that great country, on a scale, com- 

 mesurate with their extent, has been frequently urged by our 

 legislators, as one of the most desirable auxiliaries to that end ; 

 but owing to the absence of any known test of their value and 

 efficiency in the particular direction to which I allude, and the 

 ignorance which prevails upon many of the vegetable products 

 of India, all have felt the difficulty of dealing with the subject, 

 or of propounding any scheme for the adequate employment of 

 the vast population. Nor is such my intention, beyond 

 asserting, which I do with the greatest confidence, that India 

 presents a rich field of enterprise to the manufacturers of this 

 district, independently of its cotton plantations, and by 

 availing themselves of which, they may contribute, in some 

 measure at least, to the regeneration and future prosperity of 

 that empire. 



Such material as that now before you from India, can be 

 produced for spinning, at from 4d. to 6d. per lb., and it is 

 important to know that the supply is unlimited^ or at all events, 

 equal to an excessive demand. I have this information from 

 unquestionable authority. I enjoyed the personal friendship 

 and correspondence of the late talented Dr. I. Forbes Eoyle, 



