1849.] VIEWS OF SIB, HENEY POTTINGER. 155 



or any other description of Cotton, we see no objection 

 to its being tried on a small scale. It appears to us, 

 however, that much information bearing on this point 

 will be obtained, when the results of the experiments 

 which you have authorized Dr. Wight to institute 

 through the several Collectors of land revenue, with the 

 view of ascertaining the most advantageous time for 

 sowing American Cotton, shall be reported." 



VIEWS OF SIR HENRY POTTINGER. 



Minute of Sir Henry Pottinger, May, 1849. — Sir 



Henry Pottinger arrived in Madras on the 7th April, 

 1848. On the 15th July he penned a Mi- Sir Henry 

 nute upon the Cotton experiment, which Minutf ePS 

 was chiefly confined to approving of Dr. isth Ju ^j rl 

 Wight's offering an enhanced price for New Return r * 

 Orleans Cotton grown in India; and to 0-857), p.297. 

 sanctioning the establishment of five small threshers 

 and presses in different parts of Tinnevelly and Madura 

 for the use of Mr. Finnie. At the same time, Sir 

 Henry Pottinger expressed a confirmed opinion that 

 however satisfactory the apparent out-turn of public 

 agency might be, — whether through Government Farms 

 or through purchases on behalf of Government, — that 

 out-turn would form no criterion whereby to judge of 

 the future ; because the moment the public agency 

 ceased the stimulus would be exhausted, and every trace 

 of it would disappear. He added that Government did 

 all that could be done to obtain the desired object, when 

 it encouraged the people to exert themselves, and 

 placed amongst them qualified persons to advise and 

 instruct them in cultivating, cleaning, and preparing 

 their Cotton. Shortly after penning this Minute, the 

 Court's despaftch of the 4th July must have arrived at 

 Madras ; but some delay arose from the necessity of 

 considering what arrangement should be made on the 

 cessation of Dr. Wight's functions as Superintendent 

 of the Cotton Farms.* At last on the 4th May, 1849, 



* It will be presently seen that the Madras Government partly 

 misunderstood the terms of the Court's despatch. The Directors 



