april— june, 1857.] Observations on Cotton. 118 



" would have defied the competition of our own fabrics ; and re- 

 " ceiving the raw material in return, upon better terms than she 

 " could have obtained the growth of our own Southern cotton 

 " lands. The Acquisition of Texas, therefore, makes her greatest 

 " interest (the most important branch of her manufacturing system) 

 " dependent upon us. In the same proportion, of course, it gives 

 (i us every advantage in competition with her. The Acquisition- 

 " of Texas thus puts us in possession of almost all the best lands 

 " in the world for the growth of cotton ; and this is decidedly one 

 " of the most important staples, in every respect, than can be cul- 

 " tivated by man. If we do not hold the monopoly of the article, 

 " yet we produce it of better quality, and in greater quantity, than 

 " any other country. Thus it becomes an unfailing source of 

 " wealth and abundance — of prosperity in peace, and of power in 

 " war." This assertion brought several communications to the 

 Times, and Manchester Guardian from which it appeared that, 

 though the American seed had generally failed, from excessive 

 drought or neglect of local irrigation, yet it had succeeded in 

 several districts, especially at Dharwar ; was progressing among 

 the natives ; that the American Saw Gin had been advantageously 

 applied, giving all the benefit of celerity, cleanness, and superior 



* London Times, 30th Oct., 6th and 10th Nov., and 26th Dec. 1845. Man- 

 chester Guardian of the 27 th Aug., 8th Nov., and 6th Dec. 1845. The Manches- 

 ter Guardian of the 1st Jan. 1842, and following, has a valuable letter from the 

 Chamber of Commerce at Bombay, on improving Cotton cultivation of India. 



*#* Since the above communication was made to the Society of Arts, much va- 

 luable information has appeared in the Public prints, &c. 



Besides the Parliamentary Report of 1848 on the Growth of Cotton in India, 

 two articles in the Manchester Guardian of 5th June, 1847 from the "Bombay 

 Telegraph", and the " Calcutta Englishman" would show our friends of the 

 Washington Union that supplies of free grown Cotton from American Seed are far 

 from a hopeless attempt. If restrictions on Land, and internal commerce are re- 

 moved in the forthcoming renewal of the East India Company's Charter ; the 

 progressive opening of Railways through the three Presidencies, may persuade our 

 transatlantic customers that successful competition in Cotton will be soon main- 

 tained by Free Labour; and Great Britain is morally and pecuniarly interested 

 to encourage the United States by every fair compensation to a like attempt. 



