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CHAPTER V.

BRITISH OPINIONS ON THE COTTON QUESTION PRIOR TO THE DISSOLUTION OF THE AMERICAN UNION.

NOTWITHSTANDING the importance of the subject, comparatively little has been said recently in reference to the cotton question. It may, therefore, be well to take a retrospective glance at the views entertained in reference to the cotton supply before the disruption in the American States. The following is a report of the proceedings in the House of Lords, on January 27, 1860.

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'Lord Brougham, in rising to move, according to notice, for returns, relating to the importation of cotton, said he understood there would be no objection on the part of the Govern'ment to granting them. He thought it would be most satisfactory to all to know, that since the repeal of the duty on cotton there had been such an enormous increase in the im'portation of cotton, from 63,000,000 lbs. to 1,024,000,000 lbs., ' an increase of sixteenfold, and the importations from the • United States alone had risen from 23,000,000 lbs. to 830,000,000 lbs., or an increase of thirty-twofold. This ' enormous increase in the importation of cotton-so advan'tageous to our manufacturers and the community generally- had been accomplished at the trifling cost of 500,000l., which was the amount of the duty on cotton previous to its remission. He hoped the fact would be an encouragement to us to repeal duties, without any regard to what was called the reciprocity system, but to repeal them simply because we wished to get rid of the burden imposed upon us by those ' duties. There were now no less than 480 articles upon which excise or customs duties were levied, to the great discomfort of trade, and the injury of those who dealt in those articles, while the total product to the revenue was under 1,000,000l.; ' indeed, he believed it was only about 630,000l. He rejoiced in the benefits which had resulted to the people of the United

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'States from our repeal of the duty on raw cotton; but it 'should not be forgotten that some of our own colonies pre'sented great facilities for the growth of cotton, and he hoped 'that in British Guiana, Jamaica, and in Africa, every en'couragement would be afforded by the Government to the ' cultivation of this most important material. Above all, he 'trusted that a trade in cotton would be opened up on the coast of Africa, in the districts explored by Dr. Livingstone, for upon the high land of that country cotton to any amount, ' and of the best quality, might, with a slight encouragement, 'be raised. He was told that a capital of 20,000l. judiciously 'directed there, would be sufficient to secure this very great 'advantage; and he did hope that if it were inexpedient for

the Government to interfere in such matters, his wealthy 'friends at Manchester and Liverpool would lend a hand to raise 'that sum of money.'

After much vituperation against the Southern States Lord Brougham was followed by the Bishop of Oxford, who said:

That he had heard with the greatest satisfaction what had fallen from the noble lord. It was quite true that it was not the custom of the British Government to engage in direct speculations to promote the trade in any article, but, with regard to the growth of cotton, the British Government had ' rendered great assistance-namely, by making the highways of 'the great continent of Africa, the rivers, accessible to English merchants, so that cotton might be cultivated on each side of 'them, and the traders have a safe passage up and down. The difficulty which was experienced in other countries of obtain⚫ing free labour to produce cotton did not exist in Africa, where there was an abundant native population, whose cultivation of cotton would be attended with the additional advantage of in'troducing a wholesome and lawful commerce, which would absolutely destroy the slave trade; for the only way by which that trade could be ultimately destroyed was by teaching the African chiefs that the employment of their dependent people ' in the production of the raw material of cotton, would be more advantageous than the selling them into slavery for transportation to other parts of the world. He, therefore, earnestly trusted that the attention of the Government would

'be directed to the maintenance and even to the increase of efforts for opening the great rivers in Africa, especially the Zambesi, the opening of which he believed the Government was about to aid, and the Niger, which for years the Government had assisted in opening. (Hear, hear.)'

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Lord Overstone believed that a question of more importance than that relating to the extension of the source for the supply ' of the raw material of cotton could not be brought under the ' consideration of the Legislature. (Hear, hear.) He had, there'fore, heard with satisfaction the statement of the noble duke, that the attention of the Government was directed to this sub'ject, and that every encouragement consistent with sound principles would be afforded to extend the supply of cotton. (Hear, hear.) The noble and learned lord had stated that ⚫ within a short period the importation of cotton had multiplied • thirty-twofold in this country; and when their lordships con'sidered how extensive was the demand for cotton goods throughout the world, they would at once perceive that it was a serious matter to have for the supply of the raw material ' only a single source, liable to be affected by the uncertainties of climate, to say nothing of the obstacles which any unfor'tunate state of political relations might raise up in the way our merchants applying to that source. (Hear, hear.) He ' trusted that no efforts would be omitted by the people of this country to promote every rational enterprise for the supply of 'cotton in every quarter where it could be obtained, and that 'all the encouragement which the Government could legitimately give would be afforded.'

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Mr. Kettell, in commenting on this debate, truly remarks: 'The coolness with which the Bishop of Oxford states that 'cotton could be made by "free labour" if the " African chiefs! "would employ their dependent people," is amusing. If, ' instead of selling the man, or eating him, he compelled him 'to grow cotton, the Bishop, it appears, would be satisfied with 'the progress of freedom. The discussion was narrowed down to the hopes that Africa might grow cotton. If we reflect that the supply of other materials for clothing increases much ‹ less than cotton, the importance of the question will appear to 'be greater.' The five chief materials for human clothing are

hemp, flax, silk, wool, and cotton. These have been imported into England as follows:

Imports of Raw Materials for Textile Fabrics into Great Britain.

Lord Brougham and Lord Overstone overlooked the fact, that in order to cultivate cotton successfully not only a suitable climate is required, but that the directing hand and system of the white race, which is unobtainable in Africa, is also absolutely indispensable; as to the uncertainties of climate' in the Southern States, adverted to by the latter nobleman, for the purpose of urging the importance of obtaining supplies elsewhere, that argument completely falls to the ground upon an examination of the tables of the cotton crops of the Confederacy.* These crops have ever been ample—in fact, of recent years more than sufficient for the supply of every demand. The only vicissitudes to which they are liable are occasional frosts, which but partially lessen the yield, and never spread over the entire cotton region. Freed labour would not answer in those States; but, in a philanthropic point of view, the really unprejudiced and thoughtful European can have no trouble in selecting the South as his best source of supply, even if Nature gave him the choice of any other.

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'The Times,' in alluding to the debate in the House of Lords, makes the following remarks:

The importation of cotton into this country has, since the import duty was abolished, increased sixteenfold. Having been 63,000,000 pounds, it is now 1,000,000,000 pounds.

* See table of Cotton Crops, p. 106.

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'This is one of those giant facts which stand head and shoulders higher than the crowd-so high and so broad that we can • neither overlook it nor affect not to see it. It proves the 'existence of thousand smaller facts that must stand under its shadow. It tells of sixteen times as many mills, sixteen ' times as many English families living by working those mills, ́sixteen times as much profit derived from sixteen times as 'much capital engaged in this manufacture. It carries after it 'sequences of increased quantity of freights and insurances, ' and necessities for sixteen times the amount of customers to consume, to our profit, the immense amount of produce we are turning out. There are not many such facts as these, arising in the quiet routine of industrial history. It is so large and so steady that we can steer our national policy by it; ' it is so important to us, that we should be reduced to embarrassment if it were suddenly to disappear. It teaches us to 6 persevere in a policy which has produced so wonderful a result; ' its beneficent operation makes it essential to us to deal carefully with it now that we have got it. Some years ago an island arose in the Mediterranean, and we were all discussing ́it, and quarrelling about it, and keeping up a brisk fire of diplomatic notes over it, when one fine morning the disgusted island suddenly went down again, and ships sent out to survey ' it sailed over the site it had occupied. We must not do any'thing to disgust this huge lump of profitable work which has 'suddenly risen among us. We are inclined to look at it with a respectful and superstitious tenderness, rather as a gambler • does upon a run of luck at cards, hoping it may last for ever.' 'Lord Brougham and the veterans of the old Anti-Slavery Society do not, we fear, share our delight at this great increase in the employment of our home population. Their minds are 'still seared by those horrible stories which were burnt in upon ⚫ them in their youth, when England was not only a slave-owning, 'but even a slave-trading state. Their remorse is so great, that the ghost of a black man is always before them. They are ❝ benevolent and excellent people; but if a black man happened 'to have broken his shin, and a white man were in danger of 'drowning, we much fear that a real anti-slavery zealot would 'bind up the black man's leg before he would draw the white

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