Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-04-06
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THURSDAY, APRIL s.

A report has been circulated through the
counties of Loudon, Prince William, and
Fairfax, in Virginia, that the corporation OF
Alexandria have endeayored to obtain from
CONGRESS an amendment Of their charter,
giving them power to tax the Flour brought
to their market from Virginia. We have
made enquiry as to the truth OF this report.
and are authorised by several members OF
that council, to say, that is false aud mali
cious misrepresentation OF the views OF
council, that such thing as taxing thePro-.
duce brought to their market, was never
thought of by any member OF that council,
nor. is it ersy 20 conceive how any man could
believe this to be the fact, when acquainted
with the circumstances. 1t believed that
report was circulated for electioneerlng pnr-
poses, and with view to excite dlstrust and
jealousy between the farmers OF Virginia,
and the citizens of this place, to divert the
attention of the farmer, from this, his natu-
raj. and most convenient market to some
othe for no other purpose than to lnJnrethe
t@ade Of this town. Under these clrcum-
stances we consider it the duty OF every CT
tizen of this place to counterfeit the effects
Of such Misrepresentation, as far as 1t is IN
his power; and believing nothing more than
PLAIN statement of facts is necessary TO
shew the absurtlity of such a1eport, We have
obtained an official extract Of the proceed
ings Of Council on the subject, which we
now present TO our readers.
By these proceedings it appears, that SO
far from wishing 10 tax the flour brought to
their market, the Council themselves object
ed to the bill reported to Congress, to a
nerd their charter, Che bill which is now
circulating in the counties Of Loudoun and
Fairfax) because that bill gave them the
power which it's statedthey wished to have,
the appointment OF inspector and he regu-
lation Of the inspection of -four, and it is as
we are informed fact which will not be
denied, that the application to Congress
was for power to appoint an inspection or
butter, lard and whiskey, which was much
wanting, & that the Inspector or inspectionot
-four asnot mentioned in any manner what
ever. The bill as it now stands was not the
bill that was adopted by Council, but was
altered without the knowledge or consent OF
Council. At the same time, it is but
Justice to say Mr. Lewis had no hand
in making this alteration, and that the
council never charged him with it. 1t is
however a fact, as we are informed, that, as
soon as it was known that an alteration in the
bill had been made, a council was called for
the express purpose OF proposing an amend
ment to the bill to except the Flour inspec-
tor, which the council did not wish to have
any thing to do with, and which amend
lent was adopted, as will be seen by the
proceedings ofcouncil.
Can it therefore be believed that council
would propose an amendment to the bill
which would take from them the right of
taxing the flour brought to their market, if
they really wished to have that power? The
thing is TOO absurd even to think of for a
moment. 1t appears, however, that some
of the members of council thought that the
town should derive some benefit from SO lu-
cratiye an c..fice as that of the -four inspect
or, and it was proposed to apply for power
70 tax his income, as is the case IN Baitl
more, and therefore further amendment
was adopted, as will be seen by the proceed
inps. This amendment was intended to
apply to the inspector only, and not to the
flour, and we cannot conceive how It IS pos
sible that it could be believed tor a mo-
ment that this amendment would operate as
tax upon -four, when therates OF lnspec-
ton were already established by law OF
Virginia, and 10 mention being made OF a
ny contemplated alteration of the rates Of
inspection, as established by that law. We
are also informed, that the committee who
were appointed to present these amend.
ments to congress, were instructed not to
insist on this last amendment, as it was not
expected to be passed. The great object