The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-01-30
@De Gnaalrer.
RICHMOND, JANUARY So, 1910.
FoR TIE ENOUIRER.

| The subject of chasing tobacco has been fire.
qnently urged. II has been agitated, il we mis-
| take not, in the Legislature. And considering
its Importance involving the value the STAPLE
commodity Of this commonwealth, il certainly
merits Further attention. Having lately made some
observations OH the circumstances attending tia:
market at this place of opinion tat su n am
arrangement in some form, is absolutely indisDea.
sibIe. This will further appear, from brief his.
tory of the ordinary mode OF doing. business al
the warehouses. One OK more hogsheads are o.
pened and public signal is given, by the sound
| OF trumpet, that the gentlemen spectators may
attend. AS many as may be in readiness come
forward. The tobacco Is broken open, and esch
one present inspects for himself and makes up
his own private. opinion OF its quality. The plan.
ter must then Instantly sell tn one of the persons
present, fer if the sale be deferred, he vii, b..
subjected 10 another inspection. II follows of
course, that one OF four, SIX or eight men, some
times one ct two or three, must be the purchaser
None Others having it, they only are prepar-
ed to judge OF its value. Possibly the planter
may think the offers made him are iliibersI, vet
| 1T is dangerous to reject them, for If once the
gentlemen who attended the inspection turn their
=, backs upon him, lac may hawk it up and down the
streets in vain. The men who considered the
best Judges and who always ready to buy
that which they approve have seen and refused il,
and therefore those who have not seen, can
not act prddently to buy it at all And AS but
few men can devote their whole attention to the
| warehouses, the competitors are but few inso-
! mitch that the buying of tobacco has almost be.
come monopoly. Still, however, it must be
| admitted that these men act judciousiy, and as
they ought to do, under existing circumstances
! Strict regard is had 10 the qualities of tobacco
when Carried to any foreign market. Judicious
shippers, therefore, reinspect all their purchases,
bstore they send them on board their vessels.
| And there are houses in this town, which expend
four ortive hundred dollars season in re-opening
their tobacco on that very account 1t therefore
clearly follows, that respect must be had TO that
circumstance in the first purchase.
| But this mode OF doing the business is new
! to the planters, and many Of them en-
harrassed by it, as to receive real injury. Some
| by estimating their crop at too high, and some
II too low a rate A proper classification there.
| fore ought TO be effected. IL may be objected
possibly that there is such difficulty in ascer-
tanning the real value ofany given hogshead, that
if the purchaser is not permitted 10 Judge for
himself, he will decline the purchase altogether
| Let It be so. We have wish TO drive any OF
| taese useful men from the market. We would
! rather increase their number We simply would
| recommend to cur fellow. citizens some amend
/ ments to existing regulations When hogs
head is opened. the inspector or inspectors ought
| At once TO pronounce an opinion Of its GLASS;
! We are moreover Inclined TO believe that there
ought To be only one actinT Inspector at each
! house, wiihHlie nomination OF second, in case
| OF sickness or accident and he ought 10 be a
man OF sound judgment aud integrity, with e
| salary commenAurate to the importance OF his
! Office. but here must observe tligt class
fcati6n of this article, into three orders Only,
| Will st least, very iuperfectly answer the end
| intended There VIII continually he found con.
| siderable variety III each OF the three general d.
visions TO obyate this difficulty, we would
propose that the following specimen, or some
thing better, be made the :orm OF Z Tobacco
l