Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-02-22
REPORT AND RESOLUTIONS,

At meeting of the Board of Public Works. on
Tuesday, the 9th February, 1925, the following
Report and Resolutions were adopted:
The committee, to whom was referred so
muchof the 9Th March last, as requires the Board
OF Public Works TO make out and report to the
present General Assembly tariff of tolls for the
James river, beg leave to report:
Your committee have anxiously sought for
some SIMPLE rule by which they might be go
verned III their progress; but have sought in
vain. The bill of tolls heretofore acted on up-
GU James river, casts no light upon the subject;
but on the contrary, under present circumstan-
ces, IS at war with every principle which should
govern IN forming such bill. In it there is no
sembance of equality in the charges made on
the commodities In regard to value, weight or
bulk Finding no aid from this quarter, we
sought 1t IN such a bill upon the New York ca
nais Here we found that tonnage aud distance
Is the ruling principle But, although doubtless
this Is the best standard which could be there
adopted upon long line of continuous nayIra-
ton, and distant those canals are from the
great market TO which the transported comnodl-
ties are seeking their way; yet it manifestly can
not be adopted here as standard: For here, on
the one hand, the distance, and conseaucntiy the
cost oi transportation by land oftne great mass of
ARTICLES 10 d market is comparatively small; and
on the other, the !iue OF impror enent upon the
river but partially effected.
The trade above ''AIalden's Adyenturen must
be continued In the small boats hitherto in use;
aud the size OF the boats mainly affects the price
oi freight. Nor will the security afforded by the
canal from Malden's Adventure to Richmond
sensibly reduce that price. We could not, there
fore, safely adopt. the rule in New York.
Nor have any other bills of toll to which we have
had aces, afforded US any facility in our pro-
gress. Should resort, then, be had ONLY to the
value OF the articles, it will obviously happen
that some of the most valuable, as silks and cam
orics, &c. being lIghtest, will be transported by
land, rather than be subjected 70 an ad yaIorem
toll. If it be had to weight, then some of the
articles, as unwrought stone and timber, will pe
subjected to charge equal large portion ol the
whole of theirvalue, or being made the standard &
paying but fair toll, would inducea very made
quate charge upon most other articles which cah
wei bear far higher charge. This last remark
applies still more forcibiy To tariff formed from
the quality of bulk only. Your committee have
thei etore acted as far as practicable on a rule
compounded of these items. But as value, weight
and bulk are properties variOusly combined IN
different commodities, it was obv iousiy necessary
to accommodate our rule 10 their various com
binations. With this rule in view, we have made
-four and the present rate of toll upon it, the
standard In this we follow the EXAMPLE u poll.
teal economists, who have hitherto coucurred
IN assn ming brcti-Stuil rs the arest standard OF
value: And flour BY the barrel seems TO com
bine best the properties embraced By our rule
NOT is your committee aware, that the existing
toll on TINS article has ever been considered as
too high: although i'll comparison with that on
tobacco, the other great agricultural STABLE of
Virginia, it has long and Justly been a subject
OF serious complaint. And here we will brief,
illustrate our rule by It's application to these two
great staples Flour pays ten cents per barrel;
tobacco, forty-two per hogshead. Assuming
I'VE dollars as far average price OF both bar
rel of flour and one hun..red pounds of tDbacco
and that hogshcad OF tobacco weighs fifteen
hundred, 1t Is apparent upon the al yalorem prn-
ciples, that the hugshead of tobacco containing
fifteen times tie value of barrel of flour, ought
TO pay httren times as much toll, or 81 90. And
If the matter be considered with reference to the
weight of the'articles respectively, the argument
is greatly strengthened IN favor of farther in
crease OF toll on tObaCCO for, it is iernonstrabiy
Just, that if the toll be increased directly as the
value, SO ought it inyersey as the weight. But
here an accommodation of our rule occurs, and
100 W.T. of tobacco, containing an equal value
IN about half the weight of barrel OF -four paws
no more toll, and is thereby exempted from that
part of the freight on the barrel which is charg-
ed upon its excess of weight above 100 lbs: that
IS, one full rnoiety OF its ireightage
1t NAV be here added, that there is further
advantage in favor Of the planter, in the compa-
ratiVe cos OF the hOgslead in which the tobac-
co, AMI the barrels in which the flour is packed
Tor market; the hogsheaj costing about 81 so:
the fifteen barrels, at 375 cts, 81 GA.
Your committee admits that the correctness
OF these estimates depends upon the fairness of
the average prices and weight assumed; but n
IS believed, that the estimated average price of
tobacco Is lower than that Of flour and consc-
quently more favorable To the former than the
latter. Let II also be rein1i kcd, that if fifteen
hundred weight IS above the present average
OF tobacco, The l,te enlargement Of the hogshead
by law. with tho care by which 5kIlfu planters
before that enlargement, came up tU that weight
will enable AL to attain il more easily.
Tbs illustration will show the application of
our rule, d1d the accommodation winch we were
cJneiraIned TO give TO u in many particulars
ibe GIH, which Is herewith presented. will
EXHIBIT IN increase of toll upon some articles
AM perhaps small di'1nulion on others. Both
h'Vc resulted from our sense VI strict prOpriety
II D. proper To say, that the increase upon any
a. al" except coal. has not followed from the
tn yr0yements made between Richmond and
Mi"!cn'- Adventure. The increase uOon coal
va, made with reference ~ these improvements
and would have been greater, were d perfect
communication between tie basin and tid wa |
ter accomplished, 40 vas originally contemplat. |
ed, aud TO which we would respectfully invite /
the attention OF the General Assembly.
Your committee think, gi'h defe ence, that
the tariff now submitted is justified III every al.
teat0n from the former, by strict propriety, and
stu M = b; the necessities ofthe Commonwealth
- u exceedingly important and notable under.
'aNI"e t. Improve our country BY connexion
VI the 4 iantIc with fle w esfo~p ,g.tors H.,