Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-02-11

ton of the Commonwealth, of NO email delicacv
o.d about winch there existed, lively snnsibl,:y.
The inspection of u ,ur IN the city uf Richmond,
directly intrresis the m,lcrs oni wheat growers
only OF all the James river country above The head
tide water, aud ITS branches, but portion of the
country embracing the hcaG-watcrs oil pamunkey
Rsppaliannnck, Shenandoah, Gtccubrjar, New river
ind Roanoke. The number of barrels IN spcctcd last
year considerably exceeded two hnnl-c. thousand;
valued at more than mill ~ of dplar-; aah tho IN
spec!lon returns ior series of Yeas exhibits the
gratifying fact, that there has boon a progressive
and rapid increase Hence your committee
duced To apply for ;hc extra power of sending Cor
persons to tics lily bctnre It.
In the exercise of the power with which IL was
invested by the House, yonr committee caused To
be summoned to appear before il. a number Of gcn
tlcmen, whose statements aud opinions were emil
lied To weight aud credit from their long expert.
the wheat and -four business, aud from
thoir general intelligence and prnbity witne,scs
who promptly and cheorfnlly attended the commit
from day to day. until the investigation closed
US to them.
An earnest desire appears 10 be entertained, b.
persons deeply concerned la the matter, that the
county court of tlenrco should not retain 'he
truled power OF appointing the Inspector; because
that body is quolI noe, rresponsIbc because the cit
zrns Of enr'co have greater interest in the fitness
and competency OF that Officer than tho citizens of
various othnr COUNTESS and BECAUSE complaints have
arisen, may well be imagined, against officers So
appointed Bat 10 evidence has hGon given before
your comui,tec calculated to rmpugn he impartiiil
~, skill diligence oil the present Inspector. OF
his deputy: the contrary. ali the witnesses bore
strong Testimony in favour of their high qualifications
and official conduct. Yet. largo portion of The
Commonwealth Is interested in the manner IN which
the duties OF this office discharged. and the mp
pointment ola public officer should be made by those
TO be benefited injured by his good III conduct
in office, by those ancnavl- 10 ih"n j; - Doomed
advisable to invest the Governor with some agency
or control over the appointment of the Inspector,
And, for that purpose 20 require the court OF Hon,
rico county, annually 10 nominate aud recommend
two fit and competent persons, OF whom The Govern
or should select one. Such alteration Of the Law
will he satisfactory To the pu bic; will provide sua
check TO hasly and iujudicIOus appointments, and
will guard against the consequences of possible
delay OF some week. for the appointment OF sue
cessor in the event OF an Inspectors death
phe Committee does not deem It ADVISABLE to ap-
point two principal Inspectors, whether Ia act
Jointly severay Tho Inconvenience and nju-
ry resulting from a division of responsibility, now
resting one, would probably exceed the bene-
fits derived from The services sf two principal IN
spectors; and the mode "f appeal from ne Inspcc-
tors judgment, affords easy and cheap remedy
for errors of opinion or motive.
The amount of compensation received by this Of
hcer, depends the quantum of prnjuce inspected,
which varies, in greater or less degree, Every year
and is Therefore. justly pro7ortsoned TO the duty
CURED. The sum allowed by IN is two cents for
each cask' Inspected being the sans fer half bar
rel as for ba which with The prQuistes, equal
to about "a 'ntS per casS. The number Inspect
ted last year was, according the testimony of the
Inspector, TWO hundred and thirty three thousand
five hundred and twenty-nInc; making his compcnsa-
ton about S5,253 In addition to his services,
he employs deputy at 5000 per annum, and thrre
grown male slaves, and there contingent eXpen-
This estimate tho expense aud compensation,
shows that the latter may BE- reduced, without de-
priving the officer OF an adequate return for his
services. The number of casks inspected las! year.
though exceeding the Inspections of former years
probably forms a just basis of calculation, the
business has increased and is likely to increase.
II was IN proof to your committee, that some OF
the city millers arc The habit of using two brand
IKE FIR fhpIr tlp her IN.
inferior fodr; that of those brands and the
usually marked on inferior flour, is "C1naI," aud
another the name of Il null np the river. But there
is reason to- believe that those particular brands
we're selected with 10 the depression of the
character OF flour coming down the. canal, or tina.
manufactured the mill above: is obvious that
such was not the ntent''n The facts are noticed
only TO shew> tina the pracIcc OF using two brand
marks is liable to abuse, and to cause oven unIn-
territorial injury But It was also proven, that in
one case, few years past, the brand of a CONS
try mill erased, and hat OF city mill marked
on parcel Of -four purchased TO complete car
The fifth section fire a,y under consideration. is
in the following words, Every miller and mlnudC-
turcr of flour and Indian meal, and every bake of
bread for expectation, shall provide and keep dis
,inguishablc brand mark, with which lie vhdit brand
every cask OF flour. indian meal and bread and mari;
thereon the tare and nett weight &c 1t does no.
appear, from the phrascOogy employed. that -
contemplated TO all'w mers to two more
brands, indicative Of the mill a which, or the miller
by whom the flour min uidctnrcd; but its plain
import is orostrIct them 90 an Interpretation
well warranted by considerations Of public policy and
justice.
In favour of the privilege OF usinG two brand marks,
for the superior, and the other for the inferior
flour, it is commended that this IS essential TO enable
the miller to maintain, in foreign markets. a high
character for his brandt that each mill necessarily
manufactures portion Of common or inferior flour,
lis occupant deprived by confinement brand,
of the advantages of brand of established character,
of the opportunity of acquiring for his brand high
character; that other mllers have oF com
plant this account, because they too may two
brands and that tho privilege is used only when
the Hour is exported, it is but fair allow the milcrs
brand to confirm and augment the estimate placed OH
the Inspectors brand. On the other hand it is argu.
cd that public policy requires that the character OF
article undergoing public inspection, should be estab
lished by the judgment of the public officers that the
advantages OF two more brands imaginary
than real if fairly used; that the privilege peculiarly
liable abuse and must lead to- such abuses to- dcs
troy their supposed actual advantages that all the
benefits Justly to be derived from the character Of the
miller mill, will accrue from the of well
of nnts hat heir nIy 1