Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-06-13
SatMrday Ere1eimg, .gsl.e II.

T..
Saturday EUexsimg, JWase m.
" The Northern paper Mail which ought to have ar
rived yesterday is still missing This days mail was
duly received.
From the Enquirer Of yeSterdcg.
We understand that Philip Pc Barbour, Esq has
declined the office Of Attorney General of the United
States.
u The Intelligencer of yesterday contains an ac
count of the proceedings of the Common ball of Pc
tersburg held at the request of meeting of the citi
zens, at which the following resolution was adopted:
"Rfsolped That the Mayor be authorised drawn on
the Chamberlain for the sum of hundred dollars
out of the Fire Subscription Fund.- the trans
mtted, by him, together with the amount of individual
subscriptions in this town, to the Commissioners of
Town of Fayetteville for the relief Of tho sufferers by
the Fire in that town."
The following is also extracted from the Iutelli
gencer:
at proper to mention, that at the Meeting of the
Citizens on Tuesday Evening, Committees were ap-
pointed wait the inhabitants in each Ward TO So
cit contributions for the relief of the sufferers by the
Fire at Fayctevle and that sach the amount sub
scrbed yesterday, warranted in saying that the
of thousand dollars will be made up in addition
to the above appropriation of hundred dollars by
the Common Hall Of Petersburg"
The communication Of Merchant which will be
seen in columns of to-day, is upon subject of s,lf
cient interest induce call the attention of our
Merchants to it. Upon the feasibility the necessity
of adopting the pointed out are incapable OF
forming opinion and iha therefore refrain from
an expression of one; but may be permitted to ask
be taken recall the import trade of this
city 1t is certainly deserving of serious consideration
To THE EDIToIs Wing.
fGentlenen: congratulate you and the whole State
that city at length aroused upon the great and to
her, vitality important subject of Internal Improvement
So mach reoiced to witness this une xpected dis
play of feeling after her long apathy that beg YOU
will permit to express my joy in anticipation of
what wish to say upon another subject in my humble
Judgment but little less important TO her interest
should be among the last question, at this mo.
ment of rising feeling, the vast Importance city,
of having safe, certain and expeditions mode of com
| municaton with Lynchburg and thence westwardly to
the Ohio river but while the public attention is called
to this subject, wish address myself to class of
townsmen who know ready to embark with great
ZEAL IN the effort about to be made, to improve
old, and construct new channels of communication
with the west Something more, Wessrs. Editors, is to
be done than to canals and construct rail roads,
make Richmond, what J. am sure you ardently wish to
her, and what she will be, with proper degree of
Enterprise, and enlarged and liberal policy on the
part of our merchants Without these our canals and
rail roads will all terminate in Philadelphia and New
York. Our merchants are complaining, and with
that much of the valuable trade of State
Is going northumberland this is the fact, for we arc
actually losing the trade in our Immediate neighbour
hood, say nothing of that which is distant and
almost daily witness the transit of goods through
streets for merchants of MANY of the counties TO the
! south and southwest of u.s. II has been asked-Do
these merchants difference tho prices between
this place and Philadelphia and New York equal to the
extra expense2 This is question they win for
themselves but 1 am confident from my intercourse
with them that they not disposed to determine it
prejudice and against the truth, and the opinion
now prevails that they buy cheaper, let merchants
set seriously to work to remove It. The question which
would now urge. upon our merchants is how shall
Richmond secure to herself not the trade that may
to heT by internal improvements, but that which
passes through her streets to the northern cities
Can this be done? After conversation on the
subject and extensive acquaintance with the feelings
OF those carrying this trade-I answer with
confidence cam know it will be difficult to remove
the prejudice III favor of northern bought goods and
for merchants call back the trade that is flowing
northwardly from State but this may be DONE if
the inducements that can beaEe held out by
chants. But this only be done III way, and
that is by furnishing goods in city cheap they
be purchased, the may, any market IN TIE
United States and this verify believe merchants
afford to do. What the obstacles to this being
done? From whence the northern markets supped7
The is, from Europe and the American manu-
factories-very welfare not these sources equally
open to the merchants of Richmond? Do they not al
ready import q of them) their goods, and
not all of good standing in the northern markets
favorable terms the jobbing merchants of those
markets, which supply the country merchants of
State when they go northwardly7 They are-I know
it from my observation and it is admitted by the
jobbers of Philadelphia and New York To illustrate
what have said, will take my own house
ample shew that the great difference expenses be.
tween this city and Philadelphia and New York, will
enable the Richmond merchant to sell cheap goods
can be bought in these cities.
Our house rent per annum, is $780, house equal
" convenient and commodious and favorably stuat
cd on Pearl street. II. York is Main street,
would readily command $4,000 per annum. The
pcnses of myself and partner about S350G per
num- In n. York they could not be less than $4,000:
and when say this it is not conjecture. Here then,
is shown difference in favor of Richmond Of $4,000;
from which deduct freight, insurance, &c. goods
from the Northern towns, and travelling expenses, say
5000, leaving $4,000 in favor of Richmond, in the
expense of one Now if this statement is correct
and let any one gansay who can is clear goods
of any kind may be sold cheap in city, in Phi
ladelpha New-York, elsewhere in the United States,
and amply remunerate merchants This difference
in expenses is a most important matter, even when IL
is comparatively small. As well as can rccocct
it is about four five years, since of the Phia
deIphians were in state of dependency the COM
paate decline Of the trade Of their city contrasted
with that of Ncw-York and at that time appearances
seemed to Justify in degree the feeling that exist
cd; but even then distinctly recoect the observation
of plain quaker, who said ne did not despond, for
said he philadelphia will rise by her economy, and
the difference the expenses Of transactng business
and living IN Philadelphia and New York being favor
of the former she will in the end take the iobbug b-
.;,,,.-u q hor bccu. From that uoint M cnrcg