Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1837-03-23
WAsuINaroN, Eebracfp ;. 1897.

GrNTLtMEN A select committee OF tie honora-
bic House OF Representatives having been appointed
Ia inquire into the causes of the dinlnution in the
exports of thai great staple commodity OF our coun-
Try, tobacco | respectfully beg leave submit 10
The sad committee some obsrnaotH drawn ia the
most Instance nom personal experience, which may
perhaps serve 10 throw some light upon tins highly
interesting subcct-a subject hot ouly Interesting To
the tobacco planters, bur winch interests either di-
reetly or indirectly, almost every class OF citi-
zens. The value oi that article exported has
averaged from ls3D TO 1880, inclusive, about six
millions OF dollars, this serves To herp down foreign
exchanges, thus placing II in our power To pay a
less price Ion those articles of foreign produce or
manufacture winch either the comforts or the luNu-
RES vi our population demand Should this amount
IN expectations be diminished. the foreign ex-
change would naturally be against us, IN proportion
TO the dmlnuilon in the exports of tobacco and ii
means can be devised to increase the consumption
oftha article in Europe. that import foreign
produce al cheaper rate this serves To show that
all classes OF community are interested il the
success OF tho tobacco planter.
II 1t Is wished TO partcuiHc, it can be easily shown
that the ship-owncrs in the United States would be
greatly benefited by an augmentation in the export
OF tobacco this is pal pablo, that il requires but
short argument to prove its truth, to any one dis
posed to doubt It's correctness TIE great object Of
tbs irelghtug shp-owner IS to obtain full freight
for his vessel consequently, the buIkier the article,
the greater chance he has OF filling up his vessel
and II thai article uniies the time leavness
with ball, il saves HIM from the extra expense of
ballast, which, loading many other articles, he
finds necessary take, in order to have bis vessel
IN proper trim. Tobacco rs consequently the art-
Gle Of our exports which unes in peculiar degree,
all those advantages and il therefore becomes of the
utmost importance TO our ship-owners to augment
much possible the consumption of that article in
Europe and by dong, to increase its expectation.
And We should likewise bear in mind, that if some
means are not found to increase its consumption in
Europe those two great agricultural States, Virginia
and Mary land, whose lands peculiarly adapted to
the cultivation Of tobacco will greatly suffer, and
many OF their inhabitants viii fnd it necessary to
seek in other quarters of country for land suit
ed the cultivation OF some other article, probably
cotton thus increasing the quantity grown OF the
last named article hey ond the OF the uIner,
and consequently diminishing its price. This shows
that the planter is deeply interested in the sue
othe tobacco grower, and in the increase OF Its
consumption in Europe.
1t appears, from tables the file at the Treasury
Department. that the expectation OF tobacco 20 Va
rous countries of Europe, has from 1889 to 1888,
inclusive, been as follows; to Russia FIVE years. 346
| hog sheals to Prussia in 1884, ID hogsheads; Swe-
den and Norway. 1882 hogsheads Holland, 1885,
! 352 hogsheads Denmark, LOS hogsheads to
Bcoil,,, in thrc, years G.l39 hocsheads England,
| l6l 45l hogshcads Scotland, 535 hogsheads; to
Ireland in four years 600 hogsheads Gibraltar, a.
279 hogsheads tlanse towns. i33,t9S hogsheads
France, including Its ports on the Atlantic aud on
the Mediterranean, 30,G23 hogsheads: spain, inclu-
ding its ports on the Mediterranean ana on 'ie Az
lantc, li,252 hogsheads Portugal in four wears,
| ,06a hogsheads; Italy, 500 hogshcnds to Sicily
in 1885 % hogsheads to Trieste Austral I'D tafee
wears 81 hogsheads and TO all other parts @ tis
world, 81 $50 hogsheads making total OF 542 ,sl9
hogsheads, and averaging annually eo,i69 hogs
heads.
The aforecoing shows the countries expofsca 70.
as cleared al our custom houses ; but the point
to which your honorable committee WISH TO arrive &C;
is, to know in what countries the aoiegoing stated
quantities are consumed. will therefore respect
fully state the rmber OF hogsheads Of Amere an 70
bacco which, iroiA statistical information, asqa'P
"a ;'y by p'fsaa,l suoNiedge' i'onsi'sf arr