Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-10-19
H&sHs EiS'a'lG.
COMMERCIAL CONTENTION
70 TILE PEOPLE OE NIRGINIA


lance of recovering your foreign import trade, and your
capacity 10 accomplish that end; state the aid which
might be derived for that purpose from an increase 81
Lauk facilities under such restrictions and modIcatl0ns
a. the wisdom Of Inc Legislature might devise and from
an increase of bankug capital Is the ADDITION thereto
authorized By existing !as. should be found after SUI.
cen rdl Inad"quateand TO state aisn, The aid which
might be derived for the purpose. from Jud!cHrs
system Of incgHu improvements In pursuance O. ;hdt
appointment the undersigned members Ut the comGiit-
ter beg have 10 address you.
In perfirmns the duty assigned to MS, We have not
thought ii necessary 10 enter nlo minute statistical de-
tails nor DO propose address you labored arsu
ment We shall content ourselves with laying before
Won all the prominent and well GsccrlaTet acs, which
seem be involved in the subject, and with sHg
gsling th' conclusions to ~hlcA our minds have been
conducted by thenPlyn for the res; rpCa your good
sense and public spirit
The anne xrd tahUI:r statements will show The present
amount and condition Of your foreign trade II will he
seen by t!rm that Tie ANIMAL amount Of your direct
foIcirn exports 81 20 ID Ike whole Spors from
yuur raooard. coaswise and abroad is 81 POI J3)-o
YOUR direct imports from foreign counties, Is -Gc-1
and by GieEcc, that the annual amount Of your
imports !to The other States, and chiefly from the
,ncrC!al cities Of The North conssIn. Of the products vi
those STATES and of foreign goods imported by !en Tor
your consumption, is $lG,1J' 90
Tie amount Of your direct foreign exports and InI-
ports is correctly Gscer,aned from the returns Of the
customs Offices. The entire amount Of exports coast,
wise and abroad from your board stated upon the
best Information winch We have been able 10 obtain and
well satisfied That The true amount IS not exceed
ed ty estimate
Tie cmcuu, of foreign goods indirectly imported
through the Northern cities, have neaUs OF esi
mating accurately There is doubt, that it exceeds
The difference between your direct DGcgH exports aud
importation, for the present purpose 1t viii be ASSUMED
as only equal 10 that difference, 20 w! 5 ilc11i.
From these facts The striking results presented 10
YOU that with the abundant elements 10! ar extcn
sys fJfrun commerce, you have tina, deserves The
uanr-hat the entire exports l:on your sea b"IrC 10
all the world amounting 10 Il PSI $50, wholly e1-
pended in the other States, and chiefly al the North,
aiih the small exception OF S-lG --1-ihe amount OF
vour direct foreign imports; and that with The
ccptlons tic whole proceeds OF your direct foreign ex
ports, constituting Tor every purpose o! Commerce The
most valuable resource, and capable. IN "r!l regulated
foreign trade Of supplying The requisite capital and Gre
dit abfrad wholly lost for that purpose 10 your Use,
and transferred The merchants OF the N";th 10 be in
vested By them IN tie purchase ard importation 10 their
ports Of foreign goods for your consumption.
The Glrec, loss produced 20 you Dyths oFtrade,
consists chiefly OF the profits of tie lGIpCrterbu in
part of the additional! charges Of freight INSURANCE. trans
shipment, &c IL which your foreign goods hus circuit.
ously imported subjected Estimating The whole at
Is per cent which is believed TO be below The truth,
and assuming tina, ycu Of foreign goods only
amount cquaIto your direct foreign exports, and there
results your loss Of about SluOC90 year
". That amount Of active commercial captains annu.
aiv diverted frnu your use swell The tide Of Northern
trade We do mean thai this heavy lps falls direct.
Is on vou q tie goods illus c:'cuC"sly
lInporl.d So far the CONSISTS 0! the profits
Uf tie Importer. Inc Consumer must Of NECESSITY pay
tspm. whetheE he importation be direct or indirect 1t
is only far the amount consists OF additional charges
made necessary by circU0us importation. Tint the
suG!"r such. suffers loss. But the whole amount,
whether of profits chaIgs goes directly to the loss
Of the State.
To estimate the extent ard effect Of this great loss,
amounting yearly to than eighth OF the entire
vaue Of your foreign exports, 1t is not sufficient 10 null
lip!y IL merely by the number Ot years during which 1t
has hern sustained 1t is commercial capital ncessant
L. active, yrIGEs income Ike Itself, and augmented
not by age annual additions only but 5y perpetual 'e
produclUm
We beg you 10 consider, what would row be the
diil0n o! Virginia, IT these immense and accumulated
losses suffered during long Of years, had been
prevented Your minds viii present to you pic.
Of prosperous industry, o abundant eaih Of mu!
plied Popunion and political power, which cannot fail
to inspire YOU with the most profound regret that II IS
only picture o! hat she mght be- not ot shat she 49,
Consid aEain what will be her condition lew years
hence If this runoGs ard increasing tide ol loss he
CHECKED and turned 30 her advantage and we can
doubt thai your regrets for tie past viii yield to ic
more u.unly Resolution 10 amend the !niGt"
Il is Obvious remark the injury which this
Of your trade directly Inlcts upon other branches Of IN
dusty. Your CcEImercla! maTHe most important IN
rrrst iog wiki al the trades associated with de-
prudent upon II, has fallen into anenabe decay The
Northern towEs having eTgTnssed the importing trade,
and the rs rchanls from this and other States being
drawn thilher purchase their assorted stocks you!
manufacturers driven seek there market for The
sale their products, which, tnrlCn,d with charges
and commissions thence returned for your own con
sumption Your agriculture ianguisheg, deprived Of the
support would receive from! furnishing state OF conf
mcfce ard lanUlacIurrs In short. this manned cund
lion OF your fore uute has crrrIed, and must oi ne
cessy ri. prrnciyIs influence every other
occupation and parImen of industry, by Orce 81 that
powerful and perv aing sympathy which binds them all
together and inks them to 4 common fate.
The gain the Northern States anu the injury n you
accruing fem tie course Of your trade, cannot BE- more
upy illustrated than By comparison oi tier condition
with your own With soil inferior 10 yours, ard yield.
ing inadequate supplies for their own consumption with
harbors certainly 10" accessible safe c1racous,
rivers Of less volume end extent with scan'ler materials
To-, lIieRdly Climate Tor manu!acturlng-with Tar
c,onoyrd IN foreign lnilhn Themselves capital 10 be
toappoprlaie your capital Their use f4A The sfgaciy
abroad on your expovts-out Of the proceeds OF your
products they pay for their foreign purchases bring them
TO their ports, sell them 10 you ene thcs sustain
aud their Tonnage: give profitable employment
to their people and add yearly 10 their coGIeTciai capt
ta The fruits Of gaintu traffic This, fellow ci'Izens,
is the OF their prosperity and year decne-a pros
ueriy and decline, which, vas 10 be expected not
confnng itself 10 Commerce merely, has Pef7aded, and
continues to peryade, every Gepame OF industry Win
! increasing power
Toinves;g gate the beginning ard progress Of this con-
d;ion Q! the foreign uade, would be, Doubt interest
ing aau useu!-buL we refrain from undef'nh!he Il H.
might lead specula,ions pthe ii doubt ana con-
toveisy and DOES not fall within the proper limits Of
the du;y assigned ~ Us
is unGurs,ionaby necessary than It's exPedent
Virginia lacks nothing which she caaHot "eTseI sup
ply, eusbe her TO carry her own importing tia'e'
There IS not the least necessary oil incapeciy or
difficulty 10 prevent il. We are not aware mat any
such cause has been supposed 20 exist except tat an
erroneous opinion has 20 some extent pie'a'ie" a e
Northern merchants aSI3g eETTUsseu nearly 'he "hoe
importing ,.aGe OF The country are enabled ny reason OF
the great Of their foreign purchases 20 make tue m
at cheaper ulc; aud that the merchants oil Inc SOUTH
restricted as They necessarily must ce lo uIs ~
least, 10 smaller purchasers. would De compelled 10 make
then, al chez rates. and therefore, IN attempting Greet
inporiatioIs would find themselves nvoTed IN an IN
eonpl and ru!nous competition The idea Is holly un.
frrdaL Il is beyond all doubt that the system Of TO-
reign purchases placed upon foO!og winch ensures
IL IlIrl-r and 10 20