The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-05-14
CONVENTION OF TOBACCO GROWERS.


CONVENTION OF TOBACCO GROWERS
This Convention, which assembled in this
City on the LIST inst was ATTENDED by delegates
from Maryland Virginia, Kentucky, and other
tobacco growing States. Governor SpRloo of
Maryland, was chosen President Of the Con-
vention, Mr.. BENJAMIN JONES of Petersburg,
Va, Vice President, Mr.. J. S. SKINNER of Balii-
more, was appointed Secretary, and Mr.. J. MER-
GER Of Nd, assistant Secretary.
Mr. r: w. Bowie, from the committee APP
pointed to consider and recommend such mea-
sures as might be deemed expedient to be adopt
ed by the Convention made report embodying
some interesting statistical items furnished by
Mr.. Joshua Dodge, late Government Agent in
Europe, and containing series of resolutions,
which, after some discussion, Were adopted by
the Convention.
The three countries of Europe to which the
largest amounts of American tobacco are ex-
ported are Great Britain, Holland and France.
In the ports of Holland very moderate duties are
levied, the inpost being IL 1-2 cents per 100
lbs. for Virginia, and IA l-2 for Maryland tobac-
co. The only thing to be complained of in this
case is, that discrimination is made unfavora-
bic to Maryland, and also that tobacco from other
quarters, such as the East Indies Brazil, &c
are admitted at still lower rates than the Ameri-
can article. Belgium imposes duty of 26 2-3
cents on Maryland tobacco and American stems
and % l-2 cents on Virginia. The annual di-
rect expectation of American tobacco to Great
Britain, averaged for the last three years 2S, 773
hogsheads, of which about $4,000 hogheads
were annually consumed in that country. The
duty levied by GreatBritain is enormous, being
3 shillings or ~ "a cents per pound yielding
revenue Of seventeen millions Of dollars. In
connection with this statement, the report, as
first submitted by the committee, SAYS
Great Britain should take into consideration that
there is duty levied in the United States on any Of
her produce manufactures which can in any man
ner be compared with the enormous duty of - "a
cents per h., 300 per cent, tobaccos;
land that this duty weighing particularly heavy
those sections of our country which have been the
most favorably disposed low rate of duties in the
United States and it certainly becomes important
question for Great Britain to take into serious cons
deraton whether she expect that those sections
of country will continue to be favorably disposed
to low rates OF duties British produce and manu-
factures should the Government of that country
tinue to levy such an enormous duty on one of the
principal staples of American industry'']
The words in brackets were stricken out after
some debate.
In France the duties on American tobacco
are very heavy-as may be Judged by the fact
that in 1897 the monopoly of tobacco produced
to the French treasury a nett profit of more than
eleven millions of dollars As it is not stated
what proportion of American tobacco enters into
the manufactured article consumed in France,
the best approximation that can be made esti-
mates the revenue derived by France from Anne
rican tobacco alone at five and half millions of
dollars annually sum which is believed to be
more than double the amount of revenue OBJ
tanned by the United States from all the impor
tations of French goods into this country.
As a brief summary of the statements made by
Mr.. DODGE, all Of which are founded on official
documents, it is said that Russia leves duty
over 200 per cent; England over 800 per cent. ;
in great part of Germany near 100 per cent. on
first cost; and France, SPAIN Italy, and Austria,
derive enormous profits from their system Of mo-
nopoy 1t may safely be said that Europe levies
a revenue Of about thirty millions of dollars on
about one hundred thousand hogsheads of Anne
rican tobacco, which cost in the United States
about seven millions. These enormous duties
and restrictions are of the most serious injury to
our agricultural and commercial interests whilst
the total nett revenue of the United States de-
rived from all articles of importations from all
parts of the world according to the report of the
Secretary of the Treasury, for the two years
ending 3lst December, 1888, was an average Of
$16,S660 OF.
The following are the resolutions recommend
ed by the Committee, and adopted by the Con-
vention:
Resolved, That this Convention views with deep
regret and sense of injury, the continued heavy bur
dens imposed upon tobacco imported from the United
States into foreign countries whose products and
manufactures admitted into this country entirely
free of or at a nominal duty. That this inequality is
with that spirit of reciprocity by which friend
ly commercial nations should be governed and that
longer submission to it by the Government of the
United States would he unjust to the tobacco plan
tiers, destructive of their interests and cvince gross
want OF attention TO their Just circumstances
oil hat Of bea pfeI
by the President this Convention TO draught
mortal to the Congress of the United States urging
the adoption of such may be best calcu-
lated to effect modification repeal of the high du
ties and restrictions in foreign countries upon tobacco
imported from the United States and that the Scna-
tors and Representatives in Congress from the tobac
60 growing States be, and they hereby, requested
to use their efforts to accomplish these objects.
Resolved That a committee of five be appointed by
the President of this Convention to DRAFT an address
the Tobacco Planters of the United States, setting
forth their grievances and urging them TO lose no
time in mcmoralizing Congress to relieve them SO
far that may be done by national legislation, from
expressions already too long endured and which,
when they fully understood, cannot be quietly
submitted to.
Resolved That this Convention recognise with
grateful tisacton the which have already
been employed, with suspicious effect, TO procure the
adoption by foreign Governments of measures of Just
reciprocity in regard to the interests represented by
this Convention and that they entertain aud hereby
respectfully express the hope that the Government of
the United States will pcrseverc in ts cxertions to
accomplish the reduction repeal of the heavy duties
and restrictions of which complain
Resolved That copy of the proceedings Of this
Convention be communicated to the President Of the
United States and toeach OF tho Senators and Repre-
scntatives in Congress from the tobacco-p rowing
States.