The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1841-11-19
MEMORIAL
To the Legislature of Mississippi,


To the Honorable the Senate and House Of
Representatives. IF hbee State Of .uiss,ssiDpi:
The undersigned citizens Of Mississippi,
your petitioners, beg leave respectfully 10 re-
present to your honorable bodv that in their
opinion the interests OF the cotton planters,
ana oshers engaged In the cotton trade Of
ms olate' suffers greatly in consequence of
the present mode OF conducting the same
ana III O'her respects touching the convey
ances TO market OF the great staple OF the
State; and believing it to be within the pro.
per power OF the Legislature OF our Stale IN
afford great relie 10 those suffering interests.
we beg leave 10 address this petition 10 YOUR
honorable body setting forth briefly our views
and our wishes in the premises.
The honorable members Of your BODY are
ais doubtless, well aware that the c0ntinu-
ance OF the cotton market OF Mississippi al
New Orleans, and OF an intermediate agency
al thaI place, where an heavy annual xport
Is received at IN termination OF our ship
ment and sent forward, to the Eastern and
European markets, by another-.and the
great damage necessarily resulting to the
co ten itself by this Increased handling. to-
geIher with the still greater damage and loss
II sustalns by the unexampled carelessness
u.
occasions grea expenses and enormous loss
Is TO the COTTON plan els of this Slale, while
1t depnves the merchants OF Mississippi OF
most OF those profits which the trade ought
10 afford them; AID The State itself, and her
citizens generally, OF most or all OF those
advantages which are pFOper, consequent
upon large eXportailOn. The producer
paying the expenses OF carrying his prod uct
10 market, as Is always the case it behouVes
The plan teTs OF Mississippi so TO arrange the
mode OF transportation, as that the cotton
Ihey produce will 60 to the mandatory in
the shortest time, with the least damage, and
at the smallest amount OF expense. What
ever cah thus be saved, including the whole
route from The cotton gin to the mandatory,
is then gain; and whatever is thus asled
damaged or expended, is their lOse.
The only question, then, that arises in the
views OF your petitioners, is, whether those
expo nscs and losses attendant upon this in
Iermedlate agency at New Orleans, and con-
sequent establishment and continuance of
me colloh market OF Mississippi at that place,
are heces sary or may, by proper enterprise
and economy, be avoided and saved to the
olate he great extent OF these extra ex-
Penses and losses constitutes the importance
OF TINS question. Throughout all that portion
OF mississippi which trades down the MIS-
sIsslppl river, there is almost a universal
murmur aud discomfort among the planters.
IN consequence OF these losses and expenses
Various estimates have been made of the
probable extent OF them, and various sug-
gestIons have been made tor their partial or
entire remedy.
Inc expense now, OF exporting Mississippi
cotton, such as is sold IN New Orleans. from
the time 1t Is ready to ship in Mississippi
until 1t is placed on shlpboard in the river at
New Orleans ready for the sea, NAV be
glanced at as tolIows:--The usual charges
in New Orleans for freight down the river.
labor, storage, weighing, instance and COM
missions, Is about S4,25 per bale. For ship
ping 10 New Orleans, Thy those whose plan
tatIOns are not on the river is about 25 cents
bale. The cost OF compression is, we UNI
derstand, IS cents per bale. The drayage
labor, and other expenses afterwards, untilit
goes on board the vessel, is, perhaps, not less
IMAM 70 cents upon each bale. And the
whole amount of the loss and damage. from
the time IL is shipped In Mississippi until it
sails from New Orleans, 10y the use OF cotton
hooks, frequent landings, exposure TO the
mud and weather, the quantity usually Ia
Ken by " samplers" loss by pIllage and pill |
ierlng, COST OF replacing bagging aud cordage
alter being rotted or tor of, together with |
the depreciation in price which must always
attend the sale OF any article in bad order
is known TO be very ext eIlslve, and is vah.
ously estimated. We believe those bes. ln-
formed on the subjecl ar ot opinion lhaL The |
losses, altogether, Will average from two 10
Ihree dollars per bale, all d perhaps more
/ $Z,5O De put down as th e amount oil THESE
expenses per bale, 1t wIIl make the average
expense upon each bale OF cotton sustained
ny The planter, from the time it Is shipped IN
until 1t is placed on shlpboard at
New Orleans, eight dollars.
Ibis immense load UPON The planting in
eresIs OF Tins Slate. 1t Is belie we'd BY your pt
,lA9ners, may be III great II leasure relieved
oy wholesome legislative as sIstance. We
cannot properly interfere wit h the business.
= ade or merchants OF anOtheT State; nor is
I a. all necessary We should, In view OF the
hihgs here stated, IN the plnIon OF YOU.
'euIoheIs. IL IS, We TespeC 'tluily suggest.
'hly necessary that We rega HGte our ouO..
FGde' We have certainly All ne advantage
D sea navigation thar New "a leans has. ex
-ePl the additional expense OF towing Sc
eaSelS TINS much IurtheI up IN river which
Al Sl,OOO tTIp, presumed TO Toe about a ta,,
climate or vessel carrying 1000 bales
'ot'oh' would only make the freight 90 CEN,
oaie more from mississippi than from New
Jfieahs. The amount OF the annual exDof
aioA Oh mississippi, is most assuredlv stuff
;lent 70 JUSTIFY direcI trade, since it is mofe
nan mat OF almost any other State in the