Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-11-05

the State and discusses with aoiiity anu Siedl ie-
search a subjeci, which, We understand, has given
much dissatisfaction 10 The planters. We nave
no personal knowledge Of The operation OF Inc
power complained OF; but the views OF the writer
strike US as being consonant with reason anu
Justice and the free spirit oil the age. The SUD-
ice, is we'll worthy OF public attention, and the
writer's quotations of antique laws are amusing
and instructive.
For tie Enquirer.
TO THE TOBACCO PLANTERS OF VIRGINIA.
INSPECTION Law--Passed and Refused
Tobacco.
Tobacco has long been staple OF Virginia
and frequently subject otlegislalion. An emu
meralion OF all The laws enacted concerning il
is unnecessary and would be tedious. To ex-
hibit the spirit of The age and the propensity Of
lawmakers 10 interfere with The pursuits Of in
dustry. few OF these acts will be referred to-
In 1851, the Colonial Assembly enacted that no
planter should plant more Than 1000 plants Tor
each laborer, and if any planter omitted TO plant
this number or exceeded il, the law required that
the "whole crop" should be cut down! In 1852,
a law passed, requiring tall The bad and ill.con-
ditioned tobacco nstantlie 10 be burnt and The plant
ers thereof to be disabled further from planting
Such are the words and the English OF the law.
In 1859, il was enacted that The tobacco oil that
wear "be viewed by sworn viewers and the rotten
and unmerchanlable and halfMe good 10 DC burn
ed.n The act declared that the quantity left
would be one and a half millions Of pounds,
which our ancient Legislators doubtless deemed
sufficient to supply the world. In 1861, The
planters were prohibited from planting tobacco
AFTER The 10Th July annually, and all yiolators Of
The law were liable TO forfeit oil 10000 pounds
OF tobacco ITO The use of the publique." II was
also provided, that no person shall 'tend any Sc
cond lopps or slips" under the like penalty. All
"sround leaves" were 'Iequiled 10 be totally sup
pressed" and every planter who put as much as
five pounds Of ground leaf tobacco in hogs.
head was liable TO forfeit of five thousand
pounds of his tobacco. Grand Iuries were d.
rected 10 pay particular attention TO the enforce
men, of this law. Ii was about this time that
Sir VIM. Berkeley, then Governor OF the colony,
thanked his God that there were 'no Tree schools
nor printing in Virginia" and expressed The nope
that we should mot have these hundred years"
The &C, OF 1856 prohibited the planters under
penalty OF 10000 pounds OF tobacco from plant
ing or replanting any tobacco after The last day
OF June. Ten years after this act was repealed,
on account of the "great haIdshps" which the
Colonial Assembly acknowledged The law had
produced In ITO, an ACT was passed requiring
The planters 10 cut up and destroy all tobacco
stalks rools and suckers within ~ days ailer the
cutting oirhe said plant; the penalty Tor disregard
of the law being 200 pounds Of tobacco for every
person above seven years old residing on any plan
ta,ion where such an offence was committed. In
a few wears the Assembly repealed the law, be-
cause, in their opinion, tobacco suckers made
very good manure. In 1880, an act was passed
appointing Inspectors. The preamble declared
the object of The law 10 be ITO prevent the expor
raton of bad and trash tobacco, and The many
frauds in deceving his Majesty OF his customs"
The owner oil any refused tobacco was allowed
10 sor, il again, ard "ihe bad or understandable
tobacco" was 10 he Immediately burnt il the
owner failed to sort his refused tobacco, il was
burnt, in conformity with law. The law pro.
hbcd the export OF any tobacco, unless TWO In
speclors should agree THAT The same IS good,
sound, well.conGitioned and merchaniahle, and
free from trash, sand and dir; and, il in lea tcd
,.n auth leaf OF eq,.oi goodness" BY The act OF
1884, no tobacco could be sold without previous
INSPECTION and no tobacco could be inspected
on, Of the district in which il was made.
No one questions the eIpedency of having
Tobacco inspected, but there are many who
regard some Of the provisions OF our pre-
sent law as very incxpedien and objection
able. As most of The tobacco OF Virginia
is sent TO marke, in hogsheads, il is proper that
il should he inspected. II is necessary that The
hogshead be taken off, The tobacco broke in Sc
yeral places and samples drawn out and exhibit
ed. Without fair opportunity OF seeing and ex-
aiming the tobacco, those engaged in The trade
would be unable 10 say VIVA, they could afford 10
give for the article When this opportunity has
been Afforded, the buyer and planter ale competent
10 make their own contracts, nnnluenced by The
judgment Of others as 10 the quality of The To-
bacco Just opened. When the Legislature, I'M
der The Influence of honest but erroneous views
Of policy, determined TO prohibit the expectation
OF inferior tobacco, il became necessary that
discrimination should be made between the dit
fe!cnt qualities OF tobacco, and that some tribu-
nal should be selected and authorized 10 decide
what kind of tobacco should be shipped 10 Eu-
rope and what tobacco should be sent
to the flames. Thus originated the power, long
since conferred, by whchlhe inspectors pass and
refuse tobacco. This authority was given IN
der circumstances no longer existing, and for
reasons nappicable al The present day. Refused
tobacco is no longer consigned TO the flames
Tsmpora nrutantnr. TIE heads OF men have
been enlightened, and their hearts liberalizsd by
the truths oil commerce. The expectation OF re-
fused tobacco is no longer prohibited by law, but
il is shipped in The manufactured as well as The
manufactured state 10 The various markets OF The
world Why, then, should the Legislature CON-
linue TO require the inspectors 10 sit in judgment
upon your tobacco and give their verdict OF ac-
qui,lal or condemnation The inspectors are men
Of good character and standing in society, and
none are appointed who are not considered good
Judges OF tobacco. lam not attacking them, but
one of the prerogalives with which they are in
vested. However conscientious, honest and i'm
partial they may be, they are not infallible, and
they cannot expect their judgment about tobacco
10 give entire satisiac ion. From year 10 year
complaints are made BY The planters, that the in
spec,ors OF this or that warehouse refused Iobac-
co which ought TO have passed The inspectors
throughout The State cannot act upon any uni
form and clearly defined principles in discrimina--
ting between what tobacco they shall pass ana
what they shall refuse. The words OF our law
forbid it, No tobacco can pass unless inc IN
spec.ors deem il "sound well-condltioned, mer.
charitable, and clear OF trash" aforementioned
and merchantabe, are words having as great a
variety OF meanings as The word lnxarY. what
is luxury in the eye OF poor man, IS only a
necessary in the eye OF the man OF wealth. The
tobacco which is deemed merchantabe for one
foreign market, is not merchanlabe for another
A. who buys largely Tor The English and Scotch
markets, wants dry tobacco; while B, who buys
for other European markets, wants tobacco IN
much higher order. The purchaser for foreign
markets wants dry tobacco generally, while me
slcmmer and manufacturer want tobacco rathe,
supple. AT one time The dealers in tobacco, ana
the commission merchants, encourage The plant
els to put up their tobacco in very dIy oroef; a.
another in somewhat supple order lei Il must
be "well-condi,iontd and merchantable! Inc
refusal Of tobacco by The inspectors is equivalent
TO a public declaration that, in their judgment,
such tobacco is not "sound, wel.conditioned,
merchanlable, and clear OF trash " Such refusal
brands il with discredit and disparagement, and
the tendency OF refusal is 10 impair The price OF
The tobacco when sold. Refused hogsheads some
times sell for high prices; but these are only e1-
centions 10 the general rule. Refused tobacco
frequently sells very well for refused tobacco;
but The question is, whether The same tobacco
would not command higher prices if ii had not
been refused. Toasserl that the estimation OF TO-
bacco is moi diminished by refusal is as idle as
TO assert, that The standing OF man i'll society