The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-09-22

the CITY OF memphis. 1he evils OF which IL
complains are patent to every Nashville mer-
chant, and we have had occasion, oftentimes,
to speak of them through our columns. We
republish this memorial for the purpose of
calling the attention of our own and wholesale
merchants throughout the State, to the sub
ject, in order that it may go before the Legis-
lature with a full representation. We would
suggest that a meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce take the matter in hand:
Memorial to the Tennessee Legislature.
Your memoralists, Citizens and Merchants of
Memphis, would respectfully represent to your
honorable body, the great injury done them as
class by the unequal, unjust, and oppressive ope,
ration of the present Revenue Laws Of the State
and would respectfully and earnestly petition your
honorable body for such modification of the said
laws as to your wisdom may seem just and proper,
for the relief of The grievances of which they
plain.
Your memorialists would show the Inequality Of
the present system by stating that, under its pres
ent operation, the wholesale dealer, and the mer.
chant who sells for commission, pay to the State
q far greater proportion of his profits than the
tail merchant whose profits are larger. To illus.
trate: The largest transactions in merchandise at
Memphis, are in the wholesale grocery and produce
trade, the pIOulS on WHICH are OlbcD less anu sell
dom more than ) or 10 per cent. In this depart
ment OF trade, then, the merchant who sells or
two hundred thousand dollars, and makes profit Of
five or ten thousand, pays to the State tax Of
$500 or 81 900; while tue retailer, who sells at
advance of % per cent, can make the amount
Of profit 10y selling twenty or forty thousand dol
lars, upon which he pays the State but one or two
hundred dollars clearly showing that the wholesale
dealer pays Just fire times much to the State as
h ,f 9r1cgI,t the
UdlJe.
To further exemplfy the inequality and injustice
of the present system, your memolalists would
state that in those branches OF trade in which the
capital employed is often reinvested the merchant,
under the law as it now stands, requiring him to
pay upon the aggregate amount OF his purchases
per annum, is taxed ten perhaps twenty times a
year upon his capital; while in some other depart
ments of business, the merchant pays upon his
capital but once or twice. This your memorialists
consider tax upon the industry and enterprise OF
those who employ their means most actively, which
they hope and believe needs only to be pointed out
TO be at once corrected by your honorable body.
In demonstration Of the burdensome and Oppres-
sive operation of the present law, your memOrasts
deem it only necessary 10 state the fact that II re-
quires the enormous sum of from one to two thou
sand dollars to be paid for the privilege of doing
respectable wholesale business in the State OF Ten
nessee-a tax which, as far as we are informed, 10
without parallel in any Of the great commercial
States OF the Union, and which virtually makes the
State respectable partner in the profits OF her
merchants, without any share in their losses.
The premises considered, your memorialists res
pectfuy state as their belief that change in the
Revenue Laws OF the State, by which the capital
employed in mercantile pursuits shall be placed on
an equality with other taxable property, and a mod
crate privilege tax assessed merchants, in lieu
Of the present exorbitant rates, would be highly
conducive to the interests and convenience OF the
commercial community, and would tend to invite
business men and capital from abroad, TO the great
Enhancement Of the general welfare OF the State
- The Washington Union, since the &C.
cession of Mr.. Pierce to the head Of affairs at
Washington, has changed its spots" so often
that it has ceased to be subject Of common
remark among its contemporaries. The New
York Courier and Enquirer, noticing the last
solnmersett of this editorial Proteus, thus
sums up his high and lofty tumbirg for the
last two years, in nutshell, and comments
upon the probable reward which will be Sc
cured by its extraordinary agility:
In December, 1853, he was against any kind Of
slavery agitation. Ia January, 1854, he was for
introducing that agitation into Douglass Nebraska
Bill Later in the same month, he denounced Dixon
Of Kentucky, and Sumner OF Massachusetts as trai-
tors and conspirators, the one FOR proposing, the
other for excluding the repeal Of the Missouri Conn
promise as part of the Bill Two weeks later he
began clamoring for the repeal. Thus in the space
of one revolving moon he played four characters
the most opposite in the whole range of tragedy and
comedy, aud his powers we're not yet exhausted,
for in the ensuing eighteen months the organst has
been for dsunon at the South and against t at the
North, a Volater o! compacts and a stickler for
compromises stirrer up OF the bittcTest sectional
strife and a pleader for national harmony. He in-
yoked confusion and Reproduced fusion. He de-
nounced Wings as traitors aad now courts them as
allies His last appearance is special champion
and defender of the Constitution, ia which part he
reminds us of Harlequin as Hamlet, by special re-
quest and for this occasion only.
These extempore MOrgars may do until after the
Fall elections 20 operate on which, We suppose, the
later of them have been devised but dramatic in-
genuity has its limits and fear that the last scene
of all will represent our Democratic contemporary
mping of the stage, ihe printing OF Congress,
and an the other advantages which belong 90 such
Invaluable services as his. But, happen what may,
his devotion 10 the Constitution viii be eonsola-
ton. Of which no misfortune can deprive hini and
II he returns against the Union, when his reward IS
consumed let him reflect thatas II has survived both
his enmity and his friendship, it may retain that
equluDfluin DctNeefi Tue eNpp'ih VI - HtNAoH anu
the assaults of It's foes which bis powerful efforts
have not hitherto suIiced 70 distarb.
CouNrERFuTs We have seen a counterfeit gold
dollar, Wei executed, aud calculated 10 deceive
II Is OF the smaller of the two sizes OF that COIN
As compared with the genuine. il is shade darker
ana OF less delicate finish. The points of the
stars are not 90 sharp, aud there is general blunt
uess Of the relieis The date Of the piece 20 which
We refer Is 1852. There Is no ring to It when
dropped ON a hard substance, as that which at
taches 10 the legal dollar HasA. S,ay.
PEPFERxTSr.-A good deal Of attention i paid
TO raising Peppermint in the vicinity Of Desroit-l