Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1856-02-13
FEBRUARY l3, 1856,

10 the revision Of the laws OF the
Commonwealth BY the Legislature Of
40. At that time kanawha was re-
presented, both in the Senate and
lower Honse, by gentlemen, owners
Of salt property, and engaged in man
afacturing said article. What infiu-
ence this may have had in producing
the present laws for the inspectionof
salt, it is not my purpose to enquire.
I By reference to the SSth chapter OF
the new code, it win be discovered,
that the reyisors followed IN every.
particular the code Of 10.
and the supplement, until they arrived
ut that section, fixing the penalty for
transportation without inspections,
here they substitute tile 4ad section
Of the chapter referred to.
The law provides for the inspection
Of a large number Of articles, which
it was. not desirable or necessary to
have inspected in the western portion
ofthc State. Those articles are ennln-
Grated in the 42d section Of the bill,
and a penalty annexed for exporting
from, or selling them in any Of the
settles or towns on tide water ID this
Sate," withoutIinspection Thus BY
inserting slide water" in this section
Of the bill, the west was exempt from
the necessity Of having those articles
inspected. They are such as -four,
bread, fish, pork, beet, tar,
pitch, turpentine, lumber, lime, lard,
butter, &C. Among those articles
thus prohibited from sale or exporta-
ton from the tide water counties 81
the State, without inspection, We find
the article Of salt, which It certainly
never was the intention Of the Legisll-
ture to exempt, it being an article man
ufactured exclusively for the west, and
for the inspection of which, they had
Just framed q stringent law.
1t would have been extreme folly,
worse than child's play, to enact the
law, and Intentionally repeal the same,
in the very clause fixing the penalty
for its violation. lfthey had not IN.
tended the law TO operate in the west,
where the salt is manufactured, there
was no necessity Of enacting any law
upon the subject, as there is no sail
manufactured in those counties Dor
dering on tstide water" You viii
discover that the Legislature, aftc1
all the labor they had spent in fran
ing the law for the inspecting ofsalt
is made to repeal the same, by having
salt enumerated with those articles e
be inspected ONLY in, those settles
and towns ontide water in this State.
l have no idea, that the Legislator,
ever designed exempting SO iinpor.
tant all article as salt from legal in
spection. To permit the exploration
Of over three million bushels Of thi,
article from the State, and the grea
body of the consumers throughoul
the west, left without any guarantee.
that the article they are buying is whs
it is represented to be, would be III.
perpetnation Of u wrong, which1 an
not willing to believe the Legislature
ever contemplated; but the contrary,
when they framed that part Of the
bill, relating to the inspection Of salt
defining the duties Of inspectors ane
manufactures, and imposing adequat,
penalties for every violation Of til,
same, they intended the law to oper
ate IN that section of the State, wher,
the article was manufactured. To as
sert otherwise, would be to charge
that body with an amount Of dupli
city or stupidity, which the fact woulG
not warrant.
I would also call attention to iii,
18th section OF the chapter above re
ferred to, which contains one Of tn,
most Objectionable features Of the bin
in giving to the manufacturers ,th,
right to indicate, BY private mark
the quality of their own salt. This
too, without requiring it to be- don,
under oath, or with any guarantee,
that it win be done SO IS to indicat.
the true quality Of the article. B.
shipping salt, in the 42d section
where il undoubtedly escaped tn
attention Of the great body Of TIL
Legislature, covered up as it was, b,
tar, pitch, tnrpentine, lime, lumber
lard, butter, &c, ARTICLES rightfully ex
empt from inspection ii the west, til
manufacturers Mete released from com
pulsory inspection BY the legally aafhor
lied inspector This is what they IN.
long desired. Not by any means, to %
cape the fees forinspection, fol, those the,
still pay to their private weigher an.
marker. but that they might have entir
control Of the inspeciorof their owsssAL1
For this there can be but one motive
which stands out 30 prominent, that III
most Indifferent observer must both 50
and understand II. s S ~ &
If the inspectionsof sail. 81 any othe
article, is: necessary u all Il should b
done by q disiHtsrested person receiving
his authority % = p bs able q act %
dependenfIy Of any restraining injinenc
which might deter him rom the' rightfu
discharoe 81 hissdntr. This n The pre