The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-01-27

By siz o'clock IN The afternoon In order TO appear
the nexsda The heavy pressure Of adverti'ers nts
upon the columns Of PAGER Will not admit OF
their reception after the hour named.
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AGENCY IN NORFOLK.
VIM T. FOSTER, ESQ, IL the Agent for the DAILY
DISPATCH 10 Norfolk, the circulation Of the paper
there having increased TO an extent demanding per-
sona attention 20 is distribution the collection OF
dues. &c. -
Oysters, as n Source OF Revenue.
A committee Of the House Of Delegates, as our
readers are aware, has now under consideration,
the excellent recommendation Of Gov. Wise, to
make the immense oyster beds OF the Common
wealth a source of revenue to State ovcrbur-
thened With debt We have before expressed our
warm approval Of this proposition, and We now
refer to IL simply for the purpose Of Publishing
come important facts set forth In an excellent and
valuable article Of the Norfolk Argus We wish
we had room for the whole, but we win give the
substance, and invoke to 1t the particular atten-
ton Of the Legislature.
Upon the very threshold we find plenty of pre-
~cedents for the course recommended by Gov. Wise.
In TACT, the neglect OF Virginia to make this great
interest source Of revenue, presents exception
to the general rule of legislation in the States
GALL THE OTHER STATES" says the Argus,
"hlCtt SONIAIN lhEslh DOhbbhE
OYSTER BEDS, DERIVE FROM THEM A REvE-
NUE.. WHY SHOULD VIRGINIA BE AN Ex-
CEPTI0N ," This is fact which the editor has
ascsrtained by correspondence with officials in the
various States. Virginia, alone, not only fails to
make her oysters source Of revenue, but her oys-
ter fundum has no protection, not even during the
spawning season.
Tide-water Virginia, the Argus states, contains
1000 square miles, 900 acres of oyster beds
or, allowing one tenth OF bushel to every square
yard 6lq, $40, 900 bushels of oysters. One hundred
thousand tons Of shipping are annually employed
In THIS trade, and twenty millions Of bushels of
oysters taken every year from our waters, eigh-
teen millions Of which are carried outside of yir
giDiai
Baltimore employs US vessels, 725 men on board,
1000 hands In the rivers, bays and creeks; besides
these. in the cities, hundreds of shuckers and
packers, making q total of 4,475 individuals.
million bushels Of the shells are annually convert
ed into lime. Fair Haven, Conn, has a hundred
vessels engaged In this trade, and million of dol
lars capital. Indeed, the wealth and prosperity of
the town are built on the oystertrade, and the very
streets paved with Virginia oyster shells. Besides
these, Boston, New York, PhiIsdelpha, Providence,
New London, Bridgeport, and New Bedford have
large numbers Of vessels cruising il our oyster
waters. IAN idea of the value of the trade" adds
the Argus, "msy be obtained by multiplying the
$1,000 900 bushels carried out of the State, by 80
cents, (the average worth of the oysters at their
beds.) whish gives the IMMENSE SUM OF FIVE
MILLIONS, FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOL
LARS Fourffthso Of the profits Of this trade 90 10
persons residng ont Of The State, WHO DO NOT PAY ONE
pAErHISc TOWARDS THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMON
WEALTH"
We should like to know If the State of Virginia
Is 90 rich, If her taxes 30 light and inconside.
rable, that she can afford to throw away a source
Of revenue like that. Is not every tsIridden far
ner, mechanic and merchant in the State interest
ed In having his heavy burthens diminished by
source of revenue which every other State avails
itself Of and which Virginia possesses in unrival
led profasioni As the Argus pertinently asks,
while all descriptions of bushes in which our
people are engaged, are GENEROUSLY taxed, why
should that business, which is carried on In our
midst, principally by non.residents, 60 freei No
Legislature can face for n moment tax-burthen-
cd Commonwealth, which can neglect such ali OBJ
vious and efficient mode of tightening the onerous
burthens Of the people.
The Virginia oyster bears the palm every where,
and therefore it IL useless for the crafty mariners
of the free States to talk of going elsewhere for
oysters They can't get them elsew here the Vir-
ginia oyster is acknowledged king of the bivalves,
and, IL anything, is more admired in New England
than in his native State and they cannot be trans
planted, for Virginia oysters, the Argus says, qCiH
not live through tie lginter at The North. To cen
clude with our Norfolk contemporary, 1--WE entreat
our Legislature to look into this fundum question.
They must act upon it during this session."