Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-10-14


BY some inadyer;cnsc. the rate oil tax for re.
venue was omitted my former lrtter--t IS
this: one per cent on amount o; sales. and that
but once on the same goods. BY the showing
eG this table then on the sales Of $llO, 300 of
goods the tax j. SIjG--,ct u> Try tic apIica-
ton Of my rule, which IS, 81! $50 or the low.
ost rate Of license.
There would be nine merchants paving 500;
then per cent on sales would bc $iiOj;
making in a.! Sllgj. which would raise, at this
rate. :3@g more revenue dian the present plan.
So that /, could not he raised as an CGjc ION
that i; woul! not raise ,uovgk revenue; ar'i, II
there is any danger. iMiah il is that It would
raise too much Bat this, think VIII r-,ke
il very apparent that Tie country merci Eats
would ioc the sake OF avoiding the ta>. On
amount oi sales. buy ot oar own importing
merchants, whose business beng, hg tins mrr".,
largely increased. would jc able to iG,::'>lI
their customers on bette. terms, oy d,rec' ~.
portaton. than could tr done by paying op,ra'
tors from ,, TO 10 per cent, who are loS::ci
north Of Mason aud rN2u'N line, aud Ge': t
out at second hand.
But this whole subject naturally leads Ia "he
discussion Of the whole range. Of rc>tr!.i:yc
taxation. rs connected with Foreign ENpor':ud
Import direct Trade: aud as !; l. uow 'Jc.
iicvc, universally conceded. that, The ron.
sumner paws the amount o! the taN.' and %,
in addition thereto. "Nhateycr expense :uay
bc incurred iu ts collection and u the t;ri-
cultural interest = 80 great in proportion 20
anv other ,lu T." Sputh generality and .Spc.
cailv in Virginia - - bc really "the y.yt
arn,' Of the tate: then the weight Of the whole
or nearly so. %! any or al. systems nj such tax
alton MAJ; !av on H6i interest especially.
The point TO which would now direct the
attention OF yourself and numerous readers, Is
the first that comes IN contact with produce,
manufactures and merchandise either IN or out
Of any port oi thi, Commonwealth; II, there.
fore j. not local in lis effect. 1t j. the Pilot
Laws which a,c peculiarly OncronS-all the
leading sen ports are elected thereby, and
while our inlet from the ocean Is allowed 10 be
the very best on the Atlantic, yet the rates
allowed 10 Pilots are cyo;bitantly high com
pared with other ports. Bnt even Mat migm
bc borne by the produce and merchandise o.
the State. ii the rates | give below could only
stop at Hampton Roads and such other points
similarly situated. 80 that the compulsory
feature Of the present Pilot Laws was repealed
so far as river piIotagc' IS concerned; 4 matter
ably discussed III Report 10 the Board oi
Trade of Richmond il January, 1856.
p;lotoc,. ON = ,.c..cI ~ r,,.r ,;yy:ty miles cas,
or rnn" I,onr, - Usnr,or PooI: q ~ nor
[ao,. Iron, Uamn,oa Ha:d, 10 sea. 81. -: from
co., - Yo,tt",rn SIa Co. Yorktown 10 sea,
- ~ Thr.. y,t,. -. | ,ail before mioht be
Submitted n In, SEQ the river pjIotasc and
its application. From Hampton Roads to City
Point, 81 %, to Warwick, $3.si; to Richmond,
$3.50 per foo; Of actual draft; and letter from
city friend says higher than this From
Yorktown TO West POINT. $lg% per foot; river
plotagc to Alcxandria, 50 per foot Vessels
generally sailing from river ports are about 800
10 300 tons DRAWN" about u feet. Those