The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-12-01

| As0SA4 18Axx88A
/ Mssfise of MereAan..--In pursuanee :, .
notice published In the city papers, meesips
of the merchants interested In the impOrtn
tion OF Foreign Goods. di,sef to this port, wa
held at the Merchants Insurance Once. yes
terdny, and was more largely attended lhal
any similar meeting we have ever seen d
Richmond. Every importing and whelesai
house had Its representatives present, aud al
/ seemed ready to lake such action rs woult
speedily ensure the consumnation Of thei
/ wishes.
At " O'Clock the meeting was called to .rde
/ by Mr.. George J. Sumner, on whose motion
/ HORACE L. KENT, Esq was chosen Chairman
nd Mr. 4. PULLEs appointed Secretary.
Mr.. Kent, on taking the chair, stated thu
Object OF the meeting to be, to take the neees
| sary steps 10 bring about a direct trade be-
tween Virginia and Europe. He supposed
| that some friend of the measure was prepared
| to offer plan for consideration.
Mr.. George ]. Sumner then offered the fol.
lowing preamble and resolutions, which he
hoped would not end as other efforts bad done
In merely adopting resolutions. For himself
he was prepared To make sacrifices, and he be-
lieyed not only his fellow -mer chants, bat the
entire community, were equally prepared to
make sacrifices for the South. The preamble
and resolutions read thus:
WhsIeas, In the opinion of this meeting the time
has arrived when the merchants Of this city should
as Tar as practicable, become their importers
and that those now en-. a. ed ia the importation Of
5orei goads shnd unite to ether for the purpose
OF Direct Trade; and whereas 1t is kaewn tnat a
lar proport on of the aoufs now l.. rted by our
merchants are landed at seine of the Northern
ports; and feeEnS hat In orcer to effect this ehans
II y necessary ~, te act in cencert Therefore,
and facilities will enable Us to do 80. we VIII i'm
port 9sr own goods Of foreign arowth or manufae-
That these of us who now have orders in the
hands oil asents or manufacturers awaitin, execu-
our best efforts to have the "ods shipped to James
fver, even &C an advanc rate o. trel ht and that
rom ami sfter the LIST dsy of January next we
D nd ourselves not 10 1--WE order for foreig n
goods u am parts. without an UNDERSTANDING that
practicable.
3. Thar committee of three be appointed to
dratt an agreement in accordance with the above
resolutions, and to procure the ST. nature of every
merchaut in this city en-. aged in the importation
OF iorels merchandze, and that said pa per be de-
posted with the Secretary OF he Board of Trade
OF this city; aud, fnrthermore IN order TO facili
tate me object we have IN view. We hereby riedse
ourselves to unite upnn some one more respoa-
sible shipping agent at Liverpool.
Mr.. L. W. Glazebrook made motion that
committee Of seven be appointed, to whom
the preamble and resolutions should be refer
red, 10 be reported upon. He did not think
the meeting had had sufficient time to reflect
upon the importance OF the step about to be
taken. He hoped that if the resolutions were
referred. that he would not be placed upon the
com mmittee
Mr. j. B. Ferguson seconded the motion to
refer. He wished 10 have calm aid CONSIDER
ate action on the subject of Direct Trade, and
was always ready to All, in effectibg IL, but liz
did not wish to be placed in a position to be
injured in busin. SIS when no good could be ef-
fected. If he took pledge the effect OF which
was to close his DOORS he would stand by il
to the bitter end, and tor that reason he wish
ed TO see every act OF the meeting calmly
weighed.
Mr.. s. M. Price was not q direct importer
| but Was largely interested in the dry goods
business. He was opposed 10 referring the
resolutions, believing that the meeting could
rp,.pu m plpn dad i
they did anything.
Mr.. w. G. Paine was opposed to referring
The resolutions were plain and PRACTICAL, anc
could readily be understood and acted upon
by practical men.
Mr. w. G. Crenshaw opposed the resolu-
tions, because they did not 20 far enough.
Inc motion being put TO vote, the meeting
| Mr.. Geo. w. Smith did not attend the meet
| ing to adopt resolutions, but to put down the
| name OF MS firm for the purchase of vessels
to run between the waters of Virginia and
| Liverpool.
| Mr.. "A. X. Parker did not think that goods
| ought to be ordered from Europe through an
| agent residing in New York. If that plan
were TO be adopted, then We had as well pur-
chase the goods there. Let us either order
direct from the manufacturers, or through q
Southern agency.
| Mr.. ]. B. Ferguson yielded to no man In de-
votion to The South aud her Institutions, but
he was not prepared TO take the step sug-
gested by the gentleman who preceded him L.
There were foreign agencies al the North
where la ge samples could be seen and seiec
tions mace, and he could see no impropriety
in giving orders to those agents
Mr.. G. w. Smith was ready TO cut loose
from the North at once. however great the
sacrifice required-and no man In the meeting
would sufler greater Inconvenience to his
business than would his firm.
Mr.. Sumner was for firm, united action
He could see nothing in the resolutions which
the meeting ought 10 object to-no resolve lha,
every one present was not prepared to MAKE
By united action q direct trade could be
effected, and that, too, without any serious
sacrifices TO the impor ers. His branch of
business would suffer most, but those he re-
presented were ready AID willing for the
sacrifice.
Mr.. VIM. Z de voss could see no difficulty
in the way. 1t was only necessary to purchase
fur packets, at cost OF O,Aiu, and we cou Id
then have a vessel sailing from Liverpool every
month in the year. The exports Were already
sufficiently large to support the line. and
when cargo of goods could not be made up
at Liverpool, the vessel could be freigh ed with
| iron, which would readily sell ON It's arrival
here.
Mr.. Giazebrook hoped that the resolutions
would yet be referred 10 a committee, they
| dld nol go lar enough to meet The views of per-
| sons present
The Chairman stated that they would only
| be referred after u reconsideration.
| MIR. Paine, to give the meeting an opportu
| niiy OF having the reference, moved recon.
| sideration of the vote taken.
The motion was put To vote, and the meet.
/ ing refused tn reconsider.
| The question was then taken on the pream.
/ bic and esolutions, and they were adopted.
The Chairman appointed the following gen.
| tlemen a committee Of three, TO report the ar
| rangemen. to be signed Messrs. GEORGE J
| SUMNER, A. l.. ELLKrT, and JOHN PURCELL
| Mr.. WIN. G. PAINE offered the following re-
solution which was adopted:
Resolved. That a committee of three he ap-
pointed to make enquiries anu report upon the
priet and practcafility of establishing line oi
packets between Richmond and Liverpool.
The Chairman appoint ted the following COM
| mitree called for in the above resolution -
| Messrs. WILLIAM q PAINE, EDWARD W. DE
| Voss, and THOMAS w. McCANeE.
| Oni motion, the above committees were re-
quested to report their action 10 an adjourned
meeting of the merchants, to be held at the
| Merchants Insurance Office, on Saturday mex {,
at IL O'Clock, when II IL expectet that all per-
sons interested will be in attendance.
On motion, the meeting then adjourned, to
meet on Saturday next, at IL O'Clock.