The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-17
nav MORNING. MARCH Il. 1850.
,.,.f Merchants OF Rtehmond TO the
+use''" x.ratc ot Virginia.

-" uss adopted al meeting OF the
yrs'HN nt Richmond, held in this city on
s'' 's,, las, 18th instant;
sie'S' r,,. ~ Viysinsa Your petitioners
p ~ N the city OF Richmond. beg leave
rf''nsntn hut mos; urgently, to call the AT
Of your honorable eody 10 Ger .a'n F,o-
yl'ah :, the bill lately passed by the House
,,s't'.o.',es Of Virginia IN relation TO licenses
,tFt"x IN merchants. Your petitioners
So ..a' .he,r most earnest conviction that II
sFs'' ,'.,5f. 81 ihis bill are passed into law,
- ~, moi only bc ruinous 10 your pe'i-
~ -. but mast proa"ee me Ihosi uisas' ,
'1r!s, upou the whole mercantile busi-
-s - - Siaie. aud must put an end utter
fsss 81, ,,ne or effort 10 buiid up commerce
'"ssnefi,ioners respectfully represent that
] .s' isfor Of she STATE, Of which its sys-
TAXATION constitutes an InhnentiA part,
- g, 90 fTlm y, at the lowest estimate, ten
- . virginia money, which has sought
e "ttsh!p inyes ,men; beyond our legis
2-'' t,otrol III ihis city II is shown by
.s.", -, -! he C,ty Assessor that the
~ al properly, money and credits, not
lr1,red n business, upon which
'~'-',,. was laid. amounted in l-56.
- %ri rs. IN INJ7, 10 s5,259.305; III
a. Si1a.6jb and IN l>59, to S2,i-l,J2o.
80 showing dsmtnution. IN four years, OF
''-fv iuo-thlrds, OF Si,A!-, iJJ. And the books
ne Assessor OF ihe city Is subordinated by
-. a.-rt Of the First Auditor of the State,
~ shows that the aggregate value of all
ma! p.8nsrty, not exempt from taxation,
".S,or moneys. solvent bonds, etc, in the
a,s dim iuished in the year 1889 The sum
1911 ] Is under the operation OF poll
yiterly rElnous to the business Of the
,hst IL is proposed To impose stlli heavier
.hsG, upCn the commercial Interests OF the
v.ar petitioners wouid further represent,
.,, he capital employed III the business ear
tsn IN lhe city OF Richmond. for which a
..,r - required. does not exceed Si,OOo,0D
-,s,ssssed value Of the real estate in the
SO xaS according 10 the Auditors re-
21~ 3i2 And, under The tax law OF
the owners O; this - Uudoou paid in 10 the
-,.n,v of the Sts.e 80 161 - whilst the
=. ,.ia.. q The city, assessed as high. aud
r.r A. heavy a lax Il real estate in the
ee-rf, pad bat S12,>s3.st; thus showing
=. rDg,r that uneq ual and oppressive law
q, r4rty Of The citizens employed in business.
h, amount of Sl,bn.pGo, paid into the
r-ss,ury $1,000 more than the real estate
s,ae,ing tu upwards of 81, n.Gn. or about /
dollars for one, And this under a
..,itufi0u which declares that taxation
..t be mai and uniform throughout the
,z.e
r.0r petitioners concur fully in the opinion
i. the law Of lej6 hrars with oppressive Sc
.,.v upou he small dealers. There are in
A. city four hundred and thirty-seven Of
under
=. and Of ihrsr there are al least TWO hun
I'll whose captsl does not exceed $500 and
-. hey are required by that law to pay tax
..s sai There l. another class mum bering Two
,.n3-ee and thirly-siX. whose capital does
-, exceed - .wt and who have paid a Il tax
l,.r heir sales including The tnN for selling
NOR. from SIP TO $50. OF course such an
,nount Of sales upon such 4 capital couij
NJ, le made ia il city where there are whole
,sl- houses. and these small dealers were thus
s,etlsd ts repirnlsh ihrir stock weekly or
.y-a from day to day, il it was necessary.
Sut IN tact, the ineq quaity of the tax between
,sr,e retail dealers and the wholesale mer.
fhsu,s - moi Is great a. the fgkreS would in
df7,r A. tAp profits OF the former are much
srpsler thar the profits Of the " Wholesale mer-
liant Il Is true. The Auditor, the financial
iio.r o. the $ a;e. IN his report says that it is
40 part Vi The dU.Y ot The State III grantiL Ii
tsu>r 10 oinqulre Whe her o nr mere han axes "A
sfger per cent profit than another But when
he State discards capital rs the basis of TAXA
a0n yJur petitioners are wholly nj a loss 10
conceive any other basis on W hieh taxation can
l~ placed bat the ability 10 pay; and surely
Disability 10 pay depends not upon the sale OF
g5od, but upon The profit that is made upon
ihf sale.
The question Ia not. however whether
l4r mali dealers have been oppressively taxed
lY The act VI i-j6. We say they have; and the
Advocates Of The bill OF which we com plain.
say hey have. On that point all parties are
O OLE mind. But the question is, whether
hey shall be relieved from this oppressive
tAISli0D, by distributing the burihen equally
upon the people and property of the State or
ty placing II upon a few, who are already op-
pressed BY most UNEQUAL taXation--a taxa
,0a only less oppressive than that which ali
simil they bear. Aud your petitioners can
lJ' suppress the expression of their regret
Ia gentlemen who could so readily discover
ald were 50 prompt 10 remedy. the inequality
.-iTeen The small and the large dealers We're
4lsfl bilnd 10 The sun mo erroneous and
.Isfing inequality in the burtheus of taxation
,-iNttL The persons employing their property
% c'mheTce and the owners OF real rs tate and
siaye.
Under the law of 1856, the tax upon the
Msesi wholesale merchants, having reference
~ 'Arif capital, WIS three times greater than
upon ihe owners of real estate This differ
'Ae- was slii! greater against the small whole
sale merchants And yet, under the law OF
l'h, A0 merchant IN the city of Richm nd
!Ac lax Of 500. Under the bill which has
assed he Honse of Delegates, the TAX of our
A:iesi Wholesale merchants, based upon the
'4ir' of TIE year ending the LIST Of February
a. VIII br Sl0,Wa; aud the tax upon the
@b5esale merchants Of the city VIII range
ivl lbs sum TO 81 ,,iUn 1t Is only necessary
give The figures TO satisfy every in teI!igen
hiG lhst, AS Il system of taxation, the enor-
MY i The oppression must defeat it.
IEa. shy man or firm Will con ptinue It's do a
t0nnercial business in Richmopd upon which
IL WI have 10 pay 4 tax OF -ln,nbo, certainly
A' ma Who is acquainted with the business
ga tllrye or expect. On the sales which is
= b lie basis of this tax, Il large proportion
Faaahy one half the profit, ii there is any
4 al-,.f merely nominal. They are sold by
~e Wholesale merchant BECAUSE his customer,
4efriali dealer, must have them; and, unless
.Ac can be- had from him, his customer will
Epf ~ Afr,,I hr. hay car h.A Utf - n
a'aA lilnstration-aud IL is a fair illustration
y lle sublect-the w holesaie dealer purchases
@l' prints OF cotton shirtings IN New ork
"'eh per yard upon eight months time, and
~ miAgs them 10 Richmond and sells
| TS~ a. .. cents upon six months time
SHea us hole falls due he must take Ii up IN
's" iofk, paying The rate otexchange, which
| a'FiI'm less than 4 half per cent, or he Is
Aeu and when, 1T the end OF six months,
- %' uV'r oi his customer falls due, it is not un-
| f4eH'ly taken up by another note IA four
| SIv4H'' II Is true, the financial officer of the
s' says 1t Is no part of the duty OF the
III granting 4 license. to inquire wheth-
| % Vne merchant makes a larger profit than
.Ae'- But, however wise or Just that re-
| N,'. may f~ III regard to the State, the mer-
| e, ,Su III determining whether he can afford n
| n: '"e AK, must take into his consideration
VI, question OF profit upon his sales; and
| oss more than the whole gross profit on
hat OF Ills sal-s i. absorbed by the tax
ftat III
| ,-sL me STATE imposes upon him, he will
Ell A part of his duty 10 himself TO in
bssiaae "aeii'er 1t is not tor him to give up tht
| i.g,.1s,''of of remove IL 10 some place where
y"h Is not 50 un!riendly 10 il.
ur,,' pru1ioner> have not overlooked the
| s,l,rs oi me b!ii rxenpiing direct impor-
| or r,h", VI goods from abroad from taxation
| e-ps.g thptihg goods purcha- ed from Il H.
uonsr. merchant In Virginia; but your peti-
esI.r,s,1'. ',e'e 'hai though uese provisions
sbol.A.'S ue irst may be OF advantage TO The
rslbs, merchant yet neither, nor both 10.
| a.,rn "h compensate for or materially
| fhsfrs, oppression of The proposed tax
zone ss. ys. provision has been in operation FOL
ss,va,, ahd although il has operated mos
eslly Il upon some branches of trade--espe
ay~yesn,,h@ ns coffee irade-ye,, ii has had scarcely
,g,s PP,ioie Pp Influence on our trade with En-.
xaetha.Hs Wholesale merchants OF this city
aocyb aeaiing in dry goods or hardwar
lasr,ss,,so sone OF them have been exer,ins
Iarone go 'or years TO import goods from
,G.rsbla' 'au 90 import them at very con
aapor, III sncfiiiee-have been compelled Il
gn, 1'n mainly through New York.