The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-06
Rittmunn 8ispattt.
ruEspAY MORNING. .MARCH g, 1850
Ths Reairictiye PellcY,

The keatricttve Policy.
In the brief article on this subject, which
appeared in yesterdays Dispatch, Mr.. BAR
pouR's resolutions ~ were mad vertently al
ludsd to, instead Of his bill proposing discrim-
nations against Northsrn fabrics. That bill
would operate very injuriously upon our own
merchants, unless II were simultaneously
adopted BY the other Southern States. Our
merchants have considerable Southern and
Southwestern trade, out Of Virginia. and this
they would lose should Mr.. BARRouR.s mes.
sure take effect here without the CO. operation
Of those States. II 1t passes At all it should
be made TO depend entirely upon this cooper
alton, and should not. 60 into effect until that
was certain. 1twD with reference to this es-
pecial measure that we expressed the opinion
that 1t should not 30 referred to q conference
OF Southern States. The Legislatures could
very promptly act upon so plain and specific
. proposition, and their action would be more
prompt than that which should be postponed
for the advice Of a conference.
With regard to the independent question Of
Conference Of Southern States, we are not
hostile TO it, and cannot see in it the evils
which some imagine would grow out Of it,
I, miKht do good. At the same time we feel
no great an xiety ON the subject. We are per-
fectiyesatisied that, unless there Is a revolu-
ton in Northern legislation, and unless the
people Of the North select different stamp Of
men TO represent them in the National Coun-
ellis, though the Conference be postponed now,
Il must come.
With reference to our merchants, We may
say that they are not less patriotic than other
classes; but they are practical men, who under
stand the df1ic ulties in the way Of the restric-
tive policy by Virginia alone, and see very
clearly how they must be oppressed by such a
measure, added to the enormous taxation al
ready imposed upon them. Virginia has ever
been anti.commercial in her revenue system.
She has repressed and discouraged the mercan-
tile classes by heavy burthens and illibeI al
legislation. Our merchants have to struggle
against the rivalry Of cities that are powerful
In facilities Of trade and capital, whose mer-
chants pay nominal license. They there
fore carry an immense weight, in the form of
taxattOn upon their sales, III race win men
who bear no burthens. AS a plain illustra-
ton, we will mention fact; house in this
city pays a tax OF fifteen hundred dollars, while
another in Baltimore doing the same amount
Of business pays only serenfy.fre dollars.
II would be we'll for the Legislature to look
into the present burthens of commerce, and |
see TO what extent they should be modified, in |
order to carry out the policy OF encouraging |
our own trade and building up our own cities, |
which is the object of Mr.. BARBoUR's bill |
Our merchants desire to aid in the great cause |
of improvements, TO the full extent of their |
capacity. The question is, what is that = |
Ought the imposition go TO the length of |
Gripping them in their struggle with less |
burthened and more powerful merchants If |
carried to that length will not the growth of |
our own cities and the prosperity OF our own |
commerce be most disastrously retarded -
The ques ton is, has not Virginia already gone,
if not to that extreme, beyond the limits that |
would be prescribed by a wise public policy, |
which would prefer the accumulated revenue
flowing from populOus and flourishing cities,
whose growth was accelerated by her liberal |
laws, to the exhorbitant levies imposed upon
small commercial towns dwarfed by her heavy |
exactions and anti-commercial system In |
the one case she would derive increased re-
venue from the increased population and
wealth of cities that would exert a wide.
spread influence through the country, open
ing new sources of revenue for the public |
treasury, while in the other she would supply |
her wants by increasing the weight of taxa |
ton upon small populations, whose slow |
growth would exert no influence on the in |
terror and afford no hope of increased re,e- |
nue., but by increased taxation. The one is |
fav oring and feeding the goose that lays the |
& iden eggs the other is ripping her open and |
taking them from her.