Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-03-17
e ~ sales OF business.
teIh to recall it TO the

- Just, and equal Will scarcely teLA TO recall IL TO the
control Of such policy or princ< I6f taxltiCn.
The second provision of the bil-thit exempting from
taxation goods purchased in Virginia from person hay
ing license to se-fit shall effect the Anticipation Of
its authors may well to pause before we accept
it, The Auditor states in his report that there are in
the State six thousand six hundred and thrtyour mer
chants and this bill il intended exempt from tax
alton the six thousand and to put upon the six hundred
not only the taxes they have hitherto borne but the
whole amount of taken from the shoulders of the
six thousand intended to be exempted by the bill This
is the purpose of the bill. But, again The Auditor es-
Inmates the of sales by all the merchants of Vir
gnia at 81 900. And the bill proposes tina, the
upon merchants shall be per cent upon this sum- or
S4ll $40 which shall ke paid by the SIX hundred
Enthusiastically average of 500 each of them
And the consideration for this oppress ion
which the bill proposes is that they may sell their mer.
chandse the six thousand re'a dealers if they will
buy them. VIII the temptation of exemption from tax
induce the merchants OF the Northwest TO prefer the
market OF Wheeling TO the market of Baltimore or Phil
adelphia New orkg VIII the merchants Of the South
Branch, or the Valley up Rockingham prefer Alexau-
d.ia 10 these Northern citesy Will they come from the
country OF the Little h4nawha from the Great ka-
nawha faom Logan, and Wayne, and Lee, 10 Richmond
Peter sbug rather than 90 to Cincinnati CT New York
To ask these questions Is TO answer them. What l.
the one per cent to the retail dealer in the interior OF the
country Selling without competition, be fixes the price
of his goods TO suit HIMSELF and he who has heretofore
been selling at profit from - 10 30 per cent can have
difficulty in adding per cent more to his prices.
And this will be the case not ouly in the parts Of the
country to which have referred but all parts Of the
interior of the State that the inducements held out by
this bill the reteal dealers to purchase in the State will
have very little e'!sct.
But whatever influence this provision Of the law may
be supposed to exert your petitioners are well satisfied
will be much than Counteroced by the tax upon
tie wholesale merchants. Your petitioners STATE, from
their own personal experience and observation, tt the
grea: difficulty in budng up their trade has been to sat
,!y the retail merchants in the country that they could
purchase their goods on Us GOOD in Richmond as
in Baltimore Philadelphia or New York. Many mer-
chants from the country pass through this city to buy
goods in New York simply because they will not believe
that they purchase here on A. good terms And
the effect OF tbs tax Will be- to cOuirm them in their
Incredibly When they know tina. the merchant IN
Richmond is required pay Ter cent upon the gross
amount Of his sales ana knowing, they do that th-
per cent. Wii absorb all the profit which they have
been accustomed io make upOn the large amount OF
these sales they will al least think they know that the tax
must be put into the price And no doubt 10 would be
if the wholesale merchants OF Richmond oIreter burg
or Norfolk Alexandria were in the condition Of the
country merchant. If We had TO compete only with
each other for the country trade being all under the
same bufthen, would fix prices accordingly But
our competition il not with eacn other, but with Bat
more with Philadelphia, with New lOrk cities having
many other advantages and all Of them iostered
and encouraged by the legislation OF their Statesnone
OF them paving upon their capital employed
in business than paid the other propertyand the
prices in Richmond aud Petersburg must be fixed with
reference to the prices in those cities.
Your petitioners therefore believe that whilst this pro-
vision OF the bill ii connected with a moderate tax upon
the wholesale merchants might be beneficial in drawn
our country merchants cities TO make their
purchases vet, connected il Is with tax OppreSs-
i've that it satisfy every man that commercial inter-
ests Of the State have OF the regard OF IT, rulers,
but only used beasts OF burthen to be loaded ami
driven totheir capacity OF endurance its effect
will be drive away aud not to attract country
dealers and will still more elcctuIy destroy our com-
mcrcc with North Carolina and Tennessee commerce
which have been exerting ourselves for years build
up and which, at the present time, gives the promise OF
great extension and benefit.
A. Illustrating the effects Of tax aud Of its repeal
your petitioners would respectfully call the attention OF
the Senate to the coffee trade Of this city. For many
years prior 1856 Richmond millers have supplied
the South American markets with -four and the return
cargoes Of the ships carrying O-t THE ,o -nr,r
=, III. oo0. ~ o.I t;5a- III thrr" D''"S IA uP'H
sales though much more moderate than ;hit imposed by
the law OF 500 the Of coffee imported into Rich
nond for the year ending July l. 1888, stated by the
Auditor was FIVE thousand nine hundred aud sixty bags.
The act Of $50 exempted foreign goods from this tax
on sales and tie quence has BEEN ai agan stated 10y
the Auditor that for the year ending July ], 1889, the
quantity Of coffee imported into Richmond was thirty
SIX thousand six hundred and iftyhree bags The fact
is significant show that tax may prevent commerce
which is called for But there is another fact lying
along side OF th which should iaYe prevented the has
ty conclusion OF tie Auditor that b. suitable legislation
We shall soon nearly all the foreign goods
sumo brought to our seaport towns directly. The acis,
that though the taken on the sales OF hides i'm
ported by the law hides have been brought into
our port Hides sre 10 he manufactured aud We have
no manufactures of shoes or leather. And so, II the
goods We want are manufactured abroad but only in
the North no legislation eau Dnug them into our ports
from foreign countries.
Your petitioners wOud repeat tgism which every
admits that to be- Independent Of the North We must
have commerce and manuilctures. But no man in his
senses believes that aud manufactures be
sustained at permanent loss If they cannot be con-
Quoted here upon terms favorable they can be carried
on elsewhere they must fall in the END. Ours not
people who will continue to prosecute slQsing business
If the business Of merchant "a Virginia is to he burden
ed in any way that il shall become Improbable, the
business OF merchant ia Virginia will cease to Ge cali
ing in Virginia Some who engaged in il may not he
able to get out of il for time but no personwi en-
gage in it. III is rendered Improbable 10y your legisa
ton the time will come when men OF integrity will
cease to pursue it, and will fall into the hands of those
who will treat the oabs which you prescribe custom
house oaths treated 10y such persons and they will
render their business profitable by eyading your laws
The moral influence Of your legislation is, or should be-
the first consideration OF a statesman.
In conclusion, would ask, with all sOlemnty, is it
wise at this day when it il of much importance TO the
State that should all be Of one heart and mind
10 array the ceS against the cOuntrto OTng them 10
the humatng vOngctiun tnat In land OF free institu
tons they in the hands Of men who think they have
discovered that their interests identical but OPP
posed to convince them that power and not Justice con
ros their destnea and that they age to be regarded
mere heWes wood aud drawers Of for their lords
and masters The day which shall witness such feel
ing in any portion of people, will be unhappy day
for the country. We would earnestly guard against it
ourselves and we pray your honorable body to prevent
any occasion for arising OF this b by placing your
taxation upon principles ofequality and justice to all the
persons and interests ofths beloved old Commonwealth.
And your petitioners wi everpsay.
A MrlAxcHaLy AcolDlNT.--iirs. VI. S. Cullen, Of
Orange C. H. consort Of Geo. Cullen, Ir, accident
y burnt to death on Friday night last. Mrs. Cullen
in her room IN the Exchange Hotel accompanied by 10
one save her child, aged about MONTHS aud
want Girl both of whom a.eep. and was kneelng