Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-03-26


modification only The present provision oil the Coue
prescribes a heavy penalty every person who ships
-four to foreign ports without an inspection at nome
The bill under consideration provides that, as to hour
shipped to foreign markets. the Virginia shipper may
have his -four inspected not at his option. In other
words it provides to exported -four voluntary IN
spectiOn That the sum and substance OF the bill
and it was all nents and purposes, right and proper
It's provisions bore directly the commercial prosperity
and emancipation OF the State and the effect would be-
inevitably the almost immediate introduction of large
direct flour trade between foreign ports-Lvepoo par
tculary-and the cities OF Virginia. Liverpool The said
of the largest if not the largest Hour mar
ket in the world for the lower grades OF -four which
was the great want Of the of English consumers
But though Virginia large producer OF wheat, and
though her cities had inexhaustibe water power, and
large commercial capital, and large manufactures OF
flour as large as in the country the world new
ertheess she barrel of flour direct to Ly-
erpoo or any British port This strange anomaly
it was not natural.
With a large wheat production ample capital and
large and prosperous -four manufacturing establishments
she ought have, least portion OF the Hour trade
with Liverpool vet she had not pounds worth OF that
trade directly. And why? 1t the operation of our
inspection laws and that only that brought about this
strange and anomalous result.
As already remarked the British demand for Hour was
for the inferior grades onythe cheaper kinds. No fam
y flour exported to England because the finer quail
tiles The presUmed) manufactured out of English
es of English consumers But the low grade the
cheap article that the operatives and masses OF English
consumers required and required because they could
not afford TO use higher and cOsier quality. But the
Northern mirs and shippers had the possession and mo
nopoy OF the British market in the supply OF these nle
rOr grades and for this reason, that the Northern stan
dard of inspection was lower than The super
fne inspection OF New York. though inferior IN point OF
fact and merit cHoSsriddngS RANKED IN the no
mencaure of those who deal in the article two degrees
above The latter With this higher rank, though undo
served and though 1 fraud upon honester inspections
the Northern interior grades of flour had got possession
of the English market and ruled out the lower grades
of Virginia flour altogether, and owing entirely 10 our
compulsory inspection laws, as the process VIII show
Under higher standard OF inspection, the inferior
grades of Virginia -four are marked rs cross md
Hiugs though in truth, better than New York
s,,psrfpe. With this stamp of inieriory-his Virginia
brand of condemnaon-it goes, ii 1t goes direct at all
10 the foreign ports In Liverpool for example 1t bears
on the heading Of the barrel the words oil the Virginia
iusDecor GROSS ldipgS, usually considered as H.
frur to "superne and with this stamp of degradation
and lowest quality il comes if it comes at all IN compc-
t,ion with the supsrfue" OF New York, already Stab
lshed in the English market and monopozlng ITS pos
session. How Dust the Northern 'superlhe,
from The English market or even share that market with
the Northern shippers by article of our own which
zoe, into the Euglah market condemned Inferior and
rgry inferior by Cur inspection marky As well eX-
pec the man who bears the word"roge stamped upon his
forehead to enter into competition with honest men Tor
employment in a vocation requiring the possession oil
the HIGHEST moral attributes Recoect (L may be
plated that the Northern shippers already have posses
sion Of the Liverpool market with the article known, re-
cognzed and approved as SuPecfHe DO we expect to
rule out this article by OF our own which goes out
branded not ou5 with the marx OF inerority but an
arorty of two degrees below the Northern article with
which it is TO compete?
Now TO introduce inferior grades OF Hour into the
Liverpool market send it thither on as merits
without any stamp of uteriorty upon it-whout con-
d-muation before hand and them going thither uucOn
demued aud resting upon its merits Its merits, II any 1t
have will be soon found out by British merchants and
consumers and being in fact superior 70 the competing
article of Northern superne, It will soon either rule out
the latter and take its place or divide empire with IT,
To show that but for our inspection laws our INFERIOR
GRADES of flour could be profby shipped direct to the
Liverpool market it fact well known TO the Rich
moud merchants that the low grades OF our Hour are
sometimes shipped coastwise to New York and thence
reshpped 20 Liverpool and there sold at profit And
how came il 10 be there sold az proh'f Shipped d.
recty bv a Virginia merchant il would have brought
him in debt or could not have been sold at ALL because
OF this inferior brand Of mtddRqN staring tue LII
verpoo merchant in the face against New lork or Bos
ton superiue But shipped by way OF New York or
Boston i. not Ouly finds sale but profitable sale. How
and why Because the Boston New York shipper
erases the Virginia brand Of cross midN"gs, and puts
on the barrel the mark of spsrfHe and with this eras-
ed and substituted brand 1t finds both ready and profit
able sale WHEN with the Virginia brand, It would hang
on hand worthless drug So that our lower grades OF
VIRGINIA -four find sale only under the brand OF North
eru ersre of Virginia middlngs and the subsu-
tuition of Northern superhue Pass the BILL remove the
compulsory inspection on exported -four, and our low
grade OF aour would 20 into the Liverpool market on It's
merits and would be known for It's superiority. IL
would in other words, have fair chance.
How wa, it with tobacco, our almost only export
The Virginia manufacturers of that product of our soil are
put uuder no restriction TO inspection or otherwise but
are left under the control OF the manufacturer or owner
and the consequence that he does the best he can for
his reputation as manufacturer and the consequence Of
that is that he manufactured tobacco of Virginia finds
its way TO all good markets, and in them finds sale on Its
absolute merits al paving profits So il will be with your
lower grades Of -four it, IN your legislation YOU act IN re-
gard TO it as you DO in regard 10 tobacco Our tobacco
manufacturers relieved OF restriction have dehed com
,etitop Give the Virginia manufacturers of -four the
/ ike ad ,anaCe and they will successfully compete with
their Northern rivals or auy other on the lace OF the
\ globe Why should not the Virginia manufacturer OF
-four he trusted manufacture his Hour according TO the
Grade and quality demanded by every market? II the
demand for the higher grades be insufficient 10 keep his
mills and capital employed, why not allow lm to make
lower grade for the market that calls for the lower grade
And whv not trust him, you do the tobacco manuac'
urer 10 make the best article Of the kind that the mar
ket sought requires II is his wheat that he man
ufactures why not allow him, you allow the manu-
curer OF tobacco so 10 make his flour TO suit every
po,sble MARKET Ii he can make article to suit AID
sell for prof, in the Liverpool market why keep him
out of that market By stamping on each heading Of his
barrels the degrading aud fatal badge OF uterory and
coudemuationy Strike of this badge OF ineriorty and
the Virginia manufacturer put upon equality, will soon
show the superiority of his lower grades OF -four and
take his share Of the Liverpool trade II can never be
done otherwise Those therefore, who would see ne"
element aCded 10 our export rade-and valuable ele
ment-those who would gladly behold large flour trade
Swinging up between the cities OF Virginia aud Liverpool
aud other FOREIGN ports-a trade now unknOwn-shOuld
| give this bill their hearty support.
Besides line Of ships for the foreign direct trade was
now being gotten up by the enterprise OF the merchants
Richmond. Oue was already flashed, but without the
-four trade with England this line could not be sustained
for a twe ,emOnth. The one completed could not find
freight ia Virginia and had been sent to Charleston for
| CARGO And an intelligent merchant OF Richmond haC
informed lim (vr ST. that without tie introduction
-four iato our European exports he would not give q
cents in the dollar for the stock in the line But pass
this BILL and this patriotic movement would De compit"
success Mr. : said he hoped that on this account the
hill would become law. He wished 10 see the degrade
lion wiped of from his native State of transporting al
her exrorts in foreign bottoms. lie wished TO see he
exports carried off in her ships, and the return car
goes brou ght back in her bottoms 10 her own ports
Then direct trade and commercial redemption would be
Gin 10 dawn upon Virginia indeed and in truth. Mr..
aid he regarded the bill as measure more pregnan
with CON neroai advancement more directly bearing OF
direct foreign trade and COMMERCIAL independence thar
any one in the series OF measures (save the one ALREADY
speced which had been introduced during the presen
session. for the great and patriotic all have So
much at heart Ii would TO an absolute certainty, ant
in a very short period of time introduce new elemen
in the export trade and the direct foreign commerce
the State aud he hoped that measure so fraught witt
valuable results the State would not be postponed 10
amOmenr He cnIeated every member OF the Hons
who really desired the commercial Independence o
the State to rally to its support 1t simple and bre
in its provisions but the results Of those simple proyis