Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-01-23
Three CarKOes of Cotton Received at New
York from South Carolina.
The First Sale On GorerIsBsessf account ia
sEetC Fork.
the New York Evening Post

Mhlcu came 10 tlis port by the Atlantic ana an
derbilt, and one to Philadelphia. The consign
ments received here were forwarded to Quarter
master Tompkins, under whose direction eighty
bales were sold to-day at public auction. The
greater portion of the cotton thus confiscated has
come in an unginned state. The process Of
cleaning will materially reduce the gross weight
Of the cargoes received.
The average annual production of Sea Island
cotton has, for several years, amounted to only
$4,000 bales and, inasmuch as the entire area
of lands suitable for its cultivation has been
occupied, the yield cannot be materially in
creased. The district of Beaufort, South Caro-
lima, where nearly all this cotton must be pro-
duced, Is now and viii probably remain in the
possession of the Union forces.
Of the u~nginned cotton of the first cargo none
has been disposed of, and probably none will be
for the present. It remains in this city stored,
with the exception Of three thousand pounds :;
and is a source Of great anxiety on the part of a
large number Of persons who desire to contract
for the ginning. The assistant United States
quartermaster in this city has been pressed with
applications from contractors, but only one con-
tract has been awarded, providing for the clean
ing of three thousand pounds of cotton without
expense to the government. The cargo received
by the Vanderbilt has all been stored.
Iii understood that the cotton already brought
from Port Royal will be ginned before it is offer
ed for sale, and that ginning operations viii be
established at Port Royal as well as here.
There will not be the least officially in provid-
ing the requisite machinery, or in doing the work
The machines used in South Carolina were al
most exclusively made at the North, and it may
beremarked that six gins which were seized with
the intention of sending them to this city (four
of them were placed on the Vanderbilt and after
ward taken of were OF the Mccarthy patent,
and made in Connecticut.
There are manufactures of cotton gins in diff
ferent parts Of the country-not only in Connec-
tcut, but in the State of New York, in Philadel-
phia, and the West. One establishment in Al
bsny, which has sold several hundred gins in
South Carolina, Georgia, and other States, has at
present facilities for cleaning thirty bales of cot
ton per day, and the number may be increased to
a hundred bales.
It follows, then, that we shall have no diff.
Guilty in preparing for market any quantity Of
cotton which may be sent here, and that, when
the culture of the crop is begun in the West, all
the requisite facilities viii be afforded for the
production of a marketable article.
The first auction sale of confscated cotton
from Port Royal was made to-day by Burdett,
Jones & CO., auctiOneers, at Nos. 81 and 81
Watt street, under orders from the government.
During the morning a considerable number of
the cottOn-brokers, dealers and merchants of this
city called to see the cotton. Among them were
Messrs. James Brett, Charles II. Tabor, William
Redmond, Francis Garretty, Joseph Woods,
Charles Carville, J. 7. Adams, J. II. Gourley,
William Lattimor, Dexter Lemoine, I'll. Bell,
Tuesdall & Greene.
The sale was made by the authority of Quar-
termsster Tompkins, but under the immediate
direction Of his assistant, Capt. StinsOn.
Shortly after noon the auctioneer, Mr.. Burdett,
appeared, and, calling out in "a loud voice,
Come this way, gentlemen, we viii begin the
sale Of cotton, took his place on the top of one
Of the bales, which stood upright He then
commenced. "The cotton is sold by order and
under the direction Of the quartermaster, for
cash a receiptod bill viii be the order for the
goods
The cotton was placed in lots. There were
ten in all, comprising seyenty-nine bsles-the
lots so separated as t0be easily recognizable.
The cotton was sold at an average Of nearly
sixty cents per pound, with the exception of two
out of the ten lots ia very inferior quantity
which sold at eighteen and twenty-five cents re-
spectively.
The Confederate Tariff and the Blockade
The following debate on the subject is reported
by the Richmond Examiner as having occurred in
the house o delegates Of the Virginia Legislature
on the 18th inst:
Mr.. Prince moved that the House take up the
resolution offered by him on yesterday, instruct
ing our Representatives in Congress to urge upon
that body the suspension of the act providing
for revenue upon foreign commodities which
being carried
MI. Prince proceeded briefly TO state a few
simple facts in connection with the subject. He
was informed that the subject now engaged the
attention of the Confederate Congress, and felt
assured that an expression of opinion on the part
Of the General Assembly of Virginia would go
very far to settle the question. he was one of
those who believed in a tariff, in order to raise
revenue, in a time of peace. But he deemed it
an absurd idea, in time Of war, to tax articles of
prime necessity, for the manufacture Of some of
which this House had already offered a bounty.
We had offered a bounty Of fifty cents per bushel
for the manufacture of salt from sea water, and
yet upon the very article OF salt the Confederate
government had imposed a duty Of two cents
per bushel. The effect Of such legislation would
be to deter foreign traders from attempting to
break the blockade. He did not say that it would
increase our revenue, but it would be economical
for us to encourage, as much as possible, all for
eign trade that may wish to seek our shores. Any
one who had seen the schedule Of duties would
observe that there were many articles of prime
necessity included in it-articles which in the
market have run up three or four hundred per
cent. But, Notwithstanding this tariff, the
revenue obtained from it was not sufficient to
pay the salaries Of the customhouse officers 1t
would, therefore, be point Of economy to sus-
pend it for this reason. He did not design any
extended remarks upon the subject, suppOsing,
Of course, that all would see the merits Of the
subject in the same light with which ne viewed
them, and he hoped that the resolution would
be adopted.
Mr.. Green asked for the resolution to be re-
ported again, after which he said he was unwiL
ling to throw any obstacle in the way of bring
ing about the measure to which the gentleman
alluded, but he was opposed to giving instruc-
tons TO the Confederate Congress, except where
Virginia was peculiarly interested. This was no
question Of peculiar interest, but was one in
common with the interests of all the States, and
the Congress itself was more competent to de-
eide it. lie supposed that the main object of
the measure was to encourage the breaking Of
the blockade. This would offer but little induce
ment to foreign countries. But we were in great
need Of all the revenue VIC could get, and he
could not consent to pledge a suspension of the
act 81 during the war" as the resolution preyid-
ed, for the war might last for years. He believed
that the blockade would be broken within ninety
days if so, a large quantity Of goods would
necessarily enter southern ports, and to do away
with the revenue, which would necessarily ae-
crue to US, would be sheer folly.
Mr.. Prince agreed with the gentleman that we
need all the revenue we possibly can command.
But in this case the revenue does not even com
pensate the officers engaged by the government
for its collection. 1t does not pay. Why then
take out of the treasury aud put nothing inl
Why impose a tax on things we need? He felt
sure that the suspension Of the act would have
a beneficial influence for US all over Europe.
Mr.. Anderson, Of RockbIidge, moved to
amend by inserting " during the pretended block
ade - in place Of - during the war" which, be-
ing accented and adopted-
Mr.. Barbour suggested that the House now
need hardly 60 through the form Of voting upon
the resolution. When a vessel breaks the block
ade, there's an end to it, and unless it is broken
there is no revenue anyhow. So the resolution
is ineffective. He moved that it be laid upon the
table, which was adopted.
ANIMATED NArUaE.-It has been stated that