Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-10-20

lation and eLtOTt!On "elo o'iJ Ssie
hioh nricss, and these originated IN causes
which this bill, as now framed, VIII no! cure,
| but will really aggravate. Ine hieh prices Oh
| the necessaries of life are occasloned oy the'I
| virtual scarcity an Increased demand: anu
superabundance Of money stimulating cGmPe'
| tition among buyers; and these facts all in-
evitably arise out Of such q war as tnat no"
| affecting this country. Speculation ana eA'
tortion find their only origin and foundation
in the scarcity of necessary commodities.-
Scarcity Of food must occur IN this wal from
diminished production; all white laborevs
| from eighteen 10 forty FIVE are no" IN
the army as consumers there IS serious
loss in negroes. horses ard farm uten-
| sils and transportation is utterly insufficient
to distribute any surplus where It may exist
70 where it Is needed. Scarcity OF clothing
occurs because IF blockade Of the article from
the North and from Europe, whence formerly
came, perhaps, ninety per cent. ot these sup
! plies. The army and government uses. IN IT.
| einia, vastly increase the local demand The
profuse issue Of paper money. in addition to
the vast amount Of capital set free from varl'
Gus pursuits stopped by the war. stimulates
competition among the buyers of these scarce
necessaries Of life under apprehension, too,
of still greater SCARCITY. The seller is often
virtually compelled Ia accept more than he
originally designed asking. because of an &C
tual importantly and competition among buy
ers; and finds himself called 4 Specu'atoTard
eytnrtioner 70 his own surprise. EnYerS, not
sellers. are nor firing he prices. Thrr" : q
virtual auc,ionccring nf the scarce neccSsaric-
If life all over the Country; and prices Of such
are compelled to be high rs long as scarcity
exists. If the FIRST seller fixes q low price. The
second is besiegei and tempted 10 advance on
it. Ii is said to be the fact thac much Of the
county salt rarely stops in first han!s. the
Crenshaw cloths were thus forced ~ Z" high
| prices by the buyers themselves. HI" prices
of necessaries Of subsistence ana clH'hIng he
ing high and entering into the cost ctrr"nirr-
ton Of all other articles. cause II rise
Of prices necessarily in eTarrthlng.-
But these high prices. if lett al vii! rather
prove in the end their own cure. and rhe re-
lief Of the country. They stimulate the >rec-
~ulator- to dash through the dangers # the
blockade. and the producer 10 incur greater
expense and labor I" procure these scarce artl.
cles 50 Indispensable to the community. and
thus by relieving the scarcity. and re'ieving
meanwhile the wants Of the people, eventual
reduce the demand and the price. Il is here
| that the abuse Of speculation arises he who
gathers m and engrosscS these scarce articles
and boards them from use until suffering is
willing to pay any price, becomes the encross-
or and extortioner. This is an excess upon
| speculation, a fungus: it is Il distinct crime,
| and should he punished rs such severely
The pending bill does not discripinate, it
rather Furnishes him who increases the supply
Of neceSsaries, and refuses the fair measure II
compensation that induces him TO incur The
risk and labor necessary t. procure II Ii thus
increases further the demand, and rives more
power 10 the screws Of the eI'Orti"ner.
Il does NOT. in short, tend in any way to in
crease the supply. 10 reduce the demand, 20
increase transportation, or reduce cnmperit!on
among BUYERS. 1t has, though. other ohicc-
tionahle features: it is partial, and therefore
unjust and Injurious legislation; the schedule
it adopts consists mostlargel7 of the products
of the farmer, and Thus confsca.es his labor,
while leaving other productions which he is
compelled to buy to rise in price to the full
necessities Of the times. Shall he alone he
compelled to give his labor for that which is
nau.ht? Is it right or even polite to require
it? IF he ceases 70 produce, in consequence
Of this law u~niustly robhing him Of the fair
rewards of his labor, will not the prices of the
scarce stock Of supplies on hand then nccpssa'
rilv rise still higher. and when that is con-
sumed the PEOPLE OF all classes must simply
srarve. Mbbs are threatened if this bill he not
passed: hut mobs may then he controlled: but
if production is stopped hv this law, ani
greater scarcity and starvation comes. mobs
will he the least of evils that will then roo
surely m The recorded experience Of five
hundred years demonstrates that such l"gis'a-
ton has ever proved worse than a failure; i
vas tried in England in 1850. in France in
100, in our Revolutionary war. and last and
least, by General Winder and martial law. in
our " capital city and under "nr own eyes.
In every instance the singular. but signif
can't fact is recorded. that its reneal WAS
invariably demanded by the very persons who
had clamored for lis enactment. Sir, such
legislation as this bill is powerless to control
the great causes of the evil. and is only oncra.
tive for mischief. Then cease to attempt rho
impracticable. and 90 diligently 70 accomplish
what is in your power: leave Congress n do
its appropriate part, and devote your work +"
alleviate the sufcrings these inevitable evils
Of war bring upon the people: punish hoard
ing and pxtortion. and frauds at auction sales rs
crimes: hur encourage enternrlse and labor and
industry tax the profits of the sperulatnr to
secure q fund whcrewith To help cool citizens
who arc not in circumstances to help them-
selves raise the salaries Of yHur faithful SCR
wants to enable them to purchase necessarie,
Of life while they do your work provide am
ply for the suffering families of soldiers who
are fighting your battles. and protecting v0nr
property and homes: help the really helpless
poor, and, leaving Ill labor free to command
its fair value, let all 20 diligently TO work t"
- 49, o~..,, ,-oo1 ,,-E.1 tl,s liz.
storm of war be over. The good mariner in
n storm Mt sea wastes not time and energy in
vuin efforts to control the waves and srhduc
the winds, hutconfcssing his imp"tency there.
goes checrily to work where good can ho
done, reefs closely every flaming sail. keeps
vicilant watch on rope and ballast, trims we'll
the ship, cheers on the crew and. keeping MI
hands &C post of duty, trustfully awaits till
the fury of the heavens be ovcrpast.
The bill was then laid on the table. and
made the order of the day for Monday. at 10 NJ.
On motion of Mr.. GARRETT the Senate ad-
journed.
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
Mr.. BROOKE. from the Committee of Courts
of Justice, reported a bill TO amend the Code.
which,, as usual. was received without read
ing.
MIR. CROCKETT, from the committed on Lu-
matte Asylnms, reported back Senate bill TO
supply Deficiencies in the support Of the Cen
trail Lunatic Asylum, without amendment.
A Communication, with documents accom-
p~anying, was presented by the Speaker, from
the Governor. The same were presented in
the Senate, on Yesterday, and fully reported.
They were ordered to be printed.
Mr.. BrRwELL offered Il resolution, which
was agreed to, inquirins into the cxpediency
Of appointing a Board of Manufactures, whose
duty it shall be to establish 4 factory for the
manufacture and distribution Of tools. imple-
mcnts and machinery for wool, cotton, metal
and leather.
Mr.. Waller offered a resolution, which was
adopted, inqusring into the expectancy of in
IL. =. Il. c.. ,.,. -