Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-01-05

persons IN Possession OF articles ois wtIafcve
: description not needed for the;r usa, TO ~:
them for sale. Nnd 10 prevent i'.Ilds an
evasions. snch persons should le ,Saui:ed |
. make cut inventories Of a!l such article:
whether they are their own property or ID
T. property of Others, with the coet price thereof
; and to deliver the same to q Board Of Com
missione-s, to be provided by Law, whS' shculc
put their stamp upon each artile, and rcstric
the owners to profit not exceeding twenty.
five per cent. taereon. canteot here give
oil the details necessary to perfect this scheme
but it is entirely practicable, and wculG
greatly contribute to the relief of the country
The Guction system, Us now conducted, il
prejudicial to good morals and 10 the country
/ regard it as having done more to the pre-
judice Of our currency thsn any ether known
agency; and under our present circumstances,
as an unmisigated evil. Indeed, regard i,
as 4 gigantic system Of gsnbliug.pni nier au-
thorit5 Of Aw. J hore Il will De speedily
suppressed.
f. tttEe special 5egs;en -ef the General As-
iissmblg q low was paesed to suppress distilla-
ton. Itwas eEinent!y & w;so and proper
I measure TO elect the objects contemplated
/ by the act. however beewe'ied shoultl he SUP
| pressed and no sale Of malt Or alc"holic
liquors should be permitted. exeer:. perhaps,
by apotheearies, who, under proper Iegu!a-
| tions, might be allowed :, 10 sd for strictly
| medicinal purposes.
There are many persona among us. foreign
| ers by birth, consuniusour food growing Iich
by speculation nni e1.nrtna Upon us, und
yet denying their obligation TO unto in the
defence of the country. Although l cannot
see how such pretensons can be maintained ;
yet, if valid under the laH uow existing, the
law should be changed: ana sGrh persons
should be compelled 4, perform military duty,
or. ut any rate, to leave the country.
1t ia matter ur cnncern tu every latrio, to
see so many able.hodied ncu anxious 70 escape
military service, and, TO do so, seeking tie sale
| and easy employments of the Government: or
| leaving the country iUr foreign parts. This
| eyil might be, to - considerable extent, cor
| recsed by rigid enforcement IF existing law,
| the refusal Of oil passports to leave the coun-
Try, and the enactment Of such laws 10y the
State and Confederate Governments as might
be necessary to correct it.
cannot too earnestly press upon the public
consideration the great Importance eli orgaDiz-
ing the reserved force nf tie Stale. Every
element Of strength, whether Of mean. or men,
which is now left 10 us, muse be combined as
| AN auxiliary to the armies in The field. The
Confederate Government has our entire body
| oi militia under its ccn.ina;!I, Consisting o!
| The aile-Dodied men Of the Stale, and now pro-
poses ttlorganiAe nmr reserved !"r:e. do not
intend. certainly a. present, to raise any ques-
ton about the right to do 50, but | confess
should be much concerned to sCe it exercised.
\ sovereign State without .oldo:-ard with
! ont the dignity Of strcngth-striprel Of all her
| men, and without only the form cf pageantry
Of power-would. indecrl; he nathinH more
| than a wretched dependency. to %hich |
| should srieve 10 see our proud old Common
wealth reduced. Recent events painfully ei-
monish us, also, Of the necessity Of thorough
| and complete organization, and, doubt not
the General Assembly will, on io,ss2'nt ing,
| on the 9Th instant, promptly relieve u q! ali
uues.siness about the legislation Of Congress
! iy the rassug. Of short, yet ',niuprehcnsivH
act, clothing the Governor with full power 10
organize the reserved force Of the State in
...ah .-.~~"or may host promote thn public
| interests, having due regard. Of course, t:.t.
character and 10 the limited objects to which
it is IL I've applied. \ generous confidence on
The bart OF the General Assembly in the
Governor, to whom The executive power Of the
State has been entrusted by the Constitution
and the people, is, ); seems to me, c3nstitu-
! ;ional duty. But, hpart from that view 81 the
;utiep., respectfully ask it, because 1t is inn
possible for any human forethought TO provide,
BY legislation, for the varying circumstances
which may occur during the gigantic war in
which We are engaged; and because cannot
believe that con abuse any iy';s; cuniidrd TO
me, Or fail tenderly to consider the feelings
and interest of nv fcIlnw.titizels rr"ard to
the military duties which they rray hc cniled
TO perform.
The currency Of the country, consisting. az
| L does, almost exclusively q! Confederate
| notes, with which. the States and all the peo-
pie thereof are ideutiied, calls for the most
!are(ul consideration. 1t must be Thoroughly
reformed. The facility with which it is crea-
| tpj and the enormous amounts which arc
daily issued, naturally lead 10 waste and ex.
| .rayaganee and inevitably to vice and depra-
vity. Far better would it have been had We
| adopted, ut the beginning Of this war. hard
| money currency. 4 !iujiitious system o.
| loans and of taxation, comhinrd with eur great
staples OF cotton, tobacco and naval stores, oi
which the Government should have Possessed
| itself, would have furnished us such resources
Us would have literally supplied our wants
and planted our public credit upon basis
which would have given us the confidence OF
the world l, ia useless, however, to speeu-
late as to the past The practical question is
a hat is best now to be done: Virginia is
deeply Interested in this question and. - her
Governor, feel it to be my duty, although
with hesitation and diii'!ence, 10 express my
views upon this interesting aud important
question.
Firs; Provide by law for the Issue Of enc
!honsand millions Of dollnTs. at per centum
| per annum on thui par. which taxes ny the
currency. and & per centum on the residue,
coupons attached: interest payable in specie
or bank currency.
Second. Declare that the Confederate nnsc
currency shall cease to crrn!ate rs such ard
shall he funded in the bends authorized tn be
Issued.
Third. Make the banks of established credit
the fiscal agents of the governments, to sell ut
not leps than par, all bonds whi;!i may be IN
exc,s IS of the currency to be iuncad; tn issue
their own notes as currency, n".i to traus'cF,
wi.n ,tud Ghere- ne,ded, the funl, Of the GoS-
ornment.
Fourth. 70 tax frrely~-ta!es PAYABLE III
5T,ecie, or in the notes Of banks a'lng as Har'
ernment agents. or cnupora oi inhlIc dsh'.
Fifth. Let the government now take int:
it's pnssession the cotton. tobacco and nava
stores Of the e"untry as 'lia:y "a ihaas an'l
taxes.
There can be but little objection 10 ti:;;~--
1t is we'll known that large portion ol these
articles is in the hands OF sreedlat're, whe
have grown rich in the mi''.t Il general 'nl
ioring and distress.
This scheme would, ! am persuaded ac'
like q charm IN the Immediate ren1vai.oT 4"
the public credit. In the reduction "f thf
interest the public will find satisfaction - "a, al
, svilsnee of regard To the resources 81 tn' n
country. Besides those who Will own IL, vi
have acquired the ability to DO so 9y eh"F'
: nous profits and, at most, It can -ni: he =; =;
: garded az y special tar upon the rlch; whlcl
has numerous precede.... and which they ca
we'll afford To rev
In the seler''a NJ banks wa should EaT