New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-09-18
MEMoRIAL o. THE MERCRANrs.

inc 11G1tuaAlS u New orleans TO the secretary
= of the treasury, in relation to the regulations
on the collection of the cotton tax. A svnop-
sis of that paper may be of interest to the
general reader.
The memorial first presents in detail some
= of the most serious objections to the existing
regllahons-suc as the increased cost of
weighing cotton in the country; the delays
arising from the absence of assessors when
they are most needed; the risks thus incurred
by the planter of losing the opportunity of
y shipping his crop; the accumulation of the
whole crop on the plantation, with the conse-
; quent increased risk of loss; the greatly in
creased cost to the planter from payments to
assessors for repeated journeys to weigh the
crop as fast as it is gathered; the impossi-
bility of the assessors visiting the plantations
OF an entire district, in consequence of its
extent and the difficulties of communication:
the unnecessary cost to the government
arising from so many needless agents; the
inconvenience and inaccessibiIity of many of
/ the weighing points already established; the
enormous cost to the planter of transporting
his cotton to the points selected, and the risk
Of loss and destruction while awaiting trans
portatlon; the great temptations to fraud on
the part of assessors; the impracticabilitv of
most Of the planters paying their tax until
their cotton is sold; the harlships attending
an unnecessary system of bonding, when the
cotton is a sufficient security for the tax; the
diverting of the cotton, by the system of
bonding, from the chosen factor of the planter
to bonded warehouses; the injurious delays
imposed upon steamers by this unnecessary
system, and the consequent increase in
freight, which must be paid BY the planter:
the unequal hardships imposed upon those
| planters who may not live in the district |
where a market is found, strict embargo
being placed upon their cotton, while that of
an adjoining district may be sent freely to the
market, and the discoulaging effects which
such restrictions will have upon the future
production Of cotton, and the injury which
must consequently result to the commercial
interests of the whole country.
These objections are foreibly presented in
the memorial, and show that some amehora-
ton of the restrictions imposed by the exist
ing regulations is an absolute necessity to the
planter and to the merchant, and would result
in great economy and advantage to the gov I,
eminent.
The change suggested in the memorial is
simple and meets every difficulty which has !
been suggested. 1t proposes abolishing the :
present complicated system of collection dis r
tricts for cotton, establishing single cotton /
collection district, which will embrace the en- /,
tire cotton producing region, and thus permit I
ting the staple to move untrammelled by oner- :
Gus regulations to any market in the cotton =
growing region, where the taxes may be col Y
lected with facility under proper regulations. 9
and at small cost to the government. The U
planter could thus ship his crop as rapidly as
helcould prepare it for market He would
not be compelled to await the pleasure or con II
of the assessors. He would not be L
subject to black mail from spectators who e.
might be in collision with corrupt agents. He t
could realize on his crop as rapidly as he could
bale and ship it, pay his tax through his
chosen merchant, lay in his supplies for the al
lext year, and proceed with his preparations "
or another crop.
Ii the memorial Of our merchants be favor =
IDLY considered at Washington, the relief to y,
he planter and to commerce must be instan- r,
aneous. And we see no reason why favor /,
ble action should not follow this appeal Of l.
our business men. It is urged in no selfish
pl1lt /; but presents to the secretary d plan in
ertect accord with existing laws for collect of
lg the tax with more certainty and with Ia
economy to the government while at 20
1e same time it relieves the tax payer Of 00
hardships which are not at all cen
ecessary to the collection Of the tax, and the
hieh, consequently, are oppressive. TIA
AS every individual III the cotton GROWING, ~
.gion, and we might justly add, within the 19:
nlts OF the Union, IS interested in such Eu
'lntion Of this question as viii enable the the
'tton to come forward to the market. We wo
ope that the action Of our merchants will be :
lowed up by corresponding action in other
ties The question is Of equal interest to del
|, and the unselish spirit eyil1ced in the En-
ton Of our merchants must command the rqI
'arty support of a plan which is designed Spl
It to benefit any particular port or section. Mo
it to result in the general benefit of the wal
lole country We hope that our neighbors one
Mobile, Galveston, Memphis and other no
ints will move in this question without A
lay and we trust if they do not send dele 1iffl
YES OF thelf own to Washington, that they pla7
II at least send their memorials on the srb- 80
It to the secretary Of the treasury. And as oIa
s commerce of the whole country is inte- nro,
'ted in this question, we hope that the tbe
ambers of commerce in New York, St. in h
uis, Cincinnati and other commercial cities ond
l give their support to measure which arg
/ be beneficial to all alike A.
-s---
t is related that when the train contai,,n,, ARA
presidential party stopped at station pref
II Pittsburg, an aged negro. riding on may
lie, came up, and taking off his hat a. pens
ssed the President as Massa Johnson"
said he was pleased to see him, but not "a -
sfed with this, he dismounted and ap- ~! -
aching the President, shook him by the I'm tiiili
ID. One Of the bystanders exclaimed, ,''iss
nting to the negro, 'tThere, boys, is the no ~ "
Sc Of all the trouble. This little incident ln9
asioned much laughter anu
iii toCtt