New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-09-07
THE COTTON TAX AND REGULATIONS


first Of the present month. That is to say,
on that day the army of placemen and per-
quisite-hunters who arep set to keep guard
over the cotton crop, were to be ready to COM
mence operations. Publication has already
been made, but not officially, of the names of
the places designated for cotton weighing pur-
poses, and of the days which the yigilant
guardians of the treasury are to devote to the
service of particular neighborhoods, or dis
tricts. The regulations which are to govern
the officials and the planters have been also
published, so that everybody, it must be pre-
sumed, is by this time informed as to the
precise nature of his duties in the premises
AS to the rights which remain, it would take
a very short time to enumerate them-indeed
under this beneficent act, the cotton planter
seems to have only one right left to him, that
of raising cotton for the sole and express pur-
pose of paying three cents o pound tax on
tito the federal government. The business of
cotton planting is no sinecure at the best. Even
if the planter make a goodcrop, it is only after
having escaped the perils which beset him
constantly from the moment when the
first leaf Of the growing plant
energies from the ground until the
product is gathered into the pickers bas-
ket These seven or eight months of toll, anxi-
ETY. and apprehension ought to entitle him to
a season Of rest and the quiet contemplation of
a good sale for his crop. But after going
through the terrors of the overflow, the late
frosts the drought, the fly, the worm and the
rust, to be dragged hither and thither by OBJ
dUrate weighers, to be compelled to hunt up
assessors, to be harried by the machinery of
a merciless system which wrenches q tenth of
his produce out of his hands before it permits
him to sell even a pound of what remains,
is pretty well calculated to turn the milk Of
human Kindness into curds and whey. Re-
ally, it is bad to imagine, after reading the
law, and the regulations made under it, how
cotton planters can fail to come out of the or
deal thruined tempers, ifnot with ruined for
tunes. However, the best is to make the best
OF it now, and hope that returning reason
may convince the United States Congress Of
the impoliey as we'll as the injustice of thus
selecting one branch Of agricultural industry
for taxation which is really SO onerous that,
if persisted in, it must ultimately prove
Destructive
In the meantime, cotton planters will do
well to decide on some general course Of
action by which they may avoid portion of
the burthens and vexations of this most
burthensome and yexatious system. The law
provides that cotton weigher must weigh
the cotton on plantation if called on to do
so; but in such cases his expenses are to be
betrayed by the planter. On the other hand,
the planter must go to the expense Of haul
ing his cotton to the weigher's station-which
may be at distance Of forty or fifty miles
and all this time he may be needing supplies
which he cannot get until he ships his cotton.
The question alises whether this difficulty
could not be got over by shipping the cotton
to New Orleans, and having it weighed here
and the taxes paid on it by the merchant. It'll
is hard to see how the government could
suffer by this, or why it should be prohibited, |
except for the express purpose of worrying
the planter Nevertheless, the law does pro-
hibit except the cotton be bonded. Perhaps
it might be well for planters to go bond for
each other ship their cotton to New Orleans,
and thus get rid of all the worry and expense
of the weighing system as established in the
country. fthat system be adhered to, it will
seriously interrupt commercial operations, and
viii prove a great detriment to to the steam
BOAT interest. Indeed, we are told that many
steamboat captains have expressed their
eadiness to bring to market all the cotton
hat may be placed in their charge, and to
give the security required by law In some
cases, in which offers of this kind have been
made, the weighers have announced that no
cotton could be shipped without their order.
and have claimed the right Of shipping ALL
cotton on boats selected BY themselves. This
claim may be set up as a basis for money
making operations, or it may not, but in
either case, it is equally unfounded and un-
justifiable. The government officials have no
control over the cotton otherwise than to re
eieye the amount Of tax due on it. If they
had the right claimed by some Of them, they
might just as well pretend to choose the com.
mission merchant and the factor, and leave
to the planter the single privilege ofreceiving
whatever trife, by way of balance, the gov
official might graciously choose to
oestow on him.
-ss------------ss If Ftp -aN3 4
ST., CHARLES THEATER. The performances
asst night, offered their usual variety d. enter
ainment, and-went off with more than usual
interest, in spite of the weather we have
-headys expressed ourself upon their. merits,
nd hope that hencefortb the public VIII f
ave better opportunity Of. witnessing their :
kill. I,
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