Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-03-24

Last evening meeting of tobacco merchants and
manufacturers heldat the Board of Trade rooms.
Mr. A. J. McCammon occupied the chair. and Mr..
Greeneaf acted as Secretary.
In response to request from the chair, Mr.. Boil
len stated that there misapprehension on the
part of the Revenue Commission. Mr.. Colwell, who
represents Pennsylvania had not charge Of the to-
bac res Of aa Rss as
anxious to receive plain statement Of grievances
under which the Pennsylvania tobacco drade is Ia
p%ft$S Tt$Sas tie meeting wa; called.
The Begislatore of this State has acted in the mat
hecticu by the superior shrewdness of her represen
tatives on the Congress Committee of Ways and
|, Mems has gained the advantage over Us. The eX-
Sse upon sears levied at the uniform rate of $l0per
thousand. The ruh comp6s Pennsylvania seed leaf,
% w2r@ sap}s cents wRe % 8 the SS
price of which Is "a cents per pound pays only 70 per
cent, and imported Havana tobacco, valued at 81 80
per pound pays only 3 per cent. ThediscriminatiGn
agaiqstthe product 9f Pe9nsylyanIa 9 other Middle
tobacco IN those States What is wanted is such
ckange as shall levya tax nd ,Oatorem.
CSmoton committee wax appointed to draft
memorial 70 the Revenue Commission, which was
done accordingly.
the many facts that have painfully impressed the
minds and excited the feelings, after reviewing tho
wreck of the business and the general havoc ,occac
stoned by the provisions of the present excise law Of
| the dealers in and manufacturers OF tobacco, snuh
and segars The petitioners clam that were these
much heroism any other class OF the communlty>
At the same time they do not call into question the
a want of a will or way to perfect law that shall
t Sos been Sradnailv suffering and sinking under
| the present laws of excise.
The trade take the ground that in liking the reve-
! nue. there has been from the beginning fundamen-
tai error-a radical mistake-in the principle upon
which all the laws upon the subject have been based
has been the imposition of the tax upon the maniac
| tured article instead OF the raw material This,
determined by actual experience, the trade submit
that the other mode has been subjected to the test
and demonstrated to be fallacy, the principle
pressed by the trade should be subjected to the same
| trial.
The views of the signers of this memorial have
been submitted with ample Endorsement to the Rev
| enue Commission in New York, since which tIme
the Revenue Commission has submitted its report 10
mendaton adverse to the views of the remonstrants
who had hoped that the facts then ana mere sup
mitted under OATH in relation to the present worB-
| mos of tbe law wouId have produced in the minds
of the Revenue Commission conVlctIon' oleaI anu @
Il oi tbe 'eI minds of the sgner of this memorial
The principles of taxauen VIII WI,in & CneS I
SIt in a largely increased revenue, but inefficient
nrotection to all the vital interests Of the trade
against the fraudulent and INSCRIPTIONS who now
donrsh at the expense of both.
All that is asked is fair play-in other words. pro-
tection against the fraudulent, Illicit manufacturer:
Tax the raw material, say the memoriasts, and all
will share the burden rata, according to the mag
nitude of their business Secure the bonding of all
leaf tobacco of domestic growth, weighed and sam
pied by qualified inspectors deliver certified samples
to owners and they could sell their in bond. the
tax to be paid when removed for consumption. by
this mode the manufacturer alone pays Ihe TAX
directly and subsequently the consumer indirectly.
| The memorialsts terminate rs follows:
| Resolued, That we hereby respectfully urge upon
the attention of Congress. not only the e1pedleney
but the necessity of transferring the tax now lad AID
raw meteraI with a view to the relief of the trade
from the onerous oppressive provisions of the pres
ResoiSed. further That we deprecate any tax on
exports of leaf tobacco, it would be neither wise
nor prudent to destroy the foreign markets of our
rowers in the attempt to force the foreign consumer
to nay our excise. when he readily avail him
self of a substitute.
ResolUed, That the foregoing be presented at once
| TO the Hon. s. ColwelI, of the Revenue Committee,
with the request that the be made the basis Of
special report to the Chief of the Revenue Depart
ment, and duplicate copy to the Senate and House
| of Representatives.
After debate, participated in by various members
the resolutions were unimouslya lyadOpted,-Phila. Ing,