The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-10-29

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.-Ihe annual
meeting of the Richmond Chamber of Com
merce was held last evening at the room
corner of Cary and Fourteenth streets. The
meeting was called to order by D. |. Burr,
ESQ.,, and Thomas Branch, Esq, was re-
auested to act as chairman-Captain P. G..
Coghlan, secretary.
MIR. Burr (presidenD submitted the fol-
lowing report for the past year:
Report of the president and Directors to
The Richmond Chamber Of Commerce,
October, 1868.
The fifth article of the Constitution makes
it our duty to lay before this annual meeting
a report of the proceedings of the Board of
Directors during the year just past-the
first year in the life Of this Association.
This review must of necessity be general,
and include only subjects of principal i'm
| portance. To attempt to enumerate all
matters, great and small, which have been
called to their attention, would be neither
interesting nor practicable. AS soon as posi-
BILE after their organization your Board
| took steps to enlist as members of the Cham
| Der all whose business pursuits naturally
connected them with the objects Of the AS
sociation. The entire Board was divided
| into large number Of committees for the
purpose of efectually canyassing oil parts
of the city. The result of this canvass was
the enrolment on paper Of three hundred
and forty eight members-probably as large
a number in proportion to population as is
usual in similar bodies in other cities. Of
this number, however, some have failed to
pay the annual subscription, and as Article
| If. of the Constitution strikes from the roll
| of members all who remain delinquent on
the first Wednesday in October the present
membership is reduced to two hundred and
lightweight.
AS soon as circumstances would permit,
convenient and central rooms were pro-
vided at an annual rent of $400, and fur
nished for the purposes of the Chamber.
These rooms are kept open during the day,
| and arrangements made to make them a
point of attraction to the mercantile COM
munity. One daily paper from each OF the
larger cities in the United States and from
neighboring cities in Virginia, the freight
tariffs of the railroads Of the State, daily
report of the consignees by railroads and
canal, and Of the transactions in tobacco
and grain land other information of this
| j.,
for their convenience and profit.
In order to secure the proper examination
of all subjects brought before them your
Board, as soon as their bylaws were
framed, established certain standing COM
mittees, as follows: First, on arbitration
second, on commerce; third, on manufac-
lures fourth, on inland trade; fifth, on
outward trade; sixth, on hnance-each
charged with such examination in its par
ticular department. The labors of these
committees have appeared from time tc
time in reports more or less elaborate OF
questions vitality affecting the business COM
munity generally, Or particular branches Of
our trade and manufactures. Some OF
these we proceed to enumerate, mainly fol
the purpose Of showing the variety Of sub
iects which require investigation in their
bearing upon business pursuits, and which
without the existence of any organization
like this, might be shaped to their disad
vantage and in ury.s In this connection VIC
mention the reports on The importance o.
making negotiable paper payable to the
order of the drawer -" Distractions II
freight coming and going through Peters
burg -" Tariff of rates regulating com
MISSIONS, storage, CO. - hE1s eoilotiluNos
grain delivery -" Responsibility Q
public carriers "-ss Uniformity of weights
and measures y" Detention of freights OF
interior railroads =" immigration -
system Of prepayment 3" The delays AM
expense Of importations through the NeV
York custom house ~" Distractions IN tn
channel of the river ~" The tobacco ia:
and. regulations ~" The insurance Of T. to
: bacco in the public warehouses -" Tn
improvement of the river, with memorial
the Secretary of the Treasury The rate
t of freights by steam lines" and "The prin
ciple upon which the mercantile interest
are taxed by the CITY," In many casc'
especially in connection with the transmis
sion of interior freights, these investig'
tions have been fruitful of good to the gel
eral trade Of our city; and while ever
a.s