The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-05-29
.Chamber ofI Com1neree.

J., ] MAY 29. 1868.
y s Chamber of fIComIneree.
The Board Of Directors met yesterday
afternoon at S o'clock, the President in the
chair. y. s., v.
The Committee on Outward Trade pre-.
scented areport upon the resolution In
.structing them to ascertain and report sfhe
rates Of freight by steamer between New
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and shia
city, with the rates to and from those cities
and other principal Atlantic cities. They
had ascerfained, as far as practicable, the
percentage of fseights on the value of mer-
chandise shipped to and from this port.
The report was recommitted, after. some
discussion, in the course Of which Mr.. Da.
venport stated that the rates Of freight by
steamer between New York and Richmond
were 331 per cent. higher, pro rata, than
between any other cities mentiohed in the
report ,,.-y -. - &, s -r.,-.. u, 81
. The special committee appointed to as
certain the principles upon which taxes are
imposed by the City Council upon CONNER
eial and manufacturing interests made 0
report. The following extract will interest
our readers :, 3x.,zg.-., i: arr ai.Ez 4
ss Your committee have reason to believe
that the present Finance Committee of the
Council have adopted rule to determine
the Classification Of 1858, which, if strictly
to, will place the business interests
of: Richmond upon an equal footing with all
Others, and lesd to as complete uniformity
in municipal taxation as can well be or
rived at. ~ 'aSs' Z.
iso 81 The plan pursued, as we understand it,
.is to obtain the amount of the actual bona
tide capital employed by, each merchant,
&c., (not, otherwise tazed,) and to, place
each merchant, &c., in such class as, will
require him to pay only q sum equal to one
per cent. upon such capital. If this sys-
tenn be fairly worked out, then every tax
payer in Richmond will pay one per cent.
upon the value of the property (of all kinds)
which he may own, which he has in actual
possession. This is the exact measure OF
his ability. All will thus be the better able
and the more willing to sustain the load Of
taxation which is laid for the common good.
Nobody can complain. }a@ g9Fa ssa !
"In, case Of any individual grievance,
provision is made for it's speedy correction,
the committee being required to exhibit
their classification in the office of the Audi
tor for one week, and to hold sessions for
the purpose of hearing the applications OF
parties aggrieved, with power to make such
changes as they may find good reason for.
These sessions will be held onnext Tuesday
and Wednesday, I'd and Sd of June, as ad-
vertised, and every one has the opportunity
to set the committee right in case Of error.
Yet, while your committee are disposed to
think that, under the present regulations
with the present Finance Committee, and
with due attention. to his interest on the
part of the taxpayer, there will be reasona,
BILE uniformity and equality under this ordi,
nance of the city, they by no means accede
to the idea that there is any reason
or, Justice in resorting to special and pecu-
liar modes of taxing commercial pursuits
AS question of policy, q low percentage
of tax on invisible capital or. money ac-
lively employed in those occupations which
give the value to oil other property in q
city would so encourage it'and so increase
the productiveness Of all other real and
personal estate accumulation, and swell
its returns, as to far more than indemnify
for any such reduction. But apart from
this consideration as question Of equity
there is no ground for 'resorting to taxes OF
sales or on classifcations, or other plans fo
reaching the merchants capital. Th'
amount of capital can be ascertained in th'
same way as other personal property re
turns and, in fact, the sales themselye
are now ascertained, and the uniform rate O.
tax for the year imposed, ,as in other cases
"Then the merchant will be sure to pay
as all other property holders pay, upon thu
actual value of his property and not upor
some indefinite idea derived from tht
amount of his sales or the extent Of hi
business neither of which indicate pro
perty, and may result, and very often d.
result, in the loss of what property he dix
possess. y. l. BURR,
"J. R. BRANCH,
tsJoHN pURCELL,
"W. S. DoNNAN, =
s. COMMITTEE"
By invitation of the President, Lewis H
Frayser, Esq, chairman of o committe,
appointed by the Tobacco Board of Trad
of Richmond to prepare memorial to Con
gress demonstrating against the bill reported
by the Ways and Means Committee witt
reference to the tax on manufactured to
bacco, and the transportation of the sam
in bond from one bonded warehouse t
another, read his report; whereupon tn
Committee on Manufactures was instructe'
to confer with the committee Of the Tobacc
Board of Trade, and to act in unison wit
that committee also to forward the memo
rial to Congress. So sae '&.'t3
! A resolution of thanks to Mr.. Everett, o
London, for his address recently delivere'
| in our city, was adopted, at the same tim
endorsing his views, and requesting tn
pleasure of another visit from him.
Messrs. James r.. Branch and Thoma
w. McCance were appointed delegates +
attend the organization of o National Boar
of Trade at Philadelphia on the Sd Of June
In this connection letter from the Phila
delphia Board of Trade was also read
bearing an invitation to oil the delegate
to participate in ON excursion to the anthra
cite coal and iron regions of Pennsyl ylVanla
After some further business Of no gene
raj interest, the Chamber adjourned.
CoNy1cTs ARRIvED.-Mr., Wardwen re
ceiyed the following guests at his hotel yet
terday: .,s,g5 ssn !,
sentenced for eighteen months; Nat Scot
two years Pat Marion, four years 80
Jackson, one year : all convicted OF ial
ceny. From Rockingham-George Hop
and Nimrod steen, five years, for horse