The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-17
Action OF She Tobacco Trade ON the
INSPECTION Laws.


4 called meeting Of the Tobacco Trade
Association was held yesterday, at which
the report of the committee (Messrs. ).
NJ. Bailey and c. L. BurkSdalc) appointed
ut the annual meeting 10 examine the
accounts Of the treasurer, reported thai
they had discharged their duties, ard had
found them correct. The amount on ha'io
and due the Association on the 1st of july
was SGSG.44. They a%o stated that the fees
from transient sellers, at the Exchange, ac-
cruing between 1St Of January ana lst of
July, 1869, amounting to about Sis, were
not collected, in accordance With The custom
of the treasurer, until the 1>t Of July, and
were not, therefore, included in this report,
but would be chargeablc in the account Tor
the current year.
The committee, consisting OF NlcsSrS'
Garrett f. Watson, j. II. Morton, Jesse /.
Hutchinson, W. j.. larbrou9h, and f.. ".
Hancwinklc, to whom were referred the
consideration of the Tobacco Inspection
Laws, rs they at present exist, presented
the following report
"Your committee, charged with the duty
of examining the existing inspection laws
of this State, with the view of proposing to
the next General Assembly such changes rs
! may be beneficial to the tobacco interest OF
the State, having carefully examined the
| various acts Of the Legislature in regard to
the inspcction of tobacco from 1870 down
| to the last act passed on the 18th April, 1867,
| and in order TO obtain all the information
| possible on !his all-importait subject, the
| committee ut its first meeting appointed 4
subcommittee. composed Of Mc>>rS. lianc-
| Wrinkle and Martin, who were charged with
the duty of procuring i copy OF the lnspec-
ton laws of the States of New York, Mary
land, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky, and Tell
| nessee. This subcommittee were prompt
in the discharge Of their duty, and sue
| ceeded III procuring 4 copy OF all the laws,
| where an inspection by law exists, besides
much valuable information rs to the prices
| charged and the m0dus OperdnM Of work
| ing the warehouses; all of which is respect
| fully submitted herewith for the cOnsidera-
ton of your body.
"The existing laws Of or State on this
| subject are numerous, and many OF them
of ancient date-framed when the article
was used H. Il medium Of currency, which,
we. imagine, was the primary cause of their
origin. That cause having long since
ceased, but others of Il different character
arising, induced the necessity OF modlilca-
| tons or repeats from time TO time OF the
primitive ones Of colonial times, imposing
| the necessity now, in order TO arrive ut Il
clear Interpretation of them. to seek The
assistance of an expert learned in the law g.;
a task that we confess ourselves lncompe-
tent to perform, and we shall therefore con-
fine ourselves To the common-SenSe view OF
the subject. The existing laws may have
suited the eXigcncieS of the times that gave
them paternity. But we are impclled to
the conclusion that they have served their
day and generation.
"To give force and lucidneSs 10 our own
views on this subject we will borrow those
of an eminent author well known to COM
mercial men and versed in commercial
usages and the effect of laws on trade. He
remarks thut 'the errors Of Governments
in matters Of trade has not been that they
have done too little, but that they have
attempted too much. On Il little considera-
ton it will be found that this duty is rather
negative than positive that it consists less
in the framing of regulations than in the
removal of Obstacles
land again Human laws are not made
for immortality they must be accommo-
dated to the varying circumstances ard ext
gencies of society," We cannot conceive of
anything more applicable to our own situa-
ton in connection with the tobacco inspec-
ton laws of our State than these forclble
and lucid aXioms. 1t has long since been con-
ceded that the less that Governments have to
do with trade the better. All that is re.
CURED Of the law-making are proper
| laws TO enforce the observance OF contracts
! and TO preserve us from frauds; these aside,