The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-02

purposes more or less local: this is de.
signed to le strictly national in all It's action
They are temporary in their character this
ls continuous and permanent They arc
useful in directing attention to the i'm
portance Of projected lines of communca
ton or ether schemes of Improvement
this is. charged with the duty of carefully
deliberating upon questions Of comnlercia
policy. In q word, they are popular, and
this is representative and being thus di
verse in their operation, both they, proba
bly,, and this will be needed In the future tc
give proper form and full maturity and
timely expression to public sentiment or
any question relating TO the general indus
try of the country.
"The olb"ial programme for the present
meeting furnishes an apt illustration of the
precise aims and purposes of this Board
1t contains six or eight propositions looking
to uniformity in the laws and usages Of oui
domestic trade, such as the inspection
measurement, and weight Of commodities
the conveyance OF real property, the rela
tions between debtor ard creditor, the regu
lation Of joint stock companies, and th'
legal rate for the use Of money. In all thes,
particulars, variations now exist as between
both different States and different cities ant
communitieS, which are not only always
embarrassing, but ottentimes positively
hurtiul. There are also State and munich
pal cnactments which discriminate agains
nonresident traders, and which thus rs
sumo to regulate and control commerce t.
the degree to which they are in force these
are pronounced injurious, if not unconst
tutional,' by one Of our associated Boards
"Since the last meeting of the Board N
action has been taken by Congress lookin.
tr hn pf hf. h,
measurement of grain. a bill was intro
duced proposing that all agricultural pro
duets be sold by weight, but it has not YET
become Il law. 1t is hoped that the BoarC
will notycmt its efforts to secure uniformity
in this matter. There is perhaps q diver
gcnce of opinion among us rs to the limita
tions of congressional authority to promote
and TO enforce that uniformity in trade rc@li.
lations and that facility Of intercommunca,
ton which we all admit to be so desirable
But i'll several OF the instances before Il.
much, if not the whole, may be obtained
without the all of Congress. by the effort
the constituent bodies What the nature o!
these efforts Shall he, il is for the Board to
determine.
"Other propositions on the programme.
equally important with those alr""d'. -
terrcd to, are altv-r,.. = .f."., "'*, ~
the declared Object of this Board, 10 secure
unity and harmony Of action in reference to
commercial usagcS, customs, and laws :
that is to say, TO SyStemdtize and to national
tze all our domestic 1ndu5try. They relate
to the currency, to banking, and to the tariff
which last. it is urged, should be rendered
just and equal To every class of the commu-
nifty. 1t would be difficult to oyer-eStimatc
the importance which attaches TO these
4
they deserve, and doubtless will receive,
the careful attention Of the Board.
"Thcrc are recommendations, also, point.
ing in the same general direction. which
contemplate the compilation OF statistical
and other reports by the constituent bodies,
and their dissemination through this or.
ganization. This, if successfully carried
out, would render available for the various
Boards and Chambers Il vast amount of in.
formation which each one has il in its power
TO collect and by bringing all into better
cquaintanCeShip with each other would
prepare the way for more complete uni.
tormity Of practice and for Il closer unity oi
action.
"Thc Executive Council ileld 4 two days
session III the city of New York iii the
month OF March. and considered yariou:
questions which had been submitted to il
by the constituted bodies. The results OF
its deliberations are embodied i'll Circular
No. i, issued by the President and Secre-
tary under date Of March 81 and its re.
Communications, supported by several oi
the constituted bodies, appear on the otfi,
cial programme. Among these is Il propo.
sition to amend the second article Of tho
constitution, which, perhaps, requires c
word Of explanation. A communication
signed by a large number Of the delegates
in attendance at Cincinnati was presented
10 the Council, requesting its attention tC
the dcsirableness of prescribing the qualit
cations of the delegates who represent the
constituent bodies at the meetings of the
Board. After full discussion Of the sub.
ject the Council considered it ineXpedient
to advise any positive action, Judging that
il would be sufficient to suggest respect
fully to the membership the very great i'm.
portance Of selecting at Ill times as repre-
sentatves of the business interests of the
country those who, by their direct commu
nication with those interests, are the best
qualified 10 promote the practical objects o1
this organization. 1t decided, however, tc
propose the amendment now before the
Board; which, il adopted, will require dele
gates to be, III all cases, active members OF
the respective bodies which they represent
"The membership Of the Board com
prises thirty-seven constituent bodies, ant
these Include upwards Of sixteen thousand
OF the business men of the country. 1t i
understood that several applications for adj
mission to the Board will be made at thi:
time. The Board of Trade of Toledo ha:
presented q formal request to withdraw
the Merchants Exchange of Peoria made
Il similar request early in the year, in let.
ter addressed to the Secretary, and saying
that at some future time, when it shall be
on different footing than at present, il
will probably apply for new connection
with our Board, with the aim and object:
of which it expresses hearty concurrence
These papers are placed before the BoarC
for it's action.
cat lis meeting in New York the EXecu
tive Council gave leave Of absence to the
Incr months; and he, while in London, q:
representative Of the National Board wa:
most courteously and Hospitality entertained
by the Association of Chambers of Com
merce of Great Britain. Much interest wa:
manifested by the gentlemen connected will
that influential body in the establishment
and in the prosperity Of this Board, sc
nearly akin in its objects to their own, ant
many cordial wishes were expressed for oul
continued activity and usefulness. One o
the members of Parliament for Liverpoo
proposed the following sentiment: 'Succes:
10 the National Board OF Trade OF the
United States. May its efforts be successful
in promoting the interests Of commerce
generally throughout that great country, anl
It's extension with other nations
"The English Association has addressed
no written Communications to the Board
but its officers assured the Secretary Of it:
readiness to enter into correspondence witt
us whenever it may be agreeable to us tt
do so. The consideration which is giver
by the public men OF Great Britain to its
expressions of opinion upon commercial
questions, and its evidently beneficial intlu
ence upon the commercial legislation Of thai
country, encourage us to hope that oul