New-York tribune., 1869-03-27

"capitation tax, and we have for firglmas lhcome
from her oyster fisheries about sl5oooo Apous
twenty per cent of this sum is required 10 support
the Oyster Navy which consists OF three propeheis'
the w. F. Taylor, the Virginia, and the 1redegar'
commanded respectively by Capt. H. X. hueglns'
Deputy Chief Inspector OF oysters; Capt. u
M spotswood. Sub-Inspector, and Capt w. }. +.
Poed snb.Inspector. The force is under the orders
of Chief Inspector W.. II. Go Lovett, whose head
quarters are at Norfolk. w.l oJ..I E.4Easr rfeft
The number of capitaton licenses issued last year
| was 2.914 about half Of which were taken outb
negroes OF these licenses 1856 were issued to resid-
ents of Norfolk City and County, and one to Surry
Portsmouth paid for 1872 Princess Anne ID Nanse-
mond 145 Isle of Wight. ca Elizabeth City. l57;
! Warwick 49, James City, II York, S52 Glouces7
ter, 404 Mathews, 2Ss Middesex, 1SO; Essex, Is;
| Northumberland, us; Lancaster, 15c; Westmore-
| land, Z; Richmond, 81 /; Accomac, $50; Northamp-
| ton, S.. ...- .r. .+.r.a..r r.t f..r
1t will be seen by this list that the counties OF the
Eastern Shore. namely, Northampton and Accomac,
are represented by 4S5 licensed oystermen-a much
larger number, in proportion TO their population
than are registered in any two counties of the West
ern Shore. ...f ...r
! In Virginia waters the Oyster Police Force have
fewer law-breakers to deal with than would be
naturally expected to resort to her rich beds for the
means of money getting. They are deferred by the
| dread of being Obliged to pay dearly Tor tneir
temerity on being detected, an event. which, o"lhB
IN the liberal rewards offered by the State to IN
formers. is in most cases of fraud, certainty. On
the broad bay and in her Virginia tributaries, no
difficulty experienced by the proper officers III col
lecting whatever taxes may be due from tongmen'
scrapers dredgers carriers; but on Ianger lsian
q district of Accomac County, lying few miles
south of Smiths Islands and about as far west from
| A. lop1f HUp a rn
ligious fanatics some of whom refuse to pay tribute
TO the State holding that men should render under
Cesar the things that are CGsars and unto God the
! things that are Godsp and arguing with a great
show of reason that oysters being the handlwork OF
| the Creator should be exempt from taxation. The
collectors logical arguments and pathetic appeals on
behalf of the suffering treasury are of no avail tor
he cannot cite scripture for his purpose, and the
Tangier people will listen TO man through whose
speech there does not run sanctlmonious current
bordered by well-trodden margin of text. ..
1t happened unfortunately for the Tangier people,
that the whilom Military Governor of Virginia
| or District Number One, as it is now known
in the War Department. is ausere man to oyster
men as well as other who refuse to obey the law
| Word came to him short time ago that Tangier was
religousy rebelious To that fractions land he sent
with fatherly warning against the sin OF disobedi-
| ence, a quietspoken ambassador who could quote
| from Deuteronomy TO Revelations every word OF
| Holy Writ bearing upon the subject of tribute. The
warning was given and the ambassador was an
| swered as the Collector had been before him. In
| gently swelling food of words . that might lSaeus
| drown he overturned and utterly swamped the
! Tangier patriarchs and then left them high and
dry upon the shifting sands of perplexty. Here
| they changed their plan. Seeing that they
were no match for the who seemed to
| 4ba yvhc of Concordance
his fingers ends and within his grasp everything TO
] which it refers, they opened upon him battery OF
political axoms which they had learned, perhaps,
from him of AccOmac who once wrote long essays on
| the Eboe Shin, and ruled the voters of his
Deestrick.p These axioms were not self-eyident
truths in the strict sense of the term they
various in their form and applications but they all
expressed the belief Of the patraIchs IN the strength
of democracy pure and simple; and when they had
exhausted their limited vocabulary Of absiractions
they brought the conference TO close by declaring
that as citizens of a Democratic country they ought
not 10 pay taxes for the uso OF their property
and what wasi more they wouldn't. Thereupon the
Embassador took his leave and reported at Rich
mond the result OF his mission. Gen. Schofed bad
dealt with Rebel Democrats before. and he rcmem
bered the significant remark once made by German
mouarch of the olden time
"Gegcn Demokrnten
SO he sent Corporal's guard over TO the Island
The taxes were paid and since that time there has
been no further trouble with the patriarchs of Tan
gier
As has been remarked, the Virginia oyster usually
commands higher price in market than that taken
in Maryland waters The former lisa salt oyster, and
is generally larger fater and more solid than the
latter. The best Virginia oysters are found in York
River. Back River, Lynn Haven Bay, and Coan
River; those taken from the last named stream, a
tributary of the Potomac ts mouth being great
favorites in Washington. In good seasons these
varieties SELL even over the beds at prices ranging
from 50 cents to 81 per bushel They prolific in
an extraordinary degree and, with more attention
paid to their culture in shoal waters may be made
the finest oysters in the world.
THE OYSTER PACKING TRADE.
In the city of Baltimore where. believe, the first
attempt to the oyster was made, about . years
ago. there are nearly so establishments. and so
in the State, engaged in packing and picking, to
supply the demand from points far distant from salt
water Thomas Kensett, whose father the pio-
neer in this branch of the business many years ago.
ia the largest packer in the world ana 10 furnish DIS
baltimore establishments with oysters in the she'll
eouires the steady services Of from 80 to GO vessels
daily throughout the season. He gives employment
to several hundred people, and disburses annually
81 900 to 1880 900 in the various departments Of
his business Among the other houses most exten-
svely engaged in packing those of c. s. Maltby,
Carroll & Solomon McMurray & Co.. and T. J. Myer
e. Co. Kensett & Co. pack from 4000t 900 bushels
day; Maltby & Co., 5000; Carroll & Solomon from
1900 to 3OOO and the others various quant-
ties, ranging from 1900 TO $50 bushels Nearly
all the oysters thus packed are first steamed in the
shell, although Matby & Co., and few other firms,
con than raw Az the last meetjnp Of tho Marvland