The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-17

THE Pilot LAVA resolution was in.
troduced in the Senate yesterday and
adopted instructing the Committee on
Roads and Internal Navigation to inquire
into the eXpediency of amending the pilot
laws of the State. The resolution was &C
companied by the following petition
$50 the General Assembly of the State OF
Virginia:
The petition Of the undersigned, who act
in behalf of the shipping and commercial
interests of Richmond, respectfully repre-
sentS That the pilot laws of the State under
the operation OF the amended act OF Febrll-
airy, 1866, relating TO the subject Of pilotage
on james river, impose unnecessary and un-
reasonable burdens and charges upon the
| shipping and commerce OF the river cities,
which have the effect to prevent their natu-
raj progress and growth that the proper
sphere of the PILOTS near the sea-coast, and
that compulsory pilotage on the river is not
called for by any reason of sound policy {;
| that the steam toWboat is a necessity on the
river, because it saves time and expense ;
and your petitioners pray that the pilot
laws may be so amended rs to make the
river pilotage entirely voluntary, or Mt least
so rs to provide that vessel in tow of q
steamboat shall not, above Hampton Roads,
be also required to take il pilot.
.@m DAVID y. bURR, ITeSlQ6nG
Richmond Chamber of Commerce.
Z. 0. Noting, President
Tobacco Trade Of the city of Richmond.
THOMAS BRANCH, President
Richmond Corn and Flour Exchange.
raj other documents enforcing the views of
the petitioners. From one OF them (the
report prepared by the committee of the
Chamber of Commerce, to whom the SUBJ
icct was referred, and of which j. Ii. Blair
was chairman) we extract the following:
IS In this Lortuous river the tow-boat is Il
much greater necessity than the pilots,
every vessel requiring the tow-boat us 4
saving Of time and expense, and when the
tow-boat is employed the pilot becomes u
supernumerary and his vocation Il sine
cure"
AS IN illustration Of the injurious effects
of the act of 1863 upon the foreign trade,
we give the following statement in connec-
ton with the sales and shipments of flour,
coffee, &C.:
In 1860 the shipments of flour to South
America were almost entirely direct: in
1870 the shipments Of Richmond flour to
South America were 165, 900 barrels, of
which only 81 800 barrels went direct, the
balance being sent first to other coastwise
ports, mainly to Baltimore. In 1860 the
direct imports Of coffee to this port were
10, 600 bags. In 1870, not Il bag, while the
imports to Baltimore amounted to 10000
bags. In the other documents there are
some startling statements showing the high
charges made, and the fact that vessels
chartered to take flour to Rio, made by the
Richmond mills, in many cases will not be
sent here, and consequently the -four is
shipped to Baltimore by railroad and there
pnf hoa ri tha vessel
A paper signed by the gentlemen above,
representing as they do the three great COM
mercial institutions of Richmond, surely
ought to have great weight, and we hope it
will receive prompt attention by the COM
mittee. The names of the committee are
Messrs. Taylor of Norfolk, Snowden, Terry,
Herndon, Greever, Roller, Owen, Courtney,
and Carr. ...-
understand that the pilots have offered
to make compromise, and we hope that at
any rate the subject will be promptly taken
up by the committee, and that Major Court
ncy, who introduced the resolution, will
show his usual energy in, the handling OF
this matter.