The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-03-13
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Interesting Meeting Last Night.
BALTIMORE AND TEE VALLEY
= RAILROAD.
THE MAURY MEMORIAL LIGHT.
HOUSE.

The regular monthly meeting Of the Board
Of Directors of the Chamber Of Commerce
was held in their hall, on Main street near
Eleventh-Thomas ". McCance, president.
in the chair. The following members of the
1 Board were present: Messrs. Palmer, Potts.
Isaacs, Miilbiser, Pickrell, Blankenship.
Hawes, Noting, and Stearns. '-
On motion of Mr.. Isaacs the reading OF
the proceedings of the last meeting was dis
pensed with.
MEMBER ELECTRD.
On motion of Mr.. Palmer, Mr.. Thomas
Balmer was elected to fill vacancy in the
board.
Colonel ". FL. Palmer, from the special
committee on the sample.merchant law,
reported that the Council had abolished the
law, and asked that thei committee be dis
charged from the further consideration Of
the subject. The report was agreed to.
r'vT RauRY MEMORIAL LIGHTHOUSE.
The President laid before the Chamber a
written statement and printed correspond
ence in relation to the proposed memorial
lighthouse off the coast of Brazil in honor
of Commodore Maury, &C., &c.
In this connection the President present
ed resolutions adopting the preamble and
resolutions adopted by the General Assem-
bly, on this subject; that the papers, reso-
lutions, &c., be communicated to the cham
bers of commerce, boards of trade, and other
organized commercial institutions in the
United States, requesting prompt action in
raising fund which, with the like contri-
buttons in Europe and elsewhere, will be
sufficient to erect the proposed lighthouse
on the Rocos banks. The resolutions also
| provide that the money sent for this purpose
shall be deposited in the National Bank of
| Virginia, subject to the order Of Governor
| Kemper.
The resolutions were adopted and ordered
to be printed.
| LIGHTHOUSE IN YORK RIVER.
| The President laid before the meeting
letter from Mr.. E. W. Massey, State senator
of King William county, enclosing COM
munication from Reuben Foster, Esq, gene.
raj superintendent, &c, of the Richmond,
| York River and Chesapeake Railroad Com
| pany, setting forth the necessity for the erec-
| tion Of lighthouse at Tues marsh, on the
York river. Mr.. Massey states that the en-
| trance to the York river Is difficult and dam
gerous, and the absence of the light in ques-
| ton seriously impedes its navigation. He
requests that the matter will be brought to
| the attention of the Chamber, and that that
body will agree to resolution requesting
the members in Congress from Virginia to
cooperate in legislation necessary to secure
the appropriation for the purpose indicated.
Mr. Foster says that he has received SUM-
dry petitions, &C., from Yessel-men and
traders >on York river, and that he trans
| ferred the ssme to Hon. j. H. Plat, member
of Congress. He has prepared bill to the
effect desired, and it is now in the hands of
The Committee on Commerce. Referred.
| TAxATIoN-v1RGINIA AND TIE BALTIMORE AND
. OHIO RAILROAD.
Colonel Palmer called attention to the. SUBJ
ject of State taxation, and in this connection
read statement showing the proportion of
the State tax borne by the great central
market of each of the following-named
States: Massachusetts-Bosionp pays OF the
tax: New York--NeW York pays 1921 !:
PENNSYLVANIA --Phiadelphis, s; Maryland
Baltimore, Z; kentucky-Louisville, !.
| The total State tax of Virginia for tue
year ending 30th September last Was 81
| 26S, ,55O13. OF this the city of Richmond
| paid $252,677G5, or IL IL per cent. of the
whole, or over one.seyenth of the State tax.
OF the State tax Lynchburg pays S39. .361.7i;
Norfolk, Ss2,334.30; Petersburg, S6G, ,2Sl %; J;
| Alexandria, 36,S34.41; Danville, S20,-
273.O3-euual to S245, ,0S4.I0-showiDg that
| Richmond pays more than all the principal
cities of the State put together.
Colonel Palmer, continuing to address the
Chamber, said that while nature has made
the amplest provision for the capital city of
this Commonwealth, both for commerce and
manufactures, and especially the latter (by
| which solid wealth accumulates with the
| greatest rapidity, as witness the cases Of
Philadelphia and Providence,) the blind
policy of the Legislature has diverted from
| this city the trade and property that should
centre here by unTise railroad laws, and
| laws oppressive of these interests, to other
States {meanipg Baltimore). The Legisla-
ture has, in consequence, laid upon the agri-
cultural interests of the State burden Of
taxation which highly-prosperous trade
centre would relieve, to say nothing OF the
increased value that would be given TO the
| products of that interest by an extensive
market within her own borders.
Colonel Palmer also said nearly all of the
strength. and wealth, and power which
| Baltimore now possesses Is due to the action
of the Virginia Legislature, and he hoped
that that body would turn its attention to
legislation which would tend ratherto build
| up our own cities than carry the trade else
| where. He also exhibited map showing
the power aud extent of the Baltimore ana
| Ohio railroad, and how completely the State
is encircled by line which works 30 much
injury TO Virginia.
Baltimore, as will be seen, bears two
thirds of the State tax of Maryland. This
| she is enabled to do by the energy of her
citizens and the will Of the Virginia LeSlsla.
tire. as she could not have reached the
/ sources from which she draws the bull 6! Ct
her wealth without charters granted by this
State. If the Virginia Legislature will ad-
dress itself to building up q central market
within her borders he believed the question
of taxation, under which the State groans,
| will be solved. Nothing should be done to
cripple further the chief city of the State and
| diminish her ability to respond to the taxa
| tion of the State, as the granting this rlSht
of way from Tennessee to Baltimore would
certainly do. He bad not prepared any re-
solutions on this subject, but he hoped den-
mite action would be taken at once.
THE VALLEY RAILROAD.
MIR. Potts then presented preamble and
| the following resolutions relative to the VAL
| ley railroad:
Be il resolued, That In the opinion of this
Chamber of Commerce the franchise now
sought BY the Valley Railroad Company,
whereby authority may be given to that
company to build branch road from some
noiat on the line .pfa its main road ID the
county of Botetourt, through the counties
| of Craig. Giles, Bland, TazeWell, Russell,
/ and Scott to the Tennessee line, With view
| to a junction with the Georgia and Tennes-
see roads. il granted will divert from TINS