The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-04-24
THO Tobacco Laws.

The new tobacco law has been Thoroughly
a,scassed BY the trade, and by lawyers, AND
nv everybody else, and the result seems TO
he a conviction that nobody has any mo-
mentous reasons for complaining OF the
present state Of things. The object when
the trainers o. the law had in view has mol
been accomplished. Their design was
to convert all private warehouses in'o
public ones. The fact is that ass I'll.
nnblic warehouses have been converter
into nriyate ones. The trade In W.
hacco was 10 be trammeiled II tue
or;cinators OF the measure had succeedeo
IN carving out their intention; out as tue
csse now stands the traffic IN TOBACCO u"-
restricted. Instead Of public warehouses
x-e have commission houses. since we takc
y FOR granted that the warehouses WIZ De
kent open and the inspectors that were VIII
turp themselves into commission merchants,
or continue to sample and sell tobacco rs
heretofore, but on terms to be hNed py
themselves instead of by law. There was,
however, a law passed at the last session OF
the Legislature providing that the Gov
ernor might appoint inspectors next Au-
gust.
We cannot imagine why even the plant
ers should object to the new law. 1t IS true
it is not what they expected; but II Tree
trade in other commodities be the right
rule, we think that they might at least con-
sent to its trial in the case Of tobacco. Be
fore the General Assembly will meet again,
the new law will have demonstrated its ft-
ness or its untitness to operate for the ben
eft OF the planters and the buyers. Per
haps the conclusion may be reached that 1t
will be well to repeat those sections of the
law which would otherwise go into effect
next year.
The thirty-eighth section need not occasion
any trouble. Theowner's written permission
can be obtained If the commission merchant
wishes to place the tobacco elsewhere than
in public warehouse, supposing there are
any public enes; but the proviso in that
section gives to the commission merchant
absolute control over the tobacco, even II II
is in public warehouse. That proVlso IS,
that "the owner OF any package OF priced
tobacco, for himself, or his authorized agent
Ithe commission merchant acting for him,
NAV have the same exposed for sale I'm.
cased and uncovered and sampled Us loose
tobacco, in the presence Of both buyer and
seller Ethe authorized agent Aforesaid
that is, the commission merchant, without
being sampled according to the provision
of this section" There is certainly no trou'
bic to be apprehended from the operations
OF this section, whether there are now any
public warehouses or not. MIR. DooLET's
hand is to be seen here, we think.
The fifteenth section refers to western TO-
bacco, and takes the place Of the old law or
that subject. This section provides fol
tining any person who shall sell or shil
aoestern tobacco as Virginia tobacco; but ii
imposes no penalty for selling or shipping
it under any other name. The section is, in
fact, as though it were not in the law. II
leaves the trade in western tobacco unre
stricted except in one particular. 1t re-
quires only that western tobacco shall moi
be sold or exported as Virginia tobacco
There is practically no other restriction
upon the trade in western tobacco, there
being no penalty prescribed for selling OF
shipping it without samplingit.