The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-12
IFor the Dispatch,1
For The DiSpatch.I
Reduction of Observation-Disclosures
tion i'm Favor Of Foreign Commerce.

Reduction of Taxation Discrimina-
tion i'm Favor Of Foreign Commerce.
find the following in the Whig Of the
10th instant:
THE GROSS RECEIPTS OF STEAMBOAT AND
OTHER TRANsP oRTATIoN COMPANIES.
The Senate yesterday amended the law
under which q large number Of steamboat
and transportation companies doing busi-
ness were recently sued by the Common
wealth in the Circuit Court for failing to
make returns to the Auditor of their gross
receipts. Heretofore the law required that
such companies should return the gross re-
ceipts for the transaction of business,
whether done entirely in this State or
whether it only passed through en- route to
other points beyond its limits. The pre-.
sent bill only requires that returns for such,
transactions shall be required only for busi-
ness or transportation "beginning and
ending exclusively" within the borders OF
Virginia. This change was made in the
shape Of amending the general assessment
bill for this year, and will Of course pass
to-day, US it received o large majority yes
terdav on motion to suspend the rules to
have third reading, and simply failed to
pass then because there were not twenty
nine senators present. The bill as amended
reads.
"Section %. Every express and trans
portation company, steamship and steam
boat and stage company, and persons who
may run steamships, steamboats,, stages,
wagons, and other vehicles for the transpor-
tation OF passengers and freights by land or
water, and all ferries, ferry companies and
bridge companies, shall make return to the
Auditor OF Public Accounts on or before
the 1st day Of June OF each year OF the
gross earnings OF such company and persons
aforesaid, on account Of dEy transaction,
profits, or charges made, or on &C.
count of any business conducted ana
completed, or transportation beginning
and ending, exclusively, .I.thsn Me
State of Virginia within the Twelve
months next preceding the LIST day OF Fep.
ruary of each year, and on the 1st day OF
June Of each year, shall likewise return the
value Of all real and personal properly
owned by said company ana persons, ana
located aoithin said State, Us OF the lst day OF
FebrIIary OF each year. The report Of
such company shall be verified by the oaths
of the agents and chief officers thereon, ut
lis principal Office, in this state; and the
report of such persons as aforesaid shall be
verified BY their oaths. The report shall
show the gross earnings from such transac-
tion, profits, charges, business, and trans
portation as aforesaid"
These reports are required, we believe
for the purpose Of taxation by the state:
It will be well for somebody to inquire and
report-frst, How much taxes have been
heretofore paid into the Treasury by the
companies coming within the category
above, such as the Old Dominion Steamship
Company, the ADAMS and the Southern Ex-
press Companies, the Baltimore Steam
packet Company, the Potomac Steamboat
Company, and the Powhatan and the Clyde
Lines, &c.f Second. What proportion OF
Fthe business OF these companies, : Dssinss aIs
within tie Stats OF Virginia. Third.
why should they 70 this financial pincn 9 Ds =