The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-04-20
CURRENT TOPICS.

hAMy IUESDA1, Al RIAl ~
CURRENT TOPICS.
Taxing Comm srcial Travellers.
Therecent decision OF the United States Cir
suit Court. holding that State may impose n
tax on commercial travellers without violating
the Federal constitution. is one of no small i'm
rortanee to the commercial world. The case
referred to arose under q statute OF Nevada,
passed In 1877. which requires that every tra-
yelling merchant. agent. drummer or ether per-
| son selling. or offering to sell. any goods wares
or merchandise of any kind to be delivered ct
some future time" or carrying samples and
| soliciting ogders. shall obtain license and pay
| sac u month for It. and provides that whoever
sells or tries to sell On violation OF the statute
| shall be deemed guilty OF a mlsdemeapor. and
| liable to q fne of not less than $50 nor more
than $500. jUnder this law the representative of
| Il baa Francisco house was arrested for making
TN awful sales In Nevada. The firm contested
| the case on the ground that the statute was In
violation Of che Federal constitution, The
court decides otherwise. IT holds that tho act
| does not violate the clause which prohibits o
Suite from taxing imports and exports, because
this constitutional provision does not apply to
goods carried simply from one State to an
| other. bat Ia limited to those brought into the
| United States fro:n some foreign country. Nor
In the statute against that clause which vests In
| Congo ess the power to regulate commerce
among the &states. For. ooneeding that license
| foes are q tax on tho merchandise sold. the act
makes no discrimination against the goods OF
other States la favor of the products OF Nevada.
All are taxed slike. and 1t has been held by the
Supreme Court of the United States hat where
there 10 no discrimination against the goods of
other States the isvying of the tax Is within the
taxing powers OF the State. The State OF Texas
has q statute levytng u tax Of 5000 per annum
on commercial travellers.
Is China Preparing for war;
During the past week or two there have been
| current rumors Of prospective early and heavy
purchases of war material In this country In
behalf OF the Chinese government. The origin
OF these stories 1t Ia impossible to trace defn-
itely. but they fnd ready oredenoe In view Of
tho strained condition of the relations between
China and Russia. The latest and by far the
most authentic. apparently. was that. while
China had made no direct contract, the VIM
chester Repeating Arms Company. OF New
Haven. Conn. had been requested to ship war
material to their Shanghai correspondents.
Schmidt & Co., q wealthy German firm. to the
value of about st25 900. This was to be bought.
It was said by the Chinese authorities In GUAM
titles rs the needs of the military service re-
uuired. This rumor Ia positively denied by
the officers Of the Winchester Company.
but they admit having recently received
a visit from gentleman for over twenty
years connected with an American house
at Shanghai and on friendly terms with many
Chinese officials who had made inquiries rs to
the best terms on which arms and ammunition
In large lots could be placed on the China
,utA nt
instance of Chinese officials or merely In view
Of possible business venture. the officers OF
the company have not been advised by their
visitor However. It Ia stated that q very COM
plete line of samples of military goods will be
placed with the Shanghai correspondents of the
company. In view of q possibility that China
may, at an early day. come into the market as o
heavy purchaser of war materials. Inquiries
In Hartford also foil to develop any PROPOSE
tions from China to the Colts Arms Company.
who manufacture pistols, or to the datling Gun
Company. who have heretofore furnished q
considerable number Of their guns to the
Chinese government
Urging n National Bankrupt Law.
A special committee of the New York
Board of Trade and Transportation. recently
appointed to consider the proposition to revive
national bankruptcy law and to revive and re-
form the present State laws OF New York on the
subject. have made sn important and interest
ing report. The report begins with review
Of the operations of the insolvent laws Of the
State of New York. and then gives statement
OF the reasons which prompted the committee
to believe that the enactment by Congress OF
laws tending to form and establish uniform
system OF bankruptcy throughout the United
States Ia vitality necessary to the conservation
Of the best commercial interests of the country.
II Ia not proposed to ask Congress for re-en-
actment of the old law, with all Its inequalities
delays and expenses. They desire new law.
simple. speedy and inexpensive In Its admins
tration. Just to the honest debtor. and
an mgis Of protection to the honest
creditor. which shall prevent fraud and the
system of preferences now tolerated under the
State laws, and which will grant to the citizens
of one State the constitutional rights. privi-
| leees and immunities Of the citizens OF every
| other State They complain that the present
insolvent laws Of New York are uDJust TO the
creditor. because they GLOW the debtor to prefer
one creditor over another and unjust 10 the
| honest debtor because he cannot be discharged
| from bis debts under them unless discharge
ia granted him by his creditors. They. there
| fore. as a commercial body. plead for a cone
sive Just and equitable bankrupt law. as thet
recently framed by Judge Lowell and intro
duced In Congress by Hon. VIM. Claflin. OF Mas
sachusetts, or one analogous to 1t. which will
serve the best interests Of the commercial
classes Of all sections and place creditors on
an equal footing" A synopsis OF the law
framed by Judge Lowell has already been pup
lished in the DEMOCRAT.
| Glucose sugar.
| The interest that has been excited by the re-
cent publications In the public journals con-
corning glucose sugars is not confined 10 the
refners of sugar but Is of vital Importance to
every household throughout the United States.
The statement of Mr.. Havemeyer. leading
refner of New York. that 1t is no adulteration
to mix glucose with cane sugar. owing to It's
being harmless. Is somewhat remarkable. 10
| &c da rstnnd La to mix