The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-04-16
that any other construction ought to beput
upon IL.
Cotton-planting in Virginia.


not appear to have been In vain. In this
connection, and through the courtesy OF
the Virginia Historical Society, we have
the great pleasure Of presenting TO our
readers the following letter OF Governor
SroTswooD. This letter Is from the most
interesting and beautiful volume ("1he
Spots,co0d Letters, now going through
the press, for delivery by that Society TO
its members next month. 1t will be seen
That the low prices OF tobacco made our
planters, then mostly located in Tidewater,
60 to cotton and flax, and how easy II was,
when necessity furnished the pressure. for
them TO manufacture as well as grow these
products:
VIRGINIA, March 10th, 17l0 Hill.
To the Council Of Trade:
Having writ to Your Lord'ps so lately
and largely by the Robinson frigate, have
| little to add TO Your Lord'ps' trouble by
! this Conveyance, except one proposal,
which, il 1t shall be found a mistaken no.
ton in the Affairs Of Trade, hope Your
Lord'ps will be pleased to pardon it as pro-
ceeding from the sincere intention OF one
so much Zealot for what apprehend to
be for the service of her Matte and the
true interest OF mother Country.
The unhappy Circumstances Of the Trade
of this Colony oblige me to lay before your
Lord'ps the i'll consequences which | am
apprehensive it may have on that OF Great
Britain without the application OF some
proper and speedy remedy. The great
number OF Negroes imported here $50 long
as there remained any money or Credit in
the Country to buy them and solely en-
ployed in making tobacco, hath produced
for some years past an increase OF that
Commodity far disproportioned. to the
Consumption that could be made OF
it in all the Markets. w'ch the War
has left open, and by Natural
Consequence Lowered the price to a
great Degree. This was first felt in
those parts Of the Country where Tobacco
Is reputed mean, and the people being dis
appointed OF the necessary supplies OF
ClOathing for their familys in return for
their tobacco. found themselves under a
necessity OF attempting to Cloath them
selves with their own Manufactures. And
the Market for Tobacco still declining and
few stores Of goods brought in, other parts
q .
have been forced into the same humour OF
planting Cotton and Sowing Flax and by
mixing the first with their wool to supply
the want of coarse Clothing and Linnen, not
only for their Ncgros, but for many Of the
poorer sort of hOusekecpers. This is now
become so universal that even in one OF the
best Countys for Tobacco, I'm credibly in
formed there has been made this last year
In il ,,f 81 - Of UTfk..l
en-. Cotton and Linnen Cloth, and other
Countys where tobacco is less valuable have
no doubt advanced their Manufactures
propnrtIonably. Tho this be at present
the General humour OF the Country,
it is introduced more by necessity
than inclination. and the people are
SO little skilled in this kind of
Manufacture that they will with difficulty
attain any tolcrable perfection in it, and
own that what they make now costs them
dearer than that they usually had from
England when their tobacco bore but a
moderate price.
Yet since time and practice makes most
things tho difficult at first become Easy
and habtua, it is certainly necessary to
divert their Applications to some other
Commodity that may be beneficial, at least
less prejudlcial, to the Trade OF Great
Britain, and wherein the Planters too may
ind their Accounts. The production OF
Naval Stores seems to be that web this
Country is most capable OF, and most like
" to engage the inclinations of the people
here, and might be cairyed on with the
greatest Advantage to the Trade Of Great
Britain. The Lands in this Country
w'ch arc improper for tobacco, and
bring only such which serves TO
Spoile the Market, is the most fit
for producing Pitch, Tar. and hemp; OF
the two first there are good Quanti;yS made
and carved TO the West Indies. and some
to Britain, besides the home Consumption,
and of the latter enough to show how
much more might be produced il there was
sufficient encouragement given for it. The
Advantages which this Country might have
expected from the Act OF parliament con-
corning the importation Of Naval Stores
has been totally lost through the
want of men and substance and
skill and Trade to make use Of them.
those Merchants we have here extending
their thoughts little further than what con-
Germs tobacco, which they understand. but
having no Enterprising Genius for new
adventures, and have been told that the
have even discouraged the Merchants
in England from venturng their money
in those Commoditys. / would there
fore humbly propose that her Majesty
NAV lie moved to direct the Commissioners
of the Custom TO accept OF Naval Stores
imported from the Plantations at the Cur
rent market Rates in payment OF the dutyS
on tobacco. and that upon a Certificate Of
n. of no
Officer appointed by the Commissioner OF
the Navy, the importer shall be entitled TO
the several Drawbacks allowed for prompt
payment. This would engage abundance
of people to go upon Naval Stores, and
would encourage the Freighters and con-
siderable Planters to buy up those
Stores and send them ito Britain.
10 clear the Dutys Of their Tobacco.
And as Tobacco would then only be planted
in Land proper for producing the best, II
would, no doubt, make Returns in ClQath-
ing as well as other goods at a cheaper
Rate than they can be made in the Country,
and by that means soon put a Stop to all
Manufactures here that may interfere with
those Of our Mother Country. There
are but two objections / can fOresee
against this Scheme, one is that it
/ would lessen the quantity OF tobacco and
consequently her Mai'tie's Revenue OF
Customs. The other, that the Encouraging
Naval Stores so much. would glutt the
Marlett, and oblige the Queen TO take
more than are necessary for the use O. the
Navy. AS to the first, the people must OF
necessity, lessen The quantity and employ
their hands to other uses where they lose
by their Labour in this, but whenever
Tobacco comes again to be valuable, they
viii naturally fall into that Trade,
which seems TO be rooted in their
Affections, and no Doubt there will
be buyers enough for much more than the
Country can import in long time. There