183S] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



231 



THE COMMERCIAL CONVENTION OF VIRGINIA. 



In pursuance of the action and recommendation of 

 the Commercial Convention held at Augusta, Ga., and 

 the invitation and appointment made by the people of 

 Norfolk, a convention of delegates, from various parts of 

 Virginia, was held at Richmond, on the 13th inst., 

 which adjourned on the 16th. There were more than 

 100 delegates present, and a large proportion of them 

 from the country, and some from remote parts of the 

 state. From the zeal displayed in the assembling and 

 the debates of this body, and the nev.'ly excited and 

 growing anxiety among the people in general for im- 

 proving the present condition, and changing the course, 

 of the foreign trade of Virginia, highly valuable results 

 may be anticipated, even though the direct action of 

 this convention may be of small importance. In fact, 

 no practical measure for relief, or particular action, has 

 been agreed on, to forward the great end in view, 

 save the recommendation of an increase of banking 

 capital. But even if the direct action were still less, the 

 indirect operation of this and future conventions cannot 

 fail to be most important and beneficial. What is now 

 required, is to fan the patriotic excitement which has 

 been kindled — to arouse every Virginian, and every 

 Southron, both of town and country, to the evils that 

 the south labors under — and the necessity, and the rea- 

 dy means offered by combined and proper action, for 

 entire and permanent relief. Another convention is 

 invited by a resolution of this meeting, to be held in 

 Norfolk, on tiie 2d Wednesday in November. It is 

 hoped that every Virginian wl.o earnestly desires to 

 place iiis country in her proper condition of commer- 

 cial independence and prosperity, will lend his aid to 

 the forming, and the proper and practical action of that 

 meeting. The place of meeting — the noblest natural 

 sea-port of the south, and the proper site for a great 

 commercial entrepot, and a rich and populous city — will 

 help much to show the advantages of Norfolk as a 

 point for concentrating the foreign trade of Virginia, 

 and to allay the petty jealousies of trade, which 

 would divide, scatter, and thereby certainly destroy, 

 the business and prosperity of the foreign trade of 

 Virginia. We ardently hope that Richmond, Peters- 

 burg, and Fredericksburg will all enter separately and 

 largely upon the direct import trade; but as ships can 

 goto the wharves of neither of these towns, it will be 

 decidedly better for their separate and particular inter- 

 ests, and still more so for the general interest of the 

 commonwealth, that Norfolk should be the single point 

 at which all ships bringing foreign goods shall meet, 

 and thence distribute their cargoes to the various im- 

 porters. The disadvantage of the small increased dis- 

 tance thus given to the passage of cargoes designed 

 for other towns, would be scarcely worth notice, com- 

 pared to the great advantages of all ships in the fo- 

 reign trade being concentrated in the most convenient 

 harbor, and where every article of supply, and facili- 

 ty for repairs and accommodation for ships, is ready, 

 and will rapidly increase with the new demand. The 

 jealousies and mistaken rivalships between the tra- 

 ders of the different towns of Virginia, have operated 

 to counteract this proper condition of trade ; and, in 

 the pitiful contest, the interests of every party and 



every town has suffered. Let us, of other towns, 

 concur heartily in permitting and aiding Norfolk to 

 enjoy all her great natural advantages as a sea-port; 

 and every other particular interest, and every portion, 

 of this great state will profit by the prosperity of Nor- 

 folk, and the building up there the great sea-port and 

 entrepot of southern trade. 



AVe did not design to offer any thing more, at this 

 time, than merely the results, and the principal report 

 and resolution of the Convention— and even for this, 

 we scarcely have space. Two important reports, one 

 on the state of commerce, and the other, on that of the 

 manufactures of Virginia, are yet to be prepared by dif- 

 ferent committees, and to be published hereafter; and 

 these papers cannot fail to furnish much valuable irfor- 

 mation, and important aid to the great objects of the 

 convention. These reports, or extracts from them, we 

 hope will furnish appi'opriate matter to lay before the 

 readers of the Farmers' Register. 



Extracts from the proceedhws of the Commercial 

 Convention. 



"Mr. Maofariand, (of RichnfionJ,) from the 

 Comnaitteeon Commerce, submitted the following 

 reporr. 



" The committee to whom it w-as referred by 

 the Convention, to inquire into and report, whe- 

 ther the merchants of Virginia can import goods 

 li'om foreitrn countries, on as good terms as the 

 merchants of any of our sister states; and se- 

 condly, how the foreign trade oC Virginia is af- 

 fected by the want of capital, and in what man- 

 ner the inconvenience under which it labors may 

 be remedied — submit the foilowing report: 



" That the time allowed the committee for the 

 consideration of a subject so comprehensive and 

 interesting as the foreign commerce of the slate, 

 has been altogether too limited to enable it to per- 

 form its duly in a manner satisfactory to itself. 

 There vi-as not time for many inquiries which be- 

 long to such an invesfigaiicn. The causes that 

 have operated unHivorably to southern commerce, 

 and denied to it the relative importance which 

 was to have been expected from the enterprise and 

 abundant elements of foreign trade of the south, 

 could not be explored in a ^ew hours of hurried 

 consultation. The question especially addresr:ed 

 to the committee, and to which it has been under 

 the necessity of confininfj its attention, has re- 

 spect to the capacity of Virginia to maintain a fb- 

 reiirn import trade. And if it shall appear not 

 only that we can maintain such a trade, but are 

 possessed of advantaires wliich would enable us 

 to enter into successful competition for it, the in- 

 quiry, how we may recover that trade, is the one 

 immediately nfl'ecting the interests and business 

 of the state. 



"The question propounded in the resolution, 

 namely, whether the merchants of Virginia can 

 import li-om foreisn countries on as good terms as 

 the merchants of any of our sister states, may be 

 answered confidently in the affirmative. They 

 can so import. The markets of foreign countries, 

 and the agency by which litregn traffic is per- 

 formed, are as freely opened to Virginia capital 

 and enterprise as to any other. From no part of 

 our country can the operation of purchatsinff 

 abroad, and of bringing home, be performed wth 



