FARMERS' REGISTER 



271 



JeniTer, of Marylnnd, Tripletf, oC Kentucky, and 

 Keech, ofPrince George's county, Maryland; and, 

 also, by Mr. Dodge, the ogrnl appointed by the 

 government to visit Europe lor the ()uipof:e of pro- 

 curing information on the subject of tlie tobacco 

 trade, who laid before the convention some inte- 

 resting statistical statements, the results of his in- 

 vestigations. 



Alier which, Mr. R. W. Bowie ofiered the fol- 

 lowing resolution : 



Resolved, That a committee of be appoint- 

 ed by the president to consider and recommend such 

 measures as may be deemed must expedient to be 

 adopted, to accomplish the objects contemplated by 

 this convention. 



Mr. Tripiett suggested, as an amendment to the 

 resolution, the addition, at the end theieolj of the 

 words "and that the committee he requested to 

 make report at 11 o'clock A. M. to-morrow." 



Mr. Bowie accepted the modification; and the 

 resolution, as modified, was adopted. 



And the blank was ordered to be filled with the 

 number ien. 



The President announced the following gentle- 

 men members of the committee : 



R. W. Bowie, chairman, Wm. J. Blackstone, 

 Thomas A. Somerville, John Mercer, 

 John Barnes, Baruch Mullikin, 



Benjamin Jones, Edward Hamilton, 



Thomas F. Bowie, Alexander Keech, 



Mr. Jenifer, after urging a punctual attendance 

 to-morrow morning, suggested that any Iriends 

 who were in the tobacco interest, and were in the 

 ciiy, be invited to attend, and that such members 

 of congress as thought proper should attend also 

 as members of the convention ; which suggestions 

 having been assented to — 



On motion of Mr. Jenifer, the convention ad- 

 journed until 11 o'clock to-morrow m.orning. 



Henry Godfrey Wheeler. 

 Reporter to the convention. 



Saturday, May 2, 1840. 



Pursuant to adjournment, the convention re-as- 

 Eembled this day at 11 o'clock. 



Mr. Jenifer offered a resolution, which was una- 

 nimously adopted, returning thanks to the mayor 

 and common council for tendering to the conven- 

 tion during its sittings the use of the chamber of 

 the board of aldermen. 



Mr. R. W. Bowie made the foHowinir report : 



The committee appointed by the conveniion of 

 tobacco planters now assembled in this city, wilh 

 instructions to prepare and report to this conven- 

 tion such measures as may be deemed expedient 

 to accomplish the objects ."ontemplaied by the con- 

 vention, beg leave respectfully to submit the fol- 

 lowing report : 



The sJatistical statement, respecting the enor- 

 mous duties and exactions imposed on American 

 tobacco, which was laid before the convention yes- 

 terday morning, and which is herewith again pre- 

 sented as a part of this report, showing "that Eu- 

 rope levies a revenue of about thiriy millions of 

 dollars on about 100,000 hogsheads of American 

 tobacco, which cost in the United S'ates about 

 seven millions. 



These duties and exactions appear to he so enor- 

 nious that your committee have thourrht it necessa- 

 ry to examine them with the greatest atiention, 

 and have come to the conclusion that, enormous 



as they are, the following facte'show that there is 

 no exaggeration. 



Russia. 



On examining the statement above mentioned, 

 it will be seen that during three years, that is, from 

 the 1st of October, 1835, to 30ih of September 1838, 

 the average direct exfiortations fi-om the United 

 Slates to tliat country amounted to 181 hogsheads 

 but the actual consumption in Russia may be con- 

 sidered as much greater, and may be safejyestimat- 

 ed at 458 hhds. annually, the difference over the 

 direct importations arising from the entrepots of 

 England, Holland an<l the Hance Towns, etc. 

 The revenue derived from An)erican tobacco may 

 be safely estimated at about $64,000. 

 IJolland. 



The average direct importations of our tobacco 

 to that country during the three years aforemen- 

 tioned amounted to 19,815 hogsheads, but large 

 importations are annually made (i^om England, (n 

 1837 there were exported from that country to 

 Holland about 1,500 hogsheads of American to- 

 bacco, so that the total importations may be esti- 

 mated at 21,315 hogsheads of our tobacco, the 

 greatest proportion of which was afterwards re- 

 exported to Germany and other countries of Eu- 

 rope. 



The consumption of Holland may be estimated 

 at about 3,300 hogsheads of American tobacco : 

 the duty is very trifling, but we have a right to 

 complain — 1st, of the unjust difference made be- 

 tween Maryland and the other tobaccoes of our 

 country, for whilst Virginia, etc. are admitted at 

 12 1-2 cents, Maryland tobacco is charged with a 

 duty of 14^ per 100 lbs. American, and stems are 

 assimilated to Maryland; and secondly, that none 

 of our tobaccoes are admitted at the same favora- 

 ble rate of duty as the tobacco of some other coun- 

 tries. For example: East India is admitted at 

 5 1-5 cents, Brazil at 8 4-5 cents, and that coming 

 from the Ukraine and other countries of Europe 

 at 11 3-8 cents per 100 lbs. Anterican. The 

 revenues derived fiom American tobacco in Hol- 

 land may be estimated at about ^5,600. 

 Belgium. 



The average direct exportalions of our tobacco 

 to that country during the said three years was 

 2,457 hogsheads; the importations from England in 

 1837 were about 3,500 hogsheads of American to- 

 bacco ; so that the total importations into Belgium 

 may be estimated at about 6,000 hogsheads of our 

 tobacco. 



It is extremely ditlicult to form any correct esti- 

 mate of the real consumption of American tobacco 

 in Belgium, the smuggling carried on from that 

 country into France being very great ; besides, se- 

 veral hundred hogsheads are re-exported to Ger- 

 many ; but the consumption, yo'.ir committee be- 

 lieve, may be estimated, in round numbers, at 

 4,000 hogsheads. The duty on American tobacco 

 is, on Virginia, &c. 23 1-2 cents, on Maryland 

 26 2-3 cents, and on stems 26 2-3 cents per 100 

 pounds, American. These duties are far from 

 liciiig heavy ; but siill we find, in this case, the 

 same unjust difference established between the 

 Maryland and the other tobaccoes of our country. 

 We likewise have cause to complain that the 

 tobaccoes of some other countries are admitted at 

 a less rale of duty than the American, for, on ex- 

 amininu the Belirian tariff, it will be liiund that the 

 East India tobacco is admitted at 10 cents, and 



