THE FARMERS REGISTER. 



687 



was, " If we open our vaults we shall lose all 

 our dollars ihrou<^li the agency of the detestubie 

 brokers, and it will never do to part with our dol- 

 lars to such miscreants." " Certainly nut," said 

 the legislature of the day ; and so the dollars 

 were retained, and ;he money-changers, as ii 

 was thought, ibiled. 



Alier the conclusion of the session, I had an 

 opportunity of conversing with one of the mem- 

 bers, a man of some eminence at the bar, and, as 

 he supposed, a political economist of no ordinary 

 grade. "How came you," said I, " to let the 

 banks take you in so finely?" "Take us in! 

 how, sir '?" " Why they declared their readiness to 

 resume specie payments, provided only they could 

 retain their dollars. For what reason then 

 did you not take them at their word, and say, 

 ' Keep your vaults hermetically sealed ifyou please, 

 but reduce exchange forthwith to par, so that 

 every man shall receive his just due in what, lor 

 his purposes, is intrinsically as valuable as gold 

 and silver?' " "Oh! that could not be done wtth- 

 out reducing the amount of notes in circulation." 

 " Undoubtedly," said 1 ; " but why not have a 

 true plea, or exact the penalty of raising a lalse 

 issue V 



So at this time, let the banks bring exchange to 

 par between New York and Richmond. Every 

 essential benefit of resumption will then be at- 

 tained, and the actings and doings of Bait/more 

 and Philadelphia, will be of even less importance 

 to the good people of Virginia than what is now 

 going on in China. 



But the moral view of the subject is incalcula- 

 bly the most important. Every where, and in 

 every company, you hear of the multiplication of 

 rogues, and the frightful increase of crime. And 

 what is to be expected from a community where 

 the legislative halls are themselves contaminat- 

 ed ? The "chartered libertines" daily enter into 

 engagements expected by both parties to be idle 

 as the wind, so far as literal lijifilment is concern- 

 ed. And if apprehensive of being pressed by 

 some person possessed of the requieiie nerve lo 

 comply with a solemn promise, an appeal is un- 

 hesitatingly, repeatedly, and, alas ! successHilly 

 made, to what is called the liberality of the legis- 

 lature. Liberality, forsooth, to authorize the habi- 

 tual disregard of justice, the constant violation 

 of law, and the total contempt of veraciiy ! As 

 a filling sequence, trick is then employed to evade 

 the provisions of the federal constitution. An 

 individual cannot, indeed, be directly compelled 

 to accept depreciated, or perhaps worthless paper, 

 in exchange for property parted with in good faith 

 and under the expectation of an honest remune- 

 ration. Oh, no! this cannot be accomplished by 

 an enactment to that immediate effect, but the 

 creditor is quietly and civilly told, "such paper or 

 nothing ;" and this in contravention of the very 

 object, the enforcement of right, for which civil 

 government was formed, and lo the prostration 

 of the most solemn obligations into which man 

 can enter. 



Let, then, those who feel some regard, I will 

 not say for the good name of their country, but 

 for its most vulgar interests, let them, I say, com- 

 mence with the purification of high places. Let 

 the creators of the law be taught that they 

 must conform to the law, and let the enactors 

 of laws recollect, that when the plague spot of 



mor;il obliquiiy is seen upon the forehead, it but 

 loo certainly descends lo the members, working 

 final and elieclual corruption throughout the body 

 ('oliiic. Yours, &c. &c. 



STATISTICS OF TOBACCO, 



In 1708, the yearly exporis of tobacco from 

 America for the lasi ten years were 28,-858,666 

 pounds ; of which 11,269,659 |)ounds were annu- 

 ally cousu(ned in Great Britain, and 17,598,007 

 pounds in the countries of Europe, 



In 1719, the Senate of Sirasburg prohibited the 

 culture of tobacco from an apprehension that it 

 would diminish the growing ol corn. 



In 1724, Pope Benedict XIV revoked the bull 

 of excommunication published by Innocent, be- 

 cause be had acquired the habit of taking 

 . 



In 1733, tobacco was made a legal tender in 

 Maryland, at one penny a pound. 



In 1747, and the two years previous ihere was 

 annually exported to England liom the American 

 co.on'ies, 40,000,000 pounds of tobacco, 7,000,000 

 of which wasconaunied in England, 'i'he annual 

 revenue was about ^4,500,000, 



In 1753, the King of Portugal farmed out the 

 tobacco trade lor about ^2,500,000, The revenue 

 of the King of Spain from tobacco amounts to 

 $6,330,000. 



In 1759, the duties on tobacco in Denmark 

 brought in ^40,000. 



In 1770, the Empress of Austria received a 

 revenue from tobacco ol $800,000, 



In 1773, the duties on tobacco in the two Sicilies 

 amounted to $446,000, 



In 1775, the annual export of tobacco from the 

 United States, lor the last lour years, was one 

 million pounds ; lor the last thirty years it averag- 

 ed 40,000,000 pounds, of which 7,000,000 were 

 consumed in Great Britain, and 33,000,000 in the 

 other European countries, 



in 1780, ihe King of France received from to- 

 bacco a revenue of about $7,250,000. 



In 1782, the annual export ol tobacco during 

 the preceding year's warof ihe Revolution, had 

 been 42,378,504 pounds. Of the total seven 

 years' expcrtation, 33,974,949 pounds were cap 

 tuied by the British, 



In 1787, the quantity imported into Iieland was 

 1,877,597 ; in 1829,4,124,742 pounds. 



In 1789, the quantity exported from the United 

 States, together with the two previous years, 

 averaged about 90,000,000 pounds. 



In 1820, the (juantity of tobacco grown in France 

 had doubled in three years, being 32,887,500 

 pounds. 



In 1828, the revenue of tobacco in the state of 

 Maryland was $27,275. 



In 1830, the revenue on tobacco and snuff in 

 Great Britain was nearly $12,000,000. 



In 1834, the value of tobacco used in the Uniied 

 States, was estimated at $16,000,000 ; of which 

 $9,000,000 were supposed to have been lor smok- 

 ing Spanish cigars ; $6,500,000 ibr smoking 

 American tobacco and chewing ; and $500,000 

 for snuff. 



In 1838, the annual consumption of tobacco in 

 the United States was estimated at one hundred 



