the Board of Internal Improvement the result of such examination and survey, to be laid before the next General Assembly of this Commonwealth. Approved, February 16, 1837.

PREAMBLE and RESOLUTION Concerning the establishment of a Port of Entry at Smithland,

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WHEREAS, The town of Smithland, in the State of Kentucky, is an important commercial point; and, being situated at the mouth of Cumberland river, and near the mouth of the Tennessee river, would be a suitable point for a port of entry-Therefore,

Be it resolved, by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, That our Senators in Congress be instructed, and our Representatives requested, to use their exertions to procure the passage of a law establishing a port of entry at the town of Smithland, in the State of Kentucky.

Be it further resolved, That his Excellency, the Governor, be directed to transmit a copy of the foregoing preamble and resolution to each of our Senators and Representatives in Congress.

Approved, February 22, 1837.

PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS upon the subject of the Tobacco Trade.

WHEREAS, it is the duty of the National Government, in its intercourse with foreign powers, to secure to the citizens of the United States, all reasonable advantages and facilities, which may be afforded by foreign markets, for the sale and disposal of their several productions exported for said markets. And whereas, the planters of this State are in a very great measure dependant upon the consumption of other countries, for the price and disposal of their tobacco; and although, the population of these countries have greatly increased, and is still rapidly increasing, yet the average export of tobacco from the United States annually, does not far exceed what it was forty years ago; which is, for the most part, attributable to the unreasonable restrictions imposed upon the tobacco trade, by other nations, and particularly to the enormous duty, amounting almost or quite to prohibition, laid by the government of Great Britain, to the govermental monopoly of Spain and France, and the exorbitant duty exacted by Russia, and the German States; the United States admit into her ports, at moderate and reduced duties, silks, wines, brandys, and many other articles of luxury, which can certainly have no greater claim upon the favor of our government, than the article of tobacco has upon that of other nations, yet this product, although identified with the interest of a very large and respectable portion of the farmers of the country, and subject to the most ruinous fluctuations and depressions in its market prices, has not, it seems, attracted the attention of our ministers abroad, nor received from the goverment that fostering care, which its importance as an article of commerce demands; those farmers paying their due proportion of duties levied upon importations, while their own staple is without protection; the price of that staple, like every other article of trade, is regulated by the demand for it, and that demand is proportionate to the

quantity consumed, as the quantity consumed becomes limited, the demand decreases, and the prices which the producer receives, are diminished; so an expansion of the one, is sure to be followed by a corresponding expansion of the others; prohibitory duties on the part of one nation, prevent any consumption whatever by its citizens; excessive duties or duties merely restrictive, while they admit the article into the ports of that power by which they are levied, forbid the consumption of the product to a large part of the population, only permitting it to those whose wealth enables them to pay the price of the article with a duty which often exceeds that price; in the latter case. in proportion as the duty is reduced, will the ability of consumers to purchase, and the quantity consumed, be increased, and a like in-. crease in the prices of the article must follow; to effect this reduction of duties, and the relaxation of other restrictions upon the tobacco trade, the Legislature of Kentucky have and claim no power, being sufficiently aware that it is vested in the Federal Authorities; but, they conceive that it is nothing but justice to that highly respectable and useful class of citizens, whose interest is involved, and due to that reciprocity of trade and commercial regulation which should exist between nations, pursuing an enlightened and liberal policy in the exchange of their mutual productions, that the attention of these Federal Authorities should be earnestly and respectfully invited to this subject-Therefore,

Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, That his Excellency, the President of the United States, be respectfully requested (if in his opinion not incompatible with the public interest,) to instruct the public ministers of the United States, resident abroad, to urge upon those powers to which they may be delegated, the propriety of admitting tobacco into their several ports, upon terms more favorable than those at present extended to that commodity.

Resolved further, That our Senators and Representatives in Congress, (in the event that legislation upon the subject shall become necessary, or proper,) be requested to procure the enactment of discriminating duties upon the production of other countries until their duties and restrictions upon the importation of tobacco into their ports, shall be reduced or abolished; and to obtain such further legislation as the subject requires.

Resolved further, That his Excellency the Governor of Kentucky, be, and he is hereby requested to enclose a copy of the foregoing Preamble and Resolutions to the President of the United States, and copies to each of our Senators and Representatives in Congress, with his request that said Senators and Representatives in Congress lay the same before their respective Houses.

Approved, February 23, 1837.

RESOLUTIONS adopting a Joint Rule of both Houses to appoint a Joint Committee on Banks.

Resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, That there shall hereafter be raised a Joint Committee, consisting of four members on the part of the House of Representatives, and two on the part of the Senate, to be denominated a committee on banks, which shall constitute one of the Standing Committees in both Houses.

Resolved, That it shall be the duty of said committee, at each session of the Legislature, to examine, within the first thirty days thereof, the condition of all the Banks in the State, the amount of loans in the aggregate, and the proportion to the country, and cities and towns, and the amount loaned to the Directors, and their liabilities on bills of exchange, and the several amounts the fifty highest debtors owe in the cities; and inquire into and report all facts necessary to a complete understanding of their management. Approved, February 23, 1837.

A JOINT RESOLUTION providing for the immediate publication and distribution of the act passed at the present session to amend the revenue law.

Resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, That the Auditor of Public Accounts be, and he is hereby directed, immediately to cause to be printed a competent number of the act passed at the present session, entitled"an act to amend the revenue law," and the same forthwith to transmit by mail to the county court clerks for distribution among the commissioners for taking in lists of taxable property in the several counties. Approved, February 23, 1837.

A RESOLUTION, requiring an investigation of the accounts of the Lexington and Ohio Rail Road Company.

Resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, That the Boad of Internal Improvement, before the next election of a President and Directors in the Lexington and Ohio Rail Road Company, examine the expenditures of said company, and the receipts on which they have declared dividends on the stock held in said company. That said board make a report of the expenditures of said company, and of the dividends declared, and that they report the same to the next legislature, with their opinion as to the manner of making up the accounts, and whether any expenditures have been charged to capital, which ought to have been charged to expenses, and if so, that they make a statement of the accounts of said company, charging to capital all the expenditures which should be charged to that account, and to expense account all expenditures which should be charged to that account, and exhibiting all the accounts of said company as they should stand, and as they do stand on the books of the company, and that they cause that part of the road between Lexington and Frankfort, to be examined, and its condition and capacity, for the transportation of persons and property ascertained, and also report the same.

Approved, February 23, 1837.

JOINT RESOLUTION for printing and distributing the Militia law.

Resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, That it shall be the duty of the Public Printer, to print seven thousand copies of

the Militia law of this session, with the acts of Congress thereto attached, and each copy shall be bound similar to the acts of Assembly, and distributed with said acts, under the instructions of the Adjutant General, as to the place of deposit, so that each commissioned officer shall be furnished with. one copy; and should any commissioned officer, holding a copy of said Militia law, die, resign, or remove, said copy shall be handed over to his successor, or lodged with the county court Clerk for that purpose. Approved, February 23, 1837.

A RESOLUTION in relation to Mills on streams, to which appropriations have been made for slack water navigation.

Resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, That the Board of Internal Improvements report to the Legislature, within twenty days after its next meeting, how many mills and dams there are, on the different streams or tributaries, to which appropriations have been made; and whether, in making the different streams navigable by slack water, the owners of mills will not be greatly injured; and whether, in their opinion, the State will not be liable for damages, and if so, how much will be the probable cost of the same; also, on the streams that have been ordered to be surveyed, distinguishing between those streams to which appropriations have been made, and those ordered to be surveyed.

Approved, February 23, 1837.