as a portion of your constituents, We beg leave to make a suggestion to your Excellency in regard to a subject which immediately concerns us as a class of the community The Legislature at its last Session made material alteration in the Law regulating merchants License We do not wish to be understood as giving any opinion as to what law ought to be passed, but the present law, either from an error in the draftsman of the Bill, or the printer or from some [unclear: inadvertened ] in passing the Bill__ great difficulty arises in the construction of the law, some clerks require Merchants to pay tax on the same Goods twice in the year. This it is believed by the Merchants, and many of the Members was not, and is not, the intention of the law, or the makers thereof. Many suits must necessarily grow out of the construction given to the law; a few words could and would explain the intention of the Legislature, which would suppress much litigation__ We therefore respectfully suggest to your Excellency the propriety of calling the attention of the Legislature to this subject in your message__ With sentiments of high respect we have the honour [honor] to be,

your friends,

James & William Park HA McWhite Robert King [added: & sons] Gaines & Jackson GM Hazen Howell & Pickett Saml Bell SD Jacobs Harris & Bowen Cowan & Dickson Zoe Booths L Roberts [added: & sons][added: J.P. Armstrong Gen C Grades MClung Alexander &c [etcetera] James King Co [Company] Crazier & [unclear: Dederick ] ]

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His Excellency Governor Cannon Nashville Ten [Tennessee]

[added: Petition of
Merchts [Merchants] of Knoxville
Mercht Tax] [added: Merchants of
Knoxville][added: 1836
A suggestion
in regards to tax
es.]