The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-06 00:00:00

THE RIVAL AMERICAN 7A.RIFFS.

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The Ncto Fork Commercial and iShippng List
publishes some interesting particulars respecting
the rival tariffs. It says :—" The battle of the
tariffs which is about to commence—if it has not
already commeneed—between the seceding States
and the Federal Union, is one which vitally affects
the interests of every merchant, shipper, and busi-
ness man in the country--and everything, there-
fore, that tends to develope results is just .now of
particular interest. The Augusta ( kronicle, one
of the ablest and most impartial journals in Georgia,
expresses the belief that a competition of this cha-
racter must ultimately culminate in establishing
free trade in both sections. The editor then goes on
to reason that this finally would be most detrimen-
tal to the Soutb, for the North, with the great ad-
vantages it has in manufacturing, capital, and skill,
would be, as it has been heretofore, the workshop
of the South, and we should remain tributary to a
nation from which we have separated in enmity, for
articles manufactured from staples growing at our
very doors. It would be better, therefore, as we
think, instead of entering into such a suicidal con -
test, to enter into some compact, such, for instance,
as has been in iarce between the States of Germany.
Their Zollveren, or treaty of commerce, was in-
stituted under circumstances and necessities simi-
lar to those wlich will soon press upon the two
American Confederacies. That treaty has been
in force nearly 20 yeaas, and its effect in abrogating
numerous and vexatious restrictions, and putting an
end to smuggling, and the irritating centre-
versiesiwhich lad been continually occurring among
the numerous 3 erman Sovereignties, have rendered
it very accepttble to merchants and people. The
substance of •he arrangement is, that along the
whole of the erterior frontier of the German States
the same tarif of duties is enforced, and the neces-
sity of interior customhouses exists no longer. The
revenue collected is proportionably divided among
the different Governments. Such a plan, or a
similar one, to suit circumstances, might be adopted
here; and we prophesy, when two of the sections
have got intc a better humour by living apart for
a time, and ro further causes of exasperation occur,
such an arrangement will be adopted. The neces-
sity for it will become every year more apparent.'
The proposed Southern Tariff Bill differs very little
from our old (1857) tariff, except that considerable
additions have been made to the free list. We
intended to rublish the bill entire, but as Congress
adjourned without acting upon it, and as it nay not
become law after all, we concluded to postpf„ne its
publication for the present. As some of our retders
may be interested in its general provisons, however,
we make the following abstract :—There are ive
schedules, a list of specific duties, and a free lie •
Schedule A pave an ad valorem duty of 25 per cent.,
schedule B, 20 per cent. ; C, 15 per cent. ; D, 10
per cent. ; and E, 5 per cent. The first of these
schedules is nearly identical with the 30 per cent.
schedule of our present tariff, brandy and wines
the chief articles, on which, however, they save 5 per
cent. as compared with the present rate. They re-
tain cigars and manufactured tobacco in this list,
and cut glass also. Their 20 per cent schedule corre-
sponds mainly with the 24 per cent. of our tariff,
including in it sugar and molasses in all forms, and
throwing out ale and beer, manufactures of fur and
knit woollens, carpets, carriages, clocks, clothing,
cheese, coal, cutlery, diamonds, earthenware, epau-
lettes, furniture, glass manufactures, and manufac.
tures generally in this list, excepting those of silk,
the precious metals, and plated ware and perfumeries
The 15 per cent. schedule takes most of the manu-
factures of our 24 per cent list, and nearly all of
our 19 per cent. list, clothing, carriages, carpets.
and almost all ordinary manufactures. The 10 per
cent. schedule has ashes, bark, lumber, books,
cheese, coal, diamonds, furs unmanufactured, hemp,
and nearly all crude drugs and unmanufactured
articles, including steel in bars, iron in bars, and
railroad iron, wool unmanufactured, and unmanu
factured tobacco. The next or 5 per cent. schedule
has a small list, also of raw materials mainly, as
follows :—old brass, copper ore, pig and old copper,
diamonds not set, guano, iron in pig and bloom,
manures of all sorts, papers for printing newspapers,
paving stones, sheathing copper, stove bolts, tin in
pig, bar, and ore, and zinc. As there are but few
articles in this 5 per cent. list the general difference
between raw materials and manufactured goods is
represented by the 10 and 15 per cent. schedules
respectively. Manufaoturers are therefore protected
in the Cotton Confederacy by a discriminating duty
of 5 per cent. The specific schedule has but three
items—ice at 2 dole. per ton, tea at 4c. per lb.,
and salt at 3e. a bushel, In the free list, in addi-
tion to the usual items in our own tariff, there are
included books published by religious associations,
copper, when for the mint of the Confederated
States,' garden seeds, bacon, pork, hams, lard, beef,
flour and bran of wheat, flour and bran of all other
grains, Indian corn and meal, barley, oats, rye, and
oatmeal; living animals of all kinds not otherwise
provided for; also agricultural productions, includ-
ing those of the orchard and garden in their natural
state not otherwise provided for; gunpowder and
all the materials of which it is made, lead in pigs
or bars, in shot or balls, for cannon, muskets, rifles,
or pistols ; rags of whatever material composed ;
arms of every description for military purposes, and
parts thereof; munitions of war, military accoutre-
ments, and percussion caps, cotton, ships, steamers,
barges, dredging vessels, machinery, screw pile
jetties, and articles used in the construction of har-
bours, and for dredging and improving the same.
The enumerated list, which cannot be very large,
since the schedules embrace all the articles enume-
rated in our tariffs as now enacted, pays 10 per
cent.; and it is generally enacted that unenumerated
articles which much resemble those enumerated
shall pay the rate of duty levied on that which
they do so resemble. This is made to apply to all
goods in public store on May Ist next. The col-
lector of every port decides positively all questions
of duty, unless appeal is made within 10 days,
with days notice to head; quarters at Montgo-
mery ; suit may, however, may be brought to test
the question more formally, at any time within 30
days after the duties are actually paid. As to un-
dervaluation, it is provided that the consignee or
agent of goods may ' make such addition in the
entry to the cost or value given in the invoice as
in his opinion may .raise the same to the true
market value of such imports in the principal
markets of the country whence the importation
shall have been made; and to add thereto all costs
and charges which, under existing laws, would
form part of the true value at the port where the
same may be entered, upon which the duty shou:d
be assessed.' This is a provision giving unusual
latitude to consignees and others. The Nobile

.advertiser is entering into a calculation of the
probable yield of the cotton crop for the next 10
years, for the purpose of demonstrating in advance,
the salutary effect of the proposed export fluty on.
the staple. The crop during the next 10 years, the
editor is sure, will increase 40 per cent. But,'
(we quote) when to this is added the consideration
that, in the event of the border States standing
aloof from the South, an increased emigration
hither of the citizens of those States with their
families of slaves is sure to take place, we may
safely disregard the 41 per cent. of the crop which
is produced in those States, and base our calcula-
tions upon the former entire crops of the United
States. On that basis the expectation of future
crops in the Confederate States is as follows:--
1861-2, 4,088,000 bales; 1862-3, 4,228,000; 1863-4,
4,373,000; 1864-5, 4,520,000; 1865-6, 4,675,000 ;
,1866-7, 4,835,000 ; 1867-3, 5,000,000 ; 1868-9,
5,171,000; and 1869-70, 5,318,000.' "

AMERICAN INVENTIONS.—At the Society of Arts
on Wednesday, the paper read was " Some Account of
American Implements and Economic Contrivances," by C.
W. Eddy, M.A., M. 8., formerly Travelling Fellow of the
University of Oxford. The author began by saying that he
thought the observing, traveller in America could not fail to
be struck with astonishment at the vast amount of work
that had been achieved, of forests cleared, of land reclaimed,
of roads, railroads, and canals constructed, and of cities
built by a sparse and scattered population, in the brief pe •
riod of time which had elapsed since the first peopling of
the country. In considering these wonderful results he
had been led to notice the ingenuity shown by the people in
devising implements and machinery for economising labour,
which was so dear in many parts of that country, and some
of which he thought well worthy of attention, and even of
adoption, in England. He would first touch upon agricul-
tural implements. The first he noticed was the American
felling axe, so well known in timber regions. Large quan-
tities of these axes were made by convicts in the State pri-
sons and sold at a slightly remunerative price. Next in
order to the felling axe came the stump extractor, a com-
pound lever wood, strengthened with iron, 30 feet long,
with a handle at each end, worked generally by a chain of
iron. The author then spoke of a method of applying
steam power for felling and cutting up trees ; of a peculiar
method of fencing; of an earth augre for boring holes for
posts ; of the mode of making plank roads ; and described
in detail the different kinds of stone-crushing machines,
which worked very efficiently. A peculiar kind of carriage
spring, able to bear the jerking of the roughest roads, was
next noticed, and some modifications in the general con-
struction of American carts and waggons was described;
also the endless railway horse-power ; and for most of the
stationary work on a farm—thrashin,g, winnowing, chaff
and corn-stalk cutting, cutting up wood for fuel,
&c. The subject of ploughs was discussed at
some length, and the portable steam p!ough de-
scribed. Various other inventions and appliances were
alluded to, such as machine-made watches, wood-working
machinery, floating docks, unloading gear for ;:hipping, rail-
way engines and carriages, tramways and tramway cars,
steam ferry-boats, canal sluices, canal boats built in sec•
tions, steamboats and pilot boats, &c. ; and, finally, modes
of house-warming adapted for very cold climates,