The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-01-01 00:00:00

UNITED STATES.

By the packet-ship Silas Richards, Captain Bursley, which
arrived yesterday afternoon, we have received New York pa-
pers to the Bth December inclusive, which (the second Session
of the 23d Congress having commenced on the 3d,) contain
THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.

The document, however interesting, greatly exceeds in length
the space which we could afford to assign for it, the more espe-
cially arriving as it did? so near to the time of our arrangements
being completed for this day's publication. We append, how-
ever, a selection of the passages of leading interest with our
readers :
"Feilow-eitizens of the Senate, and House of Representatives,
" It gives me pleasure to congratulate you upon your return
to the Seat of Government, for the purpose of discharging your
duties to the people of the United States. Although the pes-
tilence which has traversed the Old World has entered our li-
mits, and extended its ravages over much of our land, it has
pleased Almighty God to mitigate its severity, and lessen the
number of its victims, compared with those who have fallen in
most other countries over which it has spread its terrors. Not-
withstanding this visitation, our country presents, on every side,
marks of prosperity and happiness, unequalled, perhaps, in any
other portion of the world. If we fully appreciate our compa-
rative condition, existing cause of discontent will appear un-
worthy of attention, and with hearts of thankfulness to that
Divine Being who has filled our cup of prosperity, we shall feel
our resolution strengthened to preserve, and hand down to pos-
terity that liberty and that union which we have received from
our fathers, and which constitute the sources and the shield of
all our blessings.
"The relations of our country continue to present the same
picture of amicable intercourse that I had the satisfaction to
hold up to your view at the opening of your last session. The
same friendly profession—the same desire to participate in our
flourishing commerce—the same disposition to refrain from re-
senting injuries unintentionally offered, are, with a few excep-
tions, evinced by all nations with whom we have any inter-
course. This desirable state of things may be mainly ascribed
to our undeviating practice of the rule which has long guided
our national policy, to require no exclusive privileges in com-
merce, and to grant none. It is daily producing its beneficial
effect in the respect shown to our flag, the protection of our ci-
tizens and property abroad, and in the increase of our naviga-
tion and the extension of our mercantile operations. The re-
turns which have been made out since we last met, will show-an
increase during the last preceding year of more than 80,000 tons
in our shipping, and of near forty millions of dollars in the ag-
gregate of our imports and exports.
"Nor have we less reason to felicitate ourselves on the position
of our political, than of our commercial, concerns. They re-
main in the state in which they were when I last addressed
you—a state of prosperity and peace, the effect of a wise atten-
tion to the parting advice of the reverend father of his country,
on this subject, condensed into a maxim for the use of posterity
by one of his most distinguished successors, to cultivate free
commerce and honest friendship with all nations, and to make
entangling alliances with none. A strict adherence to this po-
licy has kept us aloof from the perplexing questions that now
agitate the European world, and have more than once deluged
those countries with blood. Should those scenes unfortunately
recur, the parties to the contest may count on a faithful per-
formance of the duties incumbent on us as a neutral nation, and
our own citizens may equally rely on the firm assertion of their
neutral rights.
[The message then proceeds to develope the state of the ex-
isting relations of the United States, with each of the foreign
nations with which they hold an established intercourse, and
then adverts to the several branches of the internal administra-
tion-of the government of the United States, commencing with
the financial department]
" The report which the Secretary of the Treasury will, in due
time, lay before you, will exhibit the national finam es in a
highly prosperous state. Owing to the continued success of our
commercial enterprize, which has enabled the merchants to ful-
fil their engagements with the government the receipts from
customs during the year will exceed the estimate presented at
the last session; and, with the other means of the Treasury,
will prove fully adequate, not only to meet the increased expen-
diture resulting from the large appropriations made by Congress,
but to provide for the payment of all the public debt which is
at present redeemable. It is now estimated that the customs
will yield to the Treasury, during the present year, upwards of
twenty-eight millions of dollars. The public lands, however,
have been less productive than was anticipated, and, according
to present information, will not much exceed two millions.
The expenditure for all objects other than the public debt, aie
i • estimated to amount during the year to about sixteen millions
sgl
and a half, while a still larger sum, viz. eighteen millions of
dollars will have been applied to the principal and interest of
he public debt.
vosi"lt is expected, however, that in consequence of the reduced
rates of duty which will take effect after the third of March
next, there will be 'a considerable falling off iu the revenue from
customs in the year 1833. It will, nevertheless, be amply suffi-
t,olcient
evteonpurpoovnidea for
ijbealrallthsecawlea,natsndoffotrhthe
epurbeldiecmseprtvioicne,anesdtipmuar:
ted
chase of the remainder of the public debt. On the first of
n January next, the entire public debt of the United States,
91' funded and unfunded, will be reduced to within a fraction of
seven millions of dollars: of which 2,227,363 dols. are not of
right redeemable until the Ist of January, 1834, and 4,735,296
dollars not until the 2nd of January, 183 a. The commissioners
of the sinking fund, however, being invested with full authority
to purchase the debt at the market price, and the means of the
treasury. being ample, it may be hoped that the whole will be
extinguished within the year 1833.
[This topic naturally leads to that which, affecting as it
would seem to do the integrity of the Union, the future relations
oi'-of the States with each other, and the dependence of each
upon the general Government, has, for some time past, been a
subject of anxious curiosity, if not of deep interest with all
parties in this country who take any concern in the affairs of
our transatlantic brethren. We allude to the " Nullification"
Questions,—the dispute of the states of Georgia and Carolina
With the Government of the United States, and we much doubt
whether the manner in which it is noticed by the President will
be found sufficiently explicit to afford to our English readers
any very clear view or distinct perceptions of the turn which
that matter is likely to take.]
" The soundest mailing of public policy, and the principles
Upon which our republican institutions are founded, recommend
a proper adaptation of the revenue to the expenditure, and they
also require that the expenditure shall be limited to what, by
an economical administration, shall be consistent with the sim-
plicity of the Government, and necessary. to an efficient public
service. In effecting this adjustment, it is due in justice to the
interests of the different states, and even to the preservation of
the union itself, that the protection afforded by existing laws to
any branches of the national industry should not exceed what
inay be necessary to counteract the regulations of foreign na-
tions, and to secure a supply of those articles of manufacture,
essential to the national independence and safety in time of
War. If, upon investigation, it shall be found, as it is believed
it will be, that the legislative protection granted to any parti-
cular interest is greater than is indispensably requisite for those
objects, l'recommend that it be gradually diminished, and that,
as far as may be consistent with these objects, the whole scheme
Of duties be reduced to the revenue standard, as soon as a just
regard to the faith of the Government, and to the preservation
of the large capital invested in establishments of domestic in-
liustry, will permit.
"That manufactures adequate to the supply of our domestic
consumption, would, in the abstract, be beneficial to our coun-
try, there is no reason to doubt; and to effect their establish-
rtient, there is, perhaps, no American citizen who would not,
for a while, be willing to pay a higher price for one. But for
this purpose, it is presumed that a tariff of high duties, designed
for perpetual protection, has entered into the minds of but few
of our statesmen. The most they have anticipated is a tern-
Perary and generally incidental protection, which they main-
tain has the effect to reduce the price by domestic competition
below that of the foreign article. Experience, however, our
best guide on this, as on other subjects, makes it doubtful
by
the advantages of this system are not counterbalanced
03, many evils, and whether it does not tend to beget in the
blinds of a large portion of our countrymen a spirit of discon-
tent and jealousy dangerous to the stability of the union.
" What then shall be done ? Large interests have grown up
Under the implied pledge of our national legislation, which it
,Would seem a violation of public faith suddenly to abandon.
Nothing could justify it but the public safety, which is the
supreme law.
, ' But those who have vested their capital in manufacturing
establishments cannot expect that the people will continue
40 Permanently to pay hightaxes for their benefit when the money
,1
. 18 not required for any legitimate purpose in the administration
~, 131' the Government. Is it not enough that the high duties have
ueen paid as long as the money arising from them could be
applied to the common benefit in the extinguishment of the
Public debt?
" Those who take an enlarg'd view of the condition of our
-: !?untry must be satisfied that the policy of protection must be
ultimately
limited to those articles of domestic manufacture
this
are indispensible to our satlty in time of war. Within
s scope, on a reasonable scale, 'it is recommended by every
!unsideration of patriotism and duty which will doubtless always
I*ecure to it a liberal and efficient support. But beyond this
I .