Jenks' Portland gazette. Maine advertiser. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1802-1803, 1803-02-07

liar diflicultv.-An emergency MAY occur
when We cannot refort TO Europe for AIMS ;
Il NAV exin at time when their expectation
from Europe Is prohibited. Surely then il IS
unfafc, il is digracefu TO great nation poflef-
eng within itfclf every article necenary tor the
| manufacture of arms in the greatct abundance
TO desend on difant countries for iupply'
Sir. the reioluion tends directly to delsroy all
| our Embellishments of this kind. The duty,
no doubt, was impofed with view to their
| encouragement. If government fhould ex-
tend its foftering hand TO any clais Of citizens,
| in particular the manufacturers Of arms ihould
| be among the tirf objects of IT'S care. This
! manufacture already declincs---.o encourage
the Importation of arms will be to decree It's
| dellrucficn.
But Sir, il is faid that we do not pofeis the
means Of making the quantity Of arms necel-
| fairy for the prelcnt demand. The gentleman
| from GEORGIA (Gen. Mcrriwether) has iniilt-
| ed upon this objection. Sir, fee no great de-
| mand for arms. Gentlemen have told US
| that none have been imported for ieveral
| wears. But il the demand were great, we
| know there are feveraI factories in the United
| States where they may be made in almoit any
| quantity equal in every refpetf TO the belt
| which arc made In Europe. They can be
| made before in all probability we lhall have
any preAing location for their ule. But Sir,
| if the laws relpe6ing the impon upon theie
| articles arc huctuating, if we impole high du-
/ ties upon imported arms, when few are want
| ed, and fufpend or repeal thofe duties as foon
| as they are in demand, it will foon be true
that none can be made in the country. But
admitting that certain quantity mutt at this
time be imported where is the neceflity of
| fuGpendng the duties Have we fuch fur
| plus of revenue, that we can afford to dmin-
ia our impolt l. Sir, we are foon to be IN
volved in war, policy would icem TO require
| that we fhould not dimith the ordinary reve-
nue.. But, FAY gentlemen, this will not affect
| the revenue, becaaie no arms have been i'm
ported for long time. Surely argument is
not Hecehary to prove that this application
would not have been made unlefs arms are to
be imported, and if they are imported free of
| duty il nun location great lols Of revenue.
Mr. Speaker, the reloution under confder-
alton originates in an application from South
carolina to be exempt from the duties irEpofed
| by law upon certain arms which that State
| is about to import. Sir, thi. exemption
would operate with extreme inequality. Some
Of The States are well armed while others are
zImoll deltitute Of arms Thoie States which
have been mef promps to arm their militia,
have paid the duty, while thoGe which have
neglected to the prefent time TO arm will de.
rive great advantage from that neg!ef. Bcldes
| Sir, why fhould We grant indulgence 10 States,
which We deney to individuals In fome Of
the States arms ara not imported by the State
| governments, In Mailachuletts the folder is
! Obliged 70 arm himfelf, though we find
! that the militia Of that Rate are better arm
| ed than any other ia the Union, thofe arms
| have been bought at much higher price than
| theie which are 10 be imported into South
| carolina will con, with the addition ofimpoa.
! The gentleman from that fate informs Us that
muiktts can be purhaied At 7 dollars inEurope,
| by adding the duty to that FUN we find they
| would con very little more than dollars,
| which is much lels than the price at which
| srms have been purehafcd by the Soldiers il
| other States. Can it then he fuppuled thar
| the rs per cent. duty will deter the State Of
| Seuthcarolina, or any other State, from i'm
| porting arms, which they conllder 70 necefa-
| ry at the moment.
Bat Sir, think il demonlrabIc, that it will
| be ultimately cheaper to purchafc arms made
in this country. The mulkets and other arms
| for fale in Europe at the ciofe of war, elpe
cially thofe Of low price, are generally unSt
Cor lervice 1t is llateG by an honorable mem
Der Of this houf- that muAycts have lately been
! imported into Rhodeifand and there fold at
four or FIVE dolls. duty included. Sir, of whse
| delcrip' ion mum thefe muillets be They mutt
be reiufe arms, dear at any pcice. Suppofc
| we encourage the militia o import thele arms
| from different parts of Europe, what will be
the confequence Out of thouiands we lhould
| fcarcelY find hundreds fit for regular troops,
} or for any operations Of an army-we hould
! find them defective in every reipecf, & 70 une-
quail in calibre that it would cauie infinite trou-
| Die TO ct them with caruigcs. On the contrary,
thoie made in this country arc allowed to be fu-
| psror ia every refpe4 70 any manufactured in
Europe. We are told Sir, by The petition on the
table that they can be afforded at 9 dollars 50
| Cents preiume if thcie manufacturers were
| employee to make Them in larger quantities
| they could be offered for leis, for the price
| muft bear iome proportion to the quantity in
| demand
For thele reafono, Mr.. Speaker, am oppofcd
| 70 the refolution,
Mr.. Eg9i. made a few obfervations
| againlf the refolution that there was no
| necefiity of Encouraging inportations eth
| er for arms or ordinance. There were foun-
| daries in the Ealtern Gates, which had pro
duced brafs pieces FOR thc field, equal to
any in the world-Thefe manufactures
ihouid be protected they were efabliih
ed at great expence, the proprictors had
taken boys into the boundaries who in a
few years would become artits by en-
couraging thete Establishments, manufac-
turers were growing up with their country.
| Another evil would arife from importation
the arms were not of the fame defcription
| OF equal calibre-perhaps there were gen.
ftnuorp IN h. q a