The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-05-22

rage the manufacture of our own IRON. At
particular times America has been Gllefg
with the refuse OF English nails and brads.
ana then the American manufacturer has
been obliged to Stop his works and subject
to losses. and the consumer deceived by me
name OF English nails has bought this refpse
greatly to his injury. I. is therefore birh,y
important to prshibit the importation of En-.
Shsh naiis and 6rads OF all kinds which can
this includes allexcept fine drawn nails. up ;
on which an extra duty of one cent per pound
might be placed, and IS no rart of tho exrra
duty were drawn back il would by thus
much encourage the expectation of Ameri-
can nails. -
Nor can the legislature be restrained from
pronloitlng foreign nails and brads. by fear
mat the American manufactures will be ua-
able to furnish the quantity wanted, for al
most Immediately they could manufacture
half as many again as they now do and ia
SIX months could increase this to any anan-
tity desired--nor is it to be feared that
the prices will be advanced by monopoly. as
the uliierent patent rights of improved NAH
machinery, are owned by great many ia
diyiduals totally disconnected. and as some
pretty good machines are common To all
1t is also we'll to state in addition, that cur.
mans nave been exported in considerable
Quantities, and gone to good market, whilst
they were not SO well made, they were sold
in foreign ports without a profit-in Ha
vana and in many other places they now
actually prefer I'D cut nails of good qualify.
60 the best English nails with which they
have usually been supplied. Icanno, leave
oil this subject without adding one word
more about English iron Il NAV be thu
plan OF the English when selling it to us 10
oIlns INTO oiscrsdit American cut nails, and
o.ner American manufactured ARTICLES
Unfortunately great proportion of those
articles, and especially cut nails has been
manufactured out of that iron, and proba-
bly, 1t ever viii, be, because the articles cost
less, lock as well, AMI sell as ell to those who
never bought any before. Il is almost i'm pos
siese Tor many people to distinguish between
good and bad cut nails, and some are led to
prefer giving higher price for English
wrought nails, which are no better than cut
nails manufactured out of any iron but Eng
iisn. have already observed that the mills
IN Massachusetts could manufacture 7 eco
tons OF iron, while they only manufacture
$500 tons. This arises mostly from the
rivalship with imported articles of the same
kind, a rivalship which the legislature may
do away at once.
1t need not be mentioned that the iron
manufactures have, on exportayion, an eoai.
table right to drawback Of duty on inI1oi,.
ted iron.
In Massachusetts, originated the project
70 Manufacture cut nails, and there it has
hrst Oeen brought to its present state of per-
lection. Lately manufactures have been
erected to considerable exteat in New
York, Pennsylvania aud Maryland, and un-
questionably they will rapidly multiply there.
and soon be spread ali over the COUNTRY. if
the encouragements are given by the lceis-
iature, which are suggested in this sketch.
1t the legislature should determine to allow
drawback of the duty on iron when manu-
iactured, 1t might be well to render the
thing more simple to change that dufv
which is now ad valorern, into a sDcci6r a.
ty by the pound. Say, for example make il
enc cent per 10.