The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-03-10

mncn Murc dlhsSuit to pay. Inc Sscviati:iC
consideration, which had becn Suggested, 5,
,he s'ccrc,:ry OF the 'rreosnr, IN regard
TO is actuiti Operation upon the wes,s rn
states, howcvc:, furnished avery great
drtw5ac;Supon ;,ieir real weight and those
states had, he unprecedented upoa the whole,
the least right Oh All others tn COMPLAIN OF the
combined operation of the whole system
Mr.. h. said, he had thus given briefly, i'm
Iycrtecsly aa!, perhaps, very Incorrectly,
such views ashe had been able to form in
relation to the general bearings OF the sys-
ten under Confederation. lie WAS scnsib.s e.
OF MS greatinco.npetctcc &c do Justice 10 So
extensivc and complicated subject His
impressions were given with real t!iiiiaence,
and he Should be happy 10 sec his errors
corrected by gentlemen CT rnorc experiences
and sasacity. lie trusted that gentlemen
who cohcurretl in the reccssitv Of raising at
this time i'll some way other the amount
OF revenue which had been proposed by the
committee, would net be governed in their
votes by mere local consid crations, growing
out of the unequal operation Oh any one spc-
cies OF tax upon their particular constitu.
ents but that they would farther look to
the combined operation OF the whole system,
and with those enlarged views, by the aid of
Which alone we Gould expect to come to a
successful and practicable result and, that
"a, ',AtCi any ICtnDCT SlOIiQ 1cSl II his
duty to withhold his assent from any one or
more OF the proposed objects of taxation, that
he would at the same time endeavor to point
out some source equally productive and mure
Just III its operation to which it might be
thought eXpedicnt to resort. ~
MI u. said, he would now add but few
|opservations in relation to the first re solu-
ton more Immediately, under the considera-
ton of the committee, and would then sub
mt the whole subject to the good sense of
the House reserving only such explanations
asmisht be called for on the other PROPOSE
tons submitted iii the report t
AS to the. amount to which it mirht be
found practicable OF. expedient to carry the
present duties of. impost, he had not that
practical knowledge which enabled him to
determine with any great degree Of certain
W, though he waspcrsuaded that they might
safely be carried much higher than they
were at present, if the eXgences of the
country required it. He found that on every
former increase which had taken place. It
had been said by many gentlemen that they
were already as high as they would bear,
without mourning the danger of smuggling.
ana the consequent diminution of the revenue
expected from them such, however. had in
no instance, he believed, been the result.
He then adverted to the various periods
when such increase of duties had taken place,
and stated, that from official documents it
appeared not only that the actual revenue
had Increased proportionably, but that the
articles themselves:upon which such increas-
ed duties had been laid, had also experien-
ccd regular and progrc ssiye increase of inn
Portatlon. What was the highest point to
winch the duty could now be carried,
1t was impossible to say practical men of
great weight and responsibility differed wide
y upon this question, and it could probably
n ne c"hcitsi'ely settled only by experiment
The high authority of the Secretary of the
treasury was decidedly in favor of the a.
mount recommended by the committee. He
shonid be happy. he said, to hear the opini-
a.s Q: experienced members Oh all sides OF
the House on this point, having very little
confidence IN his own opinion but he would
move, under his present impressions, that
the committee of the whole would concur
with the committee of ways and mean. in
the adoption of the first resolution