Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-04-05
ALEXANDRIA:
FRIDAY, APRIL $.
CONGRESS.

! The Post Office bill returned
with amendments by the Senate, was
on Tuesday brought before the
house. and questions, put on the Sc
veral amendments. That which
went TO deprive members of congress
of the privilege Of Thanking letters
during the recess, underwent some
discussion, being opposed by Mr..
Raadolp,whosexhorted the house not
to concur in il as it was deregatory
to every member in it. The amend
ment was supported by Mr.. Cuthbert
and Mr.. Hall. aud Mr.. iRandoiph YVES
supported in his opposition to it, by
MIR. Ingham, MIR. Webster, Mr.
jackson and MIR. Wright ,--.in the
end. however, the amendment pre-
vailed by 80 ayes to 81 noes. And
ali the other alterations in the bill
we're e0neured in.
To this the appropriation bill
succeeded, which was ordered to be
engrossed and read third time to-
morrow,
Lastly came the new tariff duty bill
on one part of which produced some
discussion. Mr.. Forsyth moved to
lower the duty on cotton goods 20
90 per cent ad valorem, and was Sc.
conded by Mr.. CASTOR and MIR.
Cuthbert in speeches Of which We
lament the impossibility of giving e.
ven an ineligible sketch--circum
stances connected with the printing
of the Federal Republican at
this time having limited the space to
be afforded fer this article to the
compass OF colum-Mr. CASTOR re
minded The house that the purposes
for which the power of voting taxes
on the people was vested in con
gress by the constitution, were 10
provide for the defence and pay the
debts Of the country-Any taxes
laid for nther purposes were evident
" uneOnstitutionai-lt was incum
bent on thoseIwho were the advocates
of those taxes therefore to shew
that they were necessary for the one
purpose or the other. In the first
instance. the house had decided that
an increase of DC per cent upon the
duties would nearly answer the desi
red purposes Of revenue-and the
specific duties falling short ofthat IA
mount T; it was proposed that ad valo
rem duties to the amount of60 per
cent. should be imposed. and this
was precisely answered by the pro-
position of Mr.. Forsythe. But the
extraordinary duty was said to be
designed for the encouragement OF
manufactures--in other words. SO
much was to be taken from the peck
cts Of the people at large, as boan
| ty to manufacturers. Were gentle
| men aware, he asked, of the magni
tude of the grant : did they reflect
that it was larger than was required
for any one ether object of public
expense
The cottons imported before the EN-,
barge were estimated in an annual ave
rage of fourteen millions OF dollars
The old duty on this at IL IL per cent
amounted to S l,l20.0O(
The additional duty sup
posed to be necessary for
the purposes of revenue q"
Hone to71.s 676,0o(
In all l,796,ool
But now it was proposed
| by an amendment adopted
| by the committee to lay
duty of 80 per cent ad Us~
loren, and to establish
minimam by which every
square yard however
coarse was valued at %
cents--this duty of 80 per
cent. on halt the amount
! of cotton formerly imported
would be 2,109,O0'
But on India cottons
taking into consideration
the minimum) this duty
would be at least 100 per
Icent-and On coarse Eu-
lropean cottons 50per cent.
and these would compose
1.-THE other half, aud the du.