Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-04-03


The house then again resolved itself in
to a conmittee Of the whole, Mr.. Brecken- |
ridge in the chair, on the bill to regulate
the duties on IMPORTS.
Mr.. Ingham moved, for reasons which
he offered, that the duty of six cents per
pound on imported gun-powder. be rails
ed to eight cents-which was assented to
by Mr.. Lowndes, and agreed to by the
House.
Mr.. Ward of Mass. after rcmarking on
the difficulty of discriminating between
London Particular and market wines, and
the ease Of evading the difference of duty,
moved to abolish the Discrimination, and
make the duty upon each ninety cents per
gallon.
Mr. Smith gave a particular statement
of the different wines of Madeira--their
qualities, SSc.-declaring his belief, that the
duty proposed on wine was SO high, as to
endanger the revenue therefrom, & shew-
ing, by various illustrations, that a mo-
derate duty was more productive to the
government, by preventing smuggling,
&c.
Mr.. Minor argued in favor of the discri-
minating duty, and adduced some facts in
support thereof
Mr.. Ward replied, that his objection
was not to the eXpediency of discriminate
ing, but its imrraCtieablity, &c.-atter
which,
Mr.. Smith observed in addition, that
the high duties might operate rs an encou
ragement to the brewing of wine at home,
because 80 gallons of good cider, so of
sherry, 10 of Malaga, ano: 10 of good Ma
deira, would make wine which would pass
any where for Madeira and, as we were
greatly encouraging some manufactures,
he said, ironically, gentlemen might
think that it would be proper to encourage
this.
The amendment WAS then agreed to
ayes IS.
Mr.. Robertson, after Observing that cla-
ret was not luxury alone i'll some parts of
the country, but, from the nature OF the
sscl;mate, and absolute necessity to the health
of the people, in that section of the union
which he Represented moved to strike out
the duty on certain kinds of wine named in
the bill, with the view Of establishing a low
or duty.
Nv Smith, in the course Of some re-
marks, said he wished to retain the high
est duty on Spanish and Portuguese wines,
for political reasons, in those countries, our
Flour beng subjected to duty of two dol
lars per barrel-and he wished our citi-
zens to go else where in search of foreign
wines, &c.
Mr.. Hardin spoke against the motion, &
IN taVOr OF hiRn duties on luXurleS, SUCH as
he considered Claret wine, particularly at
a time when we were taxing the indispen-
sable articles of life and remarked Incl
dentally, thatif the Louisianians could not
obtain wine. they could obtain abundant
supply of whiskey from Kentucky, in lieu
of il.
Mir. Robertson repeated, that Claret, in
the part of the country referred to, was
not only necessary to the health. but to the
morals of the people. They were sober
people. he said-and it was to save them
from the whiskey offered by the gentleman
from Kentucky, that he wished to reduce
the duty on claret. The liqrid fire of al
cohol, he said, would in so warm climate
be poison to them and its use be more
pe,nicions than arsenic.
Mr. Clay said, he was in favor of the
motion. because the cheapness the article
at the places whence it was imported, but
ne was sorry his friend from Louisiana had
declared war against the whiskcy of the
west and regretted, if such was the fact,
that the taste of the people of Louisiana
was so bad as to prefer bad claret to good
whiskey, &c.
Mr. Smith then, Mr.. Robertson having
Withdrawn his motioa for that purpose
moved to reduce the duty on claret wine
in casks, from 25 to 10 cents per gallon
which was negatived.
ayes ~
Mr.. Strong moved to reduce the duty
on imported iron from Is to so cents per
Cwt.
This motion was supported by Mr.. Ross
who wished that the ambassadors from the
cotton factories had at once made treaty
with the committee of Ways and Means,
which the house might have swallowed
and have left the other manufactures to
themselves, and not be burthening the peo-
pie in every possible way under the plea oil
protection. The motion was advocated
also by Mr. Webster-chiefy on the
ground of the great navigation, the
iron iuiportations employed to the Baltic,
&c.
1t being suggested that this motion had
been already decided a few days ago, Mr..
Strong varied it, by moving to reduce the
duty to 374 ceuts per cwt. which was neg
atived.
Ayes a.
Mr.. Webster then moved to reduce the
duty to IS cts. per cwt.
This motion was opposed by Mr.. Burn
side, and advocated by Messrs. Webster &
Hale, and carried.
Ayes 90, Noes 49,
Mr.. Belts moved to strike out the duty
Of FIVE cents per bushel on coal, with the
view of inserting the article in the I'd sec
ton, amongst those which are to be admit
ted free of duty-in support of which, a