Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-02-03

rable revenue viii accrue 10 he Hospital,
from which, IN d short time, the duties
might have been betrayed. As TO the
present case, il the duty should be VENT
ted, whist The treasury would not feel the
sum taken from it, Congress would afford
TO the citizens OF Richmond, who have
wept tcarsoI blood over this calamity, the
best evidence in our power that se sVRi-
palhise with them.
Mr.. Smith, of Mary land, said, The com
mitiee had been OF opinion, on eAanin-
my this case, that such an Organ might
have been procured iii the United States,
as there were several manufactures IN
The United States, from one OF which
very good one bad been procured tor
Baltimore. II the Indulgence now pro-
posed were extended TO the church al
Richmond, it would be reasonably en-
pecteo ai the hands OF Congress by other
religious soci ties. There was uethng
in this case 10 take /, out of The general
rule, being well assured the proprietors
OF the pewS in thai church we're we'll able
To pay The duty.
Mr.. Tyisr made few remarks in reply
TO MIR. Smith, principally By way Of pro-
testing against refusing this SINAI! boon,
on the ground Of the encouragement OF
American manufactures.
MIR. HopkinSOn stated, as what lie I'M
dersiood TO be the general principle of
the revenue laws, that duties should be
collected from objects imported for the
purposes OF trade, and on which the i'm
purterS calculate on profit. He thought
ii very different case, when, for the be-
nefl of public institutions, or for relrgi-
Gus purposes, or for the encouragement
OF the arts, any society should import ar
tlcles OF foreign fabric at It's own expence
end for lis own use. Strongly Impress
ed by the considerations urged by Mr..
Tyler, lie Was IN favor of RENTING this
duty.
Mr.. P0inderte' was opposed 10 grant
ing Tie petition, and advcrtcd to the Pc
tition of the American Bible Society for
the remission of duties on certain stereo
type plates imported, which he consider
ed precisely similar to this, and IT had
been laid on the table. Mr.. p. also re-
ierred 10 the case of the Baptist church
in the pres nj state of Mississippi, viii, II
some years ago, pelitioned for the pre-
emptlon right 10 a certain tract of land
wlereon to erect church. An act pass
ed both Houses of C0ng,ess granting
them this privilege, which was rejected
by the President, on the ground that it
ga, an exclusive privilege 10 religious
society. A religious society in kich-
mOnd, If appeared, had erected church,
and thought proper 10 send abroad for an
organ TO ornament il, on which duty
had become palable. BY renting that
duty, Mr.. p. said, Congress would grant
an exclusive privilege, and TO an extent,
which, at a future day, might be OF i'll
furious consequences. Ii he we're 10 IN
dulge his feeling merely, Mr.. Z. said,
he should vote for this sooner than tor
almost any other object; but be would
not give vote which should extend, for
any reason, an exclusive privilege to amy
religious society. That, he SAID, was d
principle of legislation which he consi-
dered fixed By the precedcnis already es-
tablished.
Mr.. Holmes, of Massachusetts, replied
TO Mr.. Poindexter's argument drawn from
precedent; which. as far as he understood
II, so far from being conclusive was about
as broad as it was long. 1t any weight at
all belonged TO the case broush into pre-
cedent, i'll which both Houses had passed
and the President rejected measure, ii
was in favor of this claim. 1t was the o.
pinion of the two Houses, it appeared,
that the bill in question ought 10 have
DdSSCh, WHICH, OptDIOll was
bv the veto of The President. With all
Mr.. H. said he should OH any occasion
think the affirmative of majority of both
Houses of Congress at least as strong as
the single negative of President. file
felt not the alarm, he said, which some
had expressed, al granting iarours TO Re
ligIouS Societies. We may grant them,
said he, without danger, as great privi-
legeS as we may To other societies. We
may, aad frequently do, grant 10 an indi-
ylduai the right of presumption to a tract
of laW; and he could not see any evil
which could arise from granting The same
favor TO chHrch. The present case did
not appear TO Mr.. ii. TO be liable TO the
objection of It's being a grant of peculiar
He hoped II would not be con
sidered any prejudice to the merit it pos
scsseG in other respects, that this appli-
cation came from Il ~eliglOus society and
considering the nature of the object on
which remission OF duty was prOpos-
ed, as elOquently described By the gen
tleman FROM Virginia, Mr.. X. could not
see any sufficient objection TO granting it.
The vote for laying on the table the bill
for RENTING duties on tile importation Of
stereotype plates for printing bibles, which
had befu referred TO, could not be regard
ed as "A rejection of il, as many other sub
iecis which had received the attention of
Congress during the session were ia the
same situation. Bat that case, Mr.. IL.
said, was not similar to The present. BIZ
bles, he remarked, are sacred things; bul
they are also articles OF commerce, and
many persons make living by buying
and selling them. 1t was impossible any
profit could be made cut oil this organ
the claim for remission of duties Oh
which therefore stood on higher ground.