Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-12-25

IL.
was called on TO reSotre kind of dirorce be-
tween commerce and manutactu lures and il
was then said, that their interests were i'm ma.
ny respects hostile to each other. IT the CON-
mitiees on those subjects should find any con-
merton OF interests, (Which he hoped they
would not,) the committed of WAYS aud Means.
heing IN amity with each of these, would MAIN
tain relations of neutrality with both Refer
ring to the substance of the proposed enquiry.
ne said that II would probably have TO he made
at some fature period of the session, and he
thought Il time to call the attention of gentle-
men to the subject. The annual Report from
the Treasury Department has been laid upon
our tables, and il is known TO all Of MS, said
Mt: j. that there is a deficit in the revenue,
OF HVe million OF dollars, which sum rnnst he
rsiseu 10 meet the expenditures of the next
year; and this deficit ,wll be greatly ihcreas-
edit the tariff shall be raised for the purnose
OF encouraging domestic manufactures. To
.nis we must add ilvemilllons more, topay tho
claims assumed by our Government. under
| The late treaty with Spain. II must not he for.
gotten, that we are called upon 10 perform the
treaty ON our part. and 20 force compliance
on the part of Spain. II we resolve 10 occupy
the Floridas, ways and means must be found 10
raise ten million of dollars for the next year,
neyond the estimated income OF the Treasury.
we Ought also 10 he prepared for the contii,-
gehcies OF that movement.
Another view Of the subject said Mr. n
IS equally important, more so. II is well
known that ours is the only government that
allows credit for duties on imports AND ton
payabiein cash, II is true, that some nations
make difference between duties OH imports
ana duiies on consumption. France IL an in
stance; Dut tie difference is not so material as
10 require explanation at present. By our
revenue laws, bonds at six and nine months
are taken for duties all articles Except salt)
imported by sea, the produce of foreign places
or isiands, situat ed on the eastern shores of
America, north OF the equator and The duties
on imports from all other pOr aud places
are bonded AZ credit of g, 10, and Is months,
payable in equalgsums. Gentlemen he said,
could easily satisfy themselves that the mer-
chant importcrshave constant loan of about
20 millions of dollars, aud the Treasury, in
that respect, may be considered kind of
loan office, TO encourage imporiatisns.....
Ii was believed, lie said, that this system
of long credits operated az b9n-ty 10 er.
port specie, and as premium to disco urage
the expectation of our home produce. That
il operated as bounty TO promote i,npGtdtiOns
aud discourage domestic manufactures, vas d true
fact, capable of the clearest demonstration
II such, said he, is The tendency of the present
system, il is time 10 begin a revision. The
result OF the enquiry will show what encour-
asement can be given TO domestic mauufac-
lures, beyond the cash payment OF duties.
Mr.. L. thought the proposed change Of such
importance TO the importers, that they ought
to have fair notice of it,. As body, he knew
them to be numerous and respectable, and he
had no wish, OH his part, TO spring the question
on them by surprise or stratagem their OBJ
jections. when matured. if they have any, may
As 10 the drawback, he would only gay, that
some attempts had beeu made, as he was in
formed, to pay the duties in deprecated cur
rency, and get the drawback in good paper
Ihis, ID true, onsht TO he corrected. He did
not know that he should be in favor of repeal
ing the drawback laws, but some regulations
wonld have to be made or that branch of reve-
nue.. and IT was perhaps best TO present il and
the other subject al the same time.
Mr.. Smith, of Md. ex pressed his satisfaction
that MIR. Trimble bad thus early brought for
ward his motion; but, he observed, if Mr.. Il.
should succeed in bis object, it would be lay
ing the axe 10 tue root of the whole system of
revenue. Had it not been for the drawbac
system, Mr.. 5. said, the revenue of the country
never wanld have been what il was--but for
that system the public debt would never have
oeen PAID. This was motion, he said, of vital
Importance {; and he repeated his pleasure that
consideration.
A molten was made by Mr. Silsbee. to Law the
resolution on the table aud print il; which, at
ter remark or two from MIR. Wd-fed Mr.
ihed, and MIR. IrlDlbie, in which MIR. T. as
scented TO the course proposed, the motion pre-
vailed; and the resolution was laid on the table
REVOLUTIONARY PENSIONS.
MIR. Jones, of Tennessee, offered for
| consideration the following resolution:
| ReSofreG, That the Secretary OF War he re-
| CURED 20 state 10 this house whether, in pur-
snance OF the Law at 18TH March, 1918, any pen.
III.
| which lie will state, ought not to have been
granted, and what course has been pursued in
relation TO such pensions, or those 10 whom
! they may have been granted.
MIR. j. said, he was induced TO offer the
resolution 10 obtain information on a
subject which had excited much Interest.
The revolutionary officers and soldiers
or some OF them, were charged with The
commission OF frauds in obtaining pen
siOns under The law of 1918. IL this was
Irnc, Tie nature of the frauds should be
! known, and remriy should be applied.
! On examining The law upon the subject,
lie said lac was disposed 10 think there
| was no power 10 prevent their receiving
the pensions thus illegally obtained. Ii
The law was defective, II ought 10 be
amended.
This motion and those incidentally
made relative TO IL produced some dis
cGsSlon, aud some amendments 10 il pre-.
vious 10 lis adoption, of Which the follow
ing is d brief account:
Mr.. .Sirothey, Of Virginia, moved TO
amend The resolve by adding TO the end
OF il The following words:
" And tie number and names of those who
have been placed upon the Pension List from
each state, and the amount paid in each state
under the said law"
Mr.. james accepted this amendment as
part OF his motion.
Mr.. Bioomfeid. of New Jersey, sug.
gesIed, that this resolve could moi be ne
cessarg, The subject being already dis
tiDctly referred 10 committee Of Tile
house, who had the subject under cOnsi-
deralioh, AVID would doubtless obtain and
report all ilie necessary information.
Mf. Whitman, OF Massachusetts, moved
that the resolve should be ordered 10 lie
on the table for the present
Mr.. Lincoln, Of Massachusetts,, opposed