Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-09-05
MR.. BALD WINS SPEECH
on TyE T.qRIFI
IN THE HOUSE CT REPRESENTATIVES,.
( Concluded }

Concluded. }
The great reason why many of the
present duties are incompetent is, that
they are checked and rendered unavail-
ing by this artful and mastery system oil
bounties and drawbacks. 1t is the true
secret by which to account for the i'm
mensc wealth and power of nation
whose population but little exceeds our
own. She is too wise to trust to imposts
as the sole source of reyenue--com-
mands her own consumption, draws the
chief support of her government by an
excise on her manutactures--they afford
materials and open new sources of conf
merce; her system Of bounties enables
her artifcers to untlersell other nations
in their own ports, while her political
economists mislead US by their specua-
tive and ruinous theories. The article
of linen fully illustrates her policy
Though her taxes and expenses are enor-
mously oppressive on the people, yet
the makers of linen pay none,--no eX-
else on their materials or manufacture !;
to encourage this fabric, which unites the
three great interests ofagricuture, COM
merce and manufactures, she wisely APP
portions the burthens Finer government
so as to leave this unembarrassed--
This accounts for the cheapness of the
article at home, and, added 10 the cnor-
nous bounty on the export, gives the
true reason for underselling us. Let
the British abolish this system, let an
article pay the same price for home con-
sumption as for expectation, it will then
be seen there is not SO much difference
between manufacturing here and there.
One article pays an enormous excise, a.
mother none-let them be equalized and
neither have an export bounty--in the
aggregate it will be found that we could
meet them in market, if not without any,
with small rate of protecting duty
Let cottons, wooiens and linens pay the
same excise as glass, beer and spirits,
and cost to the consumer in this country
as much as they do in England--you
would be called On for little further pro-
lection to our industry. The manufac-
ture of these articles pays no part Of the
expenses of their government, is bur-
thened with no taxes---because they are
the sources of their greatness, the ma
chinery by which they draw to them
selves the resources of all nations who
purchase them retaining US, their COM
mercial, naval and political rivals, in a
state of colonial vassalage. 1t would be
right and fair to aim at once at this sys-
tenn, by adding to the ad valorem spe-
cihc duty equal to the bounty paid and
drawback of excise allowed on the ex-
portation. Then our duties might be
called protecting ones, and be said to
afford efficient protection to our manu-
features; then the competition would
be, on national and individual grounds, a
fair one; but the committee, aware that
this is the first attempt to introduce such
principle into our code, that it would
not be prudent to attempt too much at
once, only propose to consider the boun-
ty and drawback as a part of the original
cost on which the duty is to be assessed.
To exemplify this-on linen duty Of
twenty five per cent. would only coun-
teract the bounty; we recommend the
addition of only one fourth of that a.
mount. 1t is not to introduce war of
legislation, but in some measure to coun-
tervail the association of their system ;
increased duties will be imperative when
they are evaded by increased bounties.
Ihope these principles will meet the ap-
probation of the house; if they do not,
all our laws will be vain-we had better
say at once to those who want protec-
ton" let things regulate themselves"
If it is proper to act at all, we must act
efficiently; the interests of our country
are assailed by an enemy deep in his de-
signs, persevering in their execution,
governed by a spirit ever awake and
watchful, deferred by no opposition, sub
dued by no difficulties. The wisdom
and the resources of mighty empire
directed to one great object, the supply
of foreign nations with the articles of
consumption, great as she is, we can
meet her in open war, can beat her on
the land, the water and in the cabinet
but succumb in legislation; become the
dupes of her policy, quietly Indifferent
to the exhaustion ofour resources, which
flow to her in one constant, increasing
current. Our dependence on her al
mos daily increasing, she exulting in