Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-05-02
RICHMOND, MAY ,, 1890.
T1KIFF BTLL.....No. >.


liberty, can be agitated in the councils Of
The nation, involving so many important
considerations as the revision OF the ia
riT. Ii is measure which comes home
10 =" the business aud bosom" OF almost
every individual in the community. Ac-
cOrding 10 the bill now before Congress,
an indirect tax, Of considerable amount,
Is to be levIcd upon the agricultural and
commercial interests, for the benefit Of
manufactures. Such measure, and al
such a crisis, cannot be too maturely con.
sidered. We should be cautious how we
surrender our judgments 10 the plausible
arguments and captivating pictures Of
futuriiy, sketched for us by the friends of
manufactures. The revolutions, which
occur in The domestic affairs Of every
country, aud, particularly, in the OBJ
Jecis of industry and enterprise, are sub.
jects of observation and reasoning. In
tracing them, we should he cautious and
circumspect; lest we assign causes
which never existed, and reduce what
10 merely contingent, to stable and uni.
versal principles" iIerce we deemed il
expedieni. in the last number. to lag down
some OF the general principles which APP
pear 10 us relevant TO this great subject.
Pursuing system of false reasoning,
and ascribing events merely Contin-
gent TO stable and universal principles"
host OF pamphleteers. memorialisis,
and newspaper writers, have endeavored
TO prove that the" present PROSTATE con-
dition OF manufactures" ia owing 10 the
short sighted, ruinous policy OF the go
vernment, in refusing them ample prOtec-
ton against foreign competition.
We shall not at this moment go into an
InVpsfIu3tInn ut fla ,rLtf.h Il, ya
produced the alleged embarrassments of
the manufacturing interest. But we
wOnld ask What interest in the country is
exempt from embarrassment What ef-
feet the paper system End the avaricious
spirit OF speculation have wrought upon
this country, might well deserve enquiry.
But We pass over these questions TO come
| TO The one under consideration.
Itwould be idle 10 attempt REPUTATION
Of all the conclusions drawn from the
| melancholy and distressing details, which
have been presented 10 The public. Ian
| guage glowing with the eloQuence OF
feeling, and adorned with all the or
namenis of composition, has been en-
| ployed in aid OF argument, 10 excite the
sympathy of the public, and TO procure
the need OF professionalism we must
still call for arguments only. Humanity
and pity are mol always the wisest legis-
laiors. We ask The manufacturers .or rea
SONS these appeal 10 no passion. They
ought TO be heard. We have heard the
general arguments which have been
brought forward-we have heard and at.
tempted 10 answer them. The concIu
sion is, that on general principles no &C.
neral system Of manufactures ought Ia
be sedulousls encouraged by the govern.
ment. The general maxim is. Let n.
alone. But il is said. that these principle.
admit of ereepfiopS.-I-et us examin,
these also, with all tue attention which
they deserve.
LIST. Ii is commended that government
has already departed from This principle
that ample protection has brrn exteHdel
TO agriculture and commerce +; and that, il
government administered with du,
regard 10 duty, the legislature ought Il
took ,cih equal eye, OH all classes ant
descriptions Of the natiOn-and therefore
The interests OF the manufacturing par
of the community deserve as much ant
as pointed attention, as those of any e
quail number of citizens" Elaborate Ia
bular statements, and pages of ingeniou
calculations, are exhibited, TO prove tia
the manufacturer has not enjoyed al
L
iur!st or The merchant. These have bee
put forth, with such triumphant conf
dence,f and repeated from so many quar-
tiers, that ii becomes necessary TO exam
Inc tbem.-We shall be brief-whol
pages might be exhausted in the details
| AGRICULTURE. We begin with or
! great siaples--.ftouy, toheat, com, tobacco
rice, hM6er-these articles, ii is said, pa
10 per cent. al ratorem, by virtue of sol
OF sweeping clause, which makes "gOl
leaf, and all articles not free and no
subject TO anD other rate Of duty" pay !
per cen'.-(hls. by the way, equally ap
plying to all sorts of non enumerated ma
nnfacinres, as well as raw products. J.
Cotton, too, II is argued, pays cents pc
ID. winch varies per cent. according {
IFS ffuciuaiing price. (Mr. e. STATES il d
30 per CT Upon Brazil and some We!
India cOitOns, il may he about go
Bengal and Surais, il varies from % TO SO
per CT. )--mr. G. seems, however, TO rel
more upon the other troops lie brings u
AS manufactured tobacco, cigars, hemI
coal, cheese, potatoes, DC. bui principa
ly on spirits and sugar, the first of which
lie says, operates for the encouragement
OF tie culture Of graiB, and the proicC
ton OF the peach brandies, rye whisky
&c.-the other, (three cents a pound 10
brown sugar. is for the benefit OF III
Louisiana sugar pfanter.-A few word
upon each OF these articles.
When you talk Of our great staples
flour, tobacco, cOtion-of encouragIn
them by your Is per cent. duty, or % {
% per CT. on the foreign corresponding
article-ihe FIRST impulse is 10 smile ;
the very idea OF importing such article
= Why bring them here into the yer
I heart Of the country where these stapl,
are raised We should say, al the fir
blush, il was like carrying Goals
Newcastle J" casi-pois 10 Birmingham