Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-08-25


Her, are moreover, universally the mode
resoried 10 for imposing Burdens on a
great majority Of nations, TO foster some
exclusive interest. They constitute an
eieemosynary system for enforcing the
poor 10 give aims 10 the rich (: and in ev-
cry form are the elements by which free
governments are made oppressiv
Inc mercantile, naval, and agric ultural-
occupations, are all discouraged by res
'riciions upon commerce, and must dwin
Gle or flourish III con junction. The aeri
cultural supplies The basis of commerce
The mercantile imports the commodities
winch increase the value of those for ex-
poriailon and both supply the freighis
ana wages which nurture The naval occu.
patton, rear seamcn, and provide The
means for maritime defence In the uni
LED prosperity OF these occupations con
sisis national prosperity itself and their
iree efforts are an ample equivalent for
the expense OF copsumption
Interpretations ought MOTTO be forgot
ten. Ihey extend commerce, increase
Seanen ana shipping, and produce mer
can'lie proflf. Single towns have often
acquired Opuience BY being iepois of 10.
reign manufactures. and The more prospe.
rous this branch of commerce is, The n.ore
The capital of every. community is aug.
mented. Mercantile intelligence, profit
ing by commercial fluctuations and cir
cuhstances. frequently derives proiil
from clrcui'ous exchanges, and sometimes
can undersell The iabricators themselves.
IL IS lnsuilicicni 10 urge, that pro!;ihitory
or protecting duties will NO, destroy this
branch oil our commerce, because they
are mol pad on re exported commodi
Ties. The fact Is, that no considerable
surplus Ofthese commodities are ever i'm
ported, except from the inducement of a
double market tllattIcy are invited by "a
freedom of trade. and repealed by 10 al
restrictions and that the treer ilie port,
The more extensive and profitable This
branch of commerce will become.
a free commerce is like free govern.
mcn'. Either, isolated amidst CONNER
c'al restrictions or political expressions,
iionrlshes beyond It's neighbors by for
bearing TO initiate their errors. y he
iianse Towns al one period almost absorb
Cd The trade and wealth of Europe, he
cause commerce vas every where else
subjected TO prohibitions authorizations.
From all these sources of national
wealth, The protecting duty system makes
deductions which fall chiefly upon Tie
poor, because the coarse and necessary
articles OF domestic manufacture. are
consumed principally by them. But il is
SAID that the tax thus inflicted upon tie
pooro all other occupations, goes 10 The
reiiei OF poor manufacturers. The fact
would not be a justification of The policy :;
bat even tia, Is denied. The price Of
iabocr is regulated by circumstances
winch bouuties cannot control II "a
bounty was given 10 scamen .Iayiga,ing
mercantile vessels, their employers ould
compute the bOnny as portion Of the
wages, and continue 10 regulate them by
comparisons with the price Of labour in
other occupations. In like manner, "a
bounty 10 The workmen or navigators Of
manufactures, mus, settle in the pockets
OF their employ ers, even il i, was paid 10
the workmen themselves but " hen il is
attached te the goods sold by their em=
psoyers, The chance OF the w0rkmen 10
receive any portion of i. is so.ver, feeble,
that no symptom OF such an effect has
ever been observed in England. Aud
thus The projecting duty sysiem imposes
lax upon the poor OF all other occupa
lions, which will be received by the rich Of
the manufacturing occupation.
II has been supposed, that in home
trade between manufacturers and agri
cullurIsts, two capitals are retained -
whereas enc is exported by the purchase
OF foreign manufacturers. But The truth
of this idea is also denied. No capital
| Is lost by the purchase OF manufactures !;
! 1T IS only exchanged, and both parties
may profit by the exchange. Without ex-
, changes, consunable capital can never be
| Increased-bni il must be diminished for
| the same reasons that an individual who
should only use what lie fabricaies, would
| possess less consumable capital, Than If
he ayails himself of beneficial exchanges.
Exchanges consist OF consumabie articles.
| If consumption destroy what we receive,
II destroys also what we. pay. No per
manent capital is produced either by
commerce or manufactures, except by
| causing an improvement OF land and
| buildings. Neither commerce Hor man
| uiacinriDgeau create aud embalm caui.
| tai against consumption. Wealth in con.
sumable capital is constituted by the
plenty OF IDodities-peverty, by their
scarcity. Both merchants and capitalists
oiler 10 supply the community with con
sumable capital. Which is best, small
annual coDsumable capital or large one
The large one can feed all our wants, en-.
courage industry in all lis branches, en-.
bance all our commodities, and spare
annually a surplus 10 meet the expenses
of government. The small consumabe
capital can feed but few of our wauis.
dlscOurages industry in all lis branches
but one ,depTeciaies all our commodities,
aud can spare nothing for government
By supposing that The lille consumable
capital could utterly exclude The great
one, and contemplating tile protecting
duty policy IN lis utmost success, exact
ly as We have felt il occasionally in the ca
ses of wars and embargoes, we may cal
culaic IFS gradations. A large cousuma
bic capital is so essentially connected
with national wealth, that governments
wherever il exisis NAV Afford In he erirn