Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-09-05

you adopt the navigation act which stops
the intercourse with the British islands.
View it as a produce of the soil or a
manufacture, it is as much entitled to-
protection as any other. This bill tends
to essentially aid the manufactures Of
the northern and middle states; it is but
fair that they should exchange them for
the productions of the south buy from
their customers, their friends and coun-
trymen. AS an article of domestic con-
sumption, it is not fmuch importance
to a family which consumes twenty gall
Ions in year, the increased duty is one
dollar. The wages of one child en-
ployed in factory, put in operation by
this bill, which would otherwise be idle,
would pay it in two days. If distilleds
and the spirits exported, there is draw
back of the duty; if for home consump-
ton, the fairness of the duty is at once
apparent. The present duty on gallon
OF the lowest proof rum is 40 cents-if
distilled from molasses, it now pays 7as
at the proposed rate, l5--there can be no
rational reason for this great difference,
when an article of consumption is made
from foreign material which can be
produced at home. If the domestic pro-
duct is encouraged, the spirit distilled is
duty free. With these strong reasons,
the committee could not overlook this
cle--my mind is not better satisfied
with any one in the bill; we could not,
with any justice to ourselves, recon-
mend to the house system which
should not embrace, as far as practicable,
the interest of all alike; it is in vain to
expect the concurrence Of such body
as this to any measure Of partial opera
ton. Take any one item in this bill,
some part OF the country will object to
it; and if confined TO one alone, there
would be majority against every one.
Gentlemen must look TO the whole, and
not conhne their inquiries to what bears
hard on sectional interest-eXtend them
to the benefits derived-yiewed in this
light, the balance will not be found
against the part of the country from
which the opposition to this duty princi-
pally comes. An increased duty of five
cents bushel is proposed on salt--most
of the reasons which apply to others will
to this article, but there are some which
do so exclusively; if it is at all sound
nalicv 70 communal the c0nss,ss, ,st,s.s. %
our articles of necessity, it is enphati-
cally so OF this, which can be made any
where, and for which, in cessation of
commercial intercourse, a most enor-
nous price is imposed. 1t is manu-
tacture, the raw material of which is the
ocean, the principal machinery the fire.
nature does the greatest part OF the labor.
1t is an important item OF revenue. The
present price in the interior is from one
dollar to one dollar fifty cents per bushel;
on the sea coast say 70 cents-it is said
that such duty should be laid as may
tend IN some measure to equalize the
cost to the consumers The duty ON
spirits is not atered-it is all important
source of revenue I'D cannot be spared
the present rate is high; the commit
tee wished to have increased it to prohi-
bition; but it was not in their province
to substitute an excise to supply the de-
fcit of revenue. We we'll know that to-
take, in one item, S2,5oO,OOo from ain
already exhausted treasury, would de-
stroy the whole biil--yet feel authorized
to say that none would more cheerfully
concur in the prohibition of foreign spi-
rits, and an excise on domestic, than the
committee of manufactures. 1t may be
proper here to observe that, that COM
mittee did not act on the items in the bill
printed in Italics, except brown sugar
and molasses; this list was furnished to-
US, with a view to revenue, by gentle
man whose situation brought that SUBJ
ieCt under his consideration for any
other purpose We have no anxiety to re-
tain them.
The fourth section allows drawback
of the duty on tin and copper when made
up and exported; this is a new feature
in our system, but deemed necessary for
the double purpose of aiding the manu-
features and commerce of the country.
1t would have been extended to other
but it was thought better not to
make the bill too complicated, or to GO
too much into detail. The foundation
once laid, it can be built on hereafter.
The manufacture of these articles for the
West India market, would be source
of employment to our labor, and profit
to the employer, if enabled to compete
with the same articles made and import
ed by others. With a duty of 20 per
cent. our workmcn would be excluded
with this drawback they come in on
equal terms. These articles present the
commencement of a system which we