Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-01-17

qmre, whether any prudent citizen would. till |
every other source of employment had been
eXtinSuIshed, invest his capital i'm manufactu-
ring establishments, or seek 10 acquire a know
ledge in their details, with no better prospects
Tor the future, than that the momentth foreign
manufacturers shall have retired from the mar
ket, the government will inrite his return bv
imposing tax upon the domestic fabrics p
when the measures of the government shall
have been such as will afford a reasonable as
snrance that domestic industry shall not be pa
rdigccd by Il return of the foreign competitor
once Withdrawn such as will invite the capital
Isl ana skiiiul artizan 10 employ their uuen-
gagged means IN manufacturing: then, and not
i,H then, will there be wholesopa domestic
competition in the market; and not TIL then
can that source he made productive of revenue
Sir, While ! consider the increasing demand
for exchange, already SO high as To urge the
expectation of our metallic currency and public
stocks, and the almost total absence of any
foreign demand for the products of our ex-
te,lsive grain districts, none, even in prospect,
except IN :he possible contingency OF Il foreign
war, or the failure of a foreign crop, a convc-
ton is irresistiby forced upon me that the
| period cannot be distant when the public Gre
uit must be sacrificed, or a resort had to direct
taxes to large amount: and that too when
the means of payment shall have been greatly
exhausted; unless, in the mean time, we shall
have adopted such measures as will enable the
government to- derive a revenue from the con-
sumption of domestic Instead of foreign arti-
cies.-For the people, particularly of the
north, the east, and the west, cannot, and will
not, afford an adequate supply 70 the public
golfers, through process which, for every dol
lar that shall reach the Treasury, will take
four from the country, in the choices; fruits
OF ITS industry, 10 bestow on foreign laborers,
who refuse TO receive from as, in exchange
for their products, even the bread they eat
while engaged in their fabrication
l wish not To be understood as obiecting 10
direct taxation, provided it be made the part
ota system, the operation of which shall tend
TO promote the industry ofthe country, and e.
qualize the public burdens. My objections
are, against adherns 10 policy, while the
reasons which might have rendered its adop-
tion proper have ceased to operate Il policy,
too, which, i'll my best Judgment, will create
Il necessity for direct taxes, by the same pro-
cess that will deprive us of the means of paw
ment. Ii has already been remarked, that, to
elect the objects have in view, propose Il
small annual increase of duties for term of
years, upon sundry articles, the product of
ioreiSn abour, and an excise upon similar do
mestic ariclcs-the excise to commence at a
convenient period, and be made progressive
annually I'LL 1t shall have reached an amount
deemed proper for permanent duty
In the nope that the objects of the resolu-
ton will he the better understood NV the
House, willsuppose for example, that the
proposed measures are to be applied to gi-
ven article. l would charge an immediate adj
ditional duty, say one-eighth OF the increased
amount 10 which intended il should eventu-
ally reach and would add one eighth for
each of the succeeding seven years. For a
term say three years, the increased duty would
prevent reduction ofthe gross amount of re-
venue from the article; but, in the belief that
tue increase of the domestic article would
subsequently reduce the receipts from the TO-
reign, would provide for that reduction by
an excise on the former,to commence with the
fourth year, and at one fourth the amount IN
tended for permanent duty and, for each
OF the succeeding three wears, would add a.
mother fourth. By THIS process, the duty
both on the foreign and domestic article will
reach Their maximum at the end of seven
years, while the pressure created by the ex-
cise upon the domestic article will he so era
dnated, that its influence upon the price to the
consumer will be overbalanced by the increas-
ing domestic competition and the duties
will be gradually raised on imports, that no
Inducements will be presented for large impor-
tations with view to a monopoly
But unless 1t shall be determined to raise
the duties on imports TO an amount which will
nearly exclude the foreign article, n0twilh-
standing the excise on the domestic, the
ratio of increase upon the excise should be
diminished, and the period extended for reach
ing It's maximum. If, sir, | shall have made
myself understood by the example adducfd.
IL VIII nave been perceived that | aim at a pro-
cess by which the revenue shall gradually be
made deriveablc from the domestic article in
ISfl of F,- =
secure constant supply, and be convenient
both FOR the government aud the citizens
Should the general features of the plan be APP
proved, 1t will remain with Congress to deter
mine whether seven, or a greater or less ualin-
Der OF years, shall be taken TO complete the o.
peratIon. In my Judgment however, the more
UNITED the term, the greater will be the bcnc-
iii To the country provided it shall be sufFici-
emily extendt to bring into the market, with.
out any forced operation, a fair domestic com
petition for which, il Is highly probable,
more distant period would be required for
some articles, than would be necessary for
othGrs And feel no hesitation in pronOunc-
Ing AN opinion, that, as il is intended to embrace
such articles only as can be produced to
any extent from domestic materials, (other-
wise OF little or no comparative value and will
hence reach the consumer at reduced prices
the ImPost duty should be SD raised as nearly
to exclude the foreign article for, otherwise,
all our hopes for the real prosperity of manu-
features, or that a productive revenue can
thence be derived, will most asgurcdy prove
fallaCiOu5.
1t certainly ought not TO be expected that
those who believe the success OF manufactures
essential, nay, indispensable to that ofthe other
branches of industry will ever assent to an ex
else, under such circumstances as will, IN their
Judgment, invite the foreign competitor into
the market Nor should the belief be for
moment entertained, that another loan TO meet
tha ordinary exnrlsrs of envernlnent eli N