Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-06-24
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
Mr.. Craisf6rd's support Of The policy Of forcing
manufactures by protecting duties.

ter, published June 18th, will compel me Ia
answer more at length thaAI would have
wished however, shall not shrink from the
ia SIX which you have imposed me and Ia
the subjects which you furnish, my answer
shall be strictly confined.(d)
That sentence of the report which you
seem to blame me for not quoting, contains
nothing in favor of MIR. Crawford which did
not explicitly admit and its substance is en-
braced in other passages, which were quoted
Instead of wishing tn conceal that Mr. c. said,
that revenue was the object Of his proposed
augmentation of duties, it was one of the pur-
poses Ofmy letter to expose the folly, or the
falsehood ofthat assertion(b)
1t is also freely conceded to you, that
equallZing those various rates of duty, would,
in itself, be advantageous. But this advantage
could be attained as well by fixing an average
OF the existing rates, or by reducing that aver
age, as by making all equal to the highest,
which was MIR. Crawford's plan. The collec
ton would he simpllfed by fixing all those
duties at 90, or Is, Dr 10 per cent. much
as at s5 per cent. All the duties which he
proposed to increase, except those on silks,
linens, and perhaps the finer hempen fabrics,
now operate as projecting duties; and in
creasing them can only render them more
prohibItory-more profitable to the manu-
facturers, more oppressive TO the people, and
less productive To the treasury.(c) The du-
ties selected for augmentation, 1.-THE effect of
which Mr.. C.. thinks {" toiH gradually lead 10
an ample supply Of those ari les from our do
nestle manufactures" (d) are extremely OBJ
jectionable, without considering the general
objections, which apply to all protecting duties.
For instance: The folly of the British go
vernment lin conformity to the doctrine as
sumed by Mr.. Crawford induces the payment
of direct bounty on every yard oflnen ex-
ported This bounty just much lessons
the price to us, or lessons to the same amount
the actual burthen Of our present duty of | 5
per cent. on that article. Under these cir
cumstances, the merest novice in political
economy knows that the whole bounty on the
exports of linens TO this country, is actually
though indirectly, paid out of the British
treasury into that of the u. States. MIR. C..
wishes to surrender this acknowledgement re-
commends raising the duties to % per cent at
the same time that he avows his beIiefthat this
augmentation, will hereafter extingush the
revenue now derived from this duty, by con-
verting it into bounty for manufactures.
Shipbuilding, the most valuable manufacture
OF our country, land perhaps the only one in
which we can compete with Europeans, and
undersell them in their own ports,) is now
other manufactures whose sickly existence
depends on bounties. Yet Mr.. Crawford pro-
poses to increase this evil, by adding TO the
present duties on sail cloths, 5 per cent on
Russia duck, 10 per ceDt.-and TO these on
iron and manufactures of iron, as much as
will ultimately prohibit their importation.
Here, rs in every other case where protect
ing duties are imposed, the productive indus
try IS discouraged, precisely az much as I'm.
profitable pursuits are "fostered." The du
ties on iron, without Mr.. Crawford's propos
ed augmentation, are particularly oppressive
to the interests of farmers. The purchase
and repairs of iron utensils, form one of our
heaviest, and at the same time most necessa-
ry expenses. The greater the cost, the worse
| implements will most farmers use and the
consequent loss of products TO agriculture and
the nation, far exceeds in value, the revenue
derived from this duty. Those evils will be
suffered, even if the increased duties were to
have no effect as bounties but when we con
slider that gradually" the whole amount is to
be lost-to be paid over entirely TO the manu-
fac,urers-the evils are palpably Iunmixed with
any benefit, save that which their proposer
hopes to derive from the support of hls new
ProtegeesIe)
You have not denied, what Mr.. Crawford
fully admits, that his proposed augmentation
| of duties will lessen those particular branches
of the revenue, by fostering the home manu-
facture of the articles on which they are i'm
posed III and the only real difference which
exists, between the results, as foretOld by Mr..
g. and myself, is as TO the time which would
elapse before they were produced. He sup
poses, according TO your interpretation that
| they will increase the revenue, until the ma
| tional debts paid. He might as truly have
said, until the day of Judgment shall arrive.
My opinion, founded on the effects OF all pre-
ylous protecting duties,) is, that two or three
| years at most, would be sufficient TO put all
their prohibitory powers in operation. As il
is impossible To decide this differe nee, will
| llDgly leave the grounds stated, for every rea-
der TO form thereon his own estimate and
when il is admitted that the duties will gra-
dually" be changing TO indirect bountiPs, it is
scarcely worth while to dispute about the ex-
act progress ofthe evil. II is enough that its
progress is urged by Mr.. G. with his eyes quite
| opened TO the consequences.
| You ask =" How was tins deficit &C. to be
supplied, in a manner least burthensome Ia
| the people BY iogns ? BY a direct taration
! By an ercise on 1ohiskey ?"-I answer, no -
but by measure which would have removed
much Of the present burthen on the people
and ut the same time, and to the same extent
| have supplied the wants of the ireasury-by n
reduction Of rate in all duties nsO operating
,ci,olty or partially as bo1nties )or manufactures
| This measure would have been supported b,
Mr.. Crawford, if revenue had been his real Oh
| iect--if he had been honestly in favour OF tn,
rights Of agriculture or if he had guarded hi
country's interest like his own, or had prefer
red the yeneration Of all the sound and inielli
gent portloa of his couDtrymep, 10 the sup
port Of the interested knaves, and deIudet
fools, who are urging the completion Of tb
bounty systemlg)
You take another singular ground Gu Nj
. 1 (f~,. t., L. Il. 4 4