Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-02-24

P'cc w cV<ton OaSStnS, winch might be in
'eres'ing In ITS bearing ON the present debate
The statement was ordered to be printed.
Several memorials, for and against the Ia
rifi, were, by leave, presented aud referred.
The resolution yesterday offered by Mr..
Iomlinson, in relation To the execution Of a
resolution for erecting tomb to Gen. Woos-
Ter, was taken up, aud agreed 10.
The resolution offered yesterday by Mr..
"hittIesey, respecting the expenditure Of ap-
preparations for procuring timber for the Ma
Wy. was taken up.
4 In support Of this resolution, Mr.. whi,tle-
sey called the attention 0f the House TO the
several acts pro, iding EI the permanent in
crease Of the Navy. No late report had been
made To the House Of the amount of expen-
futures under these acts, and what he Wished
10 ascertain was, what portion of those appro-
Ipriations remain une expended, IN order Ia be-
able to decide whether a portion Of those un-
Expended appropriations, If any, could not be
diverted To defray The cost of building the
Slope OF war, for providing which a bin has
come 10 this House from The Senate.
The resolution was then agreed to.
! The House again went into committee of
the whole, MIR. Condict in the chair, IN the
bill to amend the several acts respecting du-
ties on Imports.
The question pending from the last day of
sitting, being ON the motion Of Mr.. Brent TO
strike out the clause imposing duty of six
cents per square yard Oh cotton bagging inn
ported.
Mr.. McDUFFIE commenced speech of
hall an hour, IN favor Of striking out this clause
OF the bill, by stating the grave and solemn
feelings with which this discussion impressed
him, however slight the subject might, at first
view, appear. He perfectly agreed, he said,
with the honorable Speaker, that, in the Ir-
gslation of this country, the most scrupulous
regard should he had TO the general harmony;
but he put 1t To the Speaker, whether il was
nut the Introduction Of such bill which was
ike to disturb that harmony, rather than its
discussion, SIC. By the course of this discus
sion, said Mr.. Med. we are admonishrd that
this subject does not belong to-the Govern
ment of the u. States. What is the question
before US ? 1T is nota question for providing
for the commun defence and general welfare,
or for maintaining the Independence of the
couniry. II is not question which is urged
upon us on national grounds at ali, but it Is a
question distinctly arraying against each other
Fthe interests Of two different sections of The
coniederacy. All the arguments by which The
| proposed duty Is supported, have been, there
fore, s'id necessarily must be-, OF a srct,nal
character. When gentlemen are attempting,
by legislation, To affect the interests uf twu
sections of the Union relatively To each other,
now can they throw upon us the responsible
lty Of that feeling which the discussion NAV
excite But, Mr.. Med. said, however IN.
might feei.on the occasion, he wonld not per
NIL his feelings to enter into the discussion
He should appeal TO the Judgment, candor,
and lIbsrality of The comlniltee aud if the inn
policy OF the proposed taSSeould not be srs
talned by argument, on that appeal, he would
abandon altogether his opposition to it.
| Adseriing To the suggestion that the culture
of cotton has been brought into existence and
sustained by protecting duties, hlr. McDnlEr
said, with whatever pleasure he listened to
the arguments ofgentlemen, and their state
meats OF facts, his patience almost fnrsouk
him, when this strange position was attempt
ed to be maintained. To tell him that The
culture of cotton ever had been protected by
the legislation Of the government, was 10 in
suit his understanding. Estimating the aver
age value of cOttOs, where il is grown, at 25
cents, the duty ON the importation Of foitgn
cotton beingl5 cents per pound, was in fact
| onlyI2 per cent. nd yalurpm, less than
The average duty laid on all other objects fur
the purposes of revenue alone, and could
therefore not lie regarded, either in inter tion or
IN fact, as protecting duty. The fact was,
that from the moment its culture sprung in
to existence in this country, il had drfied all
conpetitioD-there never had been a moment
IN which it would not have d,fied competition
with the cotton OF any country on earth. Was
cotton raised, in the beginning, for the use of
our own manufactures, or for any purpose in
which foreign cotton could csme in compet
tIon with IL within the United States? No.
From the beginning IL had been raised for ex-
porfatioD. The duty did not operate upon the
culture OF cotton any more effectually than If
II did not exist. A bounty 90 expectation
only could afford any protection To the cult
walton of il, and he concluded this part
OF his observations, by repeating, that the
cotton OF the country neveEb JAS been protected.
But, Mr.. Med. continued, the Speaker had
land down principle in respect 10 the manu-
iaciure OF Cotton Bagging, which, in his view,
established the impOllcy Of protecting this ar
iIcle, viz !: that IL required bnt sim pie and un-
expensive machinery, and that establishments
tor the manufacture of ii would be of rapid
growth and he had further said that if this
bill were passed, the Western Country would,
| IN one year, he able To furnish, If necessary.
4twenty millions Of yards Of the article. Now,
| what is the principle on which protecting du-
ties are justified What is this principle, as
assumed by the Speaker himself? What is
the principle on which such duties have brpp
heretofore advocated on this floor and every
where eIseg IL Is, that the manufacture pro-
posed To be protected, requires large invest
menis Of capital, complicated machinery,
length Of time to bring 1t to perfection, Sc.
which causes require protection, TO prevent
the manufacture from being Frustrated in its
infancy. Ia The present case, 10 such ground
was iaken. Even the article Of cotton fluctu-
ates 10 price from 0 10 90 GEMS per pound
and so do all other articles which are en-
ployed 10 commerce. But had il ever been
NE policy oisny coUhtry--was it the policy
oi ihs, To sustain manufactures against Auc-
t'Giions such as this, to which AL the pursuits