Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-05-28

all proofs OF general happiness. Labor in tbi
country IS independent and proud. 1t has no
10 ASK the patronage of capital, but capital soil
Gus Tue aid OF labor. This Is the general truth
IN IN regard to the condition of our whole popula
lions. The mere capacity to labor in common
agricultural employments, gives to orr vouno
men the assurance of independence. We have
oeen asked, Sir, by the chairman of the com
inittce, In tone OF some pathos, whether We
VIII allow to the serfs of Russia and Sweden the
oeneht OF making iron for us, Let me inform
| inc gentleman, sir, that those same serfs do moi
earn more than seren cents day, and that thew
Work m these mines, for that compensation. be.
cause they are serfs. And let me ask the rem
| tieman further, aohetter ice haze any la5,oy IN
.ats country ntat cannot be better employed than
an business ,chich does not yieid he lahore,
more than seucn cents day 2 This, it appears
TO me, rs the true question for consideration.
lhere Is no reason for saying that we will work
iron because we have mountains that contain
the ore. We might for the same reason dir a.
mong our rocks for the scattered grains of eold
and silver which might be found there. THE
lUe mqu''y IS, can ace produce the article an q,
seft1 state at The same COST or nearly at the same
COST or at any reasonable approximation to,ca,s
the same cost, at aohich ,ce can impo1t if.
Some general estimates of the price and pro-
hts OF labor, IN those countries from which we
import our iron, might be formed by COMPARING
the reputed products of different mines. and
their prices, with the number ofhands employ.
Ell. The mines of Danelnora are said to Weld
about 1000 tons, and to employ i'm the mines
twelve hundred worlSmen. Suppose this to be
worth 90 dollars per ton; any one will find by
computation that the whole product would not
pay IN this country, for one quarter part of the
necessary labor. The whole export of Sweden
was estimated, a few years ago, at 400 900 shin
pounds, or about 81 200 tons. Comparing this
product with the number of worlzmen usually
supposed to be employed in the mines which p,o-
duce iron for expectation, the result will not
greatly differ from the foregoing. These csti-
mates are general, and might not conduct us to
precise result; but VIC know, from intelligent
travellers, and eyewitness, that the price of
labor in the Swedish mines, does not exceed
seven cents day.s
The true reason, Sir, why it is not our poll
cy to compel our citizens TO manufacture our
own iron, is, that they are far better employed,
1t Is an unproductive business, and they are not
poor enough to be obliged to follow it. If we
had more OF poverty, more of misery, and some
thing Of servitude, if VIC had an ignorant, idle
starving population, we might set up for iron
makers against the world.
The committee will take notice, Mr. Chair
man, that, under our present duty, together with
the expense of transportation, cur manufacture
ers arc able to supply their own immediate neigh
bourhood; and this provides the magnitude OF
that substantial encouragement which these two
causes concur to give. There is little or no
foreign iron, presume, used in the county Of
Lancaster This is owing to the heavy expense
of land carriage; and, as we recedc fartherfrom
the coast, the manufacturers are still more COM
pleteiy secured, as to their own iH,mediate mar
ket, against the competition of the imported ar.
t;cle. But what they ask is to supply the sea.
cost, at such price as shall be formed by add.
ing to the cost at the mines the expense of land
carriage to the sea and this appears to me most
unreasonable. The effect Of it would be to com.
pei the consumer to pay the cost of two land
traDsportatons: for, in the first place, the price
of iron, at the inland furnaces, will ALWAYS be
found TO be at, or not much below, the price OF
the imported article in the seaport, and the cost
of transportation to the neighbourhood of the
furnace; and to enable the home product TO hold
competition with the imported in the seaport
tue cost Of another transportation downward
from the furnace TO the coast. must be added
Until our means of inland commerce be improY-
ed, and the charges of transportation by that
means lessened, it appears to me wholly irnprac-
ticable, with such duties any one would think
of proposing, to meet the wishes of The manu-
factureTs of this article. Suppose by this BILL
although it would benefit the capitol invested in
works near the sea, and the navigable rivers, vet
the benefit would not extend fan in the interior.
Where, then, are we TO stop, what limit is pro-
posed to us,
The freight of iron has been afforded from
Sweden to the United States as low as eight dol
lars per ton. This is not more than the price of
Atty miles land carriage Stockholm, therefore,
for the purpose of this argument, may be con-
Sidered as within fifty miles of Philadelphia.
Now, ii IS at once just and strsng view of
this case TO consider, that there are, within fifty
miles Of our market, vast multittidcs of persons
who arc willing TO labor in the production Oft
article for us, at the rate of seven cents per day,
while We have no labor which will not command,
upon the average, at least five or six tunes that
amount. The question is, then, shall we buy
this article OF these manufacturers, and suffer
labor 10 earn its greater reward, or
shall we employ our own labor in similar man
ulaCturc and mako up 10 il, by 81 tax on con-
sUgcrs, the loss which ii must necessarily sus-
tain.
! proceed, sir, to the article of hemp. OF
this we imported last year, in round numbers, g.
600 tons, paying a duty Of $50 ton, or $780,
900 on the whole amount and this article, it is
to be remembered, is almost entirely in the uses
of navigation. The whole burthcn may be said
to fall on one interest 1t is said We can pro-
duce ibis article if we will raise the duties
But why is it not produced now or why, at
least, have we not seen some SPECTATOR For
the present it is very high duty, when expenses
of Importation are added. Hemp was purchas-
ed at 81. Petersburg, last year, at Sl0i,6 per
ton. Charges attending shipment, &c. Si4,25.
Freight may be stated at $50 per ton, and our
existing duty is $50 more. These three last
Tho price oflabor in Russia may be pretty we'll
collected from looks" View OF the Russian En-
pre-" " The workmen in the mines and the founde-
ries indeed, all called erpcoplc; but they
distinguish themselves into masters, gndcmasiers