Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-02-24
assoRrED FOR TnE RArIosAL IRTrLLIeEscER
Eighteenth Congress.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
MONDAY, FEBRuARr
REVISION OF THE TARIFF


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
MONDAY, FEBRuART 16.
REVISION OF THE TARIFF.
The House then again went inte committee
Of the whole, Mr.. Cnadict in the chair, on the
bill to amendthe several acts respecting duties
on Imports.
The question pending from the last day Of
sitting, being on the motion Of MIR. Brent to
strike out the clause imposing duty of six
cents per square yard ON cotton begging inn
Horted-
Mr.. HAMILTON, of South Carolina, said,
that disposition tn offer word or two in re-
ply to the gentleman from Kentucky, had in
Juced him. on Friday, at late hour, to move
the committee TO rise and he would now
hrIeiiy redeem this constructive pledge. That
gentleman had broadly asserted, that the cot
ton bagging Of the West has no protection /;
and TO this declaration he desired the Com
mittee to advert: for, he presumed the gen.
tleman had forgotten the existing duty Of 90
per cent. on the article in question, and du-
ty, IN effect, OF 90 per cent. on the raw mate
rial Of which il is composed. MIR. H. said, he
would offer this short detail, in proof of what
ne had thus affirmed piece of cotton bag
ging, of between sixty and seventy wards,
costs, in England or Scotland, AZ fourteen
cents per yard, about eight dollars and forty
cents. on which there was paid, here, duty
ofone dollar aud eighty-fonr cents; so that,
without adding freight and insurance, for eve
rv eight or nine dollars worth of baggng, US
ed in the United States, there was a clear pro-
lection, to Kentucky, OF one dollar and eigh-
fy-four cents. This was, however not enough
for the duty, proposed in the bill under con-
s'deration, was equivalent 10 sevent y-one per
cent. This would he its operation for ON
piece ofcotton hagging, of sixty running or
seventy square yards, at six cents per square
yard, 81 90 would be the amount of the du
~. to which is TO he added the bounty allow
ed 10 England, on expectation, Of cents per
pound under the operation Of the Sd section
OF the bill, which will be s II 80, making an
aggregate duty of 8 8 on piece of bagging
costing originally hut So 40.
The gentleman also afiirns said Mr. n
that the raw material is insuiIicieniIy protect
ed. ANY thing beyond the present rate of du-
ty and charges would seem To he prohbi-
tion; for. It has been unanswerably made cut
hy variety OfstaiemeDts founded upon un-
deniable data that, if you add to the duty Of
s 80 on each ton of imported hemp the ORR
ginal cost Of the article, with that Of transpor-
tatiOn from the province in which il is raised
TO st. Petersburg with freight, insurance,
commission, and difference Of exchange, that
the protection now was equivalent To a duty of
100 per cent And here he would notice a
remark which fell from the hon. gentleman ip
regard to the western hemp, which he had assur-
ed us,was at least o per cent. stronger than the
Russian. The House were in possession of
document, on this subject, which might be
as valuable as the experience of the gentle.
man. The Navy Commissioners had trans
Initted letter, The believed. to the Senate and.
during the recess Of the House since Friday.
he had conversed with some ofthe Commits
sioners, on the subject,) in which it is stated.
that this apparent excellence of the western
hemp was altogether fallacious for, although.
when new, 1t was apparently as strong as the
Russian hemp, yet, in durability, il was not
at all comparable so little so, that in the ma
val contracts for cordage, there was uniform
iyintroduced stipulation, that the supplies
of rope, cable, sc. should be fabricated of the
imported article. This difference between the
home and foreign hemp, did not result, per-
haps, from any intrinsic inferi0rify, but from
the mode Of its preparation. Ii was under.
stood that the Russian hemp was all water
rotted, whilst that of the West, was merely
submitted, TO the more gradual process ty ex-
posture TO the dew. The latter course was
pursued among our brethren of the West.
from iudicious considerations of health, as the
multiplication of stagpdnt ponds, covered with
the vegetable p1trefaction of this process.
would, undoubtedly he seriously pernicious 10
those immediately wIihin their influence
This was. perhaps, one of the blessings of the
OIL, which was to operate so benefcialIy, in all
quarters, by the effect OF the proposed bounty.
Mr. II. said, he desired to set the gentleman
from Kentucky right 10 another particular, be-
fore he took his seat. He has informed thu
Committee that The duty on coarse cottons
operates as protection on the cotton grow
ing states, and was so solicited and considered
by our Representative when it was imposed.
My lameDted predecessor Mr.. Lowndesl did
not so consider II In'the mastery view he
took OF this subject, aud ii was part Of the
scope OF the luminous argument he offered on
the tariff Of 1890 Zone Of the greatest and
brightest Of his efForts) to shew the impolicy
OF this duty 10 is direct effect on our East In
dia trade. But il is altogether beyond my
scrutiny, said Mr.. ii to discover how this dti-
~ on coarse manufactured cOttOns can operate
as projection to South Carolina and Geor-
gIa, when we do not dread the raw material
IN any shape in which it may be Introduced
Indeed, we are so often upbraided for esiina-
ting too lightly this, and the duty Of three
cents On the authenticated article, that I am
disposed, IN the name of the state represent.
to offer fair compromise us from
ihe overwhelming pressure of theIresircton oi
ne bIll under consideration, and we will
neeriuily surrender this vast protection upon
our cotton, and every other which may b.
supposed to favor our agricultural products
Inc true meaning, however, OF the term said
mr. ~ 10 The vocabulary Of the gentleman
rom Pennsylvania, Of protection, throughDui
ms whole bill, IS prohibition, and this the na
Ton will at last understand.
Mr, TRINBLE Of Ky. again took The aoor
70 reply TO Mr. Hamilton. lie now under