Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-03-04

\ "'"u"eI more sdiu'ary 10 me aggregate 10
terests OF England, and less injurious to pre-
viously existing and ancient establishments.
Much reliance appears to have been place.
upon the feeble influence of our laws w,
attribute to our act of 1916, what had beer
previously effected during a long period o
restriction and war, when capital, having M
employment IN commerce, was employees b,
the Iabor-saving machine. We are told IN,
price has been diminished since the peace. anC
so mas the value of almost every other manu-
iacture-it is the inevitable consequence n
peace.
The honorable Speaker need not troubl,
himself about the quo amino" of the act i'm
posing duty upon cotton. Its cultivation
was inevitable, with or without our law il
was the laborsav ng machine operating, moi
only directly but indirectly upon, and giving
an impulse to the industry of the world the
cause of the cultivation of the cotton of the
South lies deeper than the surface OF our sta.
tute book
But we are told, our manufacturers are
crying out to US for prutccton', This
Dir, is not question about Leghorn bOnnets
ana our other interests of minor importance
Gentlemen would fnd less difficulty with m,a.
sures q: that character. The origin of the
measure proposed, lies ia another direction
The question was raised and is persisted i'm by
portion OF our most wealthy manufacturers
II gentlemen will take the trouble to examine
the memorials, they will iiHd, among those
most prominent IN crying ont for protec-
ton" the name of Mr.. Slater Il very respcta-
BILE EnSlishman one OF the oldest and mos,
wealthy manufacturers in the country-on.
who has enjoyed very large portion of this
legislative protection but who appears To be
still unsatisfied, s. in his memorial, strenuous.
Iy recommends TO us the policy of bis native
country although his countrymen, after two
centuries experience, pronounce il To he a
" system OF error ar IL system of abusen
But, To the question. What, i'm the aggre
gate, Is the measure proposed ? 10 proh-
DIT the importation of manufactures and other
articles TO the value of about thirty milions
oi dollars. II is true, that we are told that a
certain portion, hat that small, will not be
prohibited for some time to come. The bill
IS admirably framed 10 accom- plish the object
IN view, which is, as we have been very frank
" told by the Chairman of the Committee, ia
restore our country 10 that state of unparallel.
ed prosperity it enjoyed during the late war
the only period when. as he says, our manu-
features were efficiently protected.
Is not ;hIs an undisSuised war upon the
commerce of our country?
Suppose the government of G. Britain mad.
by an order in council, threatened thus sud
denly to destroy the employmcnts of our ma
riners, tn disturb the existing channel of our
industry, and force lis capital into manuIac-
tures--a measure, in its operation. precisely
similar To that now proposed. We should
promptly resist It, not only as violating our
national rights, but as injuring the aggregate
interests of our country. And get, when we
are called upon to perform a corresponding
act upon ourselves, we are very grayeiy told il
IS salntary and wise.
Ii IS not necessary 10 advert to the ;aracii-
ces of other governments, nor tn indulge in ai,-
STRAIT reaaonin5. The industry of every coun-
try must be regulated and protected according
To The circumstances and condition of the
country. There is nothing in our condition,
10 require that we shOuld, At this late day,
search the dusty records OF France and Eng
land, to mould our laws ia absurd conCormi-
ty to their ancient statutes-nOthng to in
duce us to initiate the venerable folIies Of eve
~ age and every country. There is neither
wlsaoIn, honor, nor profit, in "a counteryang
war OF permanent monopolies.
The prosperity of nations depends on their
natural advantages, and their constitutional
security OF property and right. Measures,
violating either the one or the other, inure
the aggregate interests of the country. Such
IS the character of the measure now proposed.
The manufacturing capital of nation is form
ed through The silent and compound accu-
mutations of trade and navigation. When
these chhnnels are permitted TO contribute
'heir accufDulatinns IN a natural way, the
three branches flourish together. Such is the
actual condition of things in New England
which IS, and must continue to- he, in defiance
of all uur laws, the manufacturing district of
this country. We may, by our ins isures. ac-
celebrate the transfer Of capital from trade and
navigation into the channel of manufactures :
but we shall not thereby employ the most
s'iutary means of enlarging our manufacturing
industry, while we shall essentially iniure
other and important interests
There is nothing in the condition of our
country calling for such measure. 1t is true.
that IN some portions there is distress but
gentlemen have mistaken the remedy The
measure proposed will contribute no relief TO
the Interior the capital to be employed in
these new manufactures is already gathered
IN the East; and, wherever that accumuIa-
ton exists, there must be- the theatre of the
operation OF this measure. But the causes of
the distress in the interior have also been mis-
taken. They are, ia some measure, incidep-
tai to every new country but they are also
to be- attributed to errors in legislatioD-nnt
here, but elsewhere. Wherever laws agitate
the security Of property and right, confidence
IS annlhiated, industry cannot flourish.
We cHnnOt view the industry Of our cnnn-
try IN The aggregate, nor contemplate IFS as
innlshing march during the late 40 years,
without feeling satisfied Of tho wonderful in
hhTnca VI constitutional government upon the
indHairy "f nations. IL IS to this great cause. g.
not to any of our Ingenious regulations, that
our rapid national growth is to be- attributed. 49,
In experimenting the Operations ofindustry in
a country like ours, embracing every climate,
every production, every AFT, and every sci
ence, w. should cautiously abstain from any
Legislative act calculated to agiiate its move
ncut@, lest wc should arrest wheel or dis
ttirt the harmony or 81, ,r,a0tiGcppt q. ,rcrJ