Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-04-13

pay tins tax too. And thus, after losing all the
difference between the high price at whicii we
have to buy the domestic articles and the low
price at which we could have bought the foreign,
IN supplying the deficit in revenue, occasuned
by the exclusion of the foreign We have the high
privilege OF being taxed with excise, instead of
imposts The loss to US, in this arrangement,
can easily perceive, bat the gain cannot, I'M
less 1t be the gain of 4 more disagreeable, in
stead OF more agreeable mode of taxation.
MT. chairman are the people of this county
| prepared, IN time ofpeace, Tor direct tax, aud
| for an excise, or for either:
| SIR, we know, from actual experience, that
they are both more expensive in collection, and
that the direct tax being By numbers amongst
the states, Is uuequaiin its operation; we know
that they are inconvenient, AMI that the direct
tax subjects Us to the intrusive visit of the tax
gatheier, whilst the impost is included IN the ar
ticies which we purchase, and that lis payment
4 IS an act of volition. In relation to excise
! though England raised, according 10 Mr.. Lowe
|7sooo,00o sserliags eqeai ga & Is0, 600 ,o09 by
excise, IN 1923, though there are now twenty
i've different articles subject to excise in that
oppressed Kingdom, yet, sir, VIC know that an
attempt to impose an excise on tobacco, in the
reign of George IL. was considered by some of
her best patriots, as dangerous TO The Constitu.
ton; that It's defeat was celebrated with reioic-
lngs; that Walpole, the Minister who proposed
1t was burned in eifigy; and that he abandoned
II, because he thought it could not be carried
INTO execution without an armed force. True
1t IS, sir, that the people of England arc ao.y
Obliged to bear 1t in multiplied forms thank
God that it is not our condition, and hope never
will be. But gentlemen say that this bill will
increase the wealth of the nation; ! readily adj
init that 1T will increase the profits, and conse-
quently, the wealth of the capitalists, whose
. ~ .l tod ,,~, n
also, that these establishment may afford some
advantage, to few hundreds perhaps thousands
of persons, who resid, CONTINUOUSLY to them
but utterly deny that it will increase the ar-
f! gregate wealth OF the nation. and here Mr.
Chairman, though fear it may be somewhat
unpalatabie, must beg leave to introduce some
principles of political economy.
| The sum OF my doctrines, On this subject, is
this: that the wealth OF nation is an aagrspste
of the wealth OF, the individuals who compose it
| this Is as plain principle, as that the whole is
made up of lis parts. That there i: an instinct
1 Implanted IN. man, the mastcr-spring of his ac-
! tons, which, through life, iRpels him to a per-
petual endeavor to better his condition; that
TINS principle, acting alike upon ALL without
concert, and without even looking to the public
interest, every man in society is constantly en-
deavorlug to increase his portion of wealth, and,
consequently, every man is laboring to add to
the stock of public wealth-an increase of 4
whole being the inevitable result of an increase
of all its parts. From these principles. t.:
coroliary Is deduccti; mat government sbouId
never interfere bat in matters of state; that. in
relation to the internal police of country, ii
has done all that is required Of it, all that il
ought to do, when it has secured to its citizens
their personal liberty and private property, and
an impartial administration of Justice; that, as
In tha fof,o of h,ec IL
Dor, he ought to be left as free as the air which
he brcathes, subject to no other limitation, than
one wtich may be expressed in one IIlaxim OF
the civil law: So use thy own, as not 10 ni.re
anothers" Nov, sir, no gentleman will contend,
that the instinct which / have mentioned, does
not prompt every man to desire to improve his
condition upon this point have the law of our
nature OF my side. Before then, Ii can be its-
titled to invoke the aid of government upon this
subject 1T Is incumbent on those who would do
so, to prove that government knows better how
to direct this desire, which all acknowledge to
be universal, than the Individual citizens them
selves. This they cannot do; but on the con-
! trary, think it can be clearly shown not only
that government does not know better, but that
1t does not know so well nay, that, in the ma
ture oil things, 1t is, and must be, wholly incom-
petent to the task As gentlemen viii probably
| reject the authority of books, I will resort IT,
other proof, TO the experience of all who hear
me, and particularly to our practical experience
during this very discussion. Not having the
properly the fablcd ring of Midas, which con-
vertcd every thing which it touched into gold,
we cannot, by legislative fat, create capital ::
the only possible remaining method, then by
which it can be contended, that the interference
Of government can add to the public wealth, is.
by increasing the productiveness of capital, by
/ directing il TO more profitable application
Now, sir, would ask, can any member OF this
committee, can the whole committee united.
give me an answer to the following questions ,
4 What is the average rate of profit of the great
departments Of industry, agriculture, manu,ac-
lures, commerce, ard navigation? What is
the particular rate Of profit in each? What is
the particular rate of profit IN TIE different kinds
manufacture, such as iron, wool, cotton, &c !?
WHAT'S the cause OF the difference, in the profit
ofdiifergnt manufacturing establishments, en-
gagged in manufacturing the same materials.
Does that difference arise from the difference in
capital or machinery, or in industry, or IN 81, IL
or economy What Is the rate of profit II,
| England in the different kinds of Manufacturers
winch come into competition with oprs of the
same kind? Is it greater or less than ours; AMI
much greater or less What is the Drec;sa
amount of the advantage, or disadvantage, pro-
duced by the comparative manufacturing Gsc;li-
Tics IN England and the United States Is il
not manifest, that, before we are prepared to
settle the various questions arising oat ot a Ia
rill, designed 10 encourage domestic ihGustrv
that we must be able to answer all these cues
tions, and many more Of q similar chars ctar
And yet, sir, it must be apparent, that these
things arc not within the scope b0lnln possihii.
4 u. Now 10 excr1plily: the manufacturers asl,
for protection; givcu SUM is proposed as a
duty; the commercial interest, as well as thr