Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-05-04

must oe stricken ont, or materially altered
before he could give his vote for the bill. Hs
should vote for striking ont the article of hrmn
Mr.. Johnson, of Hen. opposed the IN o,ion
to strike out. He was well con, inced of ,La
friendly feelings of the gentleman from Mass,
chusctts-he believed that gentleman aIwav.
acted from conviction OF his duty. But. Il
these important items were TO be stricken
from the bill, it would become a serious oues
ton whether it would be worth the suppo,,
oiits friends. He spoke of the dstresses which
had been experienced in the state of Kentuckv
hut wished il 10 be understood that he d;t
not mean To advocate the imposition of tbs
duty, merely in selfish reference 10 his Own
state. We might have the stoutest hearts, tbo
ablest heads, and the strongest hands, for tbs
defence of our country, but all this, Mr. j. said
could not avail, if we were dependent upo,
foreign nations TOR the common necessaries n
HE. lie commended against the argument th,,
Inc markets of the whole world should be len
open 10 us, 10 procure our common articles of
consumpuon-th common course ogtrade, and
the poncy oil other nations,were opposed to sash
position. Restrictions upon our commerce &
the protection Of The home market, he cons'
dered necessary tn the welfare Of the coun,rr
tie adverted to the protection which had been
gwen TO navigation, to sugar, tobacco, Sc
These projections, Mr.. j SAID, had not resulted
lnJsriousiy to the country ; nUr did he believe
IN the predictions Of destruction TO result from
this bill.
MIR. JOHNSON proceeded to shew the adyan.
taSes which would result 10 the country from
the domestic production of this article. Hs
spoke al the ease with which il might be fur
n'sned, when the country presented greater
facilities for transportation, by means Of i'm.
provemeDts in lis roads and its navgable wa.
ters He was perfectly convinced that al
classes OF the community would eventually
though not, perhaps, Immediately, be greatiy
oenehtttd by the passage of this bill. Mr. j
reverted TO the present state OF foreign markets
glutted as they are with all our surplus pro'
ducts, to prove the necessity OF creating home
market for the fruits of our own industry. He
asked 1t there was any nation, except two or
three of the most degraded that had moi
adopted the policy now proposed 10 this coun.
try he did not despair oftbr growth of the
manufactures OF the nation, even il this bill
did not pass but that growth would he slow
and destructive to many persons, without the
encouragement of the Government. His oh
ject was a general one he knew no line of
demarcstion the North, the South, the East.
and the West, were the same TO him.
Mr. TAYLOR Of Va. replied TO Mr. johnson
He said the object for which our fathers fought
was to free their children from tyranny and
oppressive taxation. This protection of one
state against another was but plan 10 rob one
to enrich another. In relation TO the depres-
sion of the surplus of our productions in fo.
reign markets, this bill, Mr.. IT. said, was no
protection against it. The price ofthose COM
modities could only be fixed by competition
The best protection TO cotton growers would
be to admit foreign fabrics freely, and thereby
create general demand for the article. This
protection to our own articles was merely
tribute TO capitalists.
Mr.. VAN buren, said that he rose for the
purpose of explanation only {; TO reconcile his
present vote with one he was prepared, and
would, doubtless, be called upon to give on
the question under consideration. He was in
favor of increasing the duty ON hemp with
view of affording protection to lis cultivation
10 this country. He was willing to vote for /
liberal but reasonable increase. The one Dro-
posed by the bill he thought was not of that,
character. The present duty is 80 ton
the one contained in this bill is s a. 80 Der TOM
making an increase of nearly fifty per cent
MIR V. b. could mt think that the cultivation
of the article in question required for its pro-
lection so great an increase OF the duty nor
would due regard TO the other great Interests
of the country, admit of its imposition. II.
therefore, the motion of his friend from Mass
had been 10 strike out the rate of increase for
mount, Mr.. V. Ii. would have voted for IT, But
his motion was not of that character 1t was
10 strike the duty on hemp on, of the bill, to
which he (Mr. V. b. was opposed. Whilst,
therefore, he would vote against striking out,
ne was prepared TO reduce the duty contained
~ the bill, TO an amount which, in his hest
judgment, would be just and polite.
Mr.. TALBOT disclaimed for Kentucky the
soIe interest IN this important subject. Bel
spoke of her present endorsements, and
The causes that had produced them-from
these she could only be relieved by encourage
ments TO her agricultural and manufacturing
Understanding her principal products was
Hemp-she bad, he said peculiar advanfages
OF SOIL and climate, for the growth of this ari-
cie-fie alluded TO the assistance that had
been gwen Virginia and Maryland, BY the pre-.
hiblIioD of manufactured tobacco and snuff II
and OF the duties on cotton, TO encourage the /
growth ofthat article. There might, hereaf
ter, he thought, be some competition in the /
country, IN the growth of that article-and
the time might come when South Carolina
Georgia, and Alabama, would want the pro.
lection OF government. The duty on sugars.
TOO, had been laid for the advantage Of the A
sugar growers ; and they were luxuriating 10
TINS protection. They certainly ought not
To- oppose this duty. American Industry had
been, and it ought to be, protecied-it was
the great pillar upon which the country de-
pended-nO nation could carry on commerce
without exports. For many years, he believ.
ed, there had been balance of trade against
the country. The imports had greatly eX-
ceeded the exports-the none of the nation
was going into the pockets of fsreigners--sDdI
the nation must gradually sink into poverty,
" ths imports Of the country were permitted
10 -.r19 al.