Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-03-23

hoW IoDOSCu DTO
iesses to favor our Northern and w estern aeri-
culture; but before our farmers accent of this
Protecuon, II would be well to mark the dexte-
rlty oil the compromise. The bill proposes to
impose additional duties, but not prohibitory. on
agricultural productions, to the value of little
moro than a million of dollars, while il embra-
ces heavy duties, amounting to prohibition on
manufactures required for agricultural use, To
the value OF about twenty-six millions OF dollars.
Before the agricultural interest of this country
engages In TINS compact Unbalanced monopolies
II would be well to refer to The termination Of
a similar concern in England, where apricul.
ture is Frustrated, while manufactures eniov all
the advantages of this Legislative compromise.
we are, however, informed, tlat COM
mcrce is the offspring of legislative bounty and
protection. shall pass over, said Mr.. q. less
important regulations, TO reach those which
nave been deemed most essential in protectmp
our narIgation-the coasting trade and discrim.
mating duty.
our ship owners, we are told, have cnioyed 4
monopoly OF our coasting trade.
VOW, would ask, what sort of monopoly this
can be the ship ownefs of n nation, whose COIN
merce has always, even in the rcmotesf omar
tiers OF the globe, driven British commerce ont
Oh us accustomed channels, wherever nayi@a-
uon was tree to both nations. a monopolv of
our coasting trade 5000 miles from compctition,
Had this been the nlyinotive for such a rcru-
iation, 1t would have been the very mocl,ery of
iegislatlon. But there was another, infinitely
Wiser-and one which will probably perpetuate
inc regulation. 1t was very naturally sumo.
SEQ, that II foreign ships were employed on our
coast IT would more probably be for Illicit pur-
poses, than under any expectation of profit in f,i r
competition with an active or more skiIful rival.
-Ihe regulation was necessary to ruard our
revenue from fraud, and it is presumed to be so
still.
Inf We rNtnn n0ru - 49, -
oi American commerce, the discriminating du.
". What wasl it, An additional DUTY ON ,ner-
chandlse imported in foreign ships of. ten per
centum, not on the oalue Of the merchandise.
ont on he amount Of the duty. And here LET
me call the attention of gentlemen to the peri.
od when this regulation was adopted-at that
Tune the average rate of duties was not equal to
ten per centhm, the discriminating. duty would
pc one per centum on the value of the merchan-
dise. And yet we are now gravely told. that
THIS discriminating duty laid the foundations of
our commercial prosperity.
ms is the opinion of gentlemen, for who,,
SAID Mr.. &. have a high respect; but I .ttri'
outelt to other causes than the ifucnce of To-
gislation. N
Its, perhaps, travelling a little ont Of tho ~.
guar course OF argument, to trace the history
OF our commerce.; but | am anxious thai tbye
NeW oedford memorialists should know what
KIM Oh protection the industry of their ancee.
toIS enjoyed, and to furnish The Hon. Speaker
WIN another evidence, that industry can sp,;,.-
up aha flourish, not only without Legislative
Protectlon, but IN defiance Of its hostility.
What, sir, was American commerce. before
tins government, with all its laws, was in ex-
istence?
we nave upon record the authority of a cell
eorated man-of one who was an elouuent adj
Vocate of natural rights, till, startled nv the
spectre oh the French revolutions, he sought
shelter under the shadow of the throne. We
must all rccollect the portrait of our ancestors
by the mastery pencil Of Mr.. Burke. Struck
with admiration at their enterprising labors. he
exclaimed, 'Whilst we follow them AMONG tn,n.
oiinS mountains OF ice, and see them pcnetra-
tInS the deepest frozen reccsses of the NORTH
whilst we are looking for them beneath the arc
TIC circle-wc hear that they have pierced into
the opposite region of polar cold-that they are
the antlPodes, and engaged under the frozen
serpent OF The South.n
Such were our ancestors, before the ReyoIu.
hon--bold, hardy and Observation-Disclosures
as we are told, the perseverance of Holland
the activity OF France, and the dexterous and
iIrm sagacity of English entcrprise.n Was this
the effect of legislative projections. No. Sir:
we are also told that the s'colonics. in general.
owed little or nothing to any care of Parliament
That they had not been squeezed into that hap
Ply form by the CONSTANTS of a watchful and s,Is-
puI tIdl, through a wise
and salutaIy neglect, a generous nature had
been suffered to take her own way to perfcc.
tlor." But the colonies were not merely ne
giected-they were craIlped and restricted bv
Parliament, by measures of a character similar
to that proposed by the Committee ON Manu-
features.
The Revolution, for time, turned the bold
ana entcrPrisng spirit of our ancestors into n
more glorious direction-from warning with tbe
elements, they turned to grapple with oppres-
sioh' out our wars once over-our colonial
restrictions brushed away-our Union settled,
as L trust, ON eternal foundations,-our mari
ners, free as the winds, were once more fine be-
raids ofotder nations in desoIatc regions. All
our restrictions and wars since have been una
bic TO arrest the impetuOus march of our COM
rnerce to that point of elevation and grandeur
towards which a generous nature' and an
cmancIpated people irresistibly impelled it. Let
us not dupe our understandings by attributinp
our IN to a few harmless custom-house
regulations.
Mariners of this country fear no competition.
They ask no tax for their support. As to the
bounty to our fishermen, whenever Government
may deem 1T expedicnt to take off the duty upon
salt, they may abolish the drawback. As to the
discriminating duty, it is already practically a.
polished.
But gentlemen may consider all our navipati-
on laws as protecting TO our commerce. If they
require only reciprocal Justice, the measure r
already more than fill. The existing rates of
duty operate as incidental encouragement to our
manufactures, and are more than equal to any
advantage commerce ever enjoyed.
But, continued Mr.. G.. I have now to consi-
der the most important objections to the adop-
ton of the principles advocated by the Chair
man of the Committee on Manufactures. How