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

oO oPPotuOueu 10 NUMBERS: tnat Otlcr
| taxes should be uniform that no regulation of
commerce should give preference TO the ports
OF one state over those OF another, &c. But, sir,
the balance IS equally disturbed, whether q
weight IS taken out of one scale or put into an
other. III, In the exercise of a power for the
purpose Tor which 1T was given, one state suffers
less burden, or receives more benefit, than
others, we must submit to the consequences
but, when poweris to be exercised for a pur-
pose for which 1T was not given, and the conse-
quence Is to follow, then we have Just cause of
complaint
como now, sir, to consider this bill in the
diherent lights IN which it has heen presented by
ITS advocates, & to examine The several grounds
on which they have rested its defence
In the first place, it is said that the bill will
increase the revenue. 1 think shall be able
to shew, that 1t will have directly contrary eff
feet; that dininution of revenue, not increase,
VIII be necessary consequence of its PASSAGE
1T IS conceded, on all hands, that the inevitable
effect, in the first instance, will be to increase
the price of the goods imported this can be de-
MED by NO man. This being the case, the a.
mount OF the produce exported from the coun-
try, whatever it may be, will purchase fewer
commodities than it did before, unless gentle
men are prepared to maintain the proposition
that the same sum of money will purchase as
much, at higher price, as it would do at low
or ono The quantity of goods imported then
must kc diminished the only possible ground
on which IT can he Contended that the revenue
will not be diminished, is, that the increase ofdu
| ty on the goods which will be imported, will be
equal TO the loss of the former duty upon such
goods as shall cease to be imported. 1t is inpos-
siblc TO say, what VIII he the precise extent of
the dmmutien of Importation; but we may resort
! to some date which viii constitute the basis of a
! mi oh
only by the wealth, may, at the advanced price,
| yet be imported, as before; articles of downright
necessity will be so imported; but there is large
description of articles which, though they NAV
be Convenient, and may contribute to increase
the stock of comfort, may be dispensed with.
This latter kind of article is used by that great
class eli our people, constituting decided m,lio-
rity OF the nation, who are either poor, or in the
various gradations of property, from poverty to-
wards wealth, but falling entirely short of that
point. Now, sir, it is in this kind of imported.
goods, and in this part of our population, that I
think 1T fair to infer, that very great diminnii-
On Will take place, and considerably more than
will countcrvail any advantage to be expected
from the increased dnty upon goods which will
continue to be imported. Thus, sir, the goods
imported in the year 1922, proving an nd valo-
rem duty of % per cent. amounted to S21, 74O-
900; more than onc-fourth part of tie whole
4 imports of the year. 1t is known, that all the
! goods paying this rate of ad valorem duty, are
those ofwhich wool ADDICTION are the materials
How large aportion OF the coarse kinds of these
goods Is used by our poorer people, and by the
healthier for their slaves And -ct, these 2rti-
clcs can, and most of them probably will, BE
manufacturedin household establishments, rather
than pay the high duties imposed by this bill, es-
pecIally such as plains or negro cloth, which,
from the statement appended to the New Yorl,
memorial, would, upon the minimum in the tariff.
and at the rate of duty after June, 1925, pay
from lO4 to $50 per cent. But, if l should even
mistake in this, it is clear, beyond all question,
that the progressive and ultimate effect would
be diminution of revenue. The very object
which gentlemen have In view, is, by high du-
ties to exclude foreign articles from coming into
competition with those of domestic manufac-
ture. If this consequence were net to follow,
the whole policy of the bill would fail the man
utacturers would not receive the encourage
! n1cntintended, and the consumer would, unne-
cessarily, as well as unidstly, be incumbcred
i with higher prices. But, supposing the operat-
| on of the bili TO be, what ii certainly will be,
that, in consequence Of the protection afforded,
the domestic manufactures will progressively
displacc the foreign, and be consumed in their
place. Then, ii is probable, that the exact pro-
portion as this takes place, foreign goods will
cease to be imported, and, consequently, the re-
venue will be correspondingly diminished and,
finally, whenever the time should arrive, that the
consumption OF domestic manufactures should
entirely take the place Oh foreign, there would
be total stop 10 all imports, because there
would be an end to importation. But the rcve-
nue. lost, must be supplied, & beg leave to in
quire how, and by whom We have been told,
that manufactures themselves, after they shall be
firmly established by system Of protecting dti-
ties, will be able to supply this deficit. If we
; were 10 Judge from past experience, this pro-
mise holds out but little consolation. In 1916, a
duty of 25 per cent. was imposed upon cotton &
wool!cn goods, with minimum upon coarse
cOtons, under the expectation that, in thrco
years, these manufactures would reach such
maturity that they could sustain themselves
with the aid Of a smaller duty. And ac-
cordingiy, Ike act of 1916 declared, that
: after June, 1919, it should be reduced to
20 per cent; but, after continuing the % per
: cent. BY subsequent act, now in the eighth year,
so far from being able to do with lesser duty,
we are called upon to increase the minimum on
cotton, and to increase the duty and create a
= minimum in relation to wool. Thus, as they
grow in years they seem to decrease in strength;
{ and so far from afording revenue, they cannot
} exist under dirninutiJD ofduty. So far from
tllis they call aloud for an increase of duty as
necessary to their very existence. No. i,lr.
Chairman, the deficit must be supplied by a
J direct tax. The reasoning which could con-
vince Congress that it was right to impose
= high duties on foreign goods, to aid cur manu-
? features, would be strong enough to prove, that
they ought not to be depressed, as their adyo-
7 Gates would say, by an excise. And thas the
; community would be douby taxed FIST, by the
, high prices which they must pay for domestic
? manufactures, in consequence Of the foreign