Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-05-07

pose, from the argument of the gentleman from
d Kentucky, that no encouragement, whatever,
i had been extended to our manufactures. lie,
himself, had always advocated such duties as
would extend them reasonable encouragement.
He proceeded to show what had beeh the course
Of the Government on this point. The tariff of
1916, he said, had been bottomed upon this
principle. The tariff increased the duty on
hemp-but the growth had diminished since
! that time; nor did he believe it would be grown,
4 even with the encouragement proposed in this
bill. Not ton less of foreign hemp would be
imported. This bill was intended, not for reye-
nue., but exclusively for the protection OF man
uiactutes. The slipping Interest was cmbar-
rassed, butt asked no aid from the Government;
! it only wished not to he still further depressed.
! Every article of consumption, he said, had RI
sen 80 per cent, since the Revolution-princi-
pally, in consequence OF duties levied by the
Government. II had raised the prices OF arti-
Giles of necessity, anu of labor.--!Ie spoke of
the duty manufactured tobacco---it did no
good, he said, TO the growers of that artcle--it
was Intended for the manu- acturcrs. The OBJ
| lect OF the duty on sugar was Teecnuc-it was
one Of the best articles 10 produce revcnde.
| He alluded to the ideas of balances of trade-it
taken at all, they should certainly be taken in
the aggregate. lie thought the balance. of
trade was not generally undcrstood-gentle-
men had said the balance must be paid in mo-
ncy. Was there any money exported from the
country? Not much, he believed, except in
the Inlian trade; and that found lis way into
the country again. Mr.. S. spoke ofsomc parts
of our trade which produced valuable cargocs
of imports, for very small ones of exports. He
referred TO the course of European nations on
this subject and to the policy of the retaliatory
systems of protection, which had been adopted
BY those nations, one against the other. They
wsre abandoning those systems as fast as pos
siole; II was more difficult TO get rid of them;
and, at the very moment they were relnqush-
ing the system, We were about to take it up.
| He explained the cmbarrassments which had
| taken place from want of knowledge and CAPT
cil, in carrying on the business of manufacture
ing, and alluded 10 some Of those which had llou-
rished, which were iii possession Of those advan-
! tagcs n rational encour.; Gctnent to manufac-
lures, Mr.. S. said lac was always willing 10 ai-
vocatc, but he believed, that neither Hamilton,
at the time lic submitted his celebrated report
nor any other man, at that tifnc, had dreamed
ofcxtcnding such great encouragement to man.
ufactures, as had already been extended TO
them. He believed the present duties were
sufficiently high; and quite as high as.tbe pen-
pie ought to he burthencd with. Mr.. 8. re-
piled to Mr.. Talbot's remark, about the fortif-
l'cations of the Atlantic frontier, and to that re-
| speeding the protection of cotton; he knew of
none that it had received from the Governments
Thccctton growers only wished 10 be Let alone.
lie explained the heavy operation which the
bill would have upon the Southern states.
Mr.. Holmes, of Maine, wished all mankind
was afflicted with the same distresses as the peo-
pie of Kentucky. They have a fine climate
aud sol-aad great surplus of the productions
of the eaIth-not so, he said, with the pepole of
ATaine--they have to work hard, and get but
little produce for it, And now they are to be
taxed, by this bill, to find market for the Ken
lucky hemp-hc explained the course which the
article had taken in this country. A great deal
had been said of domestic induStry--he believed
the industry of seaincn and fishermen was do
E,ncstc industry. The gentleman from Kentuc-
| ky had said, that the duty was not proibtory
they are willing not quite, but almost, to prohib-
| 1T an article, scarcely ton Of which do they
now produce. He denied alithe positions which
| had been taken, in relation TO the balance of
ttEade-Hobody, he said, could understand it. II
had been millions againstus, ever since he could
recQilect. The propertyhad always been going
out OF the country-and what is the proof of this
doctrine? He asked, if the proof was to be
sought In the growing prosperity of the country,
and the absolute accumulation of millions every
year, He asked 1.-THE Navy, OF which the gen
deman from Kentucky had spoken, was peculi-
arly the property of the East, If the West had
no protection to seek from it? As to tue fortifi-
cations, almost ali that had been made since he
had been In Congress, had been for the protec-
ton of the West. The principal one of the East
had been erected before the establishment fills
government. And, upon these grounds, we are
asked to impose duty of is Per cent. on an ar
ticle which we do not yet produce at all. Mr..
III. thought this one of the most extrayaga2t j..
tens, in this most extravagant bill.
Mr.. Lloyd, of Massachusetts, made some fur
Their observations In exposition OF the fallicy Of
all arguments mon balance of trade, as taken
from u e custom-house returns. The Report
er could not hear Mr.. l.. with sufficient distinct
ness TO report sven sketch OF his remarks.
Mr.. Ruggles said, this was framcdhc believed, as
bill for the general encouragement Of all branch
es of the manufactures ofthc country. He be-
lievcd this item would not be as injurious to the
Atlantic states they seemed to Inasine-he
went on TO shcw why it would not have so bad a
tendency as was supposed--he thought that, at
least, tie advantage of furnishing the article for
the coasting trade, ought to be accorded TO The
western states. He commented upon tie adj
yantages they possessed for the growth Of this ar
ticle and the great benefits that would be derived
to the country, from its production. lie could
not believe the difference between the foreign
and domestic article so great as to warrant the
rise o the foreign article to the entire exclusion
of the domestic.
MIR. Eaton believed every gentleman had
made up his mind on this subject, but he deem
ed it his duty TO express iis opinion in a few
words. He admitted the positions taken in re-
gard to certain branches ofoti trade, wherein
there were very small exports and increased
imports But he contentied that the balance of
trade with England'bad been against this coun-
try ever since the Wa. lie pursued his re-
marks upon the course of trade. He believed
that more had been done for The commerce of
the country than for all the other interests nut
together, and REQUIRED to the tonnage duties.