Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-05-25
SPEECH OF MIR. WEBSTER,
fConfin,fed.A


SPEECH OF MIR. WEBSTEn,
fContinued.)
In ordor further to show the prevailing sent.
nhcnt of the English government, would refer
toa report of a select committee of the House oil
Gotnmons, at the head of which was the Vice
President ofthc board OF trade, (Mr. Wallace,
IN July, 1890 ssThe timc,n say that commit
tee, 6 when monopolics could be successfully
supported, or would be patiently endured, eli
g Their in respect to subjects against subjects,
Z" or particular countries against the rest of tho
6" world, seems to have passed away. Com
mercc, to continnc undisturbcd and secure.
:" must be, as it was intended to be, a source OF
" reciprocal arnity between nations, and an in
" terchange of productions, to promote the in
dustry, the wealth, and the happiness, of man
kind@ la moving for tho disappointment of
the committee, IN February, 1923, the same
gentleman said; g We must also get rid oftbat
feeling of appreciation, which, exhibited itself
in disposition to produce every thing neccs-
"sary for our own consumption, and to render
ourselves independent of the world. No no
ton could be more absurd or mischieyous; it
I" led, even in peace, TO an luminosity and ran
sc cour, greater than existed in time of war.
" Undoubtedly there would be great prejnii-
. ces to combat, both In this country and else
"whcre, in the attempt TO remove the difficult
=" ties Which are most obnoxious. 1t would be
"-in some respects due to the present system OF
{" projections; although that attention ought GER
6 tainly not to be carried beyond the absolute
Sc necessity ofthe case.n Aud i'm second re-
port Of the committee, drawn by the same gen.
tlcInan, In that part oft which proposes dm-
mutton of duties on timber from the north of Eu-
rope, and the policy of giving legislative pre-
terence to the importation of such timber in the
log, AMI a discourlg emant of the Importation of
&c fob tNff
policy, among other reasons, 's it is founded on a
"prineiple of exclusion, which they are most a.
g verse to see brought into operation in any
"netc instance, without the warrant of some cy-
GO ident and great political expediency.n And
on many subsequent occasions, the same gen
tfeman has taken occasion to observe, that he
differed from those who thought that manufac-
lures could not flourish without restrictions on
trades; that old prcjudiccs Of that sort were dy-
ing away, and that more liberal and Just scnti-
ments were taking their place. These senti-
ments appear to have been followed by impor-
tant legal provisions, calculated to remove re-
strictions and prohibitions, where they were
most severely felt, that is to say, in several
branches of navigation and trade
They have relaxedth ir colonial system, they
have opened the ports Of their islands, and have
done away the restriction which limited the
trade of the colony to the mother country.
Colonial products can now be carried directly
from the islands tp any part of Europe, and it
may not be improbable, considering our own
high duties on spirits, that that article may be
exchanged hereafter by the English West In
dia colonies, directly, for the timber and deals OF
the Baltic.
1t may be added that Mr.. Lowe, whom the
gentleman has cited, says, that nobody suppo-
scs that the three great staples of English man
ufactures, cotton, woollen, and hardware are
benefited by any existing protecting duties;
and that one object of all these protecting laws
is usually overlooked, and that is that they have
been intended to reconcile the various interests
to taxation: the corn law, for example, being de-
signed some equivalent to the agricultural in
terest for the burden of tithes and of poor rates
3n fine, Sir, think it is clear, that, if W e now
embrace the system of prohibitions and rcstric.
fiOns, we shall shcw an affection for what 9th
ers have discarded and be attempting to orna-
rnent ourselves with cast off apparcl.*
Sir, [ should not have gone into this prolix
detail of opinions from any consideration of their
special Importance on the present occasion; but,
having happened TO state, that such was the ac-
tual opinion Of the government of England al
the present time, and the accuracy of this re-
presentation having been SO confidently denied.
] have chosen to put the matter beyond doubt or
cavil, although at the expense of these tedious
citations. shall have occasion, hereafter, OF
referring more particularly to sundry recent
British enactments, by way of showing the dill
gence and spirit with which that government
strives 10 sustain its navigating interest, by o.
peniug the widest possible range to the enter
prise Of individual adyepturers. repeat, that
have not alluded to these examples of a for
eign state as being fit to control our own poll
cy. In the general principle, I acquescc,
Protection, when carried to the point which j:
now recommended, that is, TO entire prohibition
seems TO me, destructive Of all commercial inter.
course between nations We are urged to A.
dept the system upon general principles; and
what would be the consequence of the uniger.
sal application of such general principle, bu
that nations would abstain entirely from all in.
tercourse with one another? do not admit the
general principle; on the contrary, think free
dom oftrade 10 be the general principle, aud re-
strictioD the exception. And it is for evory
state, taking into view its own condition, t.
judge of the propriety, in any case, of making
an exception, constantly preferrng, as / thint
all wise governments will, not to depart wthou
urgent reason from the general rule.
There is another point in the existing policy
ofEpgland, to which, would most earnestly in
vite the attention of the committee; mean th,
Vide NOTE at end.