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

4
commerce., and the protection of the home mar
| lSet, he considered necessary to the welfare O
| the country. He adverted to the protection
| which had been given to navigation, to sugar
tobacco, &c. These projections, Mr.. j.. said
had not resulted injuriously TO the country, mol
ldidhe believe in the predictions of destruction tC
result from this bill.
Mr.. Johnson proceeded TO shew the advanta-
ges which would result to the country from the
domestic production of this article. lie spoke Of
the ease with which it might be furnished, wher
the country presented greater facilities foi
! transportation, by means of Improvements in its
roads and its navigablc waters. He was per-
fcctly convinced that all classes of the commune
ty would eventually, though not, perhaps, imne-
diatc!y, be greatly benefited by the passage oil
the bill. Mr.. J. reverted to the present state OF
foreign markets, gluttcd us they with all our
surplus products, 10 prove the necessity of crea-
ting home market for the fruits of our ow q in
dustry He asked If there was any nation, ex-
ccpt two or three of the most degraded, that
had not adopted the policy now proposed to this
country? He did not despair of the growth of
the manufactures of the nation, even ii this bill
did not pass but tliat growth would be slow,
and destructive to many persons, without the
| encouragement oil the government. His object
was general one ; he knew line of dcinar-
cation the North, the South, the East, and the
West, were the same to him.
MIR. Taylor, of Virginia, replied to Mr.. John
son. 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 to rob one
to enrich another. In relation to the depression
of the surplus of our productions in foreign mar
lscts, this bill, Mr.. t. said, protection a.
gainst it. The price of those commodities could
only be fixed by competition. The best pro-
| lection to cotton growers would be to admit
foreign fabrics freely. This protection to our
| own articles was merely tribute to capitalists
Mr.. Van Buren, said that he rose for the pur-
pose of explanation only to reconcile his pre-
sent vote with one he was prepared. and would,
doubtless, be called upon 70 give on the question
| under consideration. He was in favor OF in
creasiug the duty on hemp with view of afford
ing protection to its cultivation in this country
He willing to vote for {, liberal but rcasona-
bic increase. The one proposed by the bill he
| thought was not that character. The present
duty is $50 ton, the one contained in the bill is
| 81 80 per ton, making increase Of nearly
| fifty per centum. Mr.. Van Buren, could not
think that the cultivation of the article in ques-
ton required for its protection SO great an in
crease of the duty nor would a due regard TO
the other great interests OF the country admit of
its imposition. Ii therefore. the motion of his
friend from Massachusetts had been 10 strike
cut the rate of increase for the purpose of redu-
| cling it to reasonable amount, Mr.. V. Buren,
would have voted for it. But his motion was
not of matchmaker. II was to strike the ,lmtv
on hemp out of the bill, to which he, MIR. V. b.
| was opposed. Whilst, therefore, he would vote
against striking out, hc was prepared to reduce
| the duty contained: in the bill, TO an amount
which, In his best Judgment, would be Iust and
polite.
| MIR. Talbot disclaimcd for Kentucky the sole
interest In this important subject. He spoke
IL
| that had produced thein--iron these she could
only be relieved by announcements 10 her ag.
J ricultiiral and manufacturing interests--amoag
her principal products was Iicmp--shc had he
SAID, peculiar advantages OF soil and climate,
| for the growth of this article-IIe alluded to
] the assistance that had been given Virginia and
| Maryland, by the prohibition OF manufactured
tobacco and snuff; and of the duties on cotton,
| to encourage the growth of that article. There
might, hereafter, he thought, be some compete
ton in the country, in the growth of that arti-
! clc-and the time might come when South Ca
rona, Georgia, and Alabama want the protec-
ton of government. The duty on sugars, too,
had been laid for the advantage of the sugar
growers; and they were luXurating in this pro-
! lection, They certainly ought not to oppose
| this duty. American industry had been and il
ought 10 be, protected-it was the great pillar
upon which the country depended-no nation
could carry on commerce without exports
For many years, he believed there had been
balance of trade against the country. The
| imports had greatly exceeded the exports-the
money ofthc nation was going into the pockets
OF foreigners-and the nation must gradually
sink into poverty, if the imports of the country
were permitted to exceed the exports Could
This policy, he asked, be wise? He thought not.
He wished to know how the commerce of the
country, which was represented 10 be depressed,
and which had received great protection from
the govcrnment-liowt this commerce was to be
| resuscitated? Acts of munifccnt legislation
| had been passed for its support. A navy had
been built up for It's protection; built up, il, part,
| by the very portion of the country which asks
| protection to this articlc-and what more he
inquired, could commerce ask, at the hands OF
government? He spoke of the chain of furiG-
cations along the Atlantic for the protection of
commerce. He complained not of this--he
cleerfully accorded with the system pursued
but he thought the West, when little pro-
lection was asked for article of its productions
should not be entirely deserted, because the
shipbuildcr was to pay few dollars more for his
cordage. He commended that the proposed du-
ty on this article would not be prohibitory, and
was not greater than had been levied on many
other articles. The euIbarrassIncuts of COM
merce he attributed to the fact that it was over
done. He strcDuously contended against the
policy of purchasing articles of necessity
from foreign nations, because they could fur
insh hen a little cheaper. He thought, not
outstanding the predictions of the honorable
gentleman from Massacl usetts, tl,af with rca.
Tonabic encouragement, this article might be
produced IN great quantities i'll the Western
! STATES. NO nation ever sprung to maturity in
| any branch OF her industry, in a moment lie
adyerted to the policy Of other nations-of Err
land Particuiariy--in the encouragement they
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