Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-05-03
from seventy-ive pounds to one per


cent.
s. The next reduction is in French
Gloves TO thirty per cent, instead OF the
absolute prohibition now existing.
9. The next is in Foreign Iron, from
six pounds ten shillings per ton to one
pound ten shillings. And the last and
10th, Is in Foreign Copper, from fifty
four pounds to twenty-seven per ton.
Such is the boon which MI. Huskis-
son has now conferred upon the trade
and commerce of the country; and we
hesitate not to say, that very few
years will pass before the community
will reap the most large and ample be-
nefss from this liberal system. The
freedom of trade is the life of trade; the
more free it is, the more will it spread
Itself and enlarge its dimensions and its
benefits. National monopoly has the
same general effects as individual mo-
nopoly. 1t narrows the market, dimi-
nishcs the demand, and impairs the
quality of the article. When people
become satisfied with articles of infe-
rior quality, there is no inducement to
the manufacturer to attempt improve
ment; the public is satisfied, and he
gains his profit. But where the pre-
sence of foreign articles of superior
workmanship (if there be any such,
calls forth the public taste for such ar
ticles, and where the manufacturer
must come up to the foreign sample.
or concede the market, his emulation
will soon improve the domestic manu-
facture, and reach at least an equality
with the foreigner.
REDUCTION OF DUTIES.
Mr.. Huskisson rose to move the
qualification of certain duties paid on
the importation of various articles used
in our domestic manufactures, with
the view of encouraging those manu-
features. The principles on which he
proceeded had now had some expert
ence; and all expectations of their pre-
judicial result, formed by some, had
not been realized AS he and the
Chancellor of Exchequer had hitherto
had much support, and as their plans
were found beneficial, he trusted that
they would continue to have their sup
port fully equal to what they had here
tofore enjoyed. 1t would be remem-
bered that when change Of the duties
on silk imported, sc. was proposed,
the protecting duty on importation OF
sos. was proposed. He had imagined
with others, that the duty Of sos. would
operate as bounty TO smugglers but
he had been agreeably disappointed,
and such was the progress of our silk
trade, that our neighbors had evinced
considerable uneasiness at the success.
Attention now was wanted to our cot
ton trade, which was without rival in
the world. SO much had it increased,
that the exports Of last year Of cottons,
official value, amounted to o,ooOi.
and yet that trade was oppressed with
duties on raw materials, in some instan-
ces to the extent OFFS and 81 per cent;
he proposed that all the raw materials,
wherever imported from, should be at
10 per cent. The woollen trade had
been petted by parliament, and like O.
Their favorite children, it was not so vi
gorous. The duties on wooilen goods
amounted To so per cent; he
proposed to reduce it to / 5 per cent
The great increase of the trade that
might be effected would, he apprehend-
ed, Justify this change. The cotton
had been more success
full than those of wooIen; and it was
how greatly the demands
had increased. The next branch of
trade was linen. The duties on foreign
linens varied from 40 to $50 per cent.
he proposed IS per cent. duty nd U0Lo-
rem, on all foreign linens. He should
also reduce the duty on foreign paper,
to be twice that of the duty on English
paper. On foreign glass bottles he
should reduce the duty for now the
duty was twice as much as that on the
precious liquors they contained; he
would suggest to reduce the duty from
lss to SIS. per dozen. Our selling price
was about IS. Cd. per dozen, SO that it
would not iniure the home trade. 1t
would be for foreign bottles 90 per cent
over and above the Excise duty paid
on home manufactured bottles. The
duty on foreign eathenware he mean.
to reduce from seventy-hve to fifteen
per cent. He should also propose re-
auctions ofth duties on foreign gloves
porcelain, &c. which operated unfavo-
rably with foreign powers, and only en-
couraged smuggling on our own coasts.
He also proposed to reduce the duties
on metallic substances; first, the duty
on foreign iron from 81. los to II. los.
Since he had given the in,imation he
had seen many iron masters, but they
all seemed to think that freedom of
trade was excellent in all branches, ex-
cept in the iron trade-there monopoly
was the best thing in the world. "a
Laugh.J The high duties, however,
were occasioning orders to be sent to
Germany instead of ENGLAND The