Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-04-11

hye-sixths Oft is paid by them, as the purchasers
OF it, without subsequent remuneration, by any eu-
HANGED price of their commodities. and as the
greatest consumers of all agricultural products
Your committee have searched in vain for JUS
nhcatlon OF the continuance of burthen thus Sc.
we're and partial.
Because, though Congress- possess the power
to lay imposts," for the purpose of paying a. The
debts, and providing for the cp.umon defence and
general welfare of the United Ststes;' yet the
Constitution declares that, these imposts shall be
" uniform throughout the United Staies,'' and care
has, IN general, been exercised, TO make Il eth u
inform In their operation, well as amount. and
10 lessen their amount, wherever and whenever
the exigencies of the country will permit it.
The hrst tax upon imported salt, in Jnly, y. D.
I1s0, OF only six cents per bushel. dtclaretto
have Tor its two principal! objects, s' the support
OF Government, and the discharge of the debts OF
the United Siaesn
With a national debt Of almost eighty Million
and revenue ofonly about six million, there might
then have existed sufficient apology for so small
duty on foreign article, whose use, at that
time, was so uniform in different parts OF the u
mon, as 10 render the burihen not very unequal.
In August, A. ID. 1890, the same objects indu-
ce; Congress TO increase the duty 10 twelve cents
per hu,hel.
In July, y. D. 1897, the reasons for it became
strengthened by our foreign difficulties, and our
augmented expenses. But while these last fur
nished an argument to raise the duty s,I higher,
to twenty cents per bushel, public complaint ard
apprehension were, IN degree, quoted, by
limiting tie duty 10 period short of three wears
In May, ~. ID. 1900, the time was farther e.
tended TO ten years; but, i, expired and soon
a. our revenues from o;her sources had become n
de1uate TO our annual expenses and TO a gradual
reduction OF the national debt, Congress nterposed
with parental watchiulness, over The FIRST great
interest OF society, and, in December, A. D. 1867,
put an end entirely TO This inyiduous bu,,heh
Imported salt afterwards remained free from du-
~, till July, n. ID. 1913. Then as in former
periods, between a, d. i7SS, and A. ID. 1901,
our ordinary resources, by means of commercial
embarrassment and war, were fu'iud altogether ia
suiacen, 10 meet the wants OF Government and
among other extraordinary bugihens, the tax OF
twenty cents per bnsle upon salt was re.ived.-
But 1t was expressly limited TO one year after the
close OF the war, and, in April. \. d. 1916, would
probably no, have been retained, and indeed in
creased, by graduating the duty on the bushel
weighing only iiliy-six pounds, had not our debl
become swollen 20 the alarming sum Of more than
one hundred ard twenty millions
now, however, all the apologies FOR this tax,
whether original or subsequent, seem 20 have cea-
sed The national debt is reduced 10 shout it's frs,
amoun,; and our revenue from other sources. to
meet or current expenses and 10 DISCHARGE this
deot, have increased nearly ionr-f4,d Although
those expenses have aeo Increased vet in the last
nine years, we have had not only anple means 10
meet them, bu, 10 pay of more lhan forty millions
Of the debt
The whole impost on salt. within that pcriod
has aided In this financial operation, only about
I'VE mllliohs !; It's present annual amount of about
500, 900, appears TO Us not 10 be needed eli her
Tor the supper, OF Government or The gradual dis
| charge OF the public debt. While it's continuance.
| operating now principally on the Ease ,leciiyity
ci the Allegheny Ridge, becomes a tax so severe
and partial, on only single and ndispeosable
article, as 10 average in that region, from ole 10
TWO dollars per year in the family of almost every
/ aSicuurst. What is still further objectionable
an undue portion @! this tax, even among aeiicul
iuTsts, fall upon the middIing and poorer classes
ii 1t could be Imagined, that such a burhcn was
ever imposed, iih view TO encourage the do
mestic manufacture of SALT (the only apology low
ieit LOT retaining II sufficient answer would be
found in The sketch we have given of the period.
occasions and manner OF imposing and repeating
| II. o!iil further might answer he found in III.
iact, that, Notwithstanding the duty on sail, its
manufacture on the seabord has declined, rather
than increased and, in the interior, las flourislet!
not from Tie duty, but fron the small cost of HE
production OF the article, and the great expense O:
its transportation.
! 1t can be made in tie interior, a. price from
twenty cents would not pay its freight by land,
much hey ond that number of miles But what is
decisive as To the uselessness of tbs exori,tanr
/ and Unparalleled dry in a protecting view so as
to lessen the consumption OF foreign salt, apre.fs
in The records OF the Treasury, in The fact, rha, tic
consumption OF 1t has kept up to more than three
millions bushels per annum. In AID. 1922 :,
was !, J3S 323 bushels The amount of revenu,
on this article, at differ ent periods she,ys. thai
the consumption OF imported salt has increased
rather than diminished, or remained stationary. -
Because, in a. d. 1901 it was $576. 500; in 4
ID. 1896, $40; in y. y. 1890, $500 ,DI3
and in y. ID. 1923, $3.50 ,9!S.
Ihe tax therefore, appears to your committee, /,
every point OF viev, injudicous, and they enter
Y IAN an opinion, that TIE interests of agriculture
and the true policy oil the Government, reoui,e
n speedy attention 10 the feduclion OF it,
Il Under this impression, they recommend the A.
! doption OF the accompanying resolution.
Resoired, That the Committee on Finance b,
instructed to report bill, providing for a reSeal
the duty on imported salt, in a manner gradusl. o
immediate as, in their opinion, either mode ma
be - eierable, considering the estimates an! pro
babe revenue OF the current year.
i Tie resolution was modified by the Senate, $,
as to enquire into the erpedicncy of repeating 1t
PANAMA QUESTION.
We wind up in our paper of this day all il
II documents which were laid before the H. Of r. OF
the Panama Mission We shall also lay beior,
our readers in our The Report of the Commit
tee OF Foreign Affairs in favor Of the Mission
Il The speeches which were addressed 10 the Sc
nate in Closed Doors, are in a course of publica
bton iH'hs pages of the N. Intellisencer: amor.
them, are the speeches of Mcssrs. Johnston o
Louisiana, and Holmes Of Maine. The oppositio,
to the Mission seem to have spoken plain am
fearless language MIR. Holmes practises no con-