The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-02-14


formed OF the exact amount Of super6ne cloths.
Of fine cloths, aud of coarse cloths, which are
imported, this would be one step towards as
certaining, with greater accuracy, the effect
TO be produced upon the revenue, and the
probable operation of the bill but this effect,
and this operation, would by no means then be
fully ascertained; for it seems to be admitted
that cloths are now undervalued, and the rev
enue less than it should be. II therefore the
present bill enforces rigid collection OF the
full amount of revenue, it would thus far teho
to increase the revenue: but If the law as en-
forced, it tends to diminish importation: SO that
in these subtle operations oftrade 1t Is dlmcuit
TO determine what may be abstracted from or
added TO the revenue. have, however, SAID
Mr. d. for the want Of better evidence, pro-
cured from gentlemen well acquainted with
the importing trade an estimate Of the proba-
bic amount OF goods which will rise above the
highest minimum, and the amount which will
fall between the minimums; and they state,
from their knowledge of the business, that,
out of Ga, 546,714 worth Of cloths and CASH
mtres. being the amount imported in the last
year, $3.50, 900 would consist Of cloths costing
more than four dollars the square yard, and,
consequently. would not be affected at all by
the bill: 81 500, 600 would be worth more than
s.: so the square yard, and less than 81 the
square yard. On this amount the highest pos
sible duty, supposing the cloth to be worth
So: 81 the square yard, would be 5S per cent.
and so verging downward as the price lncreas-
% "a 99l nor csn, /. h,,t A. Lieas~Se Otouaoie
PTlce III practice would be no more than so
per cent. which is an increase upon the pres
ent duty of 162 per cent. the average increase,
therefore, between the minimum Of So: so aud
81 the square yard is 81 per cent. and this, if
no allowance is made for a continuance of
frauds, would not place the man ufacturer on
as favorable ground as was intended by the
law Of 1924, nor is il believed that it can ma
teTially diminish the revenue. 100000
would be worth from 81 to So: so the square
yard; the highest duty paid on these goods
would be al per cent. the lowest 33l-the
highest increase about per cent and the av
erage increase from the present duty 81 per
cent. 1t is obvious that if importations could
be freely made at 33i per cent. duty, the two
grades of cloths las. mentioned would not be
excluded by any increase here imposed. And,
said Mr.. ID. need not again repeat, that these
increased duties, if fully collected, do not place
the manufacturer on as favorable terms of COM |
petition were originally intended for him.
The next class OF cloths is kersymeres, worth |
from s. to $3.50 the square yard, to the |
am1un' of 100000; these are subject TO the |
same remarks as tine cloths last mentioned, |
being OF the same value The next class is |
cloths worth from ST.; SO TO s. the square |
yard, to the amount OF $500, 900; the highest |
duty paid by these is SIS per cent. and so
verging downward to 4 per cent. How
much the importation of this class Of goods
will be diminished, or how much the revenue
viii be affected by the increased duty, leave,
said Mr.. ID. to gentlemen who have greater
financial skill than myself, to determine. II is
h0Wavar tfof M epFinua IOss
accrue. here take occasion TO observe, said
Mr.. ID. that, as the sense of the House, so far
as understand it, seems to require an inter-
mediate minimum between 30 cents and 50: 80,
| shall give my assent to the amendment pro-
posed by the gentleman from Maryland, (Mr.
Barney,) il he will limit i to the insertion only
from conviction that the bill is made more
perfect by it, but because the judgment and
experience of others call for the adoption of it.
If this amendment be adopted, there will fall
under it, according to the estimate, about
$500, 900 worth of cloths, valued at from 40
cents to 81: 80 the square yard. have, said
Mr.. ID. gone into no calculation of per centage
or probable loss of revenue upon this class of
goods, for nothing can result from it which
ought TO affect the decision of the question
before the Committee. 1t is too obl ious to
ndmit of doubt, said Mr.. D. that the coarser
AoOiiSs udtt tOuE time DSeu mostly l.
supplied from the American factories; that
there is most ample preparation 10 supply
them, and that no want of them would be
known nor felt, if importations were to cease
Immediately. The duty of 33k per cent. if
fully enforced, as was intended when the law
was passed, would effectually exclude the
low priced woollens as 100 per cent am,
said Mr.. D. most fully convinced, when ! take
into consideration the probable increase of i'm
portations OF goods, the value of which will
correspond nearly to the proposed minimums,
and the fact that the whole amount of revenue
will hereafter be collected, that there can be
no material dminution OF the revenue.
An amendment has been offered, which |
proposes an adherence to the dd rGlOrenl duty; |
and 1t further proposes 20 enforce the law of
1924, by the aid ofappraisers. The efficiency, |
or rather the ineficiency of this system has |
been fully tested. We cannot expect to make |
law with more ample provisions than the one |
now in force: it is loaded with penalties and
oaths and yet, with all its barriers, it has
afforded little or no protection. The Commit
tee were persuaded that no other system than
that reported could produce a reform in the |
Custom-honse and, therefore, adopted the |
principle OF fixing by law the standard value |
of goods. They were aware that its operation |
would not be precisely that Of the law OF 1924, |
but they deemed this less important than that
its provisions should be efectual 10 secure the |
duties.
viii pow, said Mr.. d. make a few re-
marks upon the objections which have been
urged by the gentleman from Pennsylvania,
(Mr. lngham) against the provisions Of the
bill. He commenced his ingenious argument
by an euIogium on the policy, (Which has rails
ed the manufacture of cotton to its present
prosperity. This he imputed TO the tariff of
1918. which levies square yard duty. But
the gentleman remarked that the bill under
concentration involved a new principle be-
cause ii contains more than one standard by