Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-03-28

~, Involves the ultimate and permanent destIuc-
tion OF ut least one-half of the foreign commerce
that contributes to the revenues of this Gotern-
ment
The impor;ations of foreign merchandise 10 1s26,
exciuding from The estimate the portion that paws
no duty, amounted, in round numbers 10 ss72-
100000 sQs-this sum- sugar, and the manufrr-
lures OF cutiols wool, hemp, iron, and stcsl #nd
the raw material OF the four last, amountedtto
$So,ooo,o Goo. Al of these are now subjected 70
heavy protecting duties, and IL Is proposed 10 ren
der most of them prohibitory The manufactures
~, lax, imported ir1S26, amounted TO So 0u1-
T1oOs and All the reasoning IA favor of cncousasiu
domestic manufactures by prohibitory duties, APP
pres, with toll force, &c this branch of that bus
ness We have not only On unlimited CAPACITY for
producing the material, but the exclusion. OF
foreign manufactures ofhax, even if should nor
produce the domestic manufacture of that material
would cause cotton shifting and other fabrics &c,
be substituted for those OF flax, and thus at the
same time, increase the consumption of raw cotton
and extend the demand for it's manufacture. eIfto
this we add $2,000,0o0 for the amount Of indigo
imported in 1926 under very low duty--an arti-
Gle which be produced in the Southern. States
10 an unlimited extent, if adequately protected--is
viii be seen that 35 000, 000.ef the nportstions of
ls26, fall clearly under the hanof the prohbiory
system.
The principal other duty paying articles, import
ed in 1926, were silks wine coffee, 81 tea amount
lingto 81 500 Gee, and spirits and nloiasses A.
| mounting to 81 500,O0O. The two last enurnera.
ted articles should, in the opinion of the Com
mittee Manufactures, be subjected 10 psoAihi
tory duties, with a view to the ENCOURAGEMENT
of the grain growers and rn2nufacturers of wills
key in the United States; and this committee can
perceive grounds Tor Distinction which yo,,it
deprive our farmers of PROTECTION in this form,
while 1t Is granted to ott%r interests in ether
forms. The remaining importatious- OF 1926 u
mounting 10 $4,000, 600, consisted of mapufac-
tuTes of wood, leather glass, copper and of vari-
ols other materials; hats, honnets and cars; lead
paper, and cigars; salt spicss, fruits, vinegar co.
Goa, and various other articles TOO inconsderable
10 be enumerated IL will be perceived, that os
the articles last enumerated a considerable prc-
portion fd within the acknowledged principles. s.
indeed, within the provisions Of TIE protecting
system.
kren the foregoing statement, it is appoGcnt.Mat
tho committee have been quite within limits in as
stunning that the extension OF the ppohbitory sys-
fem TO It's Legitimate results and the point which
It must soon reach, II not now arrested, will cut
off one-ka!f of our foreign commerce.
IL j. time now 10 inquire what those articles %.
foreign mcrchaudise Will be, which are To ~
Up the chaSni in foreign commerce pro,fucep
by the prohibition Of $4,000 00O OF our present
iuiporta':cnss- They cannot be manufactures q
cotton, wool, iron, hemp fax or, nleelany cStAe
manufactures enumerated in tn above ataiysis OF
our foreign commerce, Except ~ les and sfks.I
for they, all OF them, fall within the principles x
most Of them within the eS;~..us suG piesasse.i :
provisions o. the protecting pdiics. They canr5t
/ be gram, wool, hemp, spirits, sugar or salt:
for these are also articles that il is deemed igJpor
tant 20 protect against foreign competition In
deed, ii IS obvious, that all the great staples OF a
gricullure and manufactures every thing appIica
bic to the purposes of feeding and clothing man
kind, by supplying either the nCcsss.r.es, the
comforts, or the iuXuIics of lie; are excluded hy
the pTOhibiiory policy, wi II the exception oi tea
coilee, spices, cocoa, and few small articles OF
similar kind, some small manufactures of fncon-
siderable importance, and the committee will add
silks and wines 10 the enumeration, though even
these might fairly claim place in the sauctlaro,
OF the protecting system.
TIuia ~ - I
feet of increasing the importation ofthe vcrv articles
it excludes, or OF leading to the discovery of others
hitherto unknown in the annals ofcommerce the
committee canno. imagine what other foreign art
;ces could be found TO supply, adyantageously the
place of those it is proposed to prohibit, even iii.
were true that the increased wealth Of the country
would produce an increased ability to buy ALTAR
ticles OF consumption whencesoc yer derived" To
assert that the iceGl of the country will be incre
ed by the prohibition Of imported articles, is at
least an ineligible, possibly plausible propos-
ton; but TO allegc that foreign commerce will not
be diminished by prohibiting almost the only des-
| cIiptions OF merchandise, with the exception OF
coffee and tea which now import, or eveircan
import, with advantage is, to make the most Of IL
an empty and inflated generality, which instantly
yanishes at the touch of practical analysis.
But the illusion Of this anticipated creation OF
new branche o trade 70 compensate foreign COM
IncTcc Tor the direct curtailment Of the pstpoged
prohibitions is not less ciectuay dispelled bv in
quiring what are the articles OF export of which
I ulll tfaOc Is 10 Consist what snail have
rort in greatcr abundance than We hive now? The
only answer that can be given, IS, OanufattuIes.
And it has been confidently asserted that the ex-
ports Of domestic manufactures will, at no distant
/ period he equal to the foreign merchandise week
! cludc TO give them protection. This is another OF
those propositions that can only be considered with
gravity, while viewed in the abstract. We cannot
command own market without Legislative
protection OF SO per cent in addition TO the natural
protection Of or 20 per cent. resulting from tho
expense ofimpoIiing the foreign manufacture; and
yet we are to compete with thc most sidfuT manu-
acturers in the world, in foreign markets on terms
of perfect equality But this is not half ofthe diff
Guilty. 10 what nations shalt we send our manu-
fictjres' Shall we find market Tor them in Great
Britain, France. or any part OF Europe3 II would
! TO export raW cotton 10 South Carolina or Louis-
ana In al the nations Of Europe wo shall have 10
encounter, not only the greater chcapness other
manufactures, but their prohibtory regulations
Shall we export them 10 the West indies, or any
/ Of The colonies Of thc European Powers? We should
there meet the prohibitionsof their colonial policy
which excludes all foreign merchandise which
! the mother country can supply. Where, then,
shall we resort? II viii be- answered, to South A.
merica and an appeal will be made 20 experience
TO Sustain the allegation Now, IL is worthy Of re-
mark, that we, who have the cheapest, most fer
/ tile and most various soil in the world, with
climate ia every respect adapted 20 The growing Of
wool. cannot compete, IN our own market without
( q protecting duty either with t'ie wool-growers OF
England, Spain, or Saxony -co1ntries, where land,
are from ten 70 twenty times as high a. they are ia
most parts Of the u. States And vet II is cO;,cciv
oil that we Tan successfully contend with rhoss
nations, in other foreign rrkes in the sale of our
manufactures. An agricultural matilda iucapabfe