Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-02-09

OF more prime necessity cannot be named
The Committee cannot here refrain from, direct.
ing the attention of the House 10 the testimony of
a very Intelligent manufacturer of flax which will
be found TO compose part Of the evidence here
with reported, From the facts stated by him IL
would seem that the alleged inferiority of the A.
nieriCan hemp and flax, when compared with
the foreign, arises, not from any inferior;tv of c
theroi the materials as grown in this country,
but from not pulling harvesting the crops at the
proper time, aud from giving them dew iuste I'd
OF a water-wrct. The Committee solicit particu-
lar attention TO this partot the evidence they have
taken, and hope that IL may attract the particular
notice oil the farmers If the country generally
The principal additions which the Committee have
proposed upon these articles are upon the ,i,.nanu-
iacturcd materials, and upon sail duck The in
crease proposed upon hemp, is $40 per ton,
and thatupon flax, is So per ton; and both are
made progressive, until the duty shall he $50 per
ton upon each; IL now being $50 upon hcma and
10 per cent or about equal to $50 per ton upon
iiaX. The proposition is to change the duty upon
san duck, nom an al valorem duty OF 10 per cent
10 SPECIFIC duty Of cents per square yard and
10 regulate the drawback upon the article
ne next subject IN order, though not second in
Importance 10 the agricultural interests of the
country, which has occupied the attention of the
committee in the draft of the bill they now submit
TO the House is that of further protection TO the
domestic spirits distilled from grain in 10 United
States. And here the Committee feel bound 10
INFORM inc House, that it is not with any view to
%
ardent spirits, that they have at all entertained the
subject Ii Is the interest and solely the interest
oil the farmer who grows the grain from which
these spirits are distilled which renders il sub
Ject at all worthy the consideration of Congress- as
connected with the protection of the industry and
substantial interests of the country. But If the
most extensive farming interests OF these United
STATES ,he grain growing interests of almost eve
~ section OF the country, are subjects OF mpor-
lance, then, surely, the protection of domestic
spirits, distilled from grain, cannot be unimportant
for IL Is TACT, too well, and too generally known
TO require repetition by the Committee that this
manufacture has, tor number of years now last
past, afforded almost the only market for the
/ grains in the interior of the country These
grams are OF so bulky and so heavy nature COM
pared WIN thelr present market values, that they
WIZ not bear transportation beyond very limited
distance even when water communication is of
iorueui anu where this means Of transportation is
not enjoyed, their ability to reach market is res
ulcted within extremely narrow limits But did
not even this insuperable difficulty exist. il is O.
quaiiy certain that our large market towns do not
O. nave not offered even atolerable market for these
grains in kind for some wears last mast nor do tho
committee see that there is any prospect thew will
DO so while our foreign relations remain as thew
now are. But convert these grains into spirits,
anu partial market Is afforded, not profitable it is
true, TO the enterprise of the farmer but better
than an entire loss.
The Committee refer the House, for evidence
to support these POSITIONS to the testimony of tho
witnesses who have been examined upon this sub
Ject. perfect remedy to the farmer for tl,ese
evils they do not believe to be within the reach of
Congress. But partial relief would seem to be
very plainly presented Our tables of imports for
the last six years, show a very regular annual i'm
portation OF foreign spirits from grain and other
materials varying from 100000 to 5000, 900
gallons, very small share of which is re-export-
Ell, ana The residue is consumed in the country and
consequently, to that extent, limits the demand for
the domestic spirits. The Committee are aware
limo has. L,A,
country would have heeD a very unacccpfable ex
chanSe Tor foreign spirits TO the higher classes of
consumers But they DO not believe that that oh;ec
ton can, at this time, be alleged. Such has been
,c duVahce IN skill and experience in the art of
uiSuHnS spirits from grain, that the uhiskev of
this country has become a very palatable and a
very fashionable as it doubt is the least iniuri
Gus liquor The Committee therefore cannot sun
poe MAT the comforts, or the Iuxuries of our
citizens will be much restricted or materially af
tected by such an increase Of duty unon forsign
spirits as viii reduce the quantity imported
But as inseparably ted with the subject of
foreign spirits, that Of spirits distilled in our own
country, iron foreign materials. Although the COM
init,ee nave no means of ascertaining the quantity
OF TINS KIND OF Spirits at present distilled in the ii
D yet, from the large importations of the material
from which 1T is made, there is strong reason to
conclude That then lumber of gallons must be some
Whht greater than the whole number of gallons of
foreign spirits imported. The inportations Of mo-
asSes into this country, for the last six wears has
ranged from IL 200, 900 to nearly II 600 600 If
gallons. by an examination Of the import ia
Dies IN Tue treasury Office, it is ascerained that
+ out OF the l3,OOO,00O imported during the last
year, more than ii 900 900 were carried into morris
/ east OF the port of New York, not INCLUDING the
latter port 1t would hardly seem probable, that
the quantity consumed in the domestic wav in tb;s
section OF the Union, could so far exceed the CON
/ sumption OF other sections of the country where
/ sugar and moasses are not manufactured M tb;s
proportion would indicate and therefore, II il
presumed, that much of the molasses taken info
our Eastern ports, is used for disdation This
conclusion is rendered still more natural when II
is known That in that section of the United States
are located the most extensive distiIleries of rum
IRON molasses. The spirits, thus produced inter-
ieres, equally with foreign spirits, with the demand
iorthe spirits produced from domestic materials: (
as the committee have proceeded upon the princ
PIE IN relation to iron, hemp and flax that tbe do
nestle article, where il either exists, or can he
produced in sufficient quantities, should be pre-
ierred to the loreign even for the use of our own
manufactures, so, in the case Of mOlasses thew
propose to apply the same rule. The committee
have no means by which they can even calculate
the quantity OF grain now annually distilled in Tho
United states, or the quantity of spirits produced
Ivy SUCH diStillaon. But they hazard notbinr in
me as1eriion that the grains are now pryyn
III these States lii sufficient quantities 10 furnish
to them full supply Of ardent spirits if the de-
Inand was IN no other manner supplied and they
refer to the testimony which has been given he
lore Aem, TO show both the present depressed pri-
Ces oil these grains, and OF the spirits produced from
them, 1nd, also, TO show that the quantity of tbese
grains can be increased in different sections Of tbc
country, 10 answer any demand, If demand could
be created.
With these facts before them, the committee
have proposed in the bill they report TO increase
the present duty ten cents per gallon upon all for
tod into,