Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-06-12
RI0HNIoMD. JUMA ~.
SMuecLINe-and MANurAcrUsr..

Mr. Miles has again run a-foui'' OF our axti
cies on this subecand poured out in his last paper
the following disquisiion on Is matters and things
"Our friend Mr.. RS not close calculates.
A pound Of tobacco that pays duty Of sixty-six
cents, In England, ia hardly tenth part IF the
quiz OF pound Of wooien cloth, which. M
ger the dollar minimum, would pay "consideva.
0y Tess duty; but we admit that the officers Of tho
oii'ish government may be more efficient, IL not
more "vIgiianr' than ours because Of the better
orgsuization OF the laws Under which they act.
TOBACCO introduced into England, and not paying
.he regular duty, is honestly sn,uggied-manfully
smuggied, at well known and very severe haz-
aru; but The smuggling that complain Of Is that
OIL goods passing through our cumtom houses, md
delivered "to ORDER" to be sold by auctioneers,
with the hazard only of meeting an honest pay
ment oil duty, IL, perchlnce, detected.
I'VE have been made familiar with the fact that
vast Quantities Of cloths really worth 3d. steTi
'hg, nave been imported under tho one dollar
MINI mum-and recently, in one case, the duties
which amounted TO only 400 dollars on . lot Of
goods as t'uoiced, were made to amount to moro
than 5000, on the goods appraised. N. York,
the paradise OF British agents and American auc-
uoneers, Is the grand theatre ofthese operations
not, as we think because OF the dishonesty or want
OF vigilance III the appraisers, but from defects in
our laws or the want Of energy in executing them
and because of the facilities afforded to iryes-
po'.stie foreigners 10 defraud the revenue. These
iaciiities arise mainly from the mighty amount of
business transacted at the custom house Of that ci-
~, on foreign dccounf-the want OF suficieut
agents or officers to open and absolutely examine
sunciency OF the packages--and the r,qsiage-
nients OF the auction system, which are embarrass-
ing the regular merchants. as well as robbing the
treasury and running the growers and msnufac-
turers of wool. MIR. R-is probably not aware
mat the price oil the stock-that is, Of the wool,
dye-stufs, &c. used in making yard Of such
cloth as we have just above spoken Of in England.
is LESS BY THE WHOLE AMOUNT OF DUTY,
II u
ED INTO THE UNITED STATES. This is easi-
iy understood when we reflect moment that tho
British government admits, "the stockv almost
Tree OF duty, while we heavily tax 1t.
''We said nothing about duty in France--antfg
the instruction Of the editor OF the Enquirer is
gratultous. We knew that the tobacco business
was government monopoly in that country-but
me inducement to smuggling is rather increase1
inan diminished on that account And the 's6nik''
OF commodities, though Mr. r dwells much
upon that, as we have already stated, affords no
protection against smuggling of tobacco into G. B.
& France, that does not apply. with much greater
force, to "honest smugglings". of British cloths into
the United States A pound of tobacco, paving Sc
cents duty, may be pressed into the space of or
3 cubic inches; but quantity of cloth, paying
Ike amount ofduty, under the one dollar mini.
mum, would occupy many cubic inches. II Is
the dufy that presents inducements 10 smuggling;
and though our coast is extensive and exposed,
we-do not believe that much smuggling fproperl
takes place. To carry il on, more immediately
requires the agency of American citizens--having
common stake in our country and responsible In
character and conduct; but the foreigner. IN the
other less manly way Of cheating the govern
ment, has nothing 10 fear but the payment Of q
FAR duty on his goods: and even if he shall appear
to be an unqualified rascal, il matters but little to
him IL he escapes the penalty of the law for peru-
ry, &c, He changes his loca alton at pleasure; and,
at home, will only be regarded as a very e'cieyer
fellow" or an unucky man, as he succeeds in his
attempts TO defraud ''brother Jonathan''-feeling
himself justified in doing towards US that which,
rogue az he may he, he would be restrained from
doing towards the government and people of his
own country, and for manifold reasons that must
occur to every one.''
Mr.. Niesis ingenious enough to compete the
smuggling oil tobacco into England, with that of
the lowest sort OF Woolien Clothes-He keeps
out of view all the finer goods Of all sorts of de-
scriPtion, whether OF wool, linen, silk, &c. whose
value is so great in proportion TO thoir buIk.-Had
this sort OF comparison been made, the results, as
TO possibility OF smuggling, would have been cs-
sentialy different.
He passes over the other cause for greater IA.
ciiity OF smuggling in this country, than in Eng
land, viz the greater vigilance and egpionage
there, than here, with this general remark, viz
" the better organization of the laws under which
they act" Would Mr.. N. introduce the same
system here there, Would he Introduce as
strict and extensive police! as many revenues
cuters-tide walters, the whole body OF cent;nefs
over the revenue, which they have in Ireland aud
OF the lakes' Would notthe gdn frequently cost
more than it came 10? Would the Revenue pay
the eypences-not 10 speak Of the habits of free
people, which forbid such inqusitoriai SYSTEM
OF excise and custom-house officers!--Would he
multiply appraisers to the number which the scr1-
dniziDg system Of mnimums, and the complicated
system OF duties would require to enforce it,.
Would II not run away with considerable part Of
the proits' And after all. we beg him to recoi.
lect the temptations it holds out to men to
q tn her frir
lying, and unprincipled smuggier-not 10 spe ak OF
the expressions which il brings upon one section
OF the country, for the benefit of anot her-and
even that not always benefited, as it encourages
over pr oduction; domestic competition which leads
to low prices and ruined man1facturers-Of which,
there are already too many melancholy instances
in N. England
As to France, besides the reasons we have piy.
en- Tor the comparative absence Of smuggling to-
bacco, we call TO his attention. the great interests
the privileged dealers have in watching over ev.
cry abuse, anu the host OF officers which are es.
tabiished TO prevent that any other illicit deal.
ing. Would MIR. Miles Introduce the whole sys-
TEN OF gems a. drmss into this free country, tits
contrary to the principles of economy and the sri.
rit of free Couatry.
After all, we understand that the smuggling ri
England IS very considerable, though II is lessened
by the extraordinary vigilance of the officers, and
OF late SO many are required as to absorb largo
proportion Of The revenue derivable from the ini-
post Should the inducements in the II. S., be
made equal by high duties our coast and lines ars
so extended that the business would be much sur.
er in this country than in England, and. ther4-
fore, carried on very largely. Nor will our peo-
pie consent to so large an increase OF officers as
will be requisite to guard the revenue.
friend, who is more coDversant with fhess
details than we pretend 10 be, has favored MS with
The following structures on Mr.. Niles remarks:
" MIR Niles isnOw complaining that Goods pass
I'M