The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-06-23
WHOLE NO. sose.
Mr.. DAVIS'S SPEECH.
on ms B'H for the more efeetuaI collection of
lmPOst Duties

NJ F1nf al
, oecelyi ior thought he put forth new doctr;ne
= suen as have been Commenting mon ~ IL,
len Twice 70 explain, and by his expanation hss
roro me question ON ground somewhat different
aom my understanding of the general tenor Of h;s
asgument As am about passing from this mart ~
ie suDlect TO another, will state how po,.- y,r
uerstand him, and hope he will correct me r. am
i;ons. understand him now to say that the
Pss Vi cotIon is not affected in the FOREIGN market
ny the tariff, but still the planters are hurdensd
WIN the payment of two-thirds of the revenue nm
qer the operations of the tariff in some other yav
nave already lntimated, that if his argument could
M. DC maintained by showing the planter suffered
a loss In the sale of his produce the onlv d;s.t
ole ground lett was upon the question whether ha
suners to the amount alleged as a consumer &c c -
e.gh heIcnandlze. The gentleman, after laboripo
eeal length to prove, that the duties fell on The
did not stop fefeS fife and tQhaccn said the evil
bear system unjust and runous in its operation
moment. But, said he, forty-fiye per cent Of
our labor is arrested at the custom house. and dis
6nrsed as bounty among the manufacturers of the
United States. If the doctrine be true which was
thrown out in the argument of the gentleman. that
the manufacturer of England reduced the price of
raw cotton, because he cannot raise the price of
goods and thus takes the duty out Of the planter il
would destroy this argument respecting bounties
for ii the tariff does not raise the price of English
merchandise here but leaves it where it was before
the passage of the law, it is difficult to see how It
affords bounty to the manufacturers of this coun-
try indeed we have the declaration Of the gentle
they say the price Of goods has not increased much
Will not, however, press this argument, as il
seems now to be admitted that the duties are not
taken out of the raw produce, but will dismiss it
with one remark If the duties are paid on the raw
produce, they are not paid also by the consumer;
II Is therefore necessary, either to abandon the
ground, that the English manufacturer controls the
market, and reduces the price, because he cannot
raise the price of his goods, to give up the posi-
ton that the manufacturers here receive bounty.
as bounty, it is called, rests entirely on the
suppostion that foreign merchandise is made dear
er in our market by the duties and that the con-
sumner pays the difference. One argument proves
that the planter, producer, pays the duties the
other that the consumer pays them-thus they are
twice paid if both arguments are " II founded
Leaving then the first branch of the subject,
come to this doctrine of bounties. The gentleman
says in substance, that the good will of majority
OF the American people is secured by the dsburse-
ment of forty-6ve per cent. of the whole fruits of
the labor Of the South among them; and how are
these disbursements made not in money. No
one pretends that any money is distributed. for the
money arising from imposts comes into the treasu-
ury, and is used to defray the exigencies of the
government. take it for granted, that the gem
tleman means no more by disbursement of beun-
ties than have already intimated-he means, that
the price of goods is raised in the market by the
duties on foreign merchandise and in consequence
of that our manufacturers realize more for their
goods. If this be all that is meant by exports pay
ing the duties imports it is nothing but the old
doctrine under new name-it comes to nothing
ali hPon & bhsa n Rf t. s w "
opposer of the protection of home industry has con-
tended for, namely, that the consumer is burdened
with the duty, unless the gentleman means to as
sert that there is loss somewhere between the sale
of raw produce, and the sale of goods to the con-
sumer. If there be such less, or any loss which
goods on being sold do not indemnify, will show
that it does not fall on the planter.
/ have thus far thrown aside the machinery of
trade and considered the planter as transacting the
business for the purpose of sencumbering the sub
Ject, but 1t becomes necessary to look at bus-
ness as 1t is The planter does not usually ship his
produce, but sells it to the American merchant,
who pays him for it, all it is worth in the English
market, saving freight and charges and pays him in
money. If, therefore, any loss ensnes afterwards,
by taking merchandise in exchange for it, this loss
tall on the merchant, and not upon the planter.
That no such intermediate loss occurs is rendered
sufficiently certain by the fact that merchants al
ways have and still continue to carry the trade
1t would seem very obvious therefore that the mer-
chant gets Unidentified for all his costs and charges
whether they arise from duties on merchandise, or
any other cause and it seems to be equally appar-
ent, that foreign goods come charged with all ex-
penses into our market, and if any one is burdened
| it is the consumer
have been thus particular on this point, that
there might be no misapprehension about it. for
/ am aware that the worthy gentleman from South
Carolina has been considered as putting forth a
new doctrine, as giving new explanation Of the
believe, as the matter now stands, it is but new
name for an old acquaintance.
He, however, persists in the opinion, that the
south bears the burden of the government, and
pays two thirds of the revenue. He insists that
out of sixty millions of imports, his three millions
of inhabitants consume forty millions. l have an
ticpated nearly all that need be said in to
this argument. ! shall, however, make few adj
ditional observations. There is no exact data by
which this point in controversy can be settled, but
will appeal to the judgment Of all persons ac-
quanted with the population Of the SOUTH to settle
the question by their own observation, Slaves
constitute considerable portion of this population,
, and no one, think, will contend that they con-
sumo much foreign merchandise, ncr is there any
reason for believing, that the white population con-
sumo more largely than the population Of any other
. region. The gentleman himself assures US they
are too poor, too deeply involved TO spend diffuse-
lIy. The climate of the northern and middle re-
gions is more severe, and calls for clothing
and greater expenditures to make life comfortable,
and if the truth could be reached this question
: there is little doubt that the inhabitants Of the
f north and middle region would prove to be the
/ greatest consumers on average. The gentle
4 man, however, assigns about three millions Of per
sons to the cotton, rice, and tobacco region, anC
about nine millions to the residue Of the country
He assigns TO the three millions, forty millions
imported merchandise, and to the nine millions
! twenty millions Of like merchandise. The bart
statement of the case am sure must convince ev
cry one that the premises assumed cannot be main
o. tanned. but tneTe Is an0tner CONSIDERATION Whlci
!, demonstrates the fallacy of the argument w
- have been told by the gentleman and bis colleague
= (Mr Blair) that the drives large trade wit
y the south in agricultural products to the amount
y several millions Of dollars, and that the north ans
east also participate in this trade and yet the Who'll
In amount OF their labor being in cotton tobacco, an
rice, Is consumed in foreign merchandise, for III
gentleman says, the market Of this country Il n
most miserable in the world affording them nothin
m worth naming. The inference is readily mad
- where do theY. upon this view Of the rnattor hr
- the Of taking these large supplies, IL ths
y consume foreign products equal TO the amount
their whole labor How do they pay for stock q
Of provisions from the west, and for produce from
north Can any evidence show moro clearly, ~
the avails Of labor are applied 10 this purpose, Al
20 that they not all spent upon foreign mercha
die Can any proof show more satisfactorily, q
the south docs not take dHtiable articles IN pay I