Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-03-12


DO driven 10 Great Britain and Russia, and our
hemp growers will then seek in vain for tho
home market for their produce. They will then
learn ono -of the most simple but least under
stood principles of political economy, that the
value OF tho raw material perishes when YOUR
taxes destroy the manufacture.
But Labor arts, and agriculture faro no better
under our tariff for the encoura cement and pro-
lection of American industry. Reversing every
sound rule Of taxation, we have leaped our pub.
lie burthcns principally on those interests which
should have been most spared and, with sngu-
lar injustice and inhumanity, we have placed
the most oppressive weight on articles absolute.
ly essential to the comforts Of the poor The
taxes on coarse woollens, salt, brown sugar, mo-
iasscs, tea, and coffee, are among the highest of
our existing duties. While we have increased
our specific duties, the prices Of oil commodities
have been declining; and, while the duties ON
tic value consumed have been thus actually in
creased, in some instances more than 100 Dor
cent. the earnings of the laborer tho mechanic,
md tho farmer, have been stationary, or gencr.
ally declining. Their taxes have been increased,
while their profits have been lcssoned. Serious
objections will, no doubt. DO made 10 any rcduc.
u, II,
molasses While we feel every disposition to
respect and to consult the various interests in
volved in the continuance of these taxes. it is
nevertheless our higher duty to inquire into the
justice aud Aexpedicncy of perpetuating bur.
theme, whichvary from So to 200 per cent. nd
vaiotcm7on those classes whose labors Weld that
mass of productions which constitutes the sub
stantal wealth of nation. There might be
some apology for their continuance, if there
was reasonable prospect that time would re.
hoyc US; but there can be- from the nature of
tHngs, no such hope; and wo must decide
whether II Us sound national policy to draw mil.
ness annually from our laborng population, for
no earthly purpose but to increase the income
oncaptal Or the profits of State nonopolies. I'm
england or France, they may legslate for the
ProPrietorszof mines, factories, salt works. &c
~c. with some hope that these monopolies will
cease through permanent internal competition
ana II they never cease, they have at least the
consolation Of knowing, that the weight of such
taaes Is moderated by The vicinity Of county to
county, and nil tho facilities of transportation in
an old and highly improved country. With a
population dense and comparatively stationary.
and with limited aud permanent boundaries.
productions may ovcrtskr wants, and destroy tho |
PRIVILEGES OF monopoly. But, with what hope |
OF reiici can we introduce such system into |
country, where we cannot trace, even antci- |
pute, the boundaries of our agricultural popula-
ion--ascDuptrv, too, so vast in extent that the
mere expense of traasportationis. in some in |
stances, thrice the amount of the capital employ.
cd. Taxes, under such circumstances, are as
fixed and eternal Us distances and ATTITUDES. In
onepart OF onr country, commodity may, after
along course of years, be amply and cheaply
supplied; but in all the remote districts. the
consumer must be forever and heavily taxed
The taxes.on brown sugar, mo.asses, salt, iron,
hemp, materials for manufactures, and coarser
snerchansise, must be, of necessity, perpetual !;
nj least the period is not now to be anticipated
when 1t will be cheaper for every portion of the |
country to purchase of the domestic supply.
The Two heaviest taxes OH agriculture, are
those on salt and brown sugar, varying from so |
10 275 per cent. ad valorem. There are, proba-
bly,, no two taxes which would be more unani-
mously repealed, were it not for the special in
forests OF a very few individuals, and of partic-
ular@ States. The most that can be expected,
under such circumstances, is, that these duties
may be reduced, so TO fall less heavily on the |
lnborous classes of the community A |
heavy tax on agriculture ought not to be perpet-
mated, merely to increase tie income of the SUI !
gar planter, or the profits of our State monopo-
lists. ltcannot, assuredy, be for the interest of
the people Of any State in the Union to levy on
themselves double duty on domestic, in order
to pcrpetuate, on other States, more moderate
tax OH their consumption of foreign salt, of
better quality If any State governments derive
revenue from this source, they can certainly
find, in the wide circle of luxurics some object
of taxation, on which the public burhens might
fall with more wisdom, justice, and humanity
In samo States our people have to pay, not only
duty equal to 81 l2 cents per measured bush
81 OF foreign salt, averaging II pounds but an
: internal excise of twelve and half cents on the
domestic Our farmers in the interior are pecu.
liarly oppressed they are not only condemned
forever 10 consume inferior article, but to pay
an enormous addition for the expense of trans
portation, independent OF the State excise, and
tho incidental augmentation Of price, growing
out of the foreign duty. No State can pretend
that tho federal duty is necessary 20 protect its
monopoly, while nature has given ita protection
,ok which it can never lie deprived. The salt
,werks.of New-York, Considering the admirable
:faeiyiAs Of transportation in that State, as
.conyenient to the Atlantic and the West, as
those Of any other State. The cost of salt, in
the Mediterranean, is not more than six eight
cents the buSIel that, however, which &C.
nersily import from ST. Cbcs and Turks Island,
costs from nine IN ten cents abroad say ten
cents the freight TO Ncw-York, ten cents, the
transportation and tolls, according to an official
report. from Nsw-Yosk to Salina, thirteen cents