Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-12-25
p0MTWI1NNa

Duties on Sagdr-Tne question OF reducing the
taxes on Imported sugar Is one OF the greatest import.
ance TO the northern aud middle states. Whatever he
the diversity u! opinions with respect to a protecting
tarid IN general, there can he none, we apprthend,
with regard to tbs du'Y on tbs single article. OF al,
the Ingredients Of food from which nouri.hment is de.
rived t. the huutaa body, ia. r. il 90 one OF such Pc
neral consumption az sugar, n'ne that enters into the
preparation Of 20 many articles II diet, nona that /,
agreeable t. 20 large a number Of palatc.. Y { hi,
article is taNod by the government a. IL ,hsre were n
sor, OF eumity againf { hose who made il. as II Il wer.
a dangerous | xury, az il there were a conspiracy to
debar the poor from ia use. Thousands Of families in
this cry pay at leas, 80 dollar a year as their D osor.
ton Of the sugar tax. The only reason given Tor this
Il, tSlt the sugar planters OF Loui iaua are 10 be pro
tccted. Yet ,h7se planters do not need the projections:
they are dong a profitable business without it. An in
teiIigent irieni. whose general commercial knowledge
and whose personAi Acquaintance with this subject,
gives the highsst authority 10 his iat.ments has fur.
nished M with the following examination OF this i'm
portant qusstED:
DUTIES ON SUGAR
Congress, towards the CLOSE OF ihs last session, mad.
SONS Important changes in he Tar;h; and it is to he
hoped mat ihe work oil relieving the people from all
unnecessary %bmrthens, viii be taken up in good earnest
during the one which il about commencing. Anon,
the articles which deserve an eariy consideration, /,
that OF Suger.
Sugar is no longer considered as an article Of luxury:
the constant use OF II has made it absolutely necessary.
SO much are we accustomed to it, 1t at the depriva.iSp
OF II would cot only lie attended with inconvenic nee,
but with absolute distress. Every family, however
humble It's condition., n'es more or less OF il. A high
duty upon 20 i'm Portant an aricIc-a duty amounting
to the first cost at the place Of gr9wth, opera.,s as .
heavy tax; which. at the years end, forms 70 inconai.
dsralie item in the domestic expenditure OF a family
Now, were this tax or duty removed in part, each
one would be at liberty, either TO increase the con
sumption of this article, or save the money which
the diff renee 10 the price Of i; would make. The
mechanic er farmer who now consumes one Mound
of brown sugar per day In bis family, might, il the
duty was reduced TO one per cent per pound, for brown
sugar, consume somewhat more than one and a hall
pound per day: OF he might confne himself to the une
OF one pound, and save seven dollars and thirty cents
per annuT; which is the difference between the duty az
il now IL, and WHAT, wSuld be al one psr cent. per
pound.
The object we ave in view ia to inquire whether
there ara any good and substantial reasons for coniinu.
ing this burthensome du"y; ard in the course of this in.
quiTy, we. beg to tie explicitly understood that we do no,
enter into ! with any hostile feelings towards our bre.
'hren of The South. Our object i. TO sxanins the sub.
jet di1passionately, and with reference only to national
policy-:ree from sectional interest We shall vie W the
sugar planter in the same light that we vie W anv otbe,
citizen, or bOiy OF ci'izsns, who embark in a mercan.
tile speculation, and who must g run the heard Of the
venture"
The time was when the exisenciss of the General
Government made II necessary to rai'e a large revenue
In order to deiaY is expenses and pay Oft the public
debt. under such eX gences II was natural hat recourse
should he had to n lax upon our imports. Bat az. han.
PLY, this debt "a in great part ex'inguished. and
az the sfiirs Of government, con niue to be carried ~
viii grta' economy, these causes have nearly ceased
10 EXIT. ans in our financial concerns a new state nj,
thipgs dawns upon VS.. Since, then, the plea OF neeee
siiy cannot De urged inr continuing high duties, wha,
other plea, Il may hr a.keh, viii be presented TO Con
gress To prevent their rslea ing he peo,le from a be,
Wy tax az that which they now pay upon sugar? We
are told, in answer, tha, The interests Of he plsn,srs
Louisisna and florida W II be urged-that ,hey reonirs
the Protecting aid Of government.
Such, no doubt, ~il' 10 inc general opposition 10 anv
bill which m ) he introduced in Congress 10 reduce
the duty On sugar. u r-msins now to he exaniosd
whether such protection IL abs ,Iulply necessary. a,J
~ necessary, whether II il ius, and eaui'abIa that ,be
people OF t"snty-'hree OF hese United States shouId
ray q heavy tax 10 foster he sugar plantations. nj ,bs
single ) ate OF Louisiana aud The Territory of Florid.
Tor to this Garner o. The Union lie growth of the sugar
eane is confined. Attempts have been made to props.
gate the cane in Georgia and South Carolina: bu, al.
thou1h in macy instances luxnriant specimeno b.y.
been reared, yettbs juice, when extracted. and srho
miued to me usual operation OF boiling, has ptt yisi led
any considerable qtautty Of sugar; ami. after rsnsa,sd
tials, IL has been iouad. that, however sucressG,I ,bo
para veraDce Of some f'w perseus nav have he, a.
OBJ aiming 4 few hogsheads or barrels Of sugar f,o,o -
canes, yet a. a staple commodity Of th1so St,,e,' ,hs
idea must be abandoned
~ the time when Louisiana was transferred to the
United States, there gers comparatively bu, fe 70 s,a,,
estates In that colony: he great advantage, which Inc
new political connection ohetsd 10 ,bose engaged To- ~.
branen OF agriculture, had the Effect to induce the for
nation On nnilar establishments by settlers from every
part OF me union, and in = short tins su0.r bsc,nS.
one OF the staple srii les Of the new STATE 'Tbs nn"n
hy has continued TO increase. AM % sueb
mat 'he crop o We PRESENT y,sr il estimated Al, sbou,
one hundred ihouSand hogsheads, or one bond,. "a 81
lions Of pounds. Tnis increase il no, IN bs M
NJ, when we con ridOr that the planter IL ~ s"'trie"
place, protected by a duty Of three cents ner IVY ".N
ioteifn sugat; and that, IN The second place ri -.
fh'pped to the norlh rn and western con.um..
ron al Custom House duty. and that sueb sv.1uue
a. ms s''t'e may ffqpi'r from other parts II the Union
on. brough TO ~ a. o fee from any custon. dues T.
,2lov'' %ersiofe' lha' heir sugar 1, sent all over the
Un,on. cntrssd only wi b the expense Of tr nspor,s
hon, insuraoce, and commissions, aud o,Lsr s,.nra.
are received equally as cheap. "P"'
nlslng some ,zP- nee in sugar plantations. We
WIZ poW proceed TO eximtns whether such sx,,a,,J.
nsry protection 10 abso'u'sly oeeesssrv ""u'
We vi s1ppo,e that a pan a i'm has been male a,.o
oulay o. sou 700 an tn9eslm ot, however, bv no
means eo'nnon Win new ssulets, who generality bavs
20 the tooms ni ~ s1cb ilrgs mean. The c "SV
isid 0 e ~ tClows, In '"P'" y