Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-03-16
(Erom the N. Y. r.. Post }

Mechanics anil the .fmeyiean System-We pub.
ished yesterday an accoun, OF the attempt OF the Tariff
men III Congress TO s,ihe the complaints of the Iron
workers agains; the American System. IL was FIRMLY
met and successfully resisted by the friends of fire.
trade--among whom, we were pleased 10 See tina, two
OF our city delegation eNcrc themselves strenuousiy
20 prevent the fate intended Tor il. The Committee on
Manufacture has hitherto been nient in
srumeni Tor checking urpe nvetis a.ions aud fo
keeping ont OF sight atoms
high tariff system. Memorials from oen and GOTTEN
manufactures, and one two other descriptions IF
people perhaps, whom it was the policy of the Amcr
can System TO favor AT the expense OF others have
been received with great attention. and have resulted
in plentiful crop Of new duties, and apprascment
bills TO entrdp the fair trader. But memorial from
OF the various mechanical occupations ia this coun
try. who suffer by the operation OF the tariff is laid by
with the old lumber of the COMMITTEES, and Tor any Ell
ct that II produces, might IA well be address ed the
Khan OF Tartary, a. to an American Congress.
We have COPY Of the memorial BE- fore us signed by
John Sarchet, and more than 200 Others re-n-nnfac.
urers OF iron i'll all branches of smiths k, besides
many shipping merchants OF the city Of Philade ipha
II complains OF the enormous duties On the matrri.
al which they use in their manufactures, while the We
ry articles which they manufacture suffice, on i'm
pTtaton only 10 a moderate duty. The duty o. hard
ware is in general 25 per cent ad paiore,n duty
OF 'hatiron OF which hardware is made, is from IIo TO
upw'rds OF 2oO per cent. They no reason, they
observe, that while wojllen and cotton manufactures
are rejected hy duties OF from 50 to 225 per cent the
iron drawer should be oppressed by these exrrbiant
ihpos on the raw material lie employs. II the own
ers OF lion mines an orges can, OF make iron chez
be prevented from manuf icutng it? They conclude
by comparing the po'cy OF nation in this respect
to that which the Phi'is,ines imposed the Hebrews
when there were smiths suffered amony the ten
trbes-when "there was in the gates, and not a
shield or spear among forty thousand i'm Is
raei."
Tae petition now goes to the committee Of the whole
where the subject will receive full public discu ssion
IL VIII result, we hope in the relief The petit
TONERS ask reduction OF the duties on imported IRON
which eventually shall in case exceed the duty on
manuta ctured iron.
We hive received the following communication rela
tive To this subject:
10 Btdchsnfhs, and other tcOrkcrS in Iron Steel SC
Why are you no. up and doing? Lnok to the exer.
tons OF your brethren in Pahelpha; they hav. arous
ell from their eiharyy;they that they m ,dp
hewers oil wood and drawers of wafer 10 fcrc rerv
Jer, overgrown iron masters They il is our i'm
possible that they succeed so long their raw
article is burthened with from S37 S67 90 100
pr tom They have petiioncd Congress grant them
re'ie-fon have only to call yourselves together a.
pit memorial TO Congress, and 10 not allow YOUR
selves to he cheated out Of your interests by thos in
terested 10 keep on the present gh duty The feeling
OF the public il changed and only requires ha,
mechanics pull at and together, and promptly TO
before Congress adjourn Look the attempts OF Mr.
M"lary 10 defeat the Philadelphia memorial and then
note the sel6shness of these American system gentry