Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-05-24
From the PHILADELPHIA Ga,t,,s ,

rT0W TIC '"'uuetPHln GneGte, Mp, n
1t will be seen, by reference to onr ~
from the National Journal. that Mr. T.t enae
on Monday, modified his motion i, raI,,;a a'iaerN
salt duty, providing fur its more yrqd,,a J" 0n,
ton, and leaving it to the House TO saw ' &c, teart
mount should be taken of in each wear wat ;
We have now before us letter &C.,.
merchant of tins city, to a member of C"a . Sat
showing the effect that would have been .s'e,A
ced on the fortune of individual, enn,i FSdt
that trade, by sudden and grea, reds1ea
the duty. After giving an estimate Of lbs d
tity Of salt in market, the writer saws. ~ yuan
"Our firm has at present about 81. Oooh.
which we bought, believing Congress vo 0JI'nei
US time to sell it off, but the proposed raI give
is to take effect on the 3Oth September ; nv,
our sales begin, The above salt has mad ,ni, WEI
average at least Is cents per measuring h W. y
and the proposal is to take off Is cents nes I h
ell. Consequently our loss would be S ~ U ose
as, if the bill should pass, very little MONTY
sold before the 3Oth Of September WIN Ut
"The reduction as originally proposed
cents on the 5lst Of December ls;I W.. w
we think, have injured no one. Salt i >, h "Vsa
heavy article, not suitable to be put into .,o,.
der the Custom Hou lock. as every dm D,e !. w.
removed considerable expense is incurred ~
great part of the salt is now in store. wa, mro,,I
last year. and consequently the dute, vo r1Tu
paid before the S0th of September NEXT Ts
reduction Of the duty of ten cents per bp,hsI ,'
deferred till January lst. 1881, We Think, "o"s w.
injure no one"
The present duty is 90 cents on each bn,I.,
of Sc lbs. But some salt weighs as much =, en-
lbs, and the average duty per measured brsLs
amounts to about D. cents.
The following communication is from man
chant. who has an interest in another h,prh n
the salt trade. He is Of opinion that if red,r
ton of the duty should be made in themanner M,
,cas proposed. it would injure not oaly the pr,,
ent holders of salt, but those who have salt nav
on the way from Europe and other places II,
importers of salt would not. he thinks. be abb n
sell bushel 10 the dealers till after the SObd
September. The whole business would be d.
ranged and as, at some ports, no ballast eEc,n
salt can be obtained, the general interests Of con-
merce would suffer.
"MessrS. Eiifors:-I noticed in your paD,r
yesterday your remark respecting salt diAa
from you in opinion. Let the Government redao
| the duty at once to 10 cents the measured bu.h.i
and have an account of the stock Oh hand in III
salt stores taken, and allow the 10 cents reduc
ton in duty to the holder of salt; the Merchan
then, can ballast his vessel with salt, and vii!
on equal footing"
In England it is the practice when a duty
reduced to remit so much as has been paid BY thOi
who may have quantity of the article on han
when the reduction takes place. But it wOul
be novel proceeding in this country, and v
doubt if Congress could be prevailed on to p,
with a portion of revenue the payment of WIKI
has been secured A gradual reduction Of tt
duty may be obtained. However this may
managed, some inconvenience will be sustaint
by the importers and the dealers in the artlcl
but if the reduction should be at the rate Of cen
per year, we should suppose that it would not m
terially affect the trade.