Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-02-18

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oi We most sinp. but least understood principles of
po1'c economy, that the value OF the material
peri'hm when your taxes destroy the manufacture.
But Tabor, arts, aud agriculture, fare better under
oar Ia Ill the and OF Amer
lean INDUSTRY Reversing every sound rule Of Taxation,
we nave hesped our public burthens principally on
those Interests which should have h-en most spared;
aud, With singular injus ce and iohumAni y; we have
placed he mo t oppressive weight articles sbsoiute-
~ essential to the comforts OF the poor. Tne taxes
coarse Noollen m, sS brown sugar. moasses, tea and
coffee, are among The highest OF existing duties
"ihe we have increased specific duties, The pri-
ces vi a!i commodities have been declining; and, " lille
The duties on the value consumed, have been thus
tuaiy increased, In instances more than 100 per
ceut, tn. earnings Of the laborsr, the chanc and
the iTner, have been stationary, generally decln-
ing. Thtir taxes have been increased, while thefr
profits have been lessensd.
Serious objections will, no doubt be made to any re-
ducon OF duty on coarse wooliens, salt sugar and
asse' While we feel every disposition 10 respect and
to consult the various interests involved in the continu-
ance Of these taxes is nevertheless higher duty
to inquire into the justice and expectancy OF perpetual
rag burthens which vary from So to 200 per ad
vaoren, those classes whose abcrs yield that of
productions which constitutes tho substantial wealth of
nation There might be some apology for their
hnuance, there was reasonable prospect that time
would relieve u.s. but there be, from the nature of
things, no such hope aud decide whether is
sound national policy to draw millions annually from
our iaOorng population, Tor earthly purpose but
increase the income capital the profits of State
nonopoles In England or France, they may egslate
Tor the propetors OF mines factories, salt-wSks, SC.
through permanent internal competition. And il they
never they have at least the consolation of know
nB that the weight OF such taxes is moderated by the
Vicinity OF county TO county, aud all the facilities of
transportation in an old and highly impro ed country
with population dense and Comparatively stationary
ana with limited aad permanent boundaries, productions
may overtake wants. and destroy the privileges of
nopoly But, what with hope of relief can we intro
d'ica such . system lao country, where can
no: trace, or even anticipate, the boundaries of agr-
cultural poPua.ion:a country, too, in extent
OF is. m
stances, thrice the amount of the capital employed
axes, under such circumstances, fixed and eter-
nal as distances and attitudes In part of cur coun-
try acomnoiity may, after long of years, be
amply and 'eapy supplied; but in all the remote dis
61cts the consumer must be forever ard heavily taxed
he taxes on brown sugar, mo asses, SALT iron hemp
materials for manufactures and coarser merchandise
rlust be, of necessity Perpetua at least the period is
not now to be anticipated when it will be cheaper for
every portion of the country to purcha of the dones-
tue supply The two heaviest taxes agriculture are
those oh salt and brown sugar varying from so to 27o
per cent ad valorem There are probably two taxes
which would be more unanimously repealed, we're il
not Tor the special interests Of very few individuals
and OF particular States. The that be expect
ed under such circumstances is that these duties may
be reduced, TO fall less heavily on the more labo-
Aous classes OF the community. hheavy agri-
'rture ought not to be perpetuaed, merely inc eass
he income oil the sugar planter, the profits of our
Jate monoposts. 1t cannot assuredly be for the in
crest oil the peple OF any State in the Union TO law on
themselves double duty domestic, in order to per-
petuate on other States, more moderate tax ON their
my State governments derive from this source
ley can certainly find, in the wide circle of Injuries
some object OF taxation on which the public burthens
might TALL with more wisdom, justice and humanity
IN some States, our people have 10 pay, only duv
equal to n IL cents per measured bushel of foreign
AT, averaging II pounds, but internal exercise of
twelve and halt cents the domestic. Our farmers
m the interior are peculiarly oppressed they are not
any condemned forever 10 consume inferior article
fut to pay an addition for the expense ofans-
roraon Independent of the State excise, and the incl
of DricP rnyin of Tho 20
reign duty NO state pretend that the federal DUTY
~ necessary to protect it's monopoly, wha nature has
given it protection of which ii he deprived
he salt works oil New York, considering the admira.
be facilities of transportation in that State are as con-
yenient 10 this Atlantic and the Wes as those of any
other State The of salt in the Mediterranean Ia
not more than six or eight cents the bushel that how
ever, which we generally import from ST. Ubes and
Turks Island, from nine 10 ten cents abroad saw
ten cents the freight to New York, ten cents the
transportation AMI tolls, according TO official report
im New York SaiBa, thirteen cents and the loss in
transporting, two cents making the of foreign salt
when it reaches the salt works at Salina thirty6ve
cents pcr bushcl when ii is admitted free of dtU The
same report tells that the expense of manufacturing
bishe of domestic salt 10 twelve half cents lcav
inr twenty-five and half cents a natural projection
oil one hundred and eighty per cent all vaorem, with
out one cent OF duty OIL foreign salt How, then, can
il be pretended that, with this enormous transportation
charge existing forever should be necessary to per-
patuate an additional tax of 275 per cent on the cost
abroad TO protect State monopoes Ii such be tho
mere expense OF transportation for 300 miles, on the
Hudson river and Erie canal how shall estimate the
charge in other States, not enjoying equal faciliesl III
the inhabitants in the immediate neghborhood of tho
New York salt works TO be taxed 15j per cent on
the value oil tho salt they consmc TO protect the State
monopoly, what must farmers pay in the whole west
ern district OF that State in Ohio in PENNSYLVANIA in the
South and Vast, and our vast INTERIOR What would
become OF our fisheries in the East, they compelled
TO depend State monopoiss for their annual sup
plies Of SALT Legislators whether Of the States or of
the Union, ought TO consider this perpetual traupsra-
ton tax on prime necessary of life, as of itself suGi
cient, without aggravaing il by an internal excise of
100 per cent domestic, and duty Of 275 per cent on
fore gn salt This is tax from which can be-
relieved by Internal competition The mpost which ma
turo has levied upon salt, in the charges of transpoa-
ton, IS IN all countries adequate encouragement for
home production. in the recent reform Of the ancient
policy OF Great Britain, Paidnent entirely abolished an
enormous excise foreign salt One of the wise and
most benevolent acts Of Mr. Je1crsons Administrations
was that Of March, 1907 win CHI totally repealed this duty
We may speculate will dJou' oprlg ing in.
IUsry but II every hb1rer mech mic AMI farmer could
save and twenty cents cut OF every busel Of salt
consumed in the United States, it would give greater
npu<e 10 manufactures, commerce, and agriculture
han all the ingenou eOnrivances of the mercantile
systen. This salt duty and portion Of that on brown
sugar, duies and ought TO have ceased with
s extraordinary eKactions As mere measures of pro-
lection, these taxes can never through The or
penses Of transportation, and the uncertainty Of the
culture OF sugar The duty on the latter will never
md oil we can countsrvoi the influence oil climates
nd seasons, and control the lave Of nature. WsMe
merely on the skirts Of that vast region with the tropics
'ever arrive, Ehen, through all the varieties OF seasons
ho ali q. al FAM