Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-06-25


bushel
Here Gen. Smith, of Maryland, rose
and said tina, he had led the Senator from
missouri Into an error, in telling him,
some time back, that the weight Of alum
salt was eighty-four POUNDS. Subsequent
reflection had shown him that it was
below eighty
MIR. b. resumed his speech. He said
the Senator from Maryland was not so
lar wrong in his first information as he
supposed that he MIR. By was i'm formed
from other sources that Turks Island
salt weighed above eighty pounds; and he
had report before him of committee
OF the British House of Commons, made
IN 1917, by MIR. Calcraft, the chairman of
the committee on the salt duties, in which
the best Bay of Biscay salt is stated at
eIghty-iour pounds. But let us assume
the weight at eighty pounds, aud at this
weight It is incontestibe, that the tariff
laws have been the means of defIauding
the consumer of thirty pounds in the BUSH
ell. For these laws reduce the bushel to
hfty-six pounds, aud the retail merchant
and the salt manufacturer, improving up
on this hint, have made a further reduc-
ton oil SIX pounds, and reduce the bushel
to nifty. This is loss Of three parts in
eiSht-very nearly one half-and making
the salt cost nearly one hundred per cent
more. Putting all this ,ogether--the du-
ty, the merchants profit upon that duty,
and the loss in the bushel-a and the duty
on alum salt is shewn to be near four hun
dred per cent; in other words, the tax is
Tour times the value of the article, and
makes 1t cost the consumer four times as
much as II would cost without the tax.
This is a cruel oppression upon the peo-
pie; one which they ought not not to bear
without necessity, as shall be fully shewn,
for bearing any longer.
| MIR. Is. entered into statistical details.
to shew the aggregate amount of this tax
which he stated to be enormous, and con-
trary to every principle of taxation, even
II taxes were SO necessary as to Justify The
taxing o! salt. He stated the importation
OF foreign salt, in 1929, at SIX millions
OF bushels, round numbers the value of
S7l5,00O, and the tax at 20 cents BUSH
tel, 81 100000 the merchants profit up
on that duty at 80 per cent is 5000 600,
and the secret or hidden tax, In-t!se stYa1pe.
OF false weight for true measure, at the
rate OF 30 lbs. in the hushe, was $780,
OOO. Here, then, is taxation to the amount
OF about two millions and quarter of dol
lars, apoD an article costing S7I5,0O0
and that article one of prime necessity
and universal use, ranking next after bread
in the catalogue ofariices for human sub
| Sistence
L
| The distribution of this enormous tax
upon the different sections of the Union
was the next object of Mr.. BIS inquiry
and for this purpose, he viewed the Union
under three great dvisions-the North
east, the South, and the West. To the
NORTHEAST, and especially to some parts
OF it, he considered the salt tax to be no
burthen, but rather a benefit and money
making business. The fishing allowan-
ces and bounties produced this effect. In
consideration ofthe salt duty, the owners
and exporters Of fish, are allowed money
out OF the Treasury, to the amount, as i,
was intended, of the salt duty paid b,
them but II has been proved to be twice
as much. The annual allowance IS about
S25O, GOO, and the aggregate drawn from
ihe Treasury since the first imposition of
the salt duty in 1889, is shewn ty the
Treasury returns to be FIVE milions OF
dollars. Much OF this is drawn by undue
means, as is shewn by the report of the
Secretary OF the Treasury, at the com
mencement of the present session, page
OF the annual report Oh the Finances. The
Northeast makes much salt at home, and
chiefly by solar evaporation, which fits IL
for curing fish and provisions. Much Of
it is proved, by the returns Of the salt ma
kers, to be used in the fisheries, while the
fisheries are drawing money from the
Treasury under the laws which intended
to indemnify them Cor the duty paid on
foreign salt To this section of the Uni
on then, the salt tax is not heavily felt as
burthen.
Let US proceed to the SoUTH. I'm this
section there are but few salt works, and
no bounties or allowances, as there are no
fisheries The consumers are thrown al
most entirely uponth foreign supply, and
chiefly use the Liverpool blown The in,-
port price OF this is about l5 cents a BUSH
ell: the weight and strength is less than
that OF alum salt and the tax all heavily
and directly upon the people, to the
whole amount of their consumption
II is heavy burtben upon the South
The WEST is the last section to be
viewed, and il will be found to be the true
seat OF the most oppressive operation of
the salt tax. The domestic supply is high
in price, deicien, in quantity, and altoge-
ther unfit for enc Of the greatest purposes
for which salt is there wanted, curing pro-
UisionS for e1Port0tiOn. For this purpose
foreign supply is indispensable, and alum
salt is the kind used. The import price
Il 4 4