The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-06-16
Mr.. DAVIS'S SPEECH.
On the Bill for the more efectuaL collection o
IanDOSt Duties.

entering into debate which had assumed most
interesting and important character and should
nst recall the attention of the Committee to the
measure Immediately before them as the gentle
man from South Carolina Mr. M'Dufiel had in his
speech OF three days, omitted 20 notice it, This
Is necessary, that we may be able to determine
whether the amendment proposed by him, which
provides tor general reduction of duties, is the
appropriate remedyj or the bill ITSELF which con-
tains provisions of very different character.
I The bill proposes only to adopt such measures as
VIII carry INTO effect existing laws, which are now
lmpertectly executed. Apprehensons being enter
famed that frauds are perpetrated in the collection
OF the rerenBe, the bill has been reported with
view to their suppression; but the gentleman, in
stead OF advancing that object, has thought proper
by MS amendment, to propose an entire revision and
alteration OF the revenue laws do not complain
OF TINS, as gentlemen from the southern portion of
the United States, seem very solicitous to make
this matter of discussion though shouId have
preferred acting the matters in the bill BY them
Selves disconnected from the exciting considera-
| tons contained in the amendment
shall then ask the attention of the House to the
Dill but before l resume my seat shall also take
notice Of the leading arguments urged by the oen
teman In support Of his amendment-for this is
due to the source from whence they emanate. as
well as to the importance of the considerations in
volved.
I The only question deserving notice in the bill
is, whether the revenue laws have been evaded,
and the government defrauded to an extent which
calls for remedy? 1t is my purpose to be very
brief on this head especially as the gentleman from
Vermont, MIR. Maary) went largely into the facts
ana the proofs ne laid before us seem not only to
be unquestioned, but the gentleman from South
Carolina admits that frauds do exist.
The hrst evidence to which shall invite the at
tentlon OF the Committee, is the Presidents Mes
sage, In which we are advised that frauds are per-
petrated to such an extent that he has felt it duty
he owed to his station to call on the legislative
branches of the government for their nternosition
to suppress them. 1t is reasonable to presume that
the President would not invite our attention to the
subject unless he in possession of proof that
frauds exist believe it is not usual for that Off
/ Ger to transmit to US the evidence on which he
makes the statements in his annual message. We
consequently do not possess that evidence: but
stH we ought. IN harness. to presume that he pos
sesses enough to warrant his assertions But be
this as it may, unless l am greatly misinformed.
there is proof sufficient in the Treasury DEPARTMENT
to satisfy any who will examine it, that the rev.
enue laws shamefully violated
But, Sir, the proof does not stop here for we
have on our tables another document (somewhat
apochryphal If all that critics and reviewers have
SAID OF 1t is true emanating from the Committee
on Commerce, but as the source from whence it
comes is not suspected of Partially towards the in
dustry OF our country may with safety quote it as
an authority to prove the violations of the revenue
laws-we are told in this report which purports to
be review of the condition of commerce and nav
] Nh.
that frauds to such an enormous extent exist that
il we follow the statements of the ~ater rney
| wilt uPP1ur incredibly great.
We have yet another document which comes
here bearing the names, as | am informed of about
2OO0O citizens of the city of New York. who aIlcge
In substance that the regular trade of that CITY is
depressed to ruinous extent by the united energy
OF sales at auction and frauds upon the revenue
the sales at auction by their despatch being prin
cpal means by which all traces of frauds Hpon the
revenue are obliterated Their joint cooperation.
1t is SAID Gears the most alarming severity upon ali
fair and regular trade. l have noticed the memo
rails OF these persons, because they are as free from
all suspicion of bias towards the tariff as the Com
mittee on Commerce. being avowedly hostile to the
| protection of American Industry. | hold in nv
hand one of these memorials, signed BY an Officer
of the Custom House, in which it is said. ~'Fhe
revenue Is largely and systematically defrauded"
The proofs OF this alarming truth are so abundant,
that 1t has long been settled point among intelli
gent merchants" And it is added that tie officers
Of the customs in this city, whose experience has
been on the largest scale, and who have devoted
much attention to this subject, concur in the opn-
ions and facts which we have now statedn The
officers of the customs Yes, our own officers who
are under pay and eat the bread of this
strange as it may seem, in this opinion that
frauds perpetrated, the public treasure wasted
and the laws Of the country daily trampled under
| foot.
1t cannot be necessary to add to such conclusive
evidence. and will proceed to show in what man
ner these frauds perpetrated that we may under
! stand how to apply remedy to this crying evil
Your laws now impose upon most kinds of i'm
ported merchandise, what is usually called an ad
yalorem duty; that is, certain rate per cent on
the value of the goods in the market where they are
purchased. Consequently the more they COST the
more duty they pay, and hence the importer has
motive to bring them into the custom house at as
low rate as possible, that he may escape the du-
ties. The law also provides that the importer shall
wi he IN he oil
an invoice of them, containing the quantity and
value. to which he makes oath and upon which the
duties are assessed. If, therefore, he puts down
cloth which costs dollar yard at fifty cents he
escapes half the duty unless the fraud is detected
! This mode OF imposing duties has given rise to
frauds by false invoices in two ways first BIZ an
naturalization of goods, and secondly, by short
measure and as | do not desire the Committee to
repose confidence without evidence, will proceed
to lay before them some of the leading facts in NV
possession derive them not from manufacturers
or farmers, who said to be deeply interested in
a rigid execution OF the revenue laws, but from
that will not be discredited because of its
attachment to either of these branches of industry
from document laid before us by the 10000 me-
morialists from the city of New York, who are on
the spot and eye witnesses of the evasions of the
law practised at the custom house in that city.
This document has been long in print and as far as
my knowledge extends, stands unrefuted-nay, I'M
questioned. In the statements, the names of per-
! SUNS arc PuiPoSCAl ohtbecu1 uub LlSJ Odh uO lut-
nished to any gentleman DESTROYS Of seeing them.
| am informed that they are among the most worthy
and respectable inhabitants of that CITY, and shall
therefore assume that the witnesses tell the TRUTH
leaving it to others to impeach their statements if
it can be done. They represent, that by the con-
joint operation of systematic evasion Of the rev.
enue laws, and sales at auction, they have been
pressed and borne down, until many have been
forced to the verge Of ruin, and they give the fol-
lowing as some of the methods employed by those
who disregard all moral considerations, and finch
not at perjury to shun the provisions of law. A
merchant of New York ordered 1900 pieces of
goods from British manufacturer, Of particular
description and after patterns of his own, purchas-
ing them at as low rate they could be had in
the British market. He shipped them home under
expectation Of realizing the fruits of his enter
prise--but when his goods arrived, he found to his
astonishment, the same individual of whom he pur
chased had ahinned by the same vessel h0l0 MACE