Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-02-04
SALT

ed at the reduction of duty made ct tho soss;o, r
Congress of l8a9-3oCand at the demonstrations
menacing farther reduction held 4 rncotip, # To.
ra Sails IN that county during the last fall and adj
dressed vigorous Memorial to Congress. from which
we arc induced to publish such extracts rs our limits
VIII allow u.s. and as necessary to the understandable
OF tie merits of their rcmonstrance
| 1t is remarkable that the duty on Sal, ;s os,ociu
Reproduced by many who are not even inirn;c,l -
the Tariff, and to a reasonable Projection If Ar,oi
can industry, as tax the most Indispensable ar
ticle Of e-and defended with correIa,ivc warmth
Oy those who take another view fo,. The identical
same reason ef its being an article of prime uccosei
ty. The enemies OF the duty cxcaiu, agaius, Sal,
tax, as enc odous to- ali nations fron, the time of
l'lvins Saiinator to t.at OF the Gabe!ic-yfle its
friends find their principal argument for it's support
IN the fact, pat this very duty or tax has cheanenod
The article. lin truth, the whole Tariff question Is
involved in the Salt duty. At first view. duty nm
on salt, strikes most obicctionable-as taxing
an article Of indispensable necessity eoually reonred
by rich and poor. But when we rcfiec, uDon the
operation of THIS duty-that It has enabled our ov,
'i'S 70 open the vast resources provided by nature
produced American salt in quantity equal to anv de-
1nand and vicing in quality with the best of nh m
tions-above all, that the country is rendered com
Peteiy independents s canaot again be placed in the
dePlorabc condition produced by the war when salt
was $40 the sacl--thc odwn wont to be attached
to the name of salt tax, ought to be RENTED in con-
temptation of the solid, permanent and extended be-
nefts This salt tax has rendcrcd)
But we 90 not mean to argue the question for if
Is done to our hand in the able Memorial Of Tho
kenawha Salt Manufacturers, before us From
that Memorial, We now proceed to extract: and first
the historical view of the legislation on this subject.
MEMORIAL
Nfo the Senate and House of Representatives of tha
United States OF America, in Congress assem-
The manufacturers of Salt in the county of Ea
naWhaln the Commonwealth of Virginia, have SEEN
with the most serious approximations and concern,
the proceedings had in Congress at its last scsson
IN relation to the protective duty which heretofnrn
sustained and extended the salt business in the H. s
| They had not been Iattentive to the manifesto
tions of unfriendiy feeling towards this branch NJ
American industry; and took early measures by which
they placed before the government some of the facts
and reasons tending US they thought, TO show hat
the nome manufacture OF salt, could not be riven
up to less restrained foreign competition without i'm
ninety cndangcrnG the home re suurcas for ono n
the most important aud essential articles of Gomes
tic use and public irterest:-and their memorial nov
on the flies OF Congress- and printed by- order Of HI
Senate of 2lst Of Ian. 1928. il most resnar,r,ii,
referred to, and its consideration earnestly solcted
r The duty on salt, source of revenue and ~
an encouragement TO domestic cntcrDriSe nrc
ducton, is coeval with the government.
The frs, Congress winch assembled under Nh,
present Constitution, by an act approved by the Pre-
sldent on the Goth OF July, 1882 imposed a dntv O
sig cents per bushel all salt imported into TN,
States The same congress at their next session. by
! an act of the Oih August, 1890 increased tbe Jrt
to 10 cents per brIshel
These cnactmants laid the foundation for the ex-
:. permeni5 which were made III the production ot
salt along Eastern coast; and added additional ri
muus to the researches making in the W. est for The
discovery Of supplies Of This necessary of life
The encouragement. however. was NOT doom oil
adequate TO sufficiently rapid deyeopement of tho
resources of the country; and the 3Oth Sept 1897
Congress augmented the duty foreign salt TO
90 cents per Jushcl
, The great variety however. Of cOmnorciaI oh
iects which then attracted the limited ca pital of the
country, left bot little for investments IN r,apufac
lures of any knd and salt remained anoau tho r,rs,
. lingpid Under these circumstances, the expert
ment was made during MIR IcilarsDn's admip1stra
ton, when the resources Of tho government yvern
supcra6undont and but little capital invested in
salt making, Of Introducing supplies from abroad
without charge; and by Tic act of the Sd March
1907, all salt imported INTO the L. States after The
1is OF Dec IN that year, declared free of tu,,,
Happily was 1t for the country, that this cyDeri-
ncnt was made. Salt was Imported without i'm
post from the LIST Of Jan. 1906 until The lst Of Ian
1914; and affirm without the fear Of conlrodc INV,
that the articlezwas higher throughout the Unj,cr
States during those SIX years. than durinr anv -,
rod OF the same length from tho close Of the war
tercsng fact VIII be again advertcd 20, and NOR,
fully examined
During the late war, The disastrous effects Of RELY.
ing upon others III time ofpcacc for an article whc!
enters 50 essentially into the very existence Of civil
zcd society, and the baneful influence that had fol-
lowed the abandonment OF the attempt TO bripc Inc
resources ola home supply into useful devcopement
and their products to an elevation somewhat com
meDsura;e to the national demand. became STRONGLY
apparent 10 all. And under the liberal and cnargec
national policy which then marked the course oftbr
executive and legislative departments Of the row
eminent. the duty OF 20 cents pcr buslcl on ,Dort ed
salt was renewed, and by tho act Of the 2olh JuIy
1919, re imposed OF all salt imported after tho
first Of January, 1917. 1t may not be unworthy of
remark. that the act which renewed this dutv
gave the drawbacks and bounliss for the re-
Of the fisheries by which tfot important source
i of national wealth and Invaluable school Of soarncn
has been sustained and preserved to tic Union This
act although rendered Temporary by the limitation
Q which it contained, was in 1915 made permanent
n The close Of the long and songuira!v war winch
had doscatol Europe tor nearly quarter Of n cen
iary brought into the field OF foreign commerce =
Il. host Of competitors. by which the profits on com,
mcrcal capital previously employed in forelrn trade
became greatly lessened, and its owners scekinr for
. u more secure and advantageous eu7Sovroenf tr-