Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-02-03
SALT.

Congress OF i3c3-S0-anl at tho demonstrations
mcnacing farther reduction, held a meeting at Ter
ra Sails, IN that county, during the last fall aud ad.
d'css"d vigorous Memorial 10 Congress from which
wc arc induced to publish such extracts a. our limits
Will allow u. aud necessary tn the understanding
of Tie morris Of their rcmnnstrancc
! IL Is remarkable that the du,y ON Sal is cspcci,y
Reproduced by many who are not even inmical TO
the Tariff, and ~ rrasonaa!c protection of An,cri
can Industry, tax the most Indispensable ar
ticc of lif'-and dcicRdci with correlativ, warmth
by those who take another Wow, for Iss Identical
of his bcug an article of prime ncccssi
t.. The enemies OF the duty cxclam against a Sal,
tax, one niious To al nations from the time of
Livius Sa!nator to that 81 the Gabollc--whilc it's
friend. find their principal argument Cor its supper,
IN Tho fact tina; this very duty or tax has chespenea
the article. In truth, tho who'll. Tariff question il.
involved III the Sl!; ir;;. Al st view duty IN
oa salt, strikes most obOciionahlc-as tayiuu
an article Of Indispensable necessity equally REQUIRED
by rich aud poor. But when we reject upon tho
operation of tbs dn'v-tHa; it Inns enabled our own
citizens TO omen the vast resources provided by nature
produced American salt in quantity equal to any de-
mand, and vieing in quality with the best Of all ma
iions-above all, that the country is rendered COM
n'eiey Independent. s. again be placed in the
dcpoTabc condition produced by the war, when salt
was $40 the sacli-;hc odium won; to Lc attached
to the nnnn Of salt tax, ought De RENTED in con-
temptation of The solid. permanent aud extended be-
nrfs IBIS salt tax has rendered.
Eu' we do not mean to argue the question: for it
is done to hand. in the able Memorial of tho
kcnawhn Salt Manufacturers w Lelnre us From,
that Memorial we now proceed to extract: and first
the historical view of the legislation on this subject.
MEMORIAL.
To the Senate and House of Representatives or tho
United States of America; IN Compress Assem-
bleG.
Tie manufacturers Of Salt in the county OF IA
nawhain the Commonwealth Of Virginia have sr.D ,
with the serious apprehension. ard co,c.,r
the proceedings mad Congress at its last session
m relation - the protective du:y which herciofre
s.s.aned ard el' ended the salt business in the o. S
They had not been nattcntive to the manifesto
tons OF uIr!e.rdy feeling towards this branch o +
American industry; AM ton Early measures by which
they rccci becr- the government, SoHs of the facts
aud reasons tending, as they thought, 10 show hat
the home manufacture of salt, could not &c gwen
up less restrained foreign competitions without H.!
ninety endangerIng the hone re sources for one of
III" most important aud essential articles OF do,ncs-
tic use and public ineres::-and their memorial now
on The files OF Congress, and printed by order of the
Senate OF 2lst of Jan. 1925, is most respectful!y
referred 10, and its consideration earnestly solicited
The duty on salt, as source Of revenue aud as
an encouragement, to domestic enterprise III its pro-
The FIRST Congress which assembled under our
present Constitution, by act approved by The Pre-.
Sd1nt, on the 2oth OF July, 1889, imposed duty Of
six cents per bushel on all salt imported into the
States. The same congress at their next session. by
an rct OF the 10Th August 1870, increased The duty
20 10 cents per 6ushe!.
These enactments laid the foundation for the ex-
prrIments which made III the production of
salt along Eastern coast; and added add ionsl III
muus To the researches making in the West Tor the
discovery Of supplies of this Necessary of lie
The encouragement hnweyer was deemed
adequate TO sufficiently :apd dcycobem"nt of the
resources Of tho couairy aad the 3Jti Sept 1917
Congress Augmented the duty OF FOR ign salt TO
20 cents per Iushcl
The great variety however of commercial OBJ
iccts which then attracted the lnncd capital of the
country, left hot !iis for investments IN nanurlc-
lures of any kind; aud salt remained among the mos,
i'ngnd Under these circumstances, the expert
ment was made during Mr. Jcfarson's adminlslra
ton, when the RESOURCES Of the government were
superabundant, and but little capital invested IN
salt making, OF Introducing supplies from abroad
without charge: and by the act of the Sd March
1907, all salt imported INTO the L. States after The
3lst of Dec that year, declared free Of duty
Happily was II for the country, that this expert
mcnt was made! Salt imported WI hout nm
post, from the LIST of Jan. 1905 until tho LIST of Jam
1914; and affirm without the fear Of contradic ION
th5t the article higher throughout the United
States during those years, tstn during any PC
ROD Of the same length, from the close Of the war of
the revolution up to the present time. But this in
fully examined
During the iS'e war, the disastrous effects of rely-
ing upon others in .me Of pence for an article which
eners essentially inCp ire very existence OF civil
Zsd society, and thc banei. rCucncc that had fol.
lowed The abandonment Of the pttemri TO bring the
resources of home supply into usei deve'opencnt,
and Their products TO 81 elevation sonegYhat com
mensurate to the national demand, became strongly
apparent 10 all And under the LIBERAL and enlarged
national policy which then marked the course orihc
cHncuiIvr and Legislative departments OF the roy-
'rnm mt, the duty OF % cents per basket OIL imported
sal. was renewed aud by the act of the qO,h JuIv
IGi", was re imposed on all salt imported after the
i'st OF January, 1911. IL may not be- unworthy of
remark. that the same which renewed this duty
gave The dra'ybncks and b1uUIies TOR the encourar
mont OF the fisheries, by which that important source
~ national wealth. and Invaluable school of snamen
ms been ~ aimed and preserved To tic union This
nc;, although rendered tempuary By the Limitation
whrh 1t con- aimed, 10 6 made permanent
The close of the long and snngunary war which
INA desOlatcd Europe tor nearly q quarter Of n CEN
,ary brought into the field of foreign commerce. a
host of competitors, by which the profits on com.
,n"tcaI capital previously employed in foreign trade,