Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-06-03

Now, how 10 this entire mass Of article, Affected Sv
taxation ! The eight millions whica we i'm
port rom abroad II subject 10 an average tax, which.
Tor the sake OF simplifying calculations. and that | may
be certainly under the mark, will set down al 80 per
cent. lhuty per cent upon eight millions, gives a re-
venue OF 81 400, 600. which Is he ancunt levied by
Tho Federal Government, upon cotton manufactures. 1
have already shown you thst even when tie tax 4,
levied upon tho wh,le consumption Cf tae county, ii
eanoot be thrown exelu'ivsly on the consumers, and
much less, most assurediy, can this DO done, when the
tax Ia levied upon only one.,htrd o. that consumption.
The eight milliens oil taxed manufactures, come into
sonpeulon with sixteen millions VI The same descrip.
ton Of goods, that are subject % 10 tax a, al: and vet
We are called upon 20 believe the tran. ceudsnt absurd.
". that In consequences, OF the imposition OF a duty Of
thirty per cent upon The eight millions we import, ,hs
price oil the whole twenty four millions. caa b. enhsnc-
ed thir,y per cent upon tho consumers! That 10 TO
say, a tax Of $4,000 900. levied by The G1vernmen,
operates az a bufthcn OF 50. 900, 600 upon The peopl. :
ard ills too, is maintained with perfec, gravity 6y those
who, in The very mex, breath and without even turning
round, al'ege that the Tariff does no. iasr Ease the price
''he protected articles In the smallest degree, but &C.
tnsiiy makes them ehsaPer!! Some, even OF our own
poll zeal economists ho node,Iy come 10, " ara 10 cor.
rec the dangerous bsfesis Of " our statesmen"
VITA an obvious view % mitigate tho ~inju'dss Of The
Tarif-avowedly holding it 'cfh as a system which
operates equally aud equi,ably upon ihs diff rent sub
d vision, Of the U0ion, have maintained, in Iaborei e-
ssy', a dociiihe. which Svouid show the prote cling sys.
TEN to be a Legislative curse wi,houta parallel 10 hs,o-
ry. sstlt-eviden hat the whole tsx can be thrown
upon tbs consumer, only by. Increasing The price Of
the taxed article to the full amount OF The imoosiiion.
- ~ Ni'"' y ef'tth thd'p ~ u DslCo OF tD6 CIHnt
millions oil imported mauufac ures be "a s.d thirty per
cent by tho tax, the Prics OF The sixteen millions Of
unaxed domestic manufacture! must DO raised to he
ssiHe level. Every one knows that similar ariisIe,, Of
the same qualify, csnnot have dife ent yrices in the
sans market. What, Their, shall We say Of a sys.
tenn OF taxa'ion, which drsws only twenty millions inio
the Federal excheqier, and imposes a buftien of six-
~ million. upon III, people ? This would be almost
literally the cate with tho exis Jog scheme Of FEEDER raj
taxa'it n il il were true that a p'riai and discriminating
tax CT thirty per cent upon asmall portion of our cor.
sum nOn, Opof dtes to enhance the coat nj tha Who'll. con
stump ion OF the Country, just thirty per CEN.
NO one, certainly, who will take the trouble TO
snahzs 'hs subject, Will venture 10 psrsevsrs in so
nonstrous a solecism. 4, would be granting a srea,
deal more than the truth Of toa, case would warrant.
10 cay I a. the whole amount Of the tax actually levied
oy TOE Federal Goverume nt upon in ported Gotten manu-
laclure', tails upon the consumers vi cotton mapuiac-
lures generally. We have seen that til, can happen in
no case, aud least Of al, in the case under c~cnsidera.
ton. Bat, will ooneeds for a NON mt, Tor ms sake
oil iiu'itaiion, that the waole Of ;hs 81, 400, 600 levied
by thu u vefnmeni, fails dpon ;he consumers of cotton
manufactures. Lett now be rscolse.ed that we can
not eoLhae he operation Of his tax to the Ugh, MIL
lion. OF impaired manufactures, but that il will dHlse
Ihseit owe the whole mass, foreign and domestic, az
certainly and by az obvious a law, as wa'er assumes a
level surface, when left TO II, own natural tendency.
Even, therefore,, recording 10 he theory that makes
the consumers Ply ths who's tax, the price of thu
cotton manufacture, could oniy be enhanced ten p.t
cent IN consequence OF a duty OF 30 per C nj on The
portion oil them we import. Ii requires no great skl
In arithmetic to discover hat au nhlLcemen Of tie
price Of twenty four mil ions of couon manulae,ures
ten pr cent, will throw upon the consumers of those
manufactures q burihsn OF So, 400, 600, the exact amount
LEVIED ~ the g ,vetnmeH'. LIT us now trace ,bi. one
ton a little further. | is a fact tina, has not vel been
denied-Ihoush | wonder it has not, that the merchant
who imports tbs goo!s actually pays the whole amour,
o the du,y at the Cuseon.H House. Upon the assunp.
tin have made. he Of course pays 80 per cent upon
C 'ton manniaeturefj bu, have shewn, that coming
a. he to-s intoa market stocked with twice the ouantitv
OF the same article free from all tax,tiop. he c,nno,
at the uimos', enhance the price Of his imported art
CO. more 'nan ten per cent, 10 consequence Of the du'
y. How ,heD, does he stand ef.cled by the whole
oPefat on! III, pays thirty per cen, at The Custom.
House, and gets back ten per cent from The consumer.
OP2n us "hoie eiSht millions imported, there sfa paid
10 tbs Government $2,4O0,o0O, and received in conse-
qnsnce, from the Consumer, only $500 900. Now
every body kn VS. that the merchant VII nos and car
not su7isin the loss OF the twenty per cent that remain,
some with tue $1,000, 600, which The 20, S"U"' "a
tainiy pad at ths Custom House, aud as certainIv bav-
aC' peen aoie 10 get out OF the cSnsumess? IL tas I'll.
'ehuy and impercepiibly passed, by the lcgerdemaiu
Of this ne!aFious system, from the rockets of ihs nI,n.
ter', and Is vary snugly lodged 10 the pockets Of ths
manufasturers. For it will be- remembered tina, ,he
price oil The sixteen millions of uolaxed manufactures
s 40 much enhanced by The duty, az the eight mil
lions which pay The tax; and ten r,r cen, u5on ely
teen millions o! dollars, sxhibi'- ;ls, 81 900, 900 as the
som ffaudulenily and uujustly taken from one branch
Of Industry, and given to another. | am aware mai
owing to the inditect and disguised operation of This
system and the inteTposed agency OF factors and mer.
shah's, 'he Pisines' dictates Of common sense have
osen involved In darkness and uncertainty, by art.ul
add ingenious wysihcaton. If cur planters were TO
transport their own cotton and rice to Europe, ex, bapge
'hem Tor maruiac'ures, and import those manufacture
'neneeives, Win a view 10 consume a par, Of .hem
and sell the re remainder, every body would see that the
principal burtben OF the tax, would rest upon tb,s
planters: i! would be apparent in tia. case, lha, III
itnpost duties levied upon the goods received in ex-
change for our agricultural staples, have reci.eiy the
came ell CT upon tbs planters, as a dscrinin .,iuy ex.
else du'y would have upon them, suppo ing that ,bey
Manufactured by machinery The very same articles
"Eieh tney no" Import In exchange for their cotton
ana nee. In fas'' the foreign goods, which are import.
cd N exchange for those staples, are 10 all int nts and
purposes The productions Of our own labor, as much ao
alii wa manufactured them by our own machinery.
we accomplish the same object by pl5ughs and hoe.
ana nofses, which the manufacturer scsomplishes by
spindies aud shuttIes, and maghiuery. Ao indirect
tax, therefore, called an impost duty, has pr.ciseIv the
same bearing upon the interests oil the planters and al,
concerned, az an indirect tax, called an excise du,v
would have, u levied on he same articles acquirsd bv
the process Of manufacture. Let us suppose. tb.n
that our planters, hnding tho value of their stapies re-,
duetd so low by the Ubiquitous schemes of their on
pfessors, Ga 10 be scarcely worth the expense Of trans
pofiing them TO market, resolve in consequence. 10
embark in the business OF manufacture. Lei n, also
suppose mat alter acquiring competent skill 10 The bu-
sincs', II should be found that owing 10 the abundance.
ad cheapness oil our water power, and The very low
fa'e 10 winch our expressions have reduce the price
OF slave labor, we could as much under sell our North
srn competitors, with our manufactured goods, as we
formerly did, with our imported goods. Let us fur
'her suppose, that the manufacturers Of the North
were to Allege-as | have no doubt they will aiIegs.
u we should ever be driven 10 tbs resort, have i1,t
suPposed-ibat owing 10 The decided ADVANTAGES er low.
ed by the Southern people, they could not COME nd
WIN mem on equal terms, in the business of manuf.c.
turs. And hnaUy, let US suppose, hat Congress should
hsaiken TO the appeal thus made, and impo Q upon the
manufacturers OF The South, an exclusive and discrimi.
na'ing duty OF 30 per cent, in order 10 pro ect th,se
Of tho North. Ii will probably be said, that such a
du y would lie unconstitutional I think il would. hut
eetla'n'y not more 30 than The existing system Ct pro.