Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-12-23
CO NC Il E S S.


proceeding, of Congress. published in ye'tef'
DAYS Gazette, to the following debate the IN
teres,ins nature of which. requires Its insertion
Tn the Senate on Tuesday.
The Senate took up for consideration. the re-
mort of the Committee on Finance, on the memo
,;als of the merchants of New York, Phllade'-
Mia. &c. in favor of further reduction ct the
duties on Teas. to take effect on the Hrs oil Ja-
nuary-the report being adverse to the prayer OF
the petitioners
Mr.. Webster observed, that he did not Use TO
oppnse or except to the report OF The Commit
tee. H. would not say. all circumstances cohs'-
,Iered. that The public interests would not oe pro-
moted by It's adoption. |, wasa subject "f grave,
and he would say. of urgent Importance, ana
one which required the particular attention o'
,h. Senate. The act of 1880 had provided for
practical reduction OF DUTIES OH certain artc'cs'
Of which tea was one; and there we're duties stu
existing which. from the state of the revenue,
MIGHT he properly dispensed with. 1t 1t were
intended that further reduction of the duty on
tea should be made, as he thought ought to be
done. it was important TO the various interests
concerned that it should be done az once. There
was a large quantity of Tea in bond In our GUS
tom houses: and il the reduction OF The duty c'u-
tempaed could now be made. to take effect ST.
mutaneonsly with the reduction provided f"r by
the existing law, it would operate much more
beneIicialiy than such reductions usually do, be-
cause of the great quantity OF teas now on hand:
as he before had occa aston to observe. tie would
have been much gratif!ed il the Committee on
Finance had seen their way so clear as to re.
commend a reduction of the duties at cnce; and
he still thought nutwiths tandng the report OF the
Committee that it was iEeypedIent 10 act on the
subject at this time, that sumr'ing might yet be
done Nevertheless, to be effective, prompt
decision by Congress was Uf the utmost import
ance 1t was now late in December, salh Mr..
W., and immediate action could only secure the
passage of an act to so into operation by the ist
OF January.
Mr.. W. proceeded to remark, that his princi.
pal object in rising was to express his dissent
| from the doctrines which had come down from
the Treasury Department, that no further re-
iuction of the duties on teas was cXpedlcnt at
this time. He would not then enter into an ar
gument in support of the objections he entertain
ed TO such doctrines: he would barely observe
that. in his opinion. considerable reduction
ought to be made, and at Once-such he believed
was the opinion of a majority OF the community,
! and he could not consent that, by the adoption
of the report, the idea should be conveyed that
| ent at ths time to reduce the duties on teas
He had felt it his duty to make these observa
tons from an earnest desire to prevent its being
considered that the Senate gave unanimous
consent to the doctrine which had come down
from the Treasury Department.
| Mr. Smith called for the reading OF one OF the
| memorials. in order that the Senate might bet
| ter understand the object the memoralists h.d
| in view. One of the memorials vas then read
| by the Secretary.
MIR. Smith then observed, that in May, 1850,
| an act was passed reducing the duties on teas TO
about one half Of the then existing duty, part
of which reduction took place un the first of Ja-
nuary last. and further reduction is to take ef
feet from the first of January coming Now, said
Mr.. s.. the object of these memoraistsl is to have
it settled that if any reduction OF the duties on
teas be- made. that such reduction shall take ct
feet simultaneously with that provided for under
the existing law. The petitioners have shewn to
the committee, said Mr.. S., that the holders Of
teas have suffered to the amount Of two millions
of dollars, in consequence of being kept in a state
of suspense by Congress tampering so frequently
with the subject, no law having efectually taken
place till May, 1880, although the proposition TO
reduce the duties on teas had frequently been
agilated When the memorials were referred to
Tue tuel t'"N up WIZ WV
most favorable impressions, and with the fullest
intention to bestow on it the sppdiest action; but
on mature dellbpratitn, it had Deen considered
that it would be impossible. at this late period OF
the month"; to act on it SO as to get a bill through
both Houses of Congress before the first of Janu.
ary. A very respectable depuaion from the
memorialists, said Mr. S., attended the Commit
tee. and they had been perfectly satisfied that the
objects they had in view could not nov be car.
ried into effect. Many gentlemen of the other
House. aud some of this, remarked Mrs, would
not consent to act on bill of the nature contcn-
plated by the memorasts, without going into
the whole subject of the tariff. Under these cir
cumstances, the Committee had been compelled
to rcpurt as they had done, that it was nexpedI-
ent at this time to act OH the subject. He, Mr.
S., was in favor of a considerable reduction Of
the duties on teas to take effect after the public
debt shall have been paid. H. did not differ ma
teriaily with the gentleman from Massachusetts:
he agreed with bin that further reduction Of
the duties was necessary: he would even reduce
the duties to a greater degree than asked for bY
the petitioners themselves. The Senator from