Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-02-03


dred and twenty TO two hundred and seventy five dol
lars for the labor Of EACH exclusive Of the value Of
asses' Shall the hundreds OF thousands Of hands
poyed throughout our widespread country in raising
grain, tobacco cotton and other agricultural products
be taxed four millions and half Of dollars, TO enable
twenty or twenty five thousand TO cultivate from eighty
TO one hundred thousand acres Of land at profit Of
from sixteen to near forty per cenum per annum' Sure
~ justice orbids It, But, advocate for continuing
the duty might say, that tho sugar culture cannot be-
prohably carried without it, IL he believed this tc
be the case, which heLnost certainly did not, he fol
one, should say, il was high time the culture was aban
doned.
MIR. II. said tina, among the motives which had nrg.
ged him to bring this to the consideration Of tn,
House. there was one, which, although IL had ,er
omitted at the outset Of his OBJ a,ions il might no
be immaterial to mention. He came fiom a State
which might b. considered by some az having an in.
terest In the continuance OF this duty. State which
as she had gone into the contest in
OF principle, was ready to maintain il now Yes sir II
was Tor principle tina, Georgia made common cause the
oppressed OF other colonies in that dark hour
which the sun OF Independence has risen on cont.
nen' As one oil her representatives. came here upon
All subjects connected with the tariff with clean hands;
" did not, should not be her true RI representative.
Blu, sir, did introduce this subject alone for the
purpose OF addressing this House. know not that any
TACT or argument which could offer 10 its
tton would have the slest ia uencs upon the de-
c'ion of The question before it, SIR, had another
and higher motive-it vac, that might from this
place address myself te the practical good sense Of the
county, that perchance, isht awaken 10 the boz
Of the laboring man he whistles over the han.
dies OF his plough the enquiry, why this une quail and
bnrdeusome tax should be continued, mainly for the
benefit of the lo'dly capitalist!
NOTE.-Sipce the foregoing remarks were de- liy r.
ell have been indebted to the politenes Of Mr. Sem
ato' Johns'en OF Louisiana. for copy of his comnuui-
uon TO the 'creary OF the Treasury, on tbs sugar
culture ct the United States. Although have been
assured that its publication INTENDED to I'M
the resolution Introduced by the lith inst or
any remarks which might be made in support of H. vet
w desp ed tn
rate against any attempt to reduce repeal the duty
on sugar during the present session of Congress Not
lth.tandbg this must have been the object it's pub
ca'ion, no one in favor oil reducing the duty has any
cause 10 regret IL.
am glad the facts IL contains were not in my pos
session when addressed the House, as they so fully
sustain someoi my most prominent pons aud i'm.
ierences. In the ST place, Mr.. Johnston saws tba,
the price OF sugar will TALL directly in pr oporon to tho
reduction OF the duty. This l hSvs end- avored 10
show, and this he has admitted. What then becomes
OF the argument, often urged and refuted that pro-
lection necessarily reduces the price of an article
enceavoured to show that the general price of Amer-
can sugar will be regulated by the price cf the foreign
article with the addition Of the duty He states the
foreign price as ranging between three and four cents
and the average price OF New Orleans sugar during
The year 1880 at seven and halt cents, making
nHerence greater than the addition Of duty TO the Tor
eiRn price OF the article l ASSUME the number of
hands employed at twenty Eve fiiy thousand but
expressed the opinion that IL smaller still He
inmates those actually employed at twenty five thou.
sand aud sbews 1--WE years eyetaye of crops raised
by sixty, hands at five thousand seven hundred
and iorty-three pounds OF sugar each whereas ave.
rage oil hve thousand pounds to the hand my highest
estimate in attempting to show the number of hands
employed, would reduce the number Of hands go en-
poy d to twenty thousand; whereas his average Tor
h. 81 would redLc The number 10 seventeen thous.
ana Tour hundred and This teen. Taking the num-
Der oil hands at twenty thousand and the average guam.
NY OF sugar to each at bve thousand pounds made
he gross r.yepus to the hand from suger alone at i've
nd on" hall cents prr pouni, the present price,
hundred aud seveniy-hve dollar; while his aver
'xe Tor the sixiy-sev-n at the prcs ns re asses
X 10 'hree hundred and fifteen dollars aud eghty-si
cent? But believe he average stated by Mr. johns
on u quite low enoush and her believe the mum
Der Of inds employed in the sugar culture in The u
nited States Il less than twenty thousand hsve stat
'h one or Two facts in remarks she wing such pro-
uets from an acre OF cane must convince every
rae !oal atriculturt, that il is quite easy to make
more than six thousand pounds % The hand. In add.
ION to those lacts, am able TO state, that have
een within few days, letter from re pe c,abs cit
z"n oil Georgia, stating that twenty i've hundred
POUNDS OF good sugar as been ade in Decatur one of
he Southern counties OF that State from the cane rails
"a last year on one acre OF land. From these facts il
lust be clear, that have not moderated the number
i hsnd', nor the quantity OF land employed in thi,
N mess in the Uni ed g a,es.
have attempted to shew, that il the duty on one
udr.d aud hiiy mill ons OF pounds OF brown sugar. the
estimated consumption of the present year. should be
ePe"ef, II wond relieve the consuming classes from
urden oi four millions Of dollars. Mr. Johnstons adj
nission, icrmeriy referred to, bears fully ia
his calculation He estimates the selling Price of do
nestle sugar AZ New Orleans at five aud half nts
he pound. and he profit of The planter at two cents
he pound This profit then calculated on one hundred
nj Ions oil pounds would amount millions Of dol
ars Then The consequence is hat by continuing the
uy OF three cents per pound, the consumers will pay
our millions end hall OF dollars tax that The sugar
makers may put two millions OF it in their pockets. Are
he people willing TO submit TO tis! And for WHAT
ha' there may be sugar enough made for .he home
market Tor the next fifty years-or beyond that time
dr. John ton does not pretend that be made
n the country Tor its consumption.
MIR. Johnston the average value Of slaves in
'rgina at two hundred dollars and staas that vaIu
IS being regulated by the value OF American sugar l.
to be regretted that he did not state iheir value in
louisiana.
But if Ihs value in Virginia, be regulated by the
alue OF American sugar, at the average Of t.o hun
RED doarsis II not reasonable to suppose that the adj
ition OF fifty per cent. or one hundred dollars, will
ring 1t up 10 the average in Ioui.anal
think II reasonable aud this Is the average at which
ny brst calculation OF their value was made. But
'itht ut intending TO charge Mr.. Johnston with de-
ign 10 lessen the average profits Of the twenty five
thousand hands which he gays are actually employed
~ the addition OF ten thOusand children that
'er, who, have always lived in slave holdug State
nay express my surprze at bis including then in his
estimate having always understood that the the anpu-
lily increasing number and value Of negf0 children
night be est mated as fair profit ls SUN paid for
cation has surprised me than his calculation oil
ne ihuence OF the sugar culture the value If the
Vhole sldve property in the Uoited Slater. He first
ellis ~, that at the end OF twenty five yeara il will re-
uie QUE hundred thousand ,nds To produce suhi.
lsnt quantity OF sugar Tor the consumption OF the coun-
~; and then she~s that the natural incress Tor the
as' ten years is 6l5,25l And il they 90 multiply
ng IN the same ratio Tor twenty-five years the increase
Will exceed the OF his one hundred thousand nv
wo millions stxiy-,bree thousand three hundred and
evenly nine, the whole estimated increase for hat pc
iod upon the present numbsrs at the ratio assumed BY
lim being two millions one hundred aud six,y-three
Al. a