Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-09-15

the just and constitutional want, Of the
government Nothing shs'; of this ill
restore the country to peace. harmony
aud mutual affection. There j. already
deep and growing conviction in a
!arG. section of the country. that the
impost. even "a a revenue system. IL
cx'rcmsiy uncQuai and that i, is manly
laid nv those who furnish the means
of paving 'nc forcigu exchanges OF the
country on which Il i, lsid and tha,
the case ~ not varied. taking into the
estimate The entire action at thc sys.
ten. whether the producer or cunSLtEcy
pays in the iir-t instance.
'lo NOT propose To enter formally
into the discussion OF pom; So com
pick and contested, but - II has ncces.
sarily strong practical bearing on III.
subject under consideration. in all its
relations, ] cannot pass IT without a
Few general and brief remarks.
Ii the produce in reality paws, none
will doubt but the burden would main
~ fall on the section /, is supposed TO
dn. The theory that the consumer
pays IN the Erst Instance. renders the
proposition more complex. and will re
,.urc, in order 20 understand where
the burden in reality ultimately falls,
on that suppnslt.on 20 consider the pro
tcctive, OF. as its fiicnds call ii, the
American System. under us three fold
aspect of taxation. al protection, and
al distribution or. as performing al
The same time the several functions Of
giving reyenue 10 the government. Of
ae0rfing protection 10 certain branches
at domestic industry. and lurui>hin"
the means to Congress Of distributing
large sums through its appt opiia,ions (:
NIL of which are SO blended in their ct.
iects. that it is impossible Ia under
stand its true operation. without taking
the whole into the estimate.
Admitting then, as supposed. that
lie who consumes the article pays the
tax in the increased price, aud that the
burden falls wholly OH the CONSUMERS,
without affecting ihe Producers as 4
class (which, by the by. IL far from
being true, except III the single
case. II there be such a one, where the
producers have n monopoly of an arti-
Gle so indispensable to hfr. that the
quantity consumed clnn", hc affected
by any increase "f price. and that
considered IN the light OF tax merely.
the impost duties fall equal, on every
section IN proper ton to It's population.
s'i'i when combined with is other Of
fects, the burden 1t imposes as tax
may be 8" transferred from one section
u the other, as 10 take il from Que and
place it wholly on tho other. Let us
apply the remark fist TO it's operation
rs system Of protection.
The tendency Of thu tax. or duty. on
the imported article IL, not or'r :o raise its
price. but also, in the same rrcportion.
that OF the domestic article Of Tho same
kind. for which purposc. when intended
Tor protection, ~ - IN fact LAID. ond Of
c0urss. IN Determining who'r tho system
ultimately places the burden IN reahtv,
this effect also must hc taken into the
estimate II one OF the sections exclusive
iy produces such dome site articles, and
the other purchases them from IL, then i,
st IS clear. that the amount OF ,uch in
creased prices. The tax or duty, on the
consumption OF the foreign articles. would
he transferred from the section producing
the domestic articles Ia The one that NY.
chased and consumed ihsIn. uulcss The
! .
creased price Of the objects Of iti Industry.
which none VIII venture 10 assert 10 be
the case with the great staples OF the
country. which form the basis OF our ex.
ports, the pTice Of which - regulated T.,
the foreign and not the domestic market
To those who grow them. the increased
price OF the foreign aud dou-s.ic articles
both. In consequence Of the duty on the
former. - IN reality. and IN the strictest
sense, tax, while ~ a. cissr, that the ia
creased pTice OF the latter acts as a boun-
~ to the section producing them, and that
rs the amount "f sucl Increased pfices.
on what II sells 10 ihc other zee. on. a
greater or less. than the duty IL PAYS OIL
thc Imported article. the sIstem will ~,
fact operate as a bounty or tx: if grestcf.
The difference would be a bounty, II les.
d tax.
Again. the operation may be equal IN
every other respect, and yet the pressure
Ci the system, relatively, on the two sec
tIons. be rendered very unequal by the
appropriations. OF distribution lf each
section receives back what u paid into tho
Treasury the equality. ifitpfrviou.ly ex
listed. will continue bat 81 one receives
back less, and the other proportionally
more than /; paIt. then the difference IN
relation To the sections vii be 10 the
former loss. and the latter gain: and
the system N this aspect would operAts
10 the amount Of the difference, as a con
tribution from one receiving les, than II
paid. 10 the other that receives more 49,
Such would be incon,csutls lie general er
feets. taken 81 all rs different a.osc,s
even on the theory supposed 10 be mo,i
favorable TO prose ihe equal action Of the
system, that The consumer pays in the first
instance tie whole amount 81 tax
10 show how. - tbs sYpaa ,isr, H.,
burden aud advantages 81 tie system