Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-08-17
CONGRESSIONAL.

|
Speech Of Mr. McDUFFIE, Of South Carolina, on the
bill proposing reduction of The duties on inports
delivered an the House Of Representatives, Jfav 2S
1SS2.-[ Continued
For the purpose fembodying these principles in
teal illustrations and OF demonstrating that partial and dis
eliminating duties upon portion only of the national con-
sumption operate as taxes upon production will sup
pose that third part OF each and every article CONSUME
ed in the United States produced south of the Poto
mac, and the other two-hirds north of that river will
moreover suppose that political economist were to rise
up in the NORTH and propose that the whole amount of the
federal taxes should be levied by excise duties upon that
third OF the various articles of consumption which
produced south OF the Potomac He would be at no loss
for arguments TO sustain this proposition Just and equal
scheme taxation, lift be true that the whole burthen
Indirect taxes falls upon the He could truly
a'lege that 1t would be much more economical 10 collect
the duties from third part of the Union than from the
whole inasmuch as only third of the number of
nue. oicers would be requred and II it would be equal
and Just SYSTEM its economy should be decisive in its ia
Let us dispassonatey examine its true operation
sixty millions, and those Of the north TO one hundred and
twenty millions and that an excise duty OF forty per cent
should be levied the former yielding an annual rcve-
nue. OF twentyour millions of dollars Taking the
Gle OF shoes as an example, and assuming that twelve
millions OF pairs should be annually consumed in the IT,
States averaging the value of one dollar each, it would
follow, from the superstition, that the southern
would produce four millions of these pairs, and that thr
southern shoemakers would pay excise duties TO the
OF one million six hundred thousand dollars. Now il
maintained, that all duties fall upon the consumers, and
consequently that the southern producers OF shoes would
have no more TO complain of these partial duties
than any other class of people, all be equally
and consumers of shoes IL is evident thai the
consumers of the south would be subject to greater bur
then consumers than those of the north for the price
southern made shoes could not be any higher than that OF
northern made shoes in the common market: there
could not be two prices for the quality of shoes The
whole result would consequently be- that the consumers
oil the north and OF the south would pay the
price for shoes and be subject the very burthen
consequence of this duty. But the southern shoemakcrs
obvious would pay taxes to the amount of million
SIX hundred thousand dollars, while those of the north
would pay at all. Here, then, would be specific
tax OF million six hundred thousand dollars levied
the producers of shoes in the SOUTH diminishing the an
nual income OF that section of the Union precisely
extent compared with the income derived by the north
ern section from the same quantity OF the same kind Of La
Dor. The course OF reasoning which have applied TO
shoes, will equally apply to every other article; and it will
follow that the grand aggregate OF this scheme OF partial
and discriminating excise duties would be throw the
tire burhen OF federal taxation upon the southern States,
though the consumers OF both sections would be equally
affected by it, 1t would be exclusively tax upon the
producers, ana would be- in respect less unjust and
oppressive than if the same levied bya poll tax
upon the shoemakers, and the various other producing
classes OF the southern States.
Now, Mr. Chairman, if that scheme of adjusting the
tariff should prevail, which proposes repeal all the
Ties unprotected articles and levy the whole federal
revenue by import duties upon those articles which
obtained from abroad in exchange for cotton, tobacco
and rice, shall have the very system which have
scrbed TO all substantial ntens and purposesihe only
difference will be in the name In the rs in the
other, the entire burhen of federal taxation will be thrown
upon the Southern States certainly ii the
were exclusively raised by excise duty upon cotton
tobacco, and rice at the of their passing from the
warehouses of the planters.
pronounce ii to he utterly impossible for the ngenui
ty OF man to devise plan OF raising
just and unequal in its operation upon the exporting States
oil this conlederacy.
Such the views have 3eemcd it proper to present
OF inequality of the protecting duties, system of taxa
ton and contribution will now briefly advert IN Ito
still greater inequality which exists in the disbursements
oil this Government; circumstance which greatly ag.
gavates the oppressiveness of the system, and makes
absolutely desoaug the planting States This sir is
comparatively new department OF political economy.
The tremendous influence OF Government disbursements
IN the distribution OF national wealth. to have been
overlooked by the abes in Europe, until the termi-
nation of the wars which grew out of the French revou-
ton The great distress which produced in England
by the transition from TO peace, and the consequent
curtament of the annual loans and disbursements the
Governments to the extent of something like hundred
millions of dollars disclosed to the statesmen of that coun.
try the true secret of the immense financial
which had carried them through the war; and which were
apparently miraculous the military of the
French Emperor. They made the important discovery,
that the aggregate wealth OF naiion and particularly its
pecunary for war; scarcely diminished at
all by the heaviest taxation, long the
ected is dsbursed within the counry and that almost
the whole operation consisted in destroying capital
and wealth. but in transferring them from class of
the community TO another.
Sir, | greatly within the limits of what might aE
firm when say, that taxes, the amount of FIVE millions
of dollars levied on the Southern States and sbursed in
distant parts of the coniederacy burhensome
oppressive than taxes TO the of ten millions would
be if disbursed amongst those States Its great
suppose that the collection and disbursement of
annhlates Just much of the productive capital the
country To exempy this, let suppose that Congress
should tie OF three millions
Of dollars Gas fear soon wD orreyoutonary pensioners
let further suppose that the New England States should
receve pensions, three times the Of the whole
expenses OF their local governments is it apparent that
they would gain three times much they would lose by
the combined operation of the State taxation and federal
disbursements Vermont would annually receive Judging
from her present pension list about hundred thousand
dollars of this pension fund. NOw, somebody pay the
taxes by which these pensions provided; the Govern
men cannot create money like Midas by converting every
thing it touches into gold Whoever they may DO that
pay these taxes il is certainly buFhen to them abstract
ing precisely much from their annual income. The
money goes Vermont, and is paid TO the pensioners;
and the old theory that it is much productive
capital forever vanished and gone. Bat Almost
the precise Of money which taken from the tax
payers is the hands OF the pensioners, and just
selves appyi useful aud profitable business and
If they do not, the very first person TO whom they pay
away, almost certainly will What, then, is the amount
of the aggregate national loss of wealth and capital result
ing from this operations 10 is precisely the which
these pensioners would have produced by their labor, with
the pensions beyond what they produce by that
labor after receiving the pensions; and This would pro-
badly amount per cent the sum they receive
from the Government IT the pensioners should prove
be industrious and apply their incomes to pro
ductve purpose, the national loss VIII be reduced to mere
trlc IL will consist not indced,o the expenses OF col
lecting and discussing, for these will the
benefit Of the collecting aud disbursng officers, but il will
consist Of the sum which those officers would have made
in some private pursuits II they had not been unproduc-
lively employed by Government
have selected this single instance Of The effect ~ the
Government disbursements, an Illustration of the whole
In pecuniary point Of view, the nation loses ihc ag
greeate only the which the officers, soldiers, sail
ore and other persons employed by the Governments are
prevented from making 10 some productive employ uent