Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-01-28
Cos,Srcss.--sess. 4.
III SENATE.-.n0nddy, January I6.
DEBATE ON THE TARIFF.

!
system alIudc 10 its effect upon the people of the Sou;l
az producers OF the articles which ere exchanged for To-
ieisu commodities. There very able men, Sir, whC
undertaken TO prove that suffer from this system
emery In our character producers To my mind il is
morally certain that the people the South either as pro-
OF consumers support burthen hearty, il not en-
ey equal TO the whole the tax levied ON their
mPoraons The precise manner in which this operates
Is problem not so easy of solution will cndeavor
" Explain" however, very briefly my conception OF the
we VIII suppose perfectly free trade TO be carried on
ootoeu 'nc southern States and Great Britain-that is
say ,nat inc articles on both sides admitted duty
ce III 'hs state OF things, progressive ef equal TO
nve per cent per annum, imposed OH British manuac
lures Tor me protection OF our The first duty of five
per cent would, doubtless be added 10 the price Before
tnS progressive duty had advanced steps however,
the period would arrive when no additional charge could
DC su'Vcu oy Ie consumer without reduction Of his
consumption. The next five per cent then imposed
would have 10 be sustained by the merchant or the oen
Manufacturers or the producer of tho cotton, and would
most probably b. divided among them. In this manner
as ne system progressed the profits of the merchant
would be reduced the lowest scale those of the
uiacturer would also be brought down. and the Southern
producer would in his turn DO compelled TO submit TO
reuucuon IN The price OF his productions Each successive
step in the further progress of the system would sink low
or ana lower tho price of his cotton until it was reduced
e very lowest sum that would pay the expense of its
PFouucuol' The very next step must of course, annih
late the trade by rendering improbable to all
SIR there may be difference of opinion as 10 the point TO
when we have now arrived in the progress this sysem
(ofet II be remembered that the system still progress
"'S) put 10 my mind il is clear that we have long since
passed e point at which any further reduction OF profits
couuPoSsoy be exorted from the merchant or the manu-
actuer ana that every successive increase of the tax
Tor years past has fallen almost exclusively upon the pro-
Queer f ~ pa
The proof this is 10 be found the fact that cotton has
WITHIN lew years been gradually falling, until it has lost
more han two-ihrds of its value, and now barely pays the
It's production bringing down with the wages
vi our agricultural labor and capital to the very lowest
point some gentlemen insist that the Southern producer
now bears nearly the whole the ax while the gentlemen
.G oSr sac contend that it is maxim universally
true mat the consumer pays the taxi am inclined to
"ihN Hat the truth lies in the middle can certainly
conceive state Of thing in which the producer would as
such pay nearly the whole of the taxi but except where
The tax IS moderate one or imposed upon tho an
soue necessares oil life, ii is impossible that the whole of
the weight could be thrown upon the consumer No one
surely would contend that if any community were in
me habit oil consuming fifty millions of foreign goods inn
ported duty iree they could afford any thing
hEe the same amount under duty of so per cent If the
whole duty were added TO the price But whether the
TAX ne In general paid by the producer or the consumer
or be divided between thcm TO my mind il is clear that
IN the actual condition OF things the burden falls most nm
lus'y ana un:quaiiy on the Southern States. will illus
Ha'e lis' We Will assume that South Carolina annually
eight millions ofdoars worth of cotton and rice
OF goods paying duty Of fifty per cent equal TO
'n i,TS ol collars Now, suppose the consumer 10
pay 'he whole tax, how would the account stand? AS
sumo that more than half our importaons are con-
'umed at home, say siO0o O0o |
: ne 'aN' al oo per CENT would DO 100000
suppose TWO millions exchanged with our
northern brethren Tor protected articles tlio
''N'N"'N" P''NS
the duty this would be IOOo,0 900
NJ, Making $4,000, 900
inc remaining two millions being exchanged for un-
protected articles, of one million would bc noid on
me consumption by Southern and Western brethren
rom us State OF the case it would follow, that if the
consumer pays the whole tax, would paw as consul
ner5 Three millions out of these four imposed unon tc
foreign articles received in exchange for our proinc;o
uouSn we should consume only half Of them. But we
'aHe Tor granted that the cannot be added TO The
price, we would of get back no part of bc dne
pdid at the custom house, and i'm that case we should
pear ,nc whole burlhen 1t has been said that the duties
on imported articles fall chiefly the merchant and the
oreign manuiacturer but hold this to be impossible:
that can be made from tie cept, the utmost reduction
,ruv" more could he taken Of f merchant and
The American demand fl Dffni,k manufactures would
materially affect their price, when not more, probably,
than twentieth part OF the whole, finds a market in
this country? 1t j. the American producer, there
fore, that this tax must chiefly fall Sir, the duties up
on imports are either paid by the consumer they are
not II they paid by him, have shown that the far
greater portion OF the duties the goods received in eX
change for cotton falls upon the planter and that for
this he receives remuneration whatever. If the duties
not paid by the consumcrthat is say, if they
not added TO the pncethen it is manifest that the whole
amount oil duties falls upon lis without the possibility of
relieving ourselves from any part of the burden As to
the popular notion that all consumers must pay equally
VIII ask any gentleman to tell mc how il is with those
who consume the tat Here is nx Of l6 millions i'm
posed directly indirectly upon southern production.
Fourteen millions Of thi, amount arc transferred TO the
north, and there consumed Are the of these
fourteen millions taxed OH their consumption paid high
ly as those who have the whole amount
Sir, have done with this branch Of the subject Great
the present evils Of the system 10 the South there
greater stillin prospect. We seriously threat
ened with the entire loss of the foreign markets for our
productions. All trade is Gut exchange Of eunva-
lens and is founded on the maxim Of give and take
If you exclude British goods from market, you, in
effect exclude cotton from their markets. 1t is in
vain to tell that England must have cotton You may
force her to do without it, Even she supplies her
SELF great extent, from other countries from her East
India POSSESSIONS Egypt, Brazil and elsewhcre and you
will make il her interest," in the end, 10 give up the Anne
rcan trade entirely. Even she is looking TO this as
possible event You find her encouraging the produc-
ton of cotton in the East Indies, by discriminating du
ty which you have forced her, and stimulating the pro-
duction of the article in South America, where she is
furnished with market for her manufactures, almost du
ty free. Can we then, be blind 10 the fate that awaits
when the American System shall be consummated and we
bales Of cotton; that il is hardly necessary for
say, would involve the whole South in irretevabc
ruin. is idle for gentlemen TO pretend that the North
can ever furnish home market for all the cotton OF the
South. Two three hundred thousand bales Is the ut
most eXtentto which could find market in that quar-
The catalogue of the evils of this system, however,
is not yet completed IL is not merely the mischief il has
done, and the still greater evils which il threatens, but
has arrested march 20 greatness, and prevented
from fulfilling our high desnics. What would have been
the condition OF this country now, had never been
deprived Of the blessings Of free trade! Why Is 1t that
tonnage and our exports have not grown with
growth and strengthened with strength! IL IS be-
our prosperity has been blasted by tho restrictive
system Look, Sir, at this picture In 1910, with popu
laon OF seven millions had tonnage OF one million
four hundred thousand In 1884, with population Of
thirteen millions, tonnage Is reduced 10 one million
two hundred oUsand and, going still further back, in
the year 1900, exports amounted 70 eightyono mill
lions while now with population oil thirteen miIlons'