The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-02-08
MR.. DAvIS'S SPEECH.
House of REPRESENTATIVES, Jan

view IoTk, MF. CanoreicnI) OHl ailer address
ing the House few minutes, and before he i,a
fairly entered into the subject under discussio,
he was stopped by the ruo limiting the nerio
for morning business. Some of his observ,
tons, said Mr.. d., struck nv mind as extrao
binary, harsh, and uncourteous, to saw tbc lca 6
I Inc resolution of the member from Viroini;
Mr.. Boud!n) proposed that the Committee O
commerce should inquire into the effect an
operation OF certain laws made by this Govern
ment. The member from Pennsylvania. M
StewarD had moved an amendment, and pend
ing that motion sent proposition 10 the IA
Die, which desired should supersede his If
met with his appreciation M proposition wen
to enlarge the inquiry, and alter the re,ei
cnce from Inc COMMITTEE on Commerce L, III
Committee on Manufactures. For these Dro
ccedings we have hcen charged by the gentle
man from New York with attempting to sno,h
or the inquiry. | say we, because | hardl
know who is meant to be designated by III
word gcntfemen He used this lanGuage. a
nearly as | can recollect al tell eentieme,
Whatever becomes of the resolution The mani
RES shall be answered in spite of all they car
40 TO smother tho Information. | shall mysnl
| lay on the table statements containing ali III.
iac's which the gentleman (meaning the rem
tleman from Virginia) wishes to elicit. and Their
call for the Ayes and Noes, and we will see VII,
dares to vote against printing them, and +,
withhold information from the American Peo
pie have done it before this and will do il
again" am glad there has been a little time
Tor consderation-that the honorable members
OF this House will have an opportunity so far 10
recover from their surprise, as to screw their
neral courage up to the sticking point, and to
vote with some share of composure, without
having the monosyllabic words, aye or no, stuck
in their throats.
Until these remarks fell from the gentleman.
was at loss 10 understand why the gentle
man from Virginia was bobbing his line among
the Committee on Commerce: but no sooner
was The proposition made % shift the ground TO
the Committee on Manufactures, than the zen.
ileman from New York started upon his feet.
the mystery was solved and every thino rem.
dered Ineligible. The object to be brought 10
light, as the gentleman from New York chose
to understand it, was certain learned nlathemat
zeal calculations made some wears ago by him.
respecting the per centage of duty upon wool
len goods. TINS document, or something like
1t, he thought, was TO be brought before this
House by this resolution, and its preamble.
Now, hope TO be pardoned by the gentle.
mani am sure shall be by the House and tine
nation when say this important document
which is to enlighten the American People. had
slipped out of my mind, fallen into the stream
of oblivion, and by its own gravitating power,
sunk to the bottom. acknowledge with hu.
mility my shame, for should as soon stand ex-
cused, i'll had forgot the works of Newton or
La Place. But as soon as the line was like TO
be thrown in another direction, the gentleman
fished it up from the bottom, and thus at once,
the whole play was made obvious. | mean by
this no reproach 10 the gentleman or to he doc.
ument, for it is well enough in its place; but
what is it 1t is the offspring of the fanciful
moments of the gentleman, and might be called
poetical vagares in figures. II must have been
his recreation in mnmonta Of laisora for it 10
the extravaganza Of cent per cent upon suppos.
ed cases of duties relating to bookings, baizes.
lion skins, toilnets, kerseynets, and other still
more singular names. some of them anheard Of
and unknown probably, since we manufacture
much better articles that have taken their plac
es, except in the vocabulary of some shrewd
collector of the customs, or of some learned
technical merchant II is fine exhibition of
extravaganza, for the cent per cent is run up,
! believe, not only to an $50 but To 300.
am charged with smotherIng this document,
with keeping its all pervading light from the
American People. Smothering il! | would
not if could blow out the smallest taper light
ed by the intellect otthe gentleman to ilIumin.
ate free trade, even if it vainly struggled to RI
O,
these figures in buckram 90 forth again to the
world-et them strut their hour in the news.
papers once more-let them thus revive the
recollections of the people, for doubt not their
memory has been as false and treacherous as
mine in this matter. 1t is some years since
they were published. and the people arc stil
obstinate or Obinse, for they have not or will
not be Communicable, .he& e. tben IL lhe pub
tic, and we shall see who her TIE people remain
gbe-whether they still refuse to be
convinced in spite of this mass ofinformation.
The gentleman says, the People are deceived
as to the minimums in the woollens bill The :
ought TO be enlightened, and they shall be en-.
lightened. There are some "reminiscences in
relation 10 this matter. Some historical facts,
which some persons here are acquainted with,
and some probably are not and will take this
occasion to recur to one or two of them. The
worthy gentleman reprubates the square yard
duty, because he says the people are deceived
by 1t, and he seems TO approach these mlnim'
ums on woollens with as much care and caution
as if he were afraid Of being feeced. Now, in
relation to some of the specific duties in this
law of 1888, let us look back into the journal of
that time. recollect the gentleman in his place
in this House declared he would vote and he did
vote, 10 keep on specific duty Of cts. a pound
on coarse wool, when at the moment it could
be purchased abroad for half the money. ! also
well remember, that he declared he would vote,
and he did vote, to increase tho duty on molas.
SEES TO twenty cents gallon, which was nearly
or twice IFS prime cost at the place of produc.
ton ] remember also, that he declared he
would give these offensive votes, to make the
People feel the Tariff. will, said he, bring
them to their senses, by making the law as bad
and odous as can. know he said he would
G. Int ;c oil
it should be of this offensive character, and
should not be put in any other shape, if he could
prevent it. Sir, did the People feel it Dc
they feel il now, or is 1t necessary TO make =
book Of figures to demonstrate to them that
they feel what they Rre insensible Of? II the
People are so dull that they do not understant
when they are burdened, then let the gentle
man have an opportunity to prove 1t. Let M
document go out to enlighten them. Ii thu
! matter comes TO the Committee on Commerce
he shall have my vote for ii; but hope II maj
meet with better success and call Tor less crll
cism and correction than certain other docu
inent emanaiing from tho gentleman as Chair
man OF the Conmittse on Commerce in 1881
in which he asserts that the coasting tonnag
of Great Britain is between eight and nine mil
lions Of tons, and that the bare increase in tina
country, in the shot pei od of very lew years
was about equal TO the whole coasting toRnag
of this country.
This was TO demonstrate tho prosperous con
dition of the navigation Of foreign countr,
and the comparative dccncof our own, whic
we thought prosperous. There is nothing Ill,
the demonstration Of fgurcs tho only wondt
is, that the people, with such flood Of informi
ton, will not be convinced tina; they live unde
a bad government, and are oppressed.
AS 10 the reference of the inquiries contain
ed in The resolution, had almost said feel I
Indifferent as the gentleman, though think,