Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-11-13

by the Committee of Ways and Means. and no, ,ha, n
Manufactures, all measures OF protection have been
and instead Of increasing IL reduced the duties. and n,
truth exacted from the people more than the cons,iu
onal wants of the Government then required (2l Wit
these features can scarcely be doubted that the
sure was In reality Tor (3); vet
connected with protection had no small effect i'm modify
ing the Bill o. II may be said that revenue was il
direct and immediate object (5 but proecon i,s subr
dinate and accidental o. To understand how far bev
were blended az, Is proper state that nj thar lime
there was debt OF 900 to be provided for
believe the real state Of the be this; had there
been no debt, or small only, the duties would have
been reduced TO the rates before the war or nj Ieas,
70 a' point l' but OH the other hand, had the war
anu tue r"sncuve measures converted large amount OF
the capital OF the country TO manufactures () the duties
would have been fixed lower (l0) and more time would
nave been allowed Tor the discharge oil the debt ny In
word, the existence o manufactures ) had no small
influence In deciding the question. at what period
the debt ought to be paid, aud consequently. to VIVA,
point the Sinking Fund ought TO be raised. and. of
course how high tho duties ought To DO fixed The
shorter the period, the higher the Sinking Fund and
the duties (l3) must be raised; and the LONGER I'M,
lower La this view, it had small influence ON Con.
gress in determining raise the Sinking Fund and To I;
on sher period to pay the debt that doing the ir,-
cihehtai elect would be 10 sustain the hrns
mad grown up i during the period hal referred TO n 81
uei, and now believe, the policy wise and lust:
nor 10 believe there ever would have been , conir,ry
opinion, had the l6) and uuust n X
measures OF protection, afterwards followed mean tho
Iarf OF 1920 1921, and 1928, for which that oil lsI6
with character and object entirely different (S) cannot
be iary considered responsible 9). In speaking thu.
generally OF the Of 1916, do not wish 10 be con-
siuered approving all of atoms contained
principle, which experience has shown % be decided
perncious, mean the minn,um.-Though gave il my
assent (2o) at the time, now believe it 10 BE- such as
have described The provision then new aud moi,
well understood (2D My attention was not particularly
directed TO it (22) not on the Commute. Thai 20.
ported The Bill and my time and attention much alb
soroed (zS) with the question Of tho currency, being
Chairman Of the Committee OH that subject
certainly never contemplated that the Tariff of 1916
was 10 be permanent measure (24) laid i'm refer
ence to the debt (25), and of course believed that, with
It's discharge (26) corresponding reduction would follow
unless the public expenditure would then require con-
hhuance o the duties (27); and SUCH believe was the
impression of Congress the In TACT the belief
'hon was that the manufacturers would qitc only tenn
porary support (2S), will see by ooking al Tie B
ITSELF of the highest most important DUTIES being
limited to short period (29). doubt whether any one
'hough alter the payment OF the debt, ii would be
sary or proper TO continue the duties OH account of the
manufacturers (30).
Had Mr.. Clay said that the question of the constitu
tionality OF the Tariff of 1916, not debated he would
nave been correct The point certainly not made ut
least as lar as my recollection extends (3O; bunny
inference from the fact is different from his M
conclusion would be- that the measure consider
ed IN the light OF an ordinary Bill (32), and
not distinsuishahle in principle from the many that
have been previously adopted y Congress (33I Tho -;
lence, TO the ton IL reality if PROPERLY cousi
dered, almost conclusive proof, that the Bill was consider
ed as one Tor revenue (34 for if had been considered in
dHerent light (35), that the money antng 1867
and that the duties imposed solely for prorc-
ton sd il can scarcely be doubled that great change
as that would have been on the previous policy the
country (3S) would have raised the determined op
position (39), which would have questioned not only its
eXpedency and justice, but also consttonaty CO)
have thus hastily, in the midst of the pressure of bust
ness given you my impressions of the Tariff 1916 and
feel assured, when they be consde red that
Is nothing connected with it, that in any degree JUS
MY the system, which has since grown (i) and much
less its continuance after the payment the debt (42
You of course will consider what have said as not i'm
tended for publication. There many reasons which
however, need not state, that render TO sp
pearng in the public prints unless absolutely
sary. With great respect, am, SC.
}. c. CALHOUN.
Norris TO the foregoing letter of Mr.. Calhoun
with regard 10 any asperiiy which may be found in
these observations, will be borne ia mind that applies
only TO the of Mr. Calhoun with reference 10 the
larih oil 1876 and 10 that of any other who rave
his support 10 that IL is justified, only when
Mr. Cs course then, TO be considered in come a.
ion with his course The Tariff of 1916 found
ed on mistaken views and has proved in its ucrior con-
sequences, most unfortunate measure. Still, il may
boast among its supporters, pure and wise as
ever graced the councils OF any country To select only
from the dead, the name OF WILLIAM LowNDEs is a
warrant for every thing that is honorable and single
minded His support Of the measure was, indeed, OF
very different character from that given TO by Mr. CAL
houn it went beyond his views, while il fell short OF those
of Mr. c. who, the evidence shows, generally voted
with the uras Still Mr.. LIS support was generally
speaking, a decided one.
% Sec the evidence generally The extracts from
Mr. Cahouns Tariff speech alone sufficient satisfy
any mnd that this statement is directly The reverse of
true. To form, however, approxinarive concep-
ton OF the consciousness OF the unruh,-o its mrnea-
srabe and inexpressibe eoInify the whole of x
tracts, with the exception OF No. 10, be read They
prove, fifty times over that far from being measure OF
revenue as distinct from oil protection, il a
sure the great primary object Of tchieh 0uoredy
PROJECTIONS WITHOUT regard to aud that
ry duty which, from the of the article which
was laid, could be laid for protection, laid.
(2) These the three features which brou Int
out, as sufficient 10 all doubt the character Of
the measured
In the first place. admit them TO be real and what fol-
lows Why, that as they features which nig be pos
sessed by the most ultra protective Tariff the very act of
adducng them, instead OF others, truly Characteristic of
revenue Tariff, u itself strong evidence against tie writer
But they not real With regard TO the first even
wretched off would be best-theie are Cir
cnnsances in the proceedings of that session. which di
vest even oil the little weight il might Other wise
But there is for their exhibition: space not mat
ter is what require "a folio volume would scarcely
afford Tor the commentaries which full Justice 10 this
letter would require. We will pass therefore, TO the Sc
cOnd and third features.
The evidence will show, that in of the word
the duties reduced by the Tariff of 1871 that " he
ther we take for the Standard the permanent duties which
were then considered 10 be in existence land which
then Invariably referred to the Standard or the tenn
pOrdry duties, of which the permanent Tariff of 1916 inn
medaiely took the placeall the duties OH articles s,s-
cepble OF protection RAIsED-sone them raised
considerably higher than the double duty point
See particularly No aud Nos. aud 6 (of the subsc.
qucnt Documents.)
The third feature requires 10 be considered under two
different aspects. Admitting that tcas prod,te-
fige 81 reUenue, the Tariff exacted from the De ople no
more Than the constitutional wants of the
required are the er0ctOnS resulting from the profee-
fiUe operation OF Tariff thing be taken into con-
sideraion ia determining its character! IL So MIR
Clay and MIR. Burgess have the ordering of the matter
aud III stake my head upon it, they shall suit Mr. Cal
boun with most perfect revenue Tariff, which shall at
the same time be perfectly satisfactory themselves
Even IL the " constitutional Of the government be
reduced by striking from the list the which nil hit
be wanted for Mr.. Cahouns grand system of roads and
ANAL aItH ~. -