Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-07-31

In presenting this brief view of the future income and
expenditure OF the government will take re-
marx, that should return 10 this body intend TO
propose general system Of rerenchment and economy
system not founded ndscriminate hostility 10 our
existing establishments, but on deep conviction that
these establishments he maintained purity and yror
only by the observance ola strict but udcous and liberal
economy
fully satisfied that without reducing either be Ar
my orth Navy and curtang the saa
RES oil any OF the officers OF gov saving 2 no Of
ieccd OF at least onc.baf million OF dollars. Without
going Into Details will barely suggest that the Treasury
Department alone opens field in which retrcnchne nts
and reform may be employed with very great advantage
to the country Sir under the complicated system of bigb
minimum duties the expenses Of collecting the public re-
venue have increased enormously within the wears
al former period, when revenue from the nposts
was eual 10 what II Is now, the whole annual expense OF
conecnng II did not amount to than 800 600 Now
Sir it has swelled up to nearly double that amount
Inc proposed reduction OF the duties will enable the de-
partent to dispense with the greater part of that host OF
custom-house officers which almost darkens our coast and
IN this item alone several hundred thousand dollars may be
annually saved Upon the whole, Sir au w ell tb,,
the amount OF which this bill will produce with
mat derived from other sources will be amply sufficient
Tor all the exgencies OF the country that considering
revenue measure, justly take exception
WIZ here remark, Sir, that the people of the South
whethei correctly not will hereafter consderA are
hrm'y impressed with the belief that under any svsiem
duties while the revenue is derived almost excusivcIy
from imports their proportion of tue burhcns imposed by
federal taxation will be much greater than it ought TO be
accordingto the principle Of the Constitution which REQ
aes the apportionmen Of direct taxes Under these Cir
cunsances, they think they have right 10 insist that the
aggregate burhen oil taxation shall be light possible
ana that not dollar shall he expended by the
that can be avoided by rigid economy
Having now disposed Of these preliminary questions
shall proceed 10 consider how far the provisions of ,b lin
have been dictated by due regard 10 the nrnc, nr
justice and equality in the fiscal operations OF this govern
ment.
With the exception of certain articles ,d;,,o, c c
duty, nearly all OF which the Imports aud The CON
sumption oil The northern States all imported merchandise
WIZ DC subjected to the moderate and equal duty of IL 2
per cent Now, Sir, desire 10 know whether any oboc-
on can be Justly urged against this scheme on the score
OF inequaliy'-Regardng it southern measure can
any other portion of the Union alcge with the sembance
OF truth, that will be subjected TO AN undue share or Tho
public burthens! put the question emphacalIy and de-
sire mat 1t may be fairly met and fully answered is there
manufacturing state or manufacturing county i'm the
onion That viii be compelled pay a larger noron M
pubhc burthens by this bill, than Justly and eouitablv
falls 10 its share? iS
Let us examine this matter Our imports Of c,;
merchandise may be divided into two great classes T5a
first consists OF articles which exclusively produced in
foreign Countries the second, of articles partly produced
abroad, and partly in the United States The former arc
usually Ienomacd the unprotected, aud the latter the
proeceu class oil articles Now, to the former class
comprising teas, coec silks, wines, and variety of other
imports VIII assume that from these one half of the fe
ueraI revenue VIII be collected, though point of fact
IL would be more correct TO say one third ONLY
As to this portion of the revenue no one has ever
tended that the burthen not equally distributed
ohon IN proportion to the consumption of the articles from
which is derived Ii must be apparent that the manu-
featuring states have grounds for alleging that the Din,
ties upon Silks Wines tea and coffee expose them TO an
unequal or oppressive burthen Will solitary vo;co h.
raised TO denounce this part OF the bill under conser
ton ? Assuredy there will not. What then remains =,
what Is the subject OF complaint against this BILL and who
are ihey by whom the complaint is made The mar, oc
the bill which is obnoxious the dcnuncation of The ma
nutacturing states is that which imposes Jutv oC -
per cent ana no more, ON cotton and woollen nanufac
res on iron and iron manufactures, and on all the other
articles that fall within the scope of the protecting sys,
Yes, sir this is the of the complaints against The
persons that make tlcm' ~ Wv
Ii an impartial foreigner. inst arrived in our country
DC informed mat very deep and threatening ex
ciencHt existed in relation 10 this part of the
tariff, he would very naturally suppose that as The
element was against BILL il was the INDIGNATION Of
those who were called upon to pay the taxes or upon
whose productions the duties proposed 10 he Icvcd
Upon being informed that the produc of the southern
States furnished the exchanges for this class of imports he
would take il for granted that these States were
against so unequal scheme OF taxation. But how would
this impartial foreigner be asfonishe ON discoven that
me excitement was confined to that part of the Union
when PAID no part OF the taxes in question; and that the
cause OF the excitement was that the taxes proposcd
not forty or hiy instead of IL LIP per cent upon tho va
,ue OF the imports! In other words how great would be
the aStonisllnent OF this impartial "looker-on from En-
rope when he learned that the complaint aoains, ,bo
proposed duty on cotton woolcn and other manufactures
proceeded exclusively from the domestic manufacturers Of
these very articles, whom the duty would operate moi
as burthen, but as bounty. He would be ant To CIV
cl"m'I"Wha' an extraordinary people the Americans
must be! In Europe, governments shaken by hc
complaints Of the people who pay the taxes Hero Gc
Union seems likely to be shaken its very foundations
by the camors Of those who receive them In Eurone
the people cry out that the taxes too high; here ey
seem TO be regarded great blessing and the cry is
that they are about 10 be reduced too low"
Sir in the spirit OF peace and harmony and will add il;
the spirit oil magnanimy, the people the south now saw
to you"We know that il is very UNEQUAL and opnressve
upon us that the productions of industry soud nav
even IL IL per cent TO support the Government while
The very same productions OF yOuT industry paw no con
button at ALL but receive the contrary a beneficial
bounty from the tax levied upon our productions But if
you will limit the burthen the necessary expenses oc
the Government, we are willing submit to it as n reve
nue. measure, unequal it obviously is and will cheer
luly consider The pecuniary loss shall sustain as
Offering al the shrine Of the Unon' And what do
the people oil the north say this generous and liberal
overture?
owe will not accede 10 your terms. We have Gallon,
lated the value oil this tax upon your productions; and we
have ascerained that tribute of IL per cent is not
enough TO keep up establishments in the high state nj
profit and prosperity which we desire. We cannot let
OIL with less tribute than l5 per cent and IL oos
that you will have to pay it," '"
Sir language cannot convey nor Imagination conceve
any thing that would exhibit the horrible enormy of Ibis
system clearly than this simple statement of The real
condition of the interests involved and be rnc min, r
the controversy Now, Sir will put this matter TO We
ry plain test III my views not correct the whole
tariff question be settled between the gentleman
on my right, mir. Appleton) who as un
derstand is one oil the largest manufacturers in the Uni
ted States, and myself turn 10 this gentleman then
and say to him, "Sr, / will make bargain with vo,,
Tor the adjustment oil this difficulty. You admit that one
half of this bill is perfectly just and equal that mean
which levics half OF the federal revenue from wines silks
and other unprotected articles The entire burtben ~
your complaint is directed against the other half of th hill
that which levies the remaining half of the revenue from
protected articles Now Sir, in tender consideration Of
the oppressive operation Of this part Of the tax bill upon
the manufacturing States will agree TO skeit ont alto
gether and raise the remaining half of the revenues by
doubling the duties unprotected articles or by direct
taxes. Is bargain, SIR" MOI no. no renes t
gentleman, "that would be infinitely worse Than the hin
as II now sanc ior in that case, the tariff States would