Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-01-07
FOE THE ENQUIRER.
REDUCTION OF THE TARIFF.


Having that the novel doctrine of some South
Carolina politicians that upon imports falls heavily
overrates the proportion which the cotton growing states
contribute TO the public Treasuryand does Injustice ia
virginia among other States ct how far the
complaints OF those who opposed Tariff for protec-
ton, are really well-founded.
This policy has been resisted upon two very df;ren;
grounds, exclusive of the Constitutional objection Ono
is that instead OF adding to the national wealth as lis
friends allege, it tends TO impede the progress of that
wealth he other is, that the system operates nequay
on the different parts of the Union The first objection
regards the subject merely question of political econo-
my the last as one of justice and fairness among the Sc
veral members of the same Conederacy We will rive
10 each OF them separate notice.
fWS The Tariff is said to lessen the sum of national
wealth because 1t draws money from the pockets of the
people, which not only does not so into the public Trea-
sury, but which is transferred TO no one so tbat coni,
to that amount is, in fact, destroyed,
he operations of the Tariff various on different
arcies that 1t is necessary discriminate between them
They may be reduced to three classes
Il: tax or duty upon those imported commodities
Whch can be produced cheaper home than abroad has
no operation Whatever except in few isolated and anona
ious cases The duties cotton tobacco rice flour and
oief staple products, are oil this nominal charactcr-
ney olng nohng into the Treasury, and they take no
thing from the people,
z; Directly opposite to the preceding, are the duties
which are laid upon such articles as are spped
from abroadsuch tea, Coffee wines spices sks and
IN general, all the finer fabrics of the loom We have
seen ta the duty enters into the price of the article on
Wch II IS Sd' and IS lnaly paid by the consumer: all
the money, therefore, which they pay on Goods of this de-
scnpion'iS received into the Treasury.
which may be produced either at home or abroad but
which can be supplied cheaper from abroad if thev were
ireo OF auly; yet when burthencd with fmpost the
price Is merely so raiscd that the domestic article can en-
ter into competition with its foreign rival and thus share
Or perhaps engross the home market or this character
arc iron, SALT hats shoes and most of the coarse fabrics Of
wool cotton iron and leather. II is this class of duties
winch are chiefly regarded both by those who support the
Tariff policy, and those who oppose it,
Sometimes the duty is high enough TO excludc tho f
reign article irom consumption in some places but moi
enough 70 exclude IT in all The domestic manufacture
S 20 Oot1n INC market, where the foreign fabric is
u'yoeu 70 nuch expense OF transportaon i'm addition TO
INC duty Thus domestic salt i cIieaper at Solna in n
iorH ana al inc kapawha Works in this State and for
co'ucFaOe distance around Them than the imnored so
but the latter IL the cheapest in the soaars and bcr
vicinity 30 American iron is cheaper than FOREIGN in bc
interior; but the imported the cheapest Al The Mace If
importation Habit and prejudice too sometimes occa-
sion preference among individuals either for te FOREIGN
or the domestic article. Sometimes where the price of
the i9rcgn article is the that of the domestic or
tr1e higher it obtains preference bv reason If The
longer credit which the English manufactured l. alI ~
give In hese cases. the foreign and the domestic manu-
I9cuer GVide me market between them but in Others
the duty is so high exclude the FOREIGN article Alto
geiher and consequently TO the home market 10
the domestic manufacturer.
So Gar as these commodities are errnI;,I e. H.,
they, like those of the second class bring into the rca
ny all The money which they draw from the peopo h,,,
as 70 mat portion which supplied by the domestic pro-
queer although they bring money into the Treasury
tney 90 not the less certainly draw money from the eo
pic. on the contrary they levy an unseen tax on tho
consumer part of which is received by the homo NAM,
hcturer and constitutes his profits and a part going 10
compensate the loss Of passing from more productive to
aiess productive employment of abour and capital s re-
lated ''''' - "'ucn "c''h anhihl-
nus suppose That bar iron could be imported here from
England and sold If duty free 800 ton bat that its
, Oos sc,ua COSY Whcn manufactured here was $40
ton; that 70 afford the ordinary profits nj ,,,,i d 80,
PRISE could not be sold for less than from so to 900
ION and that to secure 70 il share of the homo t,
u was subjected to an impost Of $50 a ton n, t,;s -
as inc prce OF iron cannot permanently exceed 500 80
nor la snort Of $50, il will range between ncs Init
according TO the number Of those who eau afford ~
AZ an n'ermediete price. If the demand cannot ba sd
quaey met without comprchending those iron rnss,rs
o Ssuhot afford to make iron for less than 800 ton
S . - WIN DC Tue market price. But, az whatever
peaF ta' all which Is above 500 ton is tax paid bv