Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-01-17

ner, and for the same amount, as if the same had been
The Senate spent some time in TOO consideration of bu-
siness of confidential nature and when the doors were
The Senate adjourned.
LOUISE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Mr.. Archer, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs,
whicl, was instructed to enquire into the expcdicncy cl
reducing the number Of our ministers resident abroad,
above the grade Of Charge des Affairs TO three, viz; TO
England, France. and Russia, made a report thereon;
which was read and laid on the table.
Mr.. Jenifcr moved the following resolution, viz:
Resolued, That a Committee be appointed to inquire
purpose of removing from the United States and her ter
ritorics, the free people Of color, and colonizing them on
the coast Of Africa or elsewhere.
In supporting the resolution, Mr.. Jenifer observed, that
the State Of Maryland was deeply interested in the sub
jcct of the resolution, inasmuch as she possessed a greater
actual amount of the population referred to than any other
State in the Union. Virginia, he believed, stood next, in
this respect; and Delaware, in proportion TO her whole
population, had possibly still more than either. Maryland
felt severely the evils resulting from the presence OF a
population Of this description, and If there existed within
the power Of the Government a constitutional remedy, she
believed it ought TO be applied for her relief 1T there
was any subject in which that State might be said TO feel
a more lively interest than in almost any other, il was this.
Ii was e~xpcdient, and very desirable, that ii any legisla-
ton took place on this subject, it should be had at as early
a period as possible. The Legislatures of several OF the
States were now in session, and some of them would be
looking to the General Government for its. cooperation
If, on deliberations, it should be concluded that there was
no provision in the Constitution, and no means in the hands
of the Government, then the States would have TO look to
their own resources; and they ought TO know this as early
as practicable. He had proposed a Select Committee on
this subject, only because there was no Standing Com
mittee to whom il seemed TO belong.
MIR. Speight said that the subject embraced in the rcso-
luton was ona of great Importance, and he wished the
gentleman would consent to defer the reference for a few
days. 1t was one on which he had himself received ma
ny communications from his constituents, and he was desi-
rous that some farther time might be allowed him before
any action of the House was insisted upon. Mr.. s. said
he was in favor of the policy which dictatated the resolu-
ton, and could he be satisfied that the General Govern
ment possessed the power referred TO-, he should be very
glad to see such ameasure adopted. He would suggest
to the gentleman from MARYLAND the expediency of post
poning the measure until Monday next. He wished the
gentleman distinctly TO understand, that he was not against
the resolution, but was in favor of the principle contained
in it.
Mr.. Jenifer said that he should have no objection to The
proposed postponcmcnt, did the resolution contain any
principle at all, but it contained none. II was a mere propo-
sal for enquiry, and as some of the Legislatures ofthe States
were now in session, he was very desirous that the House
should go into the consideration of the subject in time to
act upon il before those Legislatures rise.
Mr.. Archer said, that the objection of the gentleman
from n. c. involved the question whether the House
could conshtuuonaliy inquire at all INTO such a subject
If the gentleman from Maryland should refuse to acqui-
} esce in the proposed postponement, Mr.. A., though reuc-
2 tant to do so, should ba compelled by duty to move to
2 lay the resolution on the table, in which case, the gem
q teman would find it a more difficult thing TO get his reso-
luton up again for consideration, than if it had been post,
Il poned.
Mr.. Jenifer thercupon agreed to the po~stponcmcnt of his
$ resolution until Monday next.
Mr.. Bouldin, of va. inquired of the Chair, whether II
would be In order for him then to state to the House, the
circumstances under which a resolution offered by him
q some days since, had been laid upon the tribe.
~ CtdT TCpueu, Udt IL WOulu not, uuicSS tc
I should agree to take up the resolution for consideration
Mr.. Bouldin thcreupon asked that the yeas and nay,
as iollows.-Aycs 113-Nays 20.
c So the House agreed to consider the resolution.
And it having been.read as follows:
whereas, in certain ports Of the United States adj vaIo.
o rem dutios are laid on various articles of import, but tho
per PEI e osaco m duty required is not laid on the cost or value at
] (eXcept insurance) added; and with 10 or 20 per cent
added TO that aggregate:
And whereas, also, various minimum values or prices
Dl r aUINnn bX ~. IN which iA occnrfosn T. o--.-s -
duties chargeable on the same GOODS differing widely
I from the cost thereof; so that from the law itself the rate
oil duty to be paid on the importation Of any given article
. subject 10 adj vaiorem duties, cannot be ascertained:-
r RESOLVED, Therefore, that the Committee of Commerce
a be instructed to enquire into the practical effect of these
laws. and report. to the House the actual per centum or
the prime cost, whichis imposed by them. That they al
so enquire how far these duties are, in effect, p~rohibiIory
setting forth as distinctly as they can, the various descrip,
tons OF imports that are thus intcrdicted our shores. anc
so far as may be practicable, TO state the costs and char
ges, at which such interdicted goods might be imported
Mr.. Stewart, of Pennsylvania, moved to amend the re-
solution, by striking therefrom the word commerce, ant
inserting the word manufactures, so as TO direct The en-.
quiry TO the Committe on Manufactures.
The resolution he observed, was of an argumentaivc
kind, ana had respect to a subject which most appropri
5 ateIy belonged to the Committee on Manufactures.
Mr.. Bouldin, in reply, said he thought il must he clca,
TO every man who read the resolution, that it contained nc
argument. The preamble stated two or three facts which
he was confident no man in that House was prepared 10
deny. He referred to the Tariff laws as thew now ex-
listed. Those laws for example laid an ad ualorem duty of
40 per cent. on certain woolen goods, but by further nro-
visions that valuation was to be founded, not upon the prime
cost of the article, but upon that cost increased by ali the
charges except insurance, and 10 per cent. more upon the
whole. This was a statement OF facts, not an argument.
IL referred to what appeared upon the statute book. The
resolution also affirmed the existence of various minimums,
by which goods were to be estimated in a manner widely
different from their actual value, and it affirmed that the
duties were laid on these minimum values. This, TOO, was
no argument. 1t was a statement of fact; and IL stated
facts, in consequence of the existence of which. the Reso-
luton itself had been offered. 1t was a fact, that from
reading the Statute Book, it was not possible 20 learn what
rate per cent. Of duty was actually payable on a bale Of
cotton imported. 1t was necessary to know, not the prime
cost Of the article only, but what were the charges mron
Il, and under what range of minimums it would fall
MIR. b. said il he could not see why ii was, that while we
were continually Boosting that every thing done under this
Government had TO be laid plainly open to public view:
That in this particular subject gentlemen seemed TO be so
fearful TO have set down in the report from a committee in
whom the House and the Nation might have confidence,
what was the actual amount Of duties paid under the Ia
riff laws, and that in terms which might be understood bv
every one. For himself, he declared that he did NOT know
what rate per cent. OF duty, wa laid by law on the articles
referred to IN the preamble and the resolutions which he
had offered. He did not bimselfknow this, and he had NOT
been so fortunate az 10 have a conversation with any one
who could inform him; but he was persuaded that when
the Resolution went to the Committee on Commerce
where care had been taken to combine so much varied In