Litchfield enquirer., 1832-01-19


 as they are repugnant to the Constitution and laws of the United States, are absolutely void. The States are constituent parts of the United States. They are members of one great empire for some purposes sovereign, for some purposes subordinate"
 CONGRESS. Extracts from the debate in the Senate. on
 Col. Benton's bill to abolish the duty on
 Alum Salt.
 MT. Dickerson.-" In relation to manufac- lures, it was of high importance. It was a question whether the policy of protection in regard to this article should be aband0ned.- Though the bill embraced only that kind oi salt which was obtained by evaporation with solar heat, yet in its effects, it extended also to that sort which was obtained by evaporatio on with fire. It affected the whole subject oi the manufacture of salt, and aimed at its total destruction"
 MT. Clay.-" This was not a time to dis cuss the subject of the bill; but he would re- mark that, in his opinion, it was inexpedicnt to legisIate on this subject again, without waiting to see the operation of the bill for the last session. It was subject of the greatest in1- portance; for salt. he said. belonged to those essential articles of manufacture which it be- came US to foster by legislation. He was aware of the necessity of adapting the reve- nue of the country to the wants of the coun- try, upon the extinction of the public debt, and hc was ready to consider the debt as ex- tinguished, and to proceed at once to the formation of the system on which theersve- nue was hereafter to be based. But if single articles are to be taken up, and one by one. referred to the Committee on Finance, it would deprive us of an opportunity to form any system upon general view of the whole ground. He wished that salt, mo!asses, iron, hemp, cotton, leather, all the essential articles of manufacture, might be embraced in one yiew.'
 Cot. Benton called on the American Sem ate, who were willing to relieve the people, and, he. said, no people in the world except the English, were SO heavily taxed as we were, and this was the opinion of Talleyrand -he called on every member to look at the practical consequences of this odious and op- pressiva tax. On the same principle on which retain every other duty. lift he proposed to reduce the duty on worstcd stuff goods, an ar tele of universal use. it will be objected to, be- cause it will diminish the consumption of woollens. 1.-the reduction of the duty on tea be proposed, it will be objected to. for the req son that it will diminish the consumption Of mush and milk, &c. The doctrine might be carried Co that extent, and the whole burden will be kept up. The greatest sensibility was felt and expressed towards the interest ofman- ufacturers. He hoped he felt proper inter- est in that branch of industry but he also felt the same interest in agricultural, commer- cial and navigating pursuits. These have their degrees of importance. If he were to class them, he would place agriculture first, as the basis and source of all wealth. Man. ufactures, which changed the form of produc- tions. so as to adapt them to the convenience and comfort of man. he placed second; Com nsrce. which changed the place of all ,arti- cles of consumption, and promoted publication. stood next in his estimation. They were all great interests and entitled to our supp0rt.- The agriculturalinterests were, however. .chief. ly concerned in the salt duty. The salt duty was to be kept up for the benefit of few salt-ma kers in North Carolina and New York, to the prejudice of the vast agricultural interests of the West. while two hundred thousand dol lars year were drawn from the Government as drawback on fish, the West. from which ten times the value of all the fish was expor- ted in beef, &c. was to have no relief whatev- CT. He hoped to have an opportunity to prove what he had said before the Select Committee; for he was sufficiently experisn- ced inaegislation to know that argument was of no avail"
 Mr. Clay.-" Sir, no ono is more sensible than I am, of our duty to take care of the ag- ricultural interests; and it was because he believed the success Of manu iactures essential to the prosperity Of agriculture, that he had endeavorad to promote the interest of manu- faeenFes. The gentleman from Missouri had argued the question as lf it was certain that salt would hs rendered cheap by the Fsduc. ton or abolition of the duty. He wishes to make t cheaper % do !: We repealed .hs