Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-04-03
'EEse EsEczassnosasa SyEe5so

Senate ofhtc Unitcd States, March 22d on The
reference Of DE resolutions Of Mr.. Clay and
others, on the subject If Ike Tariff.
Mr.. TAZEWELL said, that in effect there were
three distinct propositions under considerations
and 1T was necessary to compare these with each
other, before any correct opinion could he formed
u. TO tho propriety of adopting either. II wa.
true that the Senator from Now Iork, (Mr. Mar.
Cyl hau not yet presented his scheme in form but
q. lie had read his resolutions in his place, and
had announced his purpose of offering them as
substitute Tor the amendment proposed by tic Sen.
ator from Pennsylvania, (Mr. Wi!kins,) il tho
latter should bc re- ectcd the Senate WAS so COM
poi!cd to consider this proict in deciding upop
the propricty Of adopting either Of the Others
Comparing these three schemes according TO tho
grammarIan's mode, he would say, that thai of tho
senator from PcnnSy lvana was in the positive de.
gree and was simply bld that Of tho Senator
from kentucky, (Mr. Clay.) was in the compare
tlvc and was " orsc; and that ofthc Senator from
New CORK, was in the supcratvc, and was tho
werst of all. Or, if gentlemen please to reverse
this comparison, he wond say that the New York
Prolct was positively bad. the kentucky pruct
CO nParatively better, aud that of PENNSYLVANIA
was The best OF all of them although, for himsoll
ne mast say, that bad was the best. Therefore, IL
he was bound to take cof these bitter po,ions,
nc should be compelled 10 take the last as that
which WAS the least dSagrecablc
All these several plans propose TO reduce the
amount of the future revenue of tho United
States, and the question how much, To this
question the Senator from PENNSYLVANIA answers
to the measure of the ordinary expenses of the
Government, so us to leave surplus in the Trca
sury, to become, hereafter, the subject of scuflr
and scramble; and this he announces in tho terms
o. his amendment itself, without qualification or
reserve. The Senator from Kcntucky said the
same thing i'll his argument. but he docs not cx
press 1t IN his resolution; and he qualified Tho de
claration made by him, by saying afterwards, that
ms scheme of reduction would he limited hy that of
protection. Give him adequate protection for man
ui3cturcS' and he announced distinctly, his perfect
rnpES to-
10 any point which the most moderate would pro-
pose. 10 use his own strong language in that
case, hc would not be "outbrag'ti, hy any one
but adequate protection he must and would retain
even II the preservation of any such protection
should bring more revenue into the Treasury than
the ordinary expenses of the Government rcouirod
II is obvious, then, that the expressed and unouo-
ned proposition OF the Scnat or from PrnnsrI,.a,,
is better than this.
30 far as they regard the revenue dcriyoll,
from what are called the duties on unnrotcc;cd AZ
t!cics, both the Senators from PENNSYLVANIA and
hehtucAy, concur in proposing the total abolition
oil an these duties except those imposed on wines
ana silks. In this respect then their srhcu,os ,ro
eimiiar.-But that OF the Senator from Nov, Vol
oilers from each of them in this; he although in
favor OF dlminution of the duties imposed upon
','oS OK tNH-e Uupr"tccicd articles is for a.
att Ihe dlticS imposed upon others which no eli,
Gu iuAHfics-ili5 reason, too, for this deserves
some notice. lie tells the Senate that If tboy
repeal The taxes which are now i,nposcd ,no,, 49,;
elcS consumed by the rich ONLY the t,r;tr ,oi
VIII become more odious than it now is 'rhrrc
torc' Tor the purpose Of preserving the American
system In good odour with the people they must
retain the duties upon Injuries and contii,,, flo
burthcns unnecessarily imposed upon tho r;ch
lest the poor, II beg pardon of the gentleman
from Pennsylvania who has told us there wore M
poor IN TINS country,) lest the less wealthy no
use ms phrase should complain moro IoudI,. ,L,n
they now began to do of the rriovous innnyit;n,s
upon their comforts and ncccsSari Tho Son,tor
from New DIRK is unwilling then, to reduce the
!oHci'ue' even 10 the extent proposed by the Scha
tor from Kentucky.
That Senator, with his ,ecueto,,,oJ c,
told the Senate that the revenue if reduced 70
the iull extent Of his scheme by abolishiur ali
INC Gutlcs imposed upon all the unprotected ar,i
clcs, would still he feared amount O at least c;nbt
cen millions three millions moro than thc Toe,
ry report states to be requisite to satisfy tho nj
"oSl wants OF the government. But he could not
"S''I !" TeGdce IL more at present, because he
should then be compelled TO diminish The ncccsso
~ protection required for the support If bis f,,o
rite system, which he not DISPOSED now to do
The Senator from New York PROPOSES however
10 FC'Ih u large portion Of even these duties
which both the other Senators arc WILLING to aho
iiS' ana TINS with distinct knowledge that such
proposition must necessarily augment the amount
OF revenue, and so increase the ouantum of The |
surplus ''spoi" to be hereafter Il. ,rhrtcd :, ,
form other.
OF all the evils, (said Mr. T ) which in his iudg
mcnf, was most to BIO deprecated in this country
was the accumulation Of SURPRISES in the Treasu
~. It's effect must be, either to transform this
government into monster of wanton and bloatc5
extravaganza, or TO generate new fcuds and dilTr
rcnce5 between the States as to the mode Of d,iri
buting 1t. Either result would be equally dcstruc
tive OF tho union of the States and the liberties Of
the people. For ono, therefore, he should ever
support that scheme of finance, which promised 10
produce as little as possible beyond the actual ext
gcnclcs OF the government, and in or present con
dition' the public dch being discharged, he would
prefer even deficit to an excess of revenue
Inc striking difference which he had stated, was
neither the sole or the least dssim,udc Ect ,vccr
the three several projects he was then cy,n,inin,,
SAID Mr.. L. TGcy differ from each other even
more IN the manner than in the measure of reduc
tion' ne Senator from Pennsylvania, while agree
ing with the two other Senator's in his deterl1ip,
zion OF preserving unimp1rcd the actual protection
20 manufactures, is nevertheless, willing to com
mute 1T Tor other equivalents OF as much potency,
II thcso shalt be considered more acct NJ .ble =
nc announces three different plans, the payment
IN cash oftho duties imposed upon foreign articles
winch enter INTO competition with our domestic ]
manufactures; a scheme rf wHrciousi.ir such ia, {
ported articles, and mole Of asccrtairin,
'neir value, by aPprljscments to bc made at the
pace OF importation. A1d he tells the Senate /
th1t whatever OF protection tie adoption Of all ar
any of the different schemes may he considered ~
worth, that amount he is willing 10 deduct rror,
the amount of the present duties for cucourae,,.
nent. Thus diminishing still more the recent of
tHrPIIs revenue, while preserving cxistinr oroiec
ton; and, holding out so,nc other advautarrs
which seem TO me TO BE- well worthy Of further cx
animation. The Sruntors from kentucky and C-ol,
New York. however, arc neither Of them yilliu,
to to1ca the present system Of protection, in any
Here Mr.. Marcy interrupted Mr.. T.. say;,o
that me was not unwilling to revise the present sv
tem OF protecting duties, but that his resolutions
expressly required ra-cXanjnation Of it. ana sun
t;cs'ed inc basis upon winch modification Of i,
Ni&ht DC made. 10 prove this he again read his