Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-02-14

p
whilst the rate of 20 per cent was introduced to
guard against any failure on the part Of Congress
to make the requisite provision in due season.
This section Of the bill, Mr., c. said, contained
also another clause, suggested by that spirit of
mony and conciliation which he prayed might pre-.
side over the Councils Of the Union at this try
ing moment. 1t provided (@hat those persons
who are engaged in manufactures have 50 long
anxiously required for their security that duties
shall be paid in ready money-apd we shall thus
get rid Of the whole Of that credit system into
which an inroad was made, in regard to woollens,
BY the Act Of the last session. This section fur.
ther contained proviso that nothing in any part
OF this Act should be construed to interfere with
the freest exercise Of the power Of Congress to
lay any amount of duties, in the event Of war
breaking out between this country and any TO-
reign power.
Mr.. c. having then read the fourth section of
The bill, said that one of the considerations strong
ly urged for reduction of the Tariff at this time
vas, that the government was likely TO be placed
in dilemma by having an overfowiDg revenue;
and this apprehension was the ground Of an at
tempt totally to change the protective policy Of
the country. The section which he had read,
Mr.. e. said, was an effort TO guard against this
evil, by relieving altogether from duty portion
Of the articles of import now subject to it, Some
Of these, lie said, would, under the present rate
Of duty upon them, produce considerable reve-
nue.; The article of silks alone would probably
yield half million of dollars per annum, If it
were pnssible to pacify present dissens,ons. and
let things take their course, he believed that no
difficulty need be apprehended. If, SAID he, the
bill which this body passed at the last session of
Congress, anu has again PASSED thIs session, shall
pass the other House, aud become a law. and the
gradual reduction Of duties should take place
which is contemplated by the first section of this
bill, We shall have settled two Gf not three) of
the great questions which have agitated this coun
try, that of the Tariff. uf the Public Lands, and
| will add, of internal improvement also. For,
If there should still be surplus revenue. that sur
plus might be applied, until the year 1912, to the
completion of the works of Internal lmpro, ement
Already commenced: and. alter 1912, reliance
for all funds for purposes OF Internal Improve
men, should be placed upon the operation Of the
Land Bill to which he had already referred
/, was no, his object, Mr. Z. san', in referring
70 that measure III connection with tGat which lie
vas about 10 propose, 70 consider them IS rnicd
IN their fate, being DESTROYS, partial a. he mSht
BE- TO both, that each should stand or IA! upon It's
own intrinsic merits. IL this sec'iun Of the Dlil.
adding TO The number ct free articles. should be-
come law. along with the reduction OF duties pro.
posed bv the first sectiun of the bill, it was by 40
means sure that we should have any suplns re-
venue at all. lie hid been astonished Indeed at
the process ofreasoning by which the secretary
of the Treasury had arrived at the conclusion that
We should have a surplus revenue at all, though
he admitted that such conclusion could be ar
rived at in no other way. BIT what was this
process? Duties of certain rate now exist: the
amount which they produce is known: The Secrc-
tary, proposing a reduction OF the rate OF duty,
supposcs that The duties will be reduced IN pro-
portion TO the amount of the reduction OF duty
Nnw, Mr.. e. said, no calculation could be more
uncertaio than that. Though, perhaps, the best
thai the Secretary could have made, IL was still
all uncertainty; dependent upon the Winds and
the waves, on the mutations OF trade. and on The
course of commercial operations. II there was
any truth in political econumy, II could NOT De
that the result would agree with the prediction;
fur we are instructed by all experience that the
consumption of any article is 10 proportion to the
reduction of its price, add that in general II may
be taken as rule that the duty upon an article
forms portion of its price.
| Mr.. &. said he did no, mean to impute any
improper design to any one, but II It hail been Q
intended. np scheme for getting lid Of The Tariff
could have been more arttu devised to effect
its purposes. than that which thus calculated
the revenue, and in addition, assumed that the
expenditure nf Government e,erv year would
| be- so much. g.. Could any on here say Whdf
the failure expend ure Of thu Government would
! be? In this youn,. great. and yro m c'.nmnn'-
~ can we saw what will he the Expenditure OF
the Government even a year hence. much less
what it will be-. three. nr four, or five years hence!
Yc il had b en- estimated. oE assumed amounts.
founded on such uncertain data. beth of income
and expenditure. that tn revenue might be re-
reduced so many millions year!
! Mr G. asked pardon for this d,sres'on, and
returned to the examination OF articles IN the
fourth section. which were proposed % be lett
free of duty. The duties on these articles. he
said, now varied from to l0per ct. All Naiorem;
but low as they we're, the aggregate amount OF
revenue which they produced was considerable
Nv the bill of the last session. the duties on
French silks was fixed at five per cent, and that
OH Chinese silks a ten per centad vaorem Blythe
b,, nowpropas d the duty on French skswas pr .
posed to be repealed, leaving the other untouched