Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-03-05


of the country BY this bill, we may be disturbing
the tranquility Of another part. and thus be only
shifting the scene Of discentent The bill would
throw out of employment great mass OF People
now occupied IN the State Of Pennsylvania in
manufacturing estab' ishnents. and would render
useless and proftless all those splendid works OF
internal Improvement. her canals and rail roads,
Tor the transportation of the fabrics which may
be prepared BY our domestic industry. ltwould
diminish the value OF her coal mines, and Oper-
ate a, misc hevOus check on her prosperity
He thought thata bill involving such important
! results 0ughtto have been more maturely cOnsid-
cred and weighed. before any final decision was
had upon it. Congress had acted hastily on this
question. which affects the whole People, aud
which ought to have proceeded from some poPu-
lar basis. He could have wished the postpone.
ment Of this measure until the next Congress shall
assemble. In tina; Congress there will be- full.
Ter representation of the voice Of the People. and
If that body should then determine to destroy
this system, he would acguiesce cheerfully in
that decision, and so also would the State which
he represented. All the conflicting interests
had evinced disposition to put of this question
till the next session. South Carolina had deter
mined to suspend her operations until that time,
and the subject might have gone over till then
without any danger to the peace OF the country.
The Tariff bill Of the last session was passed at
ter the most serious examination and discussion.
and he believed that if bill destroying that mea-
sure was now passed, il would be difficult to
avoid the character Of inconsistency
But he thought that as substantive measure
this bill ought not TO pass. 1t had been hastily
prepared, was loose in its structure, and had too
few guards in il. He re stated the views he had
suggested while this bill was in preparation be.
fore the Select Committee, and the objections he
had urged The gentleman from Delaware had
gone with him in most OF his views, In all except
the return to cash duties which that gentleman
had been willing to give up to the home valuation.
He did not accord in the op'niuns OF that gentle.
man as to the advantage of this home valuation.
He declared that the immediate effect of this
bill would be tn reduce the value Of all the pro-
perty invested in manufactures, and to destroy
the means which thousands of persons employed
IN them rely on Tor their daily sus' enance. He
expressed his inability to comprehend the bene.
fits which he was told would result from the pas
sage of the bill. A skiIiul pilot might b. guild
less sk,fuI iandsman might suppose that he was
running The vessel on the rocks. So II might be
with the gentleman from Kentucky, who might
see advantages which were likely to arse under
this bill. such as less skiul politician might be
unable 10 discern. llr looked On the passage ut
this bill BY the votes Of the Senators from South
! Caroiina a. an abandonment Of the doctrines If
null fca'iou, since, after declaring the Tariff of
1852. by her Ordinance, 10 be null and void,
they vnte or measure which regards that verv
law in active and efficient operation. He mad
no doubt OF the passage OF the bill, and although
he fell it would operate oppressivry IN the inter
ests If the State which he represented ne was
still dispn>ed to give It fair play, and to look up
on il as a measure Of Cancellation
1 Mr. EwINe succeeded. He declared that the
Bill contains nothing ~hich is more of the cha
ractrr of pledge than rs to be found in the re-
solu,on, of the Senator from Massachusetts,. He
replied 10 the statements that this Bill yielded
the principle Of protection. and quoted from the
language of the gentleman from Pennsy ivana
to-day. and sume days since. for the purpose of
showing that even he had changed his first views
of the subject. HI adverted to the doubts which
he had originally felt in voting for this Bill at the
present session., but said that these doubts had
subsequently, given way. He took a view of the
course pursued by the Senator from PennsyIya.
MIA, in reference to the last Tariff. in order to
shew that his opinions had not always been sta.
Bile aud uniform on the subject. He stated that
there was 40 reason to believe that the Senator
from Pennsylvania would vote against any mea-
sure which carries into effect the views expressed
by the President in his message at the opening Of
the present session, until his friend from Ken.
lucky had introduced this Bill.
He expressed his regret that he should be found
on this question in opposition to the views Of his
friend from Massachusetts, but he could not help
thinking that his friend had attached too much
importance to the evils to which he thought this
Bill would give rise. Totally differing from the
views Of the Senator from South Carolina. as to
the right of that State to place herself in the po
| sitpn which she now occupies, lie would never
have voted for the Bill. until the other me ASSURE
had been passed. He remarked that the Senator
from Massachusetts had objected to this bill be.
cause i, was prospective legi,latlun.
Mr.. WEBSTER stated that he had not objected
to prospective legislation. but he had said that
this Bill, excepting the first section, Was not
prospective Legislation. All our legislation is
prospective. We do not Iegislate for The past.
Mr. EWING then resumed. and argued that
tho hill uv "a nrofec inn Tn the ma