Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-03-07

that the consumption OF any arucle u 10
proportion to the reduction Of its price,
and that in general it may be taken as
rule that the duty upon an article forms a
portion Of its price. Mr. G. said he did
not mean to impute any improper design
to any one; but. If il had been so intended,
no scheme for getting aid Of the tariff
could have been more artfully devised to
effect its purpose, than that which thus
calculated the revenue, and in addition,
assumed that the expenditure Of the gov
ernment every year would be so much, &c.
Could any one here say ,chai the future
expenditure of the government every year
would be? In this young, great, and grow
ing community, can we say what VIII DO
the expenditure of the government even
year hence. much less what it will be, mree
or four. or five years hence? Yet nau
been estimated, on assumed amounts,
founded on such uncertain data, oo'h OF
income and expenditure, that me revenue
might be reduced so many millions year
Mr.. C. asked pardon for this digress'on
and returned TO the examination oil arlcies
IN IN, fourth section, which were proposed
"a be left free OF duty. The duties on
these articles, be said, now varied from
20 10 per cent. ad valorem; but low as
they we're, the aggregate amount OF reve-
nue. which they produced was considerable.
By the bill Of the last session. The duties
on French silks was fixed at five per cent.
and that on Chinese silks at ten per cent.
ad valorem. BY the bill now proposed,
the duty on French silks was proposed
TO be repealed, leaving the other untouch
ed. He would frankly state why he made
this distinction. II had been subject oil
anxious desire with him to see our com
merce with France increased France,
though not so large a customer IN the
great staples of our country as Great Brit
ain. was a great growing customer he
had been much struck with a fact going
10 prove this. which accidentally came to
his knowledge the other day: which was,
that within the short period Of Ia years,
the amount Of consumption in France OF
the great southern staple Of cotton had
been tripled Again, il was understood
that the French silks of the lowest grades
of quality could mt sustain q competition
with the Chinese without some discriml-
nation Of this sort. He had understood,
also. that the duty imposed upon this ar
ticIe at the last session had been very
much complained Of on the part of France
aud, considering all the circumstances
connected with the relations between the
two governments, it appeared to hun de
sirable TO make this discrimination IN favor
of the French product 1.-THE senate should
think proper to strike out this section al
together, he should cheerfully submit to
their decision.
After reading the fifth and sixth sec
tions,
Mr. Clay said. he would now take q
view of some Of the objections which would
be made 10 the bill. 1t might be said that
the act was prospective. that IT bound
our successors, and that we had no power
thus 10 bind them. II is true that the act
was prospective, and so was almost every
act which we ever passed, but we could
repeal it the next day II was the esfab
lished usage to give all acts prospective
operation. In every tariff law, there were
some provisions which go into operation
Immediately, and others, at future t,me
Each congress legislated according to Their
own views of propriety, their acts did not
bind their successors, but created species
of public faith which would not rashly be
broken But, if this hill should go into
operation, as he hoped even against hope
that it might. he bad not doubt that II
would be adhered to by all praties. There
was but one contingency which would rem
der change necessary, and that was the
Intervention of war, which was proyld
ed for in the hill The hands Of congress
were left united in this event, and they
would be at liberty to resort to any mode
of taxation which they might propose. But
IL We suppose peace to continue, there
would be no motive for disturbing the ar
rsngemsnt, but, on the contrary,
every motive to carry il into effect In
the next place, it will be objected TO the
bill, by the friends Of the protective policy
Of whom he held himself TO be one. for
his mind was immutably fixed in favor of
that policy, that 1t abandoned the power
IF protection. But, he commended, in the
first place, that suspension OF the exer-
else Of the power was not an abandonment
Of it; for the power was IN the constitution
according to our theory-wss put there
by its trainers and could only be dislodged
by the people. After the year, 1914, the
bin provided that the power should be
exercised in certain mode There were
four modea. by which the industry Of the
country could be protected:
First, the absolute prohibition Of rival
foreign articles, That was totally unat,
tempted by the bill: but it was competent
TO the wisdom OF the government TO exert
the power whenever they wished Second,
the importation Of duties in such manner
as TO have no reference TO any object but
revenue. When we had large public
debt in 1916. the duties yielded 81 millions
and paid so much more Of the debt, and
subsequently they yielded but eight or ten
millions. and paid so much less Of the
debt. Sometimes we had to trench on the
sinking fund. Now we had no public
debt to absorb the surplu. revenue, and no
motive for continuing the duties No
man can look at the condition OF the coun