Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-02-10
affairs at Tg1 aAtiMnt0W.

siderable interest is manifested here to know
something of its details. Mr.. Wright &C.
companed the bill with no report from tho
Committee on Finance, but made verbally
many explanatory remarks, and presented
paper containing summary statement
OF the various articles on which reduction
was proposed to be made, together with
the amounts Of existing duties on said
articles and the amounts of reductions.--
Having concluded his explanations,
Mr.. Clay said that he wanted, at this
early stage of he bill, to say only a word
or two. will begin, said he. with ex
pressing The regret feel that no written
repor, accompanies this bill, and that the
substitute with which we have been pre-.
sentrd IN the verbal remarks Of the Sena-
tor from New-Xork are not as satisfactory
as think they might have been. IN cons,d.
erlng the amount of revenue which the
wants OF any Government may require, two
questions should be taken into view. lst.
The probable amount of the revenue TO be
received from The taxes; and in the second
place. the probable amount Of the public
expenditure, IT Congress have no knowl.
edge of these, how can they know what
revenue is To be raised, or what reduction
NAV be provided for, In both Of these
points, the Senator from New. York has
utterly ia lied 70 furnish the Senate with
any information.
BY way Of getting rid of presenting to
MS he probable amount Of revenue, the
Senator ST ties that the Finance Committee
are not able to offer any thing but uncer.
tain conjectures. But every man who has
hitherto been charged with the finances Of
the country, whether Secretary of the
Treasury or the chairman Of Finance
Committee. has supposed it important TO
60 into conjncures or estimates on these
subjects, and to approximate as far as pcs.
slble to the truth, that the Government
may be enabled to form some practical es-
,imate Of the Amount to which they may
with proprlety tax the People. But # the
Senator thinks he can justify himself for
this omission. how will he justify it 10 the
country, aud to those great interests
which are assaled by this bill. that We
have been furnished with no information
touching the amount of public expenditure;
and without information on either point,
how ha, he come to the conclusion,
that there does exist redundant revenue,
and that 1t Is an EVIL so great TO call for tho
egslalon Of Congress-
But have not risen simply to express nv
regret at tne want of information under
which we are invited to act have risen,
at once. promptly to declare that / shall
oppose as far as my voice and my vote can
90, TINS disturbance of the compromise
A.
whIrh the country has tlourshed in an
Unparalleled degree, and on which all par
ties have reposed, as being durable and
permanent.
In regard to the cles of salt and spir-
itou> liquors, both of which, but salt espe.
claliy. are articles witch cannot be touched
| without vloIa'lon OF :hat compromise. the
tnrmer is one IN which my State has little
interest, as connected with tax for pro.
lection. Il Is the great States Of New
York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio.
which are principally concerned in this
question: In my own State, some Of the
article - Manufactured, but we are so sit
uated that the manufacture, as existing
among us, derives no advantage from any
protective duty So far, therefore, as Inv
particle 1t the duty shall be repealed in toto.
But oppose the measure, because l view
It as what has often and eXpresslvely been
denomiuared an entering wedge; aud be-.
cause it is well known that all encroach.
ments on the system may be expected to
commence under plausible pretexts. The
article OF Goa Is an instance Of this. In
The depth OF winter, when during season
, OF intense cold, oil are shlvcrlng for the
want of n more abundant supply of fuel,
tbs cry is raised to repea the duty on for.
eIgn coal. So salt is known by every boCy
to be an essential article Of human subsist'
arce, aud It is seized upon "a furnishing a
plausible article on which the duty may be
reduced, or dispensed with altogether.
But # these are ali articles covered by
the COMPROMISE, what security, what guar
anty can the country possess, that the work
Of reduction Is to stop at this polnt' VIII
not the process, ere long, reach to cotton
and to woolens' Nay, are we not already
notified, whllp, as admit, the Senator has
brought Us a bill less eXceptlonabIe than
corresponding enc which has been lntrodu.
ced elsewhere, that is not "antagonsticaP'
| Il belHve the term H. TO that measure, that
there is no hostility between the Two; and,
It the purpose shall not be effected by this
bill, for reducing the revenue To sum not
specified, that bal itself, or some kindred
measure. must be resorted to. | want the
country to know what is lis actual cond-
! ton. | want It to know whether that Od-
Gus, that shocking list Of articles, which
has Just been read by the Secretary, is to
! be brought up, session after session, 70! dis.
cus,on and gradual action, TIL the whole
protective system Is destroyed. The coun.
try has right Ia know whether the peace,
effected by tho cuinDromlse of 1888 ia 10 be