Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-06-12
FRAUDS IN THE REVENUE.

We have seldom read a debate in Congress
of more interest to the people of this country,
than that " 18th Yas produced by the bill "tc
insure the more iaithtfl oyecution of the reve.
nue. laws" &c. called, in New orK, NH
Adams's "Monstrous Bill" and a "bill to ami
hilatc the commerce of New-York.' When
NE bill came up in its order, in Committee of
he Whole, Mr.. Rhett moved to strike off the
macting clause. Mr.. Adams rose in opposition
tothc motion, and, in reply to some of the OBJ
iectons OF Nj. Rhetl, which lay against dlc bill
itseE, said
Tlofrst of them was, that this hll has been re-
portcCto the House by the Committee on Mauufac-
lures, he gentleman being Of opinion that it should
have cone from the Committee of Ways and Means,
ur from The Committee on Commerce. | believe it
would nave been in order if reported by either, GER
,alniy Ibr the Commute on Ways and Means; for II
will be rccolIcctod that, when the first Of the memo
rails on which the bin is founded was presented in the
House, il vus proposed and argued by myself to refer
ITO the Conmittcco of Ways and Means. but the House
decided not 10 do this, but to refer it to the Committee
on Manufactures. The evil complained of exists in
. execution ofthe laws of the United States, and is
O. .rciorc, in tle first place, an evil directed against the
Ir.oHUc. ltlsG fraud committee by foreign traders,
Tie effect Of wIN.l is 10 defeat the collection of the re-
" ne, The Cyl therefore, falls first on the Govern
o. M, and, touching the revenue, it would have been
N appropriate subject for the consideration of the
Committee of Ways and Means. But these fraud.
at. ct, in the second place, the manufacturing interests
OF he country, Which are injured in the same manner
as The revenue; the principal difficulty takes place II
thai branch of the revenue derived from the importa
ton Of wodens, which goods, for several years past
have Amounted IN value, according 10 the invoices Il
the -rus'Onnouscs, TO not less than ten millions q
d1llUs 2nuuolly. Now, ! shall endcaNor to show
THAI, in fact, these ten millions of dollars constitute
lint fV.HaflTLsD of the II nj N1lUp If tho NVn,l,ua it,unrt
ed, which is not less lhan fifteen millions, and tina
by tneacfrnuds the duties on the balance Of five million
are actually lost 10 the revenue. At the time of III
compr1misc. the average duty on these GOODS was Eft
! per cent. ON the value; but, in consequences of tn
reduction which has since been made in the rates q
duty, the average IS now %iorty-one per cent. on iii
value. This, on five millions, amounts to over tw
millions Of dollars. That is the loss which the rovc
nue. of the country sustains by means OF these fraud
in The port of New-l ork alone.
BY his deduction ofonc-thrd of the amount of dutic,
the manufacturers of our own country ARE rcnderc
unable to sustain the competition, They state i
their memorial =
"That they have for many years past been engage
:" in tie manufacture of wool, having entered upon TN
business under the belief that it would be safe an
/, 10 permanent, inasmuch as II would necessarily becom
- an extensive and useful branch of industry in hi
country; aud relying upon the faithful execution
g the tanlIlaws. But while these laws have been cal
Q 20 ried into full effect with regard to the importation
I the raw materials, thereby keeping up the prices
q ' wool in particular, very much above the prices pal
4 by foreign manufacturers, manufactured goods hay
# been coming TO tins country III large quantities, II
voiced Mt much less than their cost or value, thcrob
q syr ne the laws, and placing tin American ~ an
10 WArer pom worse ground than If no tariff cNstr,
10 Ills hau been done almost If nor entirely by iorcgI
s ~, who have been thereby enabled to undersci II
p y nest American importer, and this has increase
d A him a few years 10 such an extent as to der,
1 rom the importation of woolens nearly all Il
4 American impostors, and i is now estimated lhi
n " cye1-eigltso Of all the woolons imported come in
q 81 ne country on foreign account, But your memni
v II nlsts will ieavo the American importers to speak f
% " themselves and respectfully represent that the
y 2" fri lds on TIE revenue, and consequent extreme 10
~ ~ cos of wooens, have ruined many, and forced
4 10 iop lhcit mills either wholly or IN part, until
IN. rrescn time less than ono-half of the wool'
m chinery n the country rs in operation cuusll