The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-09-04

On MS motion, they were laid on the table, and or
Mr.. CLAY presented petition Of citizens of Phila-
delphia, praying that bleaching powder be exempted
from duty He said this was a question on which
much diversity of opinion existed II interested deal
ers in the article but not Of very general interest
ne hoped the Senate would act as il thought proper on
the subject. 800
Mr.. SIMMONS presented similar petition from
citizens of Philadelphia He said he had voted against
the exemption from duty Of those articles, but from
The facts stated In this petition, and Others which
had since come to his knowledge he should vote the
other way when the amendment came up in the Sc
nate. N'4f' Nsh
Mr.. WOODBURY. presented letter which he
had received on the same subject, which he would
wish read when the Serate came to act on the mat
ter. II was, with the petitions, laid on the table
Mr.. TAPPAN said they had been confined here a
great while; three months in this exhausting weather
they had been laborously occupied, and il was not
asking too much of the majority, that they should
FIX time for adjournment that they might be able 10
inform their families. He moved therefore, to take up
the resolution previously submitted, for an adjourn
ment of Congress- 30 that some time might be fixed;
and on the motion he called ths yeas and nays.
Mr. CALHOUN hoped the resolution would be
to fix their own time let them Ok IL; il was desirable
in every point Of view and
Mr.. CLAY. I wish to know whether the question
is debatable and whether shall have right to an
The PRESIDENT said il was not debatable.
The question was then taken, on taking up the re-
solution, and negatived: Yeas 81, nays %.
Mr.. KERR, from the Committee on the Judiciary,
reported the resolution for the distribution Of the
ment Of the House, in which the committee recon-
mended a concurrence. He explained that the
amendment provided for the printing of 10000 copies,
not Of the aggregate returns of the census, hut Of
compendium Of il connected with the other
years, and for correction in the returns Of Mont
gomery county, Maryland, The compendium would
be very useful work, and he hoped the Senator from
Alabama. Mr. Clay, who had previously opposed
this) would not object to it. The committee were
unanimous on the subject.
Mr. CLAY, Of Ala, waived his objections, and the
question was taken, and the amendment Of the House
concurred in. <>' -" ""
8UIa @tfs FISCAL CORPORATION BILL. so aL q, +.
ed this subject, reported the above BILL from the
House, without amendment and asked that it be made
the special order for Wednesday next.
@ THE REVENUE BEL ~
Was then taken up, and Mr. Blu CHANAN offered
the amendment of which he had given notice. to repeal
the act Of 18th July, 1892 which released from duty
iron which was used in the construction of railroads
on inclined planes and to provide that there shall be
levied on railroad iron hereafter imported duty Of
70 per cent ad yalorem, provided that shall oPe-
rate on iron already imported. ..Y.. i.g,.-''.
Mr.. CUTH BERT wished the Senator to postpone
the amendment, to afford him an opportunity for its
examination, as it was a matter in which Georgia
deeply interested. I'M .. ......,, ..Gs...,s. a 4
Mr., CLAY, of Ala, was opposed to the amend
ment, and wished its consideration postponed. p n
Mr.. HUNTINGTON moved an amendment 10 the
amendment provide also that iron that may be inn
ported prior to LIST Dec lS4I be exempted from duty
He briefly stated the for this amendmentor re-
lieve corporations from paying tax the article for
which orders had already been sent and for which
tai on hi not iustly To he levied
Mr.. MILLER was in favor of the amendment of
the Senator from Pennsylvania. Strange as it might
seem, England for ten years had had the monopoly in
the manufacture Of railroad iron, for this country and
had imported il free of duty, while we were impos-
ing duties other articles, had RETAINED from
duty on this, which could be manufactured here in
abundance. 1t ought to be imposed; and under
the operation of the amendment to the amendment
sufficient notice would be given before it into ope
ration. There had not been single article imported
which had carried more specie out of the country
lie hoped the amendment would be adopted. M.
Mr.. BERRIEN opposed the amendment. 1t would
be productive of extreme injustice to Georgia, and
other Southern States which had commenced their
railroad iron was exempted from duty. Tito the ex-
pense of the construction of their works. there were
to be added duty on the iron to be used the cost
would much exceed what contemplated at the
time of their commencement, under the law which
then existed. 1t inconsistent with the purposes
of equity and justice that they should be subjected to
the payment OF duty which they could not have
ticipated #.
Mr.. CUTHBERT entertained similar views with
his colleague, and opposed the amendment.
Mr.. CALHOUN said this question was one of
great and vital importance to the Southern States,
which had now commenced extended lines of rail-
road, under the expectation of the exemption from
duties of the iron to be used in them. They ought
not be nterered with, but to have the advan-
tage that had been enjoyed by the North in the con-
struction of their railroads. 49,,
There was but modes defence to the country;
one was their Navy and the other the facility oftrans
portation by railroads Of ammunition and men. He
asked in the Of an entire section of the country,
that they should be intefered with. His opinion
was, that IL l2 per cent with the land, would give
ample protection for the revenue. They could appro-
pirate ten millions per annum to the Navy and carry
on the Government, if proper economy were used in
Its various departments.
Mr.. BUCHANAN should be brief as possible, as
he wished to arrive at the termination Of this extra
session. He was much surprised at the argument of
the Senator from South Carolina, and should have
supposed from the opinions of the Senator he would
have been in favor of the repeal of the act of 1882
he had long opposed the system of internal improve
ment.
Mr.. CALHOUN had objected to the system of ap
proprating the public money for internal improve
ment. .-... -s.
Nj. BUCHANAN, asked if this Government had
not appropriated $500 annum, according to the
lieut. (Mr. Huntingdon by exempting iron from
duty for the of railroads, not his direct APP
preparation for the be eft of the railroad corporations2
If the Senator had this side of the argument he would
make the Senate resound with the plea that all duties
must be equal and uniform and not duty of twenty
per cent. levied most of the imposts, while
the article of iron of all the rest exempted
The doctrine Of vested rights almost had been
brought forward by the Senators from Georgia
The very same argument would apply to any change
whatever in the tariff because the whole community
had made contracts, under the existing rate Of tariff
which they supposed would continue. The question
was within nutshell what was hl We were
blessed with country Astounding with coal and ORE
equalled by none. The art Of smelling iron with an
thrace coal understood, and the representa-
ves of the States having thus coal and ore, were ask
ed to agree to have the foreign article in free of
duty, while all other imports taxed twenty per
cent and that because this wanted for railroads
The domestic railroad iron could be obtained as cheap
and of rood nualitY the fnreinn aIticle- Why