Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-12-31
WWR PRESS
ID L Il A II Z s IN CON G RI SIS.


s. Rso'cel That 20 mnc,, thereof as relates to tie
tariff be referred to tho comnitte on manufactures.
MI Athcrtcn moved TO strike cut the word man
Htactures ana insert ways and means" lie said
the chairman OF the committee of ways and means
intended to reserve to that committee only so much
OF the message as rel ted TO the receipts and expcndi-
lures OF Government. This also belonged to the
mites Of ways and means; but if SO much of the
tariff were referred to the committee manufactures,
would be taking from the committee of ways and
mean. their appropriate business, and coun,enanclng
inc prnc,pe OF protection to its fullest extent
Mr. Mallory called the yeas and nays on the inoion;
which were ordered.
Mr. Tillinghast said the portion of the message
which the gentleman from New York (Mr Fmorc)
intended to refer to the comm tee on manufactures
belonged to them; and this would appear 10 the
House from examination of that part Of the mes
sage. He should prefer to have the resolution nod-
fed so as to read Us follows;
That so much thereof as relates to manufactures,
and to discrimination Of duties with reference to
considerations Of domestic policy connected with our
manufactures, be referred to the committee on man
lacrrcs"
These were the words of the mess &c itself: $50
ns' the Government may be justified IN so discrim
n''lna by relcrence TO other considerations of policy
connected with our manufactures" That was the
portion which carried TO the committee on manulac
lures the subject of duties for revenue, hut with dis
eriInination HAVING reference 10 considerations of
domestic policy connected with manufactures" SO
mach az related To this subject he thought none
would dispute ought to go To the committee lnan-
ufa lures The business of the committee of ways
ann ttthnS an not embrace the Discrimination
which was pointed 60 by the President in his message
and which they had go In dispose Of by reference
some committee. The subjects 10 lie referred to the
committee OF ways and means were expressed by the
rule describing their duty.
Mr. Wise was very glad that the gentleman from
New Hampshire tMr ithcron) had made his motion
i he had not, he (NIr W. should have moved it. II
had always been the test u,I.-ion--thc question OF
rntercni between the tariff and arii.taiili paric.
lnase heretofore IN the history of the tariff qes ion
VINO mad gone for protection per Sc had gone for the
those who had gone for tariff for to supply
the wants OF the Treasury, had voted reference
the committee OF ways AMI means.
The grneman from Rhode Island, (NIr Filling
has) had sali there was porten of this MESA &c
which recommended protection Ia manufactures a
tarf of duties for pro'ertion-and had undertaken To
read this message IN such manner as to lead TO such
an inference.
Mr 'rlinshast requested the gentleman from Vr-
gina 10 allow him to eyplaiu which reqrst having
been compiled will, by Mr. Wise, Mr. r. said ho had
read thar part Of the message which connec ell the
}en" Vi utlcs with the interest of the manufacturer
t1i nnnihcr par which showed that the President III
ten cd that the amount of duty should be governed
ly the compromise act and moi, exceed 20 per cent;
ani in collecting that, he had said the point
ed at the connexion with the policy Of domestic
uartm,s
Mr. Wise nov understood the gentleman as he had
done before. He OR w, did not use the words but
The id'as of the gentleman, when he SAID that the
g"ntr.nln had alleged that the President had recon-
lnenicd protect on. There WAS nothing in the mes
sage Wil+h suggested any snch tllnG. lie then
ted various passages from the message, showing, a=
h. contcnde, that protection was not intended but
thai reference was had 10 fiscal obccs-to Treasury
objects alouc-to revenue. The message recon-
Nncnlcd a larl of duties for revenue; 1t admit ed n
right Of discriminating for the object Of revenue and
within the line Of revenue gentlemen might ascri e
10 themselves the right Of protection if they pleased
Not one inch beyond tariff of revenue did it 20. II
might he SAID that the part which limited the right of
discrimination ought to 20 Ia the committee
firiurcs; but they could not separate the parts.
L., a..
md MEANS in the first place, because the tariff re
commented was tariff Of revenue, and in the next
place because protection merely incident. The
gu ston was whether the principal should govern The
reference, or mere incident. The gentleman pro =
posed TO make the incident govern the prime pal, and
carry this whole sble"' to the committee on manu-
features TO raise tariff for the protection of manu-
facur,s
Mr. Rhst said his object was to call the attention
of the Ilou,e 10 the character of the proposition now
before thcn,: Tie did not understand the message as
recommending protection itself tariff with view
TO prot elton, but distinctly for revenue. He must
confess that the message did also intimate that dis
elimination might so be made rs to protect nanui;ac-
lures. When duty was made for the purpose Of
revenue, could it induce to protection The only
way IN winch the domestic producer could be bcnc-
fitted must he by having his manufactures consumed
instead OF the foreign manufactures which would
come IN; and, IN his point of view how it pos
sihlc To combine dl,y for revenue and protection
Precisely where one interest commenced the othcI
ended II the two objects were incompatible and III
they propose by the Imposition OF duties Unless tl-
ties were laid for the protection of the manufacturers
and Tor ihedrstiuction Of commerce that was
the mad design If the House duties must be intended
for revenue; and why should he question of having
duties for revenue be referred the cumnlite. on
manufactures? The time had now come when this
question must he ST led nine years ii had been ,p.
lated on his floor. While they were about lcglsla,in-
on the frs step, he urged them to careful to com
mt the inject To the committee to which belon ,cl
Ii the II ,usu intended duty for revenue or incon
Sh,,lI pn !, tl,ac
mit,cc uf ways and means. II the principal benefit
was of protection, the subject should go to the com
inlitee on manufactures.
Mr. Fillmore confessed t'lat he could not account
for the sensbllty in the House on this slbject-why
committee, beca Sc it named committee of
ways and means, might not ms well introduce a bill
Tor The protection II manufactures n cemrnttce on
INA luiarturcs. The whole subject would be before
the one to which ii was referred and the name of the
committee made no difference. Probably the reason
which had operated on previous Congresses for re-
farnn tins subject 10 the committee manufacturers
an not Of ways and means, that thu latter com
mtce had been ovcrburdenel with the business ;hry
had had to attend TO- 1t was also known that ,lc
committee ON manufactures, unless TIA s subject were
assigned Ia them had little no business to perform.
and that, ii duties levied strictly with a view ia
revenue, they require the investigation of the manu-
fIciues and commerce ol tbs country beyond VIII ~
any commit could give the subject which does M
devote Their entire time 10 1t.
How did the subject standl 1t must be borne in
mind that bill was passed he last session for rev.
enne alone, without reference manufactures; that
bill made very slight discrimination on the various
articles Imported and that the legislation was 50
has,y on this subject that it was utterly impossible
that The committee could make the necessary invts-
ga TO know how it would affect our domestic in.
itests. Here then they had duties imposed IN to
the M lxi'num Of the compromise by IN. bill of last
session and, al that time 1t was the general under
Standing tint the subject needed revision for tin. plir
pose 81 seeing whether these general duties did not
require some dissemination for the general interests
of the country. II seemed to him that this subject
properly belonged to the which had lppn
varahly charged with IT. lie could not see how n test
question could be made on this subject Ii had been
sad that the committee on manufactures was uncon-
stiu,onal. 1t was strange that a committee which
wasuncons utionai had been IN cx,scuce and chara.
"a with Important duties for twenty years and mo-
body before hal discovered its unconsii,uliouai,y
Was II OF the least importance from what committee
n bill came! II could not be-. The only question
was, how can the busncs, be hest d1nc-lvla, COM
mlltce can devote the time to this subject Ct, ms
10 make these laws for the interests Of the country
aud people! II seemed to HIM only by distributing
HEY ought To- nave committee on this subject or a