The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-17

quantity but an indiscr inmate 20 per cent duty
would exclude great numbers Of them altogether and
break up entirely the manufactures Of which they
formed the materials.
twas TO Of this sort as well as 10 answer
other ends Of vastly higher Importance, that he had
originated the resolution of inquiry, which was lost
the other day the motion 10 reconsider after having
been reported unanimously by the COMMITTEES on Com
merce, and carried in the House by small ajorily
We needed information Every legislative body ought
To obtain il before acting any Of the great interests
of trade and there was, probably no legislative body
on earth with SO little mercantile experience or practi-
cal knowledge among It's members as this House As
he included himself in the category ofignorance
with others, he hoped umbfage would be taken
al The remark We held away from any
OF the great horoughlares of commerce. at distance
from any active business community. We were out
oil The range and almost out of the reach of business
men and business matters. There was scarcely
merchant of long and large experience among US all
unless II was the honorable member from Connecticut
MIR. Williams There few or no practical
manufacturers. He might have mistaken the profess
slons of some of his friends, but he believed wero
mainly an .asse6 by of lawyers, accustomed 10 COM
pare testimony and examine evidence and argue prin-
cipesi but accustomed also 10 have the facts furnish
ed the evidence procured and the witnesses summon
ed he hoped some resolution to meet this condition
OF things might still he adopted There had been
some Jealousy exhibited the other day TO the compo
son Of the Committee TO which such investigation
should be entrusted; Il was wholly groundless. No
such service. Certainly not his honorable friend
who presided so ably and acceptaby over this House
The whole aim and end Of such an inquiry would be
defeated, were II not prosecuted by impartial Com
mittee, composed of members Of all parties and from
all sections For himself he could honestly say there
was but one member Of the House whom he was un
willing TO have on that Committee. He hoped he
should not be called to order for personality for init
mating who that was. The honorable gentleman from
Virginia (Mr Wise) had alluded 10 himself (Mr
Winthrop as likely to be a member or even at the
head, Of that Committee, from having introduced the
resolution The Speaker would bear him witness that
he had from the outset expressed determined pur
pose not 10 90 on the Committee in any capacity
should be agreed upon, and his desire to have the
views OF Massachusetts, if they represented all
represented by some who could do them better
justice.
Mr.. WISE here explained He must be allowed
to say that, IN the remarks referred TO- he meant
the slightest mpuation on the honorable Speaker, or
on the gentleman from Massachusetts, himself What
he had urged as objection the appointment of the
Committee had been that, from this time TO the LIST of
December next the Committee, or the commission of
inquiry would find every Southern nti-tarjh port
from Charleston to New Orleans disease staring them
IN the face. They would be driven by the climate
and by regard 10 their own safety to the Northern
cles--to New York, TO Boston, and so on to Passa-
maquoddy; and all The testimony they would receive
would he, of coulse en- pdrte. To make thorough
and general inquiry would occupy at least two years.
Mr.. WINTHROP replied that it would not be neces-
10 tnOse ports IN person.
Merchants from every portion of the South TO be
found, during the summer months, in great numbers
at the North Or, if the committee would prepare
and send out proper circulars, they could obtain
swers on paper from all such quarters without rskng
their health in the slightest degree.
But, said Mr.. w to return. He admitted the alb
solute necessity of furnishing the Government with
more means. He had admitted that it ought to be
done nor; and he ready to 90 far as he could
90, without sacrificing the interests of his constu-
a me n nupl mpa MS
He earnestly hoped should not break up without
doing something. Yet he had attempted to illustrate
some of the dangers OF passing the bill now under
considerations and he must frankly declare that he
could not vote for that bill unless il mate
rally modified. What, then, was to be done What
modification should be made? He was unwilling 10
oppose every thing and propose nothing But the
honorable member from Maryland Mr. Kennedy
had already suggested the true That gentle
man had given notice of his intention to offer subsi
tue for the bill and the House had ordered that SUBJ
stltute to be printed Of that amendment Mr.. w.
knew something in the course of its preparation and
he should cheerfully vote for its adoption 1t pro-
posed to lay a duty of 20 per cent on certain enume
rated articles, on silks, stuff goods, linens fruits,
wines, and spices. IL also modified the section about
drawbacks as to meet some of the objections alrea-
dy suggested And still further postponed for thirty
days the time at which the bill to go into opera
ton. He would have been glad of a still further
poslponement There was Migrant injustice in thesr
sudden impostons of duties unless you provided for
their remission goods which had been previously
ordered But the amendment was in all respects pre-
ferable to the bill ITSELF and he earnestly hoped it
would prevail. II would yield about four and half
millions of additional revenue, according to the tables
which had been furnished by the Treasury Depart
ment. But, in his judgment il would yield double
that sum Those tables were based on the impora-
tons of the year $40. The chairman of Ways and
Means had admitted that those mpor.ations were 70
per cent less than the average of the last six years
Add then, one fourth on that amount and you have
five millions and fve-eighths. But the average lmpor-
latIons OF the last SIX years not fair basis or
the average duties of the nert six Increased
population increased prosperity re-establlshed Gre
dit and currency would not he without effect upon our
commerce. He thought it would be hardly extrava-
giant TO allow another IS per cent on these accounts
The average importatlons of the last six years were
much than 25 per cent greater than those OF the
six years preceding them, If we added then another
fourth to the FIVE millions and fve-eigh,hs already
estimated, should have something more than Sc
ven millions Call it seven. But that was not all
An existing law of the land provided expressly for
home pdiuations 10 commence from and after July,
1912 and he entirely unwilling TO assent to any
estimate which did not take that provision into view
The result of this home valuation had never been
counted at leas than an additional Of per cent to
the duties This, then, amounted 10 another increase
Of nerurth and carried up the estimate of revenue
to be received under this amended bill TO eight mil
lions and three quarters. his might be an exagge-
rated calculation too much might have been allowed
for the anticipated Improvement IN the tunes; but he
honestly believed that from seven 10 eight millions
would be the very least sum that such blll would
yield 1t would be remembered. too that, during the
latter half of the next year, we should have IN some
sort, double revenue We should have the amount
Of duties which might accrue under the custonhouse
credit system present in operation and we should
have also the collections under the cash system,
which was to commence after the Both of June next.
Ii all this should not prove to be sufficient IN The end,
it certainly would more than supply the immediate
necessities of the Government, and we should have
gwen an earnest of what were willing to do next
winter.
The proposed substitute did not include tea and cot
fee With his friend from Pennsylvania opposite,
from the original bill MI was GhSWilng lGoPa s yus
duty these articles Al The session He