The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-17
WHOLE NO. 6SS.


es principal article into which this wool was con
yened was negro cloth. The agent of a single com
pany had written him that they had succeeded so well
~ this article that one house 10 the city ofChareston
South Carolina, had purchased 81 900 yards last year
and about The same quantity this year. Now the
Compromise act would reduce the production ON the
manufactured article from abroad 10 20 per cent
July, and would compel them TO make a desperate
struggle at the best 10 survive the competition But
lay this duty on the material and their overthrow
was certain Nor would any body be the better for it.
Nota dollar OF revenue would in the long run be re-
ceved by the Government from IT, We might in
deed, by passing the act take effect on the first Of
september head IN few cargoes al the wharf which
were ordered before any warning given and xact
an unexpected duty from them before they could be
landed-a most unjust and dshonorable mode Of rails
Ing revenue ne would say, for great commercial
ton But the duty would, as he was assured amount
ultimately TO prohibition No more wool OF that grade
would be imported An import ant branch of trade
would be broken up large number of factories de
ruoyed the capital invested be sunk the operatives
thrown out OF employment and not one dollar after
all, be received into the Treasury This was the first
piece of information which he had received, and gen
tiemen would acknowledge that ii not altogether
unimportant
| The next fact which had been brought TO his no.
ice was that, among the onenumerated articles
which duty OF 20 per cent would be laid by the bill
was type metal, used for making types and casting
reotype plates. This duty, also he informed,
would amount to prohibition and yield a dollar To
the Government. And his correspondent added that
there certainly must be some oversight in this as
the Government OF this country could never contem-
plate SO direct tax on printing 1t would be to
the diffusion and dissemination Of knowledge of eve
ry kinda principle and fit only for those des
potic Governments where the press is terror Now
| Mr.. w. well knew that his honorable friend the
chairman OF the Committee Of Ways and Means,
would be the last man in the House to put tax on
printing knowingly. There man in the House
for whom personally and politically, he had higher
respect or in whose patriotism he would sooner CON
! fde He quoted this letter merely to cxempify the
danger OF acting on so sweeping bill without more
| light.
| Mr. FILLMORE here explained and observed that
the main article employed in the manufacture Of type
metal, namely, reguus of antlmony, free from
duty.
Mr. WINTHROP. Yes but not type metal itself.
| That was not named among the free articles.
Mr.. DAWSON here interposed and inquired wheh
| er the individual from whom the letter came was
type founder
| Mr.. WINTHROP replied that he could not himself
precisely say what his profession was-he had every
| reason, however for crediting his testimony
| third fact which had been bought to his notice
was that indigo-of which from eleven to twelve
hundred thousand dollars worth was used annually in
| the manu featuring establishments of New England
and which stood at the head of the list of articles
which the compromise act itself stipulated should be
free after July, lSf2-was not contained in the free
list Of this bill, and of course would be subject TO
duty of 20 per cent in direct contravention of what
| some gentlemen seemed to regard voabe
| compact Now, he.knew that the honorable chair
man would inform the House that this was a mere
mistake-a clerical error, if you please. But MIR.
w 8 very purpose in alluding 10 il to prove how
! extremely liable we Were To make such mistakes, hy
acting SO hastily on measure complicated and
/ ensive If this bill had passed week ago this mis-
take might have been irreparabe and if il passed
week hence, he felt sure that other mistakes would
ultimately be discovered no less considerable in their
character.
Another fact which had been brought to Mr.. WIS
notice related to little article called Garseed which
gentlemen might regard very trihng thing to be
made the subject of speech. He had been furnished
with statistics the subject, however, which
would perhaps change their views He was informed
that several large and expensive establishments had
recently been set up Tor converting this seed into lin
seed oil and that they had already reduced the price
of the article to the consumer at least IS per cent
i They used about seven thousand tons of the seed a
year At least three fourhs Of this quantity i'm
ported, and formed main element in our Calcutta
trade After the oil was expressed two-thlrds OF the
| bulk remained, which was exported under the name
of oil cake for the British farmers TO feed their cattle
with Fourteen ships, OF 800 tons each, were en-
ployed in the import alton of this seed or an amount OF
tonnage equal TO such number OF ships, and hall as
many in exporting the cake From fifteen to
twenty thousand tons OF shipping, all told, coasting
trade included said to be employed IN this busi-
ness alone. And this article which had never
been much named in any of the old tariffs and
the business which had recently gwen rise was
! probably unknown 10 every member OF The House
That busacss would be Frustrated II tins blll passed.
These establishments would be crushed etlectually
as the seed in their own mills, and without one
particle of benefit to the Government. Even the car
1 uoes Of see their way would be re-exported
for drawback, and no further mportalions could be al
| orded.
There many other articles to which Mr. w :
attention had been called, such as sumac, and soda
ash and palm oil, and marrow, and mustard seed and
itharge and lime-but he could mol 90 through with
the list de must say word, however, on the sub
ec Of the drawbacks which II proposed TO reduce
by the third section of the bill Information had been
furnished him, which proved that there had been
great mistake this subject of drawbacks, and that
little injustice mis- hit result from IT, There had
been great hue and cry in both branches OF Con-
grcss for many years back, about the enormous sums
the Government losing by the draw backs re-
4 fined sugar II seemed if the late Secretary Of The
Treasury could never make an end of talking about
them In every report and statement of his these ter.
| ribe drawbacks were placed in the foreground. Let
ter after letter and postscript after postscript sent
TO the Committee Of Ways and Means about them
One would almost have thought the Government was
going to pieces last winter because one Mr.. w olsey
would insist on exporting much refined sugar. The
late Administration seemed literally to he about GO
ing to the death upon the sugar" And what were
the facts A circular had already been distributed in
the House drawn up as he could testify, ny honest
men, by which appeared thatthe duty had exceeded
the drawback during great part OF the last ten years
and that the OF the drawback at this moment
was less than eghths OF cent per pound instead
sury Department VAS I've yesq Mn h a, s
crease OF the exports Of this refined sugar was asccr
tanned to have arisen, not from the bounty of our own
Government. n. bod hann s,,.-r~ei h.' f@ -. +
tho Kingdom of the Two Scilies
Then ae ain as the drawback distilled spirits
As an evidence of the groundessness Of the com
plants which had been made on this score, here
letter from respectable house in Boston, stating
that they shipped last month IL Alb gallons of
/ ST. Pierre n F., on the raw material of which there
i had been paid duty of more than 81 $50, but on
which they received a drawback of only $69S %
This owing the fact that by improved processes
of manufacture, the spirit made 80, IS, or
100 per cent above proof while the drawback was
hnsed only nrnnf sulrii Ihis whole lAlLd scciinn