Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1841-08-02
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FIRST SESSION.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATlVE
Thursday, July %, ls4i.
REVENUE LAWS.

KEY ENUE LAWS.
Ths House resumed the consideration Of The 70
port and resolution presented yss,e,day by Nj.
WINTHROP, from the Commi,es on Commerce,
aud which resolution Is IN the following words
Ros0ired, That committee Of nine me mbcfs,
more than one of whom shall be from any one
State. be appo,n,cdb by the Char, 10 sit dur,ug the
recess, tot the purpose oil taking evidence al the
principal ports Of entry and elssw here as 10 The OPP
Grafton OF the existing system and rates oil duties
imports upon the manuiact uting, AGRICULTURAL aud
commercial interests of ,he county, and OF procu-
ing, generally such Information AZ may be useful
TO Congress in any revision Of the revenue laws
which may be attempted al the nsxt session.
Mr.. GlLMEK addressed the House in remarks
of great length, in which he threw gu, The suspi-
c,op that these inquiries were designed nv prepare
tory TO the imposition ola ,ar,il for protection hths
Information needed for revision Of the II at tho
regular scsslnn II less needed before passing
the bill which had been oued al the PIE.
sent sessinn by the Committee OF WAYS aud Means.
He was ready icr tafih which should be ior ,eve-
nue. alone, aud should conform TO the principles OF
the compromise act; but utterly agans, any .a,'D
for proecuon
Mr. WISE, after oblccting first to tho resolution
as founded upon report winch must give IFS avn
complexion To the resolution, sad that the report
was erroneous IN many particulars, and proceeded Al
great length designate the points ~ winch 50,
and 10 comment upon them. la the course OF his
remaihs, Mr.. w. adyerledto the course ot argument
pursued by Mr. Nrsnlr yesterday, and replied AT
length 10 the pos,,,ons taxi by that gentleman.
Mr. CUSHING obtained tn. il,or. but was much
,mpor,uned to yield ii TO Mr.. Nisukr, Tor the put-
pose of reply from that gentleman Ito declined,
how ever, fearing lest he might not succeed IN oh
,aining II again.
lie commenced by observing that tho proposition
in the resolutions was very simple one, and such
ii would think could not well be opposed. 1t
proposed The appointment OF a commute Of Inses-
ilgaion to investigate aud TO report facts 10 the
nd be n ic
That was what the House needed Tor they were TOO
much in The habit oil dealing IN crude general,i'es
on questions which, in an eminent degtee, involved
an II, q uaintancc with numerical and financial de-
tails. Yet the feso iulion had been pertnac iousiy
resisted, Tor reasons which, IN MI C.sopnioD, we're
unlenabe. As these reasons had been distinctly
put forth by the gentleman from Virginia, lAlr.
WEE,) Mr. G.. should eonfne himself chiefly 10 aIc-
ply to the an unent OF that gentleman.
The objections oi tho gentleman we've ioul drd
not so much on the terms of the resolution ilscf
a. on those II the report with which II hal been
introduced TO the House. The report assumed
that there must necessarily be revision Of The Ia
rIil previous to lSl2, and the gentleman positively
denied tins posioni 10 be True that tho tarlff Was
fixed by the compromise act, and was III the nature
u contract, and that, contrary TO the assertion OF
the report, there was no general concurrence oi o.
plnon as to the necessity Of IT'S undergoing revision
TINS lay al the bottom oi his hole argument. But
had the genll"man closely examined the compIo-
ml,e ACT oud he say that in toniea plailon Of
that act there was 10 be no lie gs.alion tho sub
Jecl OF HE taiil previous to 1842! And II there
10 be, then dad not Congress need information
as To matters Of detail The gentleman assumed
the Allegation Tho genl man from Georgia Mr..
NlsnIr) that The compromiss act expired on the
- h June, 1912.
Here Mr.. Nlsnrr rose to explain, but his
friends advised hun 10 defer explanation I'LL he
should have fun opportunity Of reply. aud he
lhereupon resumed his seat alter saying something
which did not reach the ear OF the Reporter.
The gentleman referred them to ths leiei Of the
compact; he called, like Shylo Tor ,he condition
ofthe bond. Mr. q. would reply TO HIM IN the
words OF POrtia:
Thyseli shall see tbs il thou dcsir's,
Justice, thou shut ha,e justice.
The compromise act was IN part permanent, in
part not. Ii provided that sltsT tho 18th June,
1871. The duties shall be pad in cash. 2. DU-
ties shall be reckoned on tbs home Valuation. ).
That there should be csnain excepted a,,clss Tree
OF duty. There were Two Of ne provisions, however,
that were not permanent. The first Of ihsss was,
that piior to the 18Th June, 1912. il tho revenue
should either be exc. ssiye or deficient, Congress
may revise the lsnn. Tins WAS not a permanent
provision. But, Mr.. c. asked, Il Coogress might
make this provision prior To 1912, could IL not do
The same alter 1912! 1t could. Tho law never
meant to deny such power. This part OF the
law was temporary it was )uncus oDicio after le42
II was not va parl OF The ACT. The vital pari OF
the that winch referred TO the rate of duties
Alter lS42, " hat were the duties to be MeIchan
d Sc imported might be divided ntp four classes &:
|. That on winch there was an ad rolorem duty OF
twenty Der cent ,. That on which there spsci-
fc duty olweny pr cent. On these Two classes the
reducing process OF the act operated. g. The except
ed free artcles. And 4. Articles winch was du
yolless than twenty per cent. On these the ieduc.
ton did not operate. Now if the gentleman looked
at The language Of the act, he would perceive that il
de Jared thai, from and after the 18th June, 1912,
these fur classes of merchandise shall ba subject
10 such duties shall be provided by law. And
what duties these Clearly such duties - had
by previous leg slai,on been provided 10 meet that
period Of time else there would DO then no du,ies
Of any kind. The ACT manilesty presurpOsed that
legislation would Of necessity have taken place.
Mr.. WISE hero inierp sed, and wanted to ex-
plain but Mr.. CUSHING wished HIM 10 defer his
reply.
Mr.. C. was going Tn to argue tina, there must OF
course he Encouragement Of duiiss when
Mr.. WISE again inle,posed. lie cared not
cent whether the Encouragement was obligatory
or only pernissive under the act. The important
pon, was, that the act made permanent provsioo thai
dulles levied should not exceed twenty per csnt.-
Now, did not the resolution and report from the
COMMITTEE on Commerce 60 on tho snppOsltion
that alter o42, The du'ies might DO over t"en'y
per cent! Would tho gentleman consent TO APP
pend condition that the revision Of the iarlf should
not intef re with the compromise act
MI. CUSHING SAID lie should not blink the
question. The time had come hen genenen OF
opposite views might understand each oher, and
he sh. uld evade no psrt Of the question. Admit
tiDg for moment that the dulies must not exceed
The nominal maximum of twenty per cent. would
that be, IN truth, the True maximum rate # duty