Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1841-08-12

dy.'- IL was truly eloquent anu ao''
fort.
REMARKS OF THE HON. F. w. PlCh-
EMS. ON THE REVENUE LAWS.
Mr.. Pickcns said this was new question.
he had not thought of i, before Tho report
was presentedthis morning. lfuwere IN
tended topTocurc information, by this com
mi.tee, as to such details as would enable
this House 10 revise the whole system oil
tariff duties for protection, then such COM
nli,,ee might he necessary 10 furnish iacts.
But he thought the spirit and meaning ol
the act commonly called the "compro,
mise act" were plain and simple. Anh II
ii were intended that the system should DC
readjusied according to thespirit aud mean
ing Of that act, in good faits', then be ap-
| pretended there would be no very great
difficulty 10 The matter, as TO main points.
| The reference made TO the practice oil the
British Parliament. as to raising commit
tees, had no analogy to or condition.
Their system Of taxes was exceedingly
complicated. They had excises, direct
taxes, and specific duties; and they raised
rs much or more from domestic taxes as
they do frum imposts. The consequence
was, that twas complicated and required
4 thorough investigation, as to facts aud
details, before they could act wisely on ii.
But if we intended 10 confinc ourselves 10
the spirit of The compromise, particularly
that par, which declared that, after lol2,
The duties should be reduced 10 the econ
omical wants of the Govefnmenl-that
they should he for revcnuein realiiy-ihen
there would be M great difficulty. Ours
! would then be merely low rate of impos,s
upon imporiatious. We stwouid have no
excise duties, no direct taxes; and our
Treasury repousupon exports and imports,
and the Items, together with the countries
from whence they came, aud the amount,
would give us all the information necessa-
ry for taxes laid strictly for revenue alone.
Bul if we'wcre to revive all that system Of
1924, 1928, & 1882, complicated us it was,
& intended TO protect ihe various mauufac-
lures, exclusively, of the country, then the
movement in advance ipr committee
might be very necessity step towards
that system. Now, as toethe compromise
act, he thought somelhpS pS5'----i4 - ha 80.
quired by Congress. Sos3e revision and
Legislative action wero seesszr!. He
doul,ted as to the home vSiuntion contain-
cd in that act; he did not Mink il practical
hle: he did not know how il could be exc
cuied without injustice, ard making the
valuation different in differen, ports Of en-.
try, aud consequently The ad vnlorem du
Ties different in different ports, aud ofcourse
against The Constitution, which declares
that duties be Uniform.
Now rs to The effect that this commit
tee, proposed TO be raised. would have up
on The prcscn, bill reported by the Com
mi,tee of Ways and Mems, he differed in
his views f:oom The chairman and from The
gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr.. Win.
,hrop,) he considered it important in his
bearing upon that bill. True i, was bill
will very modest lillc; it was called Il
bill in relation 10 duties aud drawbacks"
but in reality il related TO n total revision
of your laril. II proposed 10 raise every
thin. up 10 20 per cent. except some few
articles. What was The effect! On coarse
woollcn blankets, at % ccuts, and under
that price. which now come in at 5 per
cent, this bin proposes TO raise thar duty
up, a, one dash, 10 20 per cent, making an
increase of ID per cent. Now, although
the impouations under that head were no,
now great in value, yet the effect would be
10 enable the home producer TO sell of
course The same article Is per cent, high
or, without danger from the foreign article;
aud it was ST. much bocu,yio 10 that effect,
without yielding cent Of revenue. So,
again, there were articles -frcc-not
confined, as the genrlcmcn from Virginia
;Mr. ITisc) supposes, TO drugs and die
s,ufIs alone. but extending 10 many other
instance. raw hides were 10 be
duiv free: these amounted 10 81, 800 900,
and sometimes S3,000,OO that were an
nualy imported from South Amcrica.-
Now this was an imp0r'antit item OF lmpor-
iations, made also by your heaviest and
richest capitalists; aud il It were intended
merely to raise revenue Tor the wants OF
the Government, then they ought to have
q reasonable irnposi duty. |. was mat
ter too in which the graziers Of Virginia |
aud the interior West were interested; for |
tax upon raw hides would make, 10 lha;
extent. their cattle more valuable. This
item of impouations was large, upwards
of s., 100000 annually. Butifis were IN
tended TO arrange your duties, so as TO pro-
,ect manufactures, and throw taxation up
on other branches of industry rs much as
possiblc, then such articles might be dury
free. And you could have d very cilcc-
tive tariff for protection, and yet limit j, 10
20 per cent provided you made such dis
ordinations as would throw all the bur-
dens for revenue (as you would call ip
upon certain great productions furnished at
home, while you would admit large list
dury-frcc for the consumption aud benefit
of the same grea, interests. And thus The
incidental protection would be great aud
grossly unjust. Now, MIR. T, was for
fair adjustment Of duties according TO the
true spirit and intent Of the compromise act
limiting it to revenue for The economl-
cal wants Of The Government, according to
the express words Of that statute. lie
would cheeriully give full revenue; 20
per cent. more suddenly put upon every
thing would produce shock in commerce