Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-03-04
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1871


| Number vessels cleared 500 524
Tonnage, l42,o6 loo,lSo
--------------------------
sin these tables we find that the average import o:
French silk for five years is but little more than
81 O0OG COO instead Of $40, 900 900, has been as.
serted by Mr.. Bddle, Mr. Webster, and re-echoed by
all the party papers from end of the country TO The
other. At the same time France buys, on an average,
$l500O,O00 of cotton from annually and one NIL
lion dollars worth of ,obacco while import OF cot
ton goods from France is scarcely SlOGOOOo II The
silks of France 10 be subjected to duty, what viii
prevent her laying discriminating duty IN favor oil
East India and Colonial cottons 10 the damage OF our
planters 1t is up preencc that this great ex-
of silk imports from France causes dram OF the
precious metals; the contrary, find that the I'M
ports OF gold and silver exceed the exports for that
country five 600 900. In this oil
it, therefore, there reality i'll the prelencc up,
and there exists good reason for increasing the
duties French imports. In regard 10 the heavy
duties alleged to be levied upon American tobacco
in France, the position assumed by the planters,
that their interest suffers by it. appears 10 be entire
~ In the frs, place. the article Of tobacco,
from its nature, is exempt from the usual rule OF com
merce, that increase of price decreases cnnsump
ton; the small quantities which each individual ad
dicled to the use of the weed consumes in year,
make the doubling qundrupl! ng Of its prices matter
of minor Importance to him, and he does not cnrta his
usual allowance On the contrary, it has been OBJ
served among the poorer classes, that when other
consequence Of high prices tobacco has ncTcascd be-
cause it, in manner, becomes substitute; for proof
of this grand scale, the facts offered by the plant
ers are the most conclusive. They state that The Co.
vernment of France derive of S}0,00o,U00
from impo.ts on the article Now, if we turn 10 the
table of Exports, find that the exports 10 France las
increased from near I, 900 hhds. in 1885, to 6
900 hhds in 1885, and 10000 hhds in 1889, when the
crop short, showing vastly greater increase than
is presented by any other article.
ssIn the face of this rapid sale of their product the
planters ask for retaliave duties upon the imports OF
France to the damage Of their fellow citizens, unless
the European Governments consent to forego most
lucrative monopoly which, il absurd TO suppose, they
will do, especially such article as tobacco, the ex
tended of which il is wise policy to dscounienance
The planters appear to be mpeed by the feeling
which induces the English to make upon China,
because they will not buy her opium. Instead of lis
tenng to these injurious petitions, which tend back
wards TO the exploded system Of restrictive duties the
wises policy of the national councils will b. 10 seek
means of extending foreign trade the American
system of reciprocity II has been the policy OF England
always build markets for herself by cultvatg the
trade OF new and distant countries The United States
are in position in which they compete sue
cessfuly with England in foreign countries. The
mighty empire of the Brazls affords immense field
for the enterprise of this country She already buys
$l3,000,000 OF English cotton goods annually, which
might be furnished from this country if the intercourse
was properly managed. As it is, We without
commercial treaty with that empire. We will shortly
recur to this subject"
We lose but little our general commercial relations
with France, and what is lost BY tie difference in her
favor, il there be any, imports and exports
than made up by the profit in our favor on nGrigdtiOn
Will the sh p-owners and navigation interest 20 for
this war of retaliation on France Why this
France our ancient ally and beneiactress-a nation
which has in good faith settled with and paid every
claim either upon her justice her generosity, Is Il
the old upon the sired caisteoGts o. How came
these cines and silks eeP Was it oar fault the fault
Of all graspng protccrc party whose interest it
to make all ururicS Free in order 10 raise all the
nue. from protected articles And now since Southern
commerce has found articles of France 10 exchange for
Southern products Of cotton and tobacco since the
change Of these for silks and has become poia
Bile To US, again to have tax lad as directly
upon production as IL has heretofore been lad upon
our consumption9 That Sir will be the effect, incvita-
bly,, of tax upon wines and s'lks-of war OF counter
vallng duties upon France. Separated as France i
now from the Holy Alliance, weakened and threatened
as she has been lately by the other great European
Powers, | would sooner Sir, commence upon any
other nation than upon her She needs, especially at
this time the countenance of that country which
its independence and national existence TO her gene
rous aid and alliance So much for counteryailng du-
ties on luxurIes.
But gentlemen say there is adtfeiency in 7crcnue!
Admit it. Gentlemen say themselves that they cannot
meet the present emergency with loan, much less
with tariff If they cannot wait thirty days for the
advertisement for loan, do they expect less time to
put tariff in opera lion, when there part -four fo-
reign trade which does not require the shortest pos
sibe period to meet aud increased duties on i'm
ports notice Of from sixty 10 ninety days This Ia
riff on uxnries free cannot possibly mean, them to
provide for the present deficiency No, Sir, II must be
intended for the future-fr more than sixty ninety
DAYS or year The oil Jet is not TO lay Ia
riff now all these movements are mere advanced
guards of the policy lercailer-thcy fcelcrs
and pioneers for the present. There IS time enough
hereafter, gentlemen, therefore, to consider your
schemes 10 increase the tariff "Suicent unto the day
is the evil thereof.
But gentlemen say also that there will be large
rcduciion after December this year, and after June
in 1912 What says the Secretary of the Treasury ?
See his report already referred TO- pages and2:
alt is believed that the reduction III the duties on i'm
ports, which, by the existing tariff, will take place in
The wear 1872 cannot vary much from five millions Of
dollars For reasons assigned in the last two annual
reports on the finances, the expectations of the
dersgned are that, if the expenditures properly
and seasonnby diminished, 1t acH not nc necessary TO
raise all this amount by taxation IN any form
Now what does this reduction mean: do gentle
men, does the Secretary, mean to say that reduction
of dutss five millions is reduction OF Tcrenae TO that
amount, If they do, answer that the one does not
follow the other of course, not BY my means re-
duction of duys frequently the cause OF increase
than of dimnution Of rcrenuc. reduction OF duties
is most likely TO cause an increase OF nporations
medium duty imports is The best duty always 10 pro-
duce a large revenue. duty heavy rs 10 amount
10 prohibition produces more revenue than free
article A duty next TO prohibition produces no more
revenue than nominal or very small duty That
duty which is medium between prohibition and free
duty is the most productive Of revenue, and twenty
per cent. on most articles, with home valuation
and Government appaisement equal to fifteen per cent
MORE will be still above fair medium duty on our I'M
ports | doubt therefore, whether, articles
taxed above twenty per cent. there will be any reduc
ton of revenue, though there be considerable reduc
ton of duty, after December and June next. At all
events the amount of dutiable imports will not be less
than seventy-fve or eighty millions, yielding at least
fifteen or sixteen million Of revenue, with twenty per
cent ad raorem duty, besides the amount of revenue
from public lands and other So that there will
be- in all probability revenue ofat least twenty millions
ofdollars And is that sufficient for the purposes
of an economical administration Of the Government?
From what cause does this deficiency of revenue
arise What have we Wings been attrlbutng as its
causes. Does proceed from an inherent defect in the
of or from casual distractions TO our
resources Is il permanent temporary defcien