Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-02-11

for Southern
nroG,abe market for siaples and u is ln'i'e
d;a,ev struck at by this Government. your ialih'
before 1898, burdened our commerce, ana uePieI''
cd our staples in all the markets OF 'he "o'iu ="
lsss-not from regard 10 our interests put con.as
to our interests to subserve inc purposes VI oI
Ia s;ILs and wines, FREE of duty The treaty
;,h Fronce in 1881 reduced lhe duties on our long
cottons. and left cotton with nominal duty mere
L. mon Them whilst it reduced the duty on wines
I'VE accommodated ourselves I" our situat'oh' .u
cr,;ye and harmless trade has grown up between our
selves and first great ally and now, The hrst mo
di6cation of the Tariff prOrId' is to cripple, ana
perhaps, destroy this trade teey 1.-THE spirit OF re-
taliaton is awakened, do genl'meh suPPose '"a '"y
will have it all on one side !:
IcI hoard With regret the advocacy of my colleague
Of this PROPOSAL unnecessarily to burden trade Pecu
larly beneficial the South, it was win sun create,
repret heard him introduce the snO)ec. OF genera
adjustment of the Tariff He stated, and stated uu'y
if his position as to the Indebtedness oil Tue
was correct that silks and wines do not inter
ere with the provisions of the compromise act OF 1853
WIN then did he go further than the case required
and not only maintain the expectancy Oh taxing "'.hh
the limits Of that act, but discuss the saDect OF pro-
tec,ve tariff generally, and broadly MAINTAIN that the
49, r 1s33 was uern,anent and perpetual in its pro-
v;sons and the determinations II contains IN favor OF
the manufacturers ought to be continued after the year
1910, Honor and honesty, he contended, required this
,t our hands IF these positions be true, protective
tnrH ia taSteneQ
maintain sir, that the act OF 1888 IS not perpetual
n ;,s terms but expires the Both day Of June, s42;
and that the principle guaranteed in that bill, SO tar
from ;nstifyng the continuance Of the protective policy
in our system of taxnton is directly the reverse, and
ooks distinctly to its entire abandonment.
recolect we'll when this act first passed, taking my
oninions rather from what others sad than nsPec
lion of the act, had impression that this act did
not expire 1912 but the duty OF acting upon lately
brought me to examination of It's provisions, and
| tlo
The third elton of the act provides: "That, until
the thireth day of June thousand eight hundred
and forty two, the duties imposed by existing laws, as
modified by this act, shall remain and continue 10 be
collected, And from and after the day last aforesaid
all duties upon imports shall be collected in ready mo-
ney and all credits allowed by law shall be- and
hereby are abolished; and such duties shall be fatd or
the purpose Of raising such as may be necessary
to an economical administration OF the Government
Now here sir, "the duties imposed by existing laws
Ms modified BIZ this act" are remain and continue TO
be collected only until the Both June, le42;; "and
from and after the day last aforesaid, such duties
shall be laid for the purpose OF raising such rerenue as
NAV be necessary to an economical administration OF
the Government" Is il not plain that the duties con-
,nue only until 30th June 1912: and il not also PLAIN
that after that period, the protective principle was 10
be abandoned: We should call mind the point OF
contest The South, rather S. Carolina, commended
that Congress- in laying duties on imports, had no con-
stutonal right to discriminate between any articles,
excepting on the ground of revenue. IL had no con-
stutona right to lay its taxes with the view OF los
te5ing the interests of the manufacturers or IN any
manner of promoting the interests OF one class oil pro-
ducers rather than anoher-all being equally entitled
to any immediate or incidental benefit which may
arise from the duties belonging to all, and LAID tor
all This act continues the determinations IN Ia
vor Of the manufacturers until 10th June, le42, and
says that then they shall be land Tor revenue What
was the compromise effected by this act, II was this,
or it was nothing: We submitted to determinations in
the duties for the benefit of the manufacturers for nine
years, condition that then, and forever, the protect
i've principle 10 be abandoned and no discrimina.
tons to be imposed excepting those winch SIM
ole eve to revenue only would require II was great
contest about constitutional principles, and It was set
tied by toleratng unconstitutional state ot things Tor
nine years. that the Constitution might then be restored
IT, by the third section, the duties laid only until
the Both of June 1912, the fifth section Of this act
shows distinctly what shall be done after that period
and all imports which the first section containing
the protected arcles) of this act may operate and all
articles now admitted to entry free from duty, or pay
inc less rate of duty than 20 per centum ad vaofem
before the said 30tb day Of June, 1872 and after
that day may be admitted to entry, subject to such duty
not exceeding 90 per centum ad valoren, as shalt 0e
prorided for By lac"
There is here guaranty that the protected, as we'll as
the unprotected arclcs-those which bore dscrlni-
mating duty for the benefit of acturcrs, and those
free-should all of then he at least as low in the duty
as twenty per cent ad vaorem but not word is SAID
as to any discrimination between them. They are TO be
then such s'as shall he provided for by law and an
equal ad vaorem duty is pointed to as the scale OF their
adjustment hesitate not to say, should you omit lc
rslaon on the subject before the Both June, 1872, not
dollar after that day be collected through the GUS
toms. No Tariff will be in existence.
Is il not then, MIR. Chairman, extraordinary con-
sructon Of this act that il is perpetual in its prov
sors; and that we are bound-although it will be dead
by its Limitation in 1872 and contains, on It's face,
remuneration of the protective princpe;-that, in no.
nesty and honor, bound to give 1t lite again, and
perpetuate those unjust and unconstitutional discrlm
nations to dsburden ourselves OF which, we have borne
their weight for nine years. The price is paid We
have endured excessive taxaton far beyond the wants
OF our Government, with all the disasters of sur.
plus revenue in It's influence upon the currency; and
we have before us, under the baneful influence OF
the deposte act, flowing from lis terms, the still
greater disaster if carried into effect of distribution
Of portion of revenue to the States OF the Con-
federacy. All these evils, past and prospective, we
have encountered that the manufacturers might nave
the full benefit of the privileges this act conferred
upon them. And now, when their portion of the COM
promise is to be performed, what do we near: ANY
stirring appeals to the Northern States TO stand 10
their enyagements-to fulh their faith by every
consideration which inalvdua or national honor can
inspire, and abandon forever the principle of pro-
lection : No, sir NJ; the appeal is made 10 us
TO u.s. who, for thirty years. have borne discriminating
duties for their benefit We must bear MORE and bear
it forever-yeld up the principle of protection, and
once more lie at the mercy of majority in Congress,
the prosperity of whose constituents, in their opinion
rises exactly in proportion to our oppression AND all
this we must do in the sacred of honesty and no.
nor Why, even supposng my colleagues construc-
ton to be correct ard that there distinct clause
in the act of 1888 declaring that the protected articles
should have discriminating duty in their favor Of 90
per ce forever, what moral principle would bind us to
its observance? We have declared, that in our opinion
all determinations made in tariff, for the benefit Of
manufacturers, are unconstitutional Admitting that
former statesmen, filling the seats we now occupy had
made legislative arrangements with respect to this sub
ect, which come in direct conflict with our views Of
The Constitution could we dare observe them The
Constitution over them as it s over u.s. and we
are sworn here "to main,aln protect, and defend IT,
The oath is our own, and so must be its responsible
ties No plea of the abandonment of others of their
constitutional duty, if theyhave done so, can absolve
us from our oaths, exempt us from performing ours
assume no authority over the consciences of others,
nor will usurp the high prerogatve of judging them;
but for myself say il ever vote for the imposition
Of discriminating duties, for the benefit of manuactu
rers, under the present Constitution, shall deem my
self guilty of moral perjury.
1 or IN NV netr on