Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-03-05

Mr. CLAY here went INTO details 10 snow thal Tue
true value Of exports the price a. the place OF e1-
nor, 'Cn;s he considered the farest Of arriving
n, the value Of imports for revenue lie supposed that
T exports fell short OF imports one year, tie excess OF
the latter created debt abroad, which was TO be paid
Nv al excess OF exports IN succeeding year.
The exports from 1886 10 lcil amounted 10 SIX hun
drsd and iwenty.one millions; the annual average 70
orc hundred three and halt millions. That he con-
s;Jered the safe average for the future lie took III
teen aud half per cent as the Proh to be added ma
king one hundred and nineteen millions FROM TINS
no sunposed Ten millions should be deducted Tor the IN
cres, If The State debts abroad. That leaves hun
dred and nine millions How much is dutiable, and
huy much is free: II has been estimated that the
free articles amount thirty millions; IRON that lie pro-
messed to deduct twelve millions Tor tea end coffee,
winch ought TO be taxed leaving e'gh'eeh 'i'ohs ie''
and giving nine y-one millions 10 be assumed as the du.
table ARTICLES for years TO come. How Is The sum OF
twentys.x millions to be got from these imports: lie
took j, for granted man IN The Senate would ven
turr in time Of peace To raise The proposition mat we
ouaht TO resort 10 direct taxation At what rate per
cent will It be necessary 10 CO. III order tn raise from
ninety. one millions OF imports, twentysi1 millions oil
revenue: a friend al the head OF the Committee on
Manufactures, he understood, had plan to propose.
AT present subject only to the operations in form, the
ore,r fixes The value. IL you give me- said Mr..
c. the fixing of the value, care not what rate Of d.
Is YOU adopt The foreigner fixes your rate of duty
By fixing the value
Rut independent of all the considerations affecting
M
ought to make the value al home. 1t has been estl
mated at from fifteen 10 twenty per cent, but he thought,
i, oupht to be from twenty twenty-five per cent which
would amount 10 an addition Of live per cent. 10 the
compromise act.
Without entering into the question of home value he
would treat the subject if the present system were
TO be continued, and proceed to estimate what rate OF
duty would be necessary to give twenty.slx millions
of revenue. Supposiny every article SUBJECT TO lur'y
per cent the result would lie twcnty-seven millions,
~ fIlantt no npf q
would be but less than twenty-five millions and three
quarters it has been supposed, that when he proposed
fixed rate, ad ratorca, his intention was, that every
article to be brought up 10 thirty per cent But
such was not the casc-hs object to discriminate
for example, jewellery and articles of great value and
small bulk, easily smugged, should be at lower rate
but thirty per cent. all articles would be requi-
site 10 raise revenue ol twenty-five millions and
three quarters il follows that something beyond thirty
per cent will be necessary ii the home valuation is not
adopted lie proceeded to review what he considered
very important branch OF the subect-tha IN relation
the Compromise act. At the time It was proposed,
he thought right the country should make fair ex-
pertinent and that in good faith, 1t ought 10 be car
ried far possible, or practicable. lie was am
mated by the principles OF good faith now rs then
Blu, il becomes necessary 10 consider the true prn-
cples of that act, The first is, that there should be
fixed nd ralorem duty at twenty per cent and dis
elimination below il. That the Tariff should be gra-
dually reduced twenty per cent and then that re-
venue should adequate TO economical adminisira
ton .. the Government Mr. Clay here read the fourth
fifth, and sixth sections of the Compromise act.
| These SIX compose all the leading principles of the
Compromise act. It has been supposed that twenty
per cent not to be exceeded. That he denied
lie admitted that at The time il not supposed that
il probable the expenditures OF an economical TO-
yernment could require duty exceeding twenty per
cent There was, al the time, an overttowing Urea
sury, and the gTea. anxiety was, how 10 dispose OF H.
But that the rate OF twenty per cent should not under
any circumstances, be exceeded, was not he insist.
ed principle Of tie Act To sustain this view, he
vent into details showing the process OF reduction
20 twenty per centum, and denied TINT there was
any thing in the act 10 say the duty should remain
stationary at twenty per cent He read The conclu-
sion Of the clause beginning "and after the 30sh 81
June such duties shall be land, shall furnish such re-
shall be necessary for economical admins
tration OF the Government lie admitted the obligu-
ton administer the Government economically; bu,
that the obligation equally great pro-
vide sufficient revenue for the public service. The
inference lie drew from the words OF the clause, was
tina, the duty not 10 remain stationery at twenty
per cent; and concluded that, in virtue Of this act
Congress could lay duties if necessary, 10 the amount
Of forty, fifty one hundred per cent.
He wiling 10 abide by tina, provision in the
Compromise act. Vague notions exist in relation to
discriminating duties. He saw no difficulty IN ascer-
tanning the value of every article. lie maintained
that the al vaorem form was the best. Tho specific
system maintains that articles of different values should
pay the duty. No respect is paid TO value; but
ali have 10 pay alike. lie admitted there oh.
lection to the I'D valorem form-ihat Of differences OF
opinion 10 real value but le contended the al
lorem principle could be carried better than any
other.
| He believed il was best, and when uniform, frauds
could be better escaped than under different FORM
He quoted instances Of fraud under specific dutes.-
lie therefore willing 10 adhere to the principle OF
the ad yaore duty even il obliged 10 60 Vi to 33a per
cent
| In England, the principle Of specific duty was about
10 he given up, and the ed vaorem principle going
10 be universally adopted. To that principle he in
favor of adhering lie again denied that the SPIRIT the
principles, provisions of the compromise act sane
toned the idea that fixed and mmu,able duty of u
per cent. was to be adhered 10.
lie next advered 10 the provision in the distribution
bill restoring the land fund should the ~ per cent be
exceeded He denied that the restoration OF the land
fund would supercede the necessity of raising the Ia
riff lie estimated that the land fund was but million
and half, and conended that its restoration would
only, instead OF requiring 80 per cent. duty TO be laid
require 25t per cent; and if the land fund should be
three millions, II would only cause reduction OF 90
much from the 80 per cent. And he asked Senators
would they for the sake Of such trling reduction
disturb the subject which had long agi,aed the
country, and exhibit 10 the world specimen Of such
unstable legislation that of repeating great
not months i'll existence:
The next resolution aiiiTms proposition which he
hoped would receive the universal assent OF the Senate
as he trusted all the resolutions would, when duly
sidered.
1t had appeared 10 him that a rercnchment of
peEses and reform in administration ought to begin in
Congress II was due 10 the country Tor Congress Il
set the example itself Of reform and retrenchnPnt
lie had documents embracing period oftwenty years
divided into periods Of four years each from which he
enumerated the annual expenditures chargeabe on the
contingent fund, showing the increase TILL the amount
had reached three hundred and thirtythree thousand
dollars On this increase he commented for time
lie insisted that the estimates should be brought down
and spoke Of the work of reform already begun in the
other House, by which the estimates had been reduced
one hundred thousand dollars for both Houses 1t ought
10 go farther, and lie hoped II would not stop al tina,
amount CT relrenchment.
He adverted to the expenditures Of the judicial de-
par,ment and asked could any suppose that the in
crease four hundred and odd thousand dollars had
grown without great abuses; and he feared
not wanting in which collision between the clerks
and district judges had counenanced these abuses lie
i cn,ld ! l.srici ~ .. i!. IL.