Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-04-04
VOL. 36, NO. 2o.--wHOLE NO. 1850.

PoseS an equal duty on articles greatly unequhl vi
value. Coffee, for example, land it is an article
which always suggests itself TO my thoughts,l IS
one OF the articles on which specific duty has
been levied. Now it is perfectly well known that
the Mocha coffee is worth twice much as the
coffee of st. Domingo or Cuba yet both pay the
same duty The tax has no respect to the value,
hut is arbitrarily levied on all articles OF specific
kind alike, however various and unequal may be
then value. Isay that, in theory, and according
to every sound principle of JUSTICE the ad udtorem
mode Of taxation is entitled to the preference
There is, admit, one objection to it: rs the val
ne of an article Is matter subject to opinion, and
as opinions will ever vary either honestly frau
dulcntly there Is some difficulty in preventing
| frauds But with the home valuation proposed
| by my friend from Rhode Island, (Mr. Simmons)
the dd udlorem system can be adopted with all
practicable safety and will be liable to those chan
ces only Of fraud wh ch are inevitable under any
and every system.
Again What has been the fact from the origin
Of the Government until now ? The articles from
which the greatest amount of revenue has been
drawn, such us woolGns linens, silks, cotton, wors-
eds and few others, have all been taxed on the
dd vdLorem principle aud there has been no diff
Guilty in the operation. believe, upon the whole,
that it is tho hest mode believe that if we adopt
n fixed rate I'D pdt0rtm, wherever IL can be done,
the reyenue will he subjected TO fewer frauds than
the injustice aud frauds incident TO specific duties.
One of the most prolific sources of the violation
knows, the effort TO get in goods of finer quail
~ and higher value admitted under the lower rate
of duty required for those of lower value. The
honorable gentleman from New Hampshire Mr..
| Woodbury. and the honorable Senator from New
York MIR Wrighl) Both we'll know this. But if
the duty was laid ad uaorem there could he no
motive for such mn effort, and the fraud, in its
present form, would have no place. In England,
ms all who have read the able report made by MIR.
Hume, a Scottish member in the House of Com
mons, must perceive they seem TO be giving up
specific duties and the tendency in the public
mind appears TO be. instead of having variety OF
specific dutes to have one permanent fixed rate
of duty for all articles. ! am willing, repeat, TO
adhere to the great principle as laid down in the
compromise act. If there he those who suppose
that under the specific form of duy, higher de-
gree of protection can be secured than under the
other mode, would observe that the actual meas
ure of protection does not depend upon the form
but on the amount of the duty which is levied on
the foreign rival articles.
Assuming that we are to adhere 10 this prlnci-
pie, then every one of the leading principles of
the same act can be adhered to and carried fully
out; for again assert that the idea that duties
are always to remain at precisely twenty per cent.
and never 10 vary from that point, he the exigen-
cies OF Government what they may, does not be-
long TO the language of the act, nor is it required
by any of its provisions.
The next resolution have proposed 10 the con-
sideraton of the Senate is this
Resolved, That the provision in the act of the
extra session for the distribution OF the proceeds
of the public lands requiring the operation OF that
act to be suspended in the contingency of high
er ruie of duty than twenty per cent. ought 10 he
repealed.
Now, according TO the calculations have made
the repeal OF the clause in question and the recall
OF the proceeds OF the sales of the public lands
from tile States, even if made will not dispense
with the necessity OF great increase in the exist
ing rate of taxation. have shown Tint duty
Of thirty per cent will not be too much 10 furnish
the requisite amount of revenue for n Just and E.
economical administration of the Government
And how much of that rate will be reduced should
you add 10 tic revenue from imports tho million
and hdlf-which was the amount realized last
yenr-derlved from the sales of the public do
main? It will be but the difference between 80
aud % l-2. For, since so per cent. yields q rev.
enue of twenty-six millions, one per cent. will
bring about 5000 600; aud every million Of dol
lars derived from the land will reduce your taxa
ton on imports only 100000; if you get mil
lion and half from the lands, il will reduce the
taxes from 30 to 20 l-2 per cent, or if you get
three millions, as some gentlemen insist will be
the case, then you will save taxes in the amount
Of the difference between thirty per cent and a
bout 81 per cent. This will be the whole extent
ofbeneht derived from this land fund, which soue
Senators have supposed would be so abundant as 10
relieve us from all necessity of additional taxation
a, ALL put it, hen,to every Senatorno matter who,
whether he is willing for the sake of this trliing
difference between 80 and % I-2 per cent. or he =
tween 30 and 27 per cent TO disturb a grent, mo-
nentous and perplexng sub ect of our national
policy, which is now settled, and thereby show
such an example of instability in legislation as
will be exhibited by the fact of unsettling so great
a question within less than eight months after il
had been fixed, on the most mature consideration
II gentlemen can make more ont the land fund
than have here stated it likely to YIELD, shall he
glad to hear on what ground they rest their cal
cuations. say that all the difference it will pro-
duce in the amount OF our increased taxation is
the difference between 30 and % or between
30 aud q per cent. Will you, repeat the ques-
rion when it is absolutely and confessedy neces-
sary that more revenue shall be raised, and the
mode in which it may be done is fraught with so
many and great benefits 10 the country, rs
shall presently show, will you disturb great and
vcXed national question for the sake OF eking out
in so lrfng degree the amount TO he raised
But let us look at the subject in another view.
The resources on which Government should de-
pend for pa, ing the public creditor and maintain
ing nvolate the national faith and credit, ought
10 he such to admit of some certain estimate
and calculation. But what possible reliance can
he placed on n fund so iuctualing and variable us
lands ? We have seen it rise to the extraordinary
height Of twenty-six millions in one year. and in
less ihnn six years afterwards fall down to the low
amount of one million aud halt.
The next resolution aihrms proposition winch
| hope will receive the unanimous consent OF the
Senate. II is as follows:
Resolved, That it is the duty of Government al
all times, hut more especially in season such as
now exists, OF general embarrassment and pecu-
MARY distress, to abolish all useless institutions
and Offices, to curtail all unnecessary expenses,
and TO practise rigid economy.
And the seventh resolution declares
That the contingent expenses of the two iiou-
sea Of Congress ought 10 be greatly reduced ana
the mileage Of members of Congress ought to he
regulated and more clearly defined.
Ii has appeared to me that the process oil re-,
trenchment of the public expenses aud reform OF
existing abuses ought 10 begin in an especial man
ner here, with ourselves, in Congress l'seii where
il found one of the most extravagant Of all the
branches of the Government. We should begin
at home, and encourage the work of reIronchment
by our own examples. have before me n docu-
ment which exhibits the gradual progress in the