Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-07-19

high. Thus when articles were cheapened by COM
petition, or any other cause, and thus came within the
range of the consumption of the poor, the specific du-
ty kept up the price, and increased the tax. For in
stance: suppose specific duty of i've cents is LAID on
yard of cloth worth fifteen; this will be thirty-three
and a third per cent; but if the cloth falls to ten cents,
the tax will be fifty per cent, and If TO FIVE, the tax
will be oae hundred per cent. MIR. II. said, in his opi-
mon, instead of the tax being accumulated as the arti.
ces cheaper, and fall into the consumption Of those
least able to pay the tax, The tax ought TO be lessened.
He was in favor Of the al valorem principle of taxa
ton, because it was what IT professed to be: it was in.
~telligible, and varied and fell with The price Of the
article. There may be a few articles that it would
be announcement 10 apply 1t To-, but 1t was the right
principle. The only objection was, that it was open 10
fraud, by unfair in voices; but this could be avoided by
legislation. The gentleman from Mass. [ME. CushingI
said he wished the bill 10 be so framed as to secure sta
bility. Permanently was what he wsnted for the be-
neft of manufactures. Is it possible that gentlemen
could hope for any stability under this hill! MIR. X.
warned the House that this bill would never be sub.
mit,ed to by The country. 1t was, n the opinion OF his
people, unjust. partial, and unconstitutional. IL was
a law passed by a particular interest for their benefit
The many whom it oppressed would sponge it out,
from the first word to the last; nor would they rest un-
I'll the principle on which it was based was %extirpated
in the Legislation of this Government.
On taking the question, Mr. Rhetts amendment was
rejected.
SIR. FILLMORE moved to amend section Sd, LIST
clause, b. striking out the I'd valorem duties on manu-.
featured silks, and inserting 4 duty Of 60 so per pound.
MIR. CUSHING moved TO amend the amendmenr,
By reducing the duty 10 e. n pound, which he said
would make the duty about equal to 90 per cent. A
higher duty, he thought, would lead to smuggling; and
i was, therefore, idle TO attempt TO levy duties that
could not be collected. A hga duty would also ope.
rate periodically against q class of importations that IT,
was The duty Of The U. S. 10 encourage, coming as it
did from France, our ancient ally, with whom IT ives
our interest, as we'll os our inclination TO cultivate the
most friendly relations. He thought That n rate of cu-
" us high rs % per cent. was Is fur as they should 60
in taxing Ibis article.
Mr.. observed that this was a revenue
mensore; and therefore silks, which were art cles of
luxury, were the most proper to levy a high duty on
They should be taxed as high as could be done without
causing prohibition.
MIR. Cushing's amendment 10 the amendment was
then rejected without q division.
Mr.. McKEON moved to strike out the provision re-
gulating The duty by weight. lie said that he had
learned from an experienced manufacturer that Inc
coarsest silks were the heaviest. The fine silks uncer.
went a course of purifcation which materially lessened
its weight. There would be great injustice in putting
a higher tax on the courser article.
On taking the question, Mr.. Mcheons amendment
was rejected; and
The amendment of Mr.. Fillmore was carried without
a division.
Mr.. JOS. R. INGERSOLL moved to strike out the
ad yalorem duty OF 30 per cent. on silk umbrellas, pa
rasols, and sun shades, and insert in lieu thereof, sPe-
cifc duly OF 81 so; which, after a brief explanation
from Mr.. L., was rejected.
MIR. FILLMORE moved to strike out "tbirty.hvs
dollars IN The Isl line, so as 10 make tHe uuiy III
Manila and India hemp and grasses twenty-five dollars
per ton; and to reduce the duty on codil!a, or tow OF max
10 twenty dollars per ton, instead of twenty-five dollars
carried.
Mr.. FILLMORE moved to strike out, in the fifty
fourth line, mine cents, aud insert seven cents-being
MIR. FILLMORE moved to reduce the duty on un.
manufactured flax from forty dollars to twenty dollars
per ton.
MIR. CUSHING moved TO amend the amendment, by
striking out the whole clause, so as to make the article
duty free.
On taking the question, Mr.. Cushing's motion was
rejected, and then
Mr.. Fillmore's motion was adopted.
Mr.. McKEON moved to amend the section by reduce
ing the rate of duty on cordage, tarred and untarreo,
Irvine and seines.
MIR. Mex. remarked that he had heard much, during
the general discussion on this bill, that II was intended
to share benefits equally amongst all interests in the
country. The dates which he proposed 10 reduce would,
If permitted 10 stand as they were reported in the bill,
operate most oppressively on the navigating nterestso oil
the country. Our merchants could not fit cut vessels
without n heavy tax being incurred. lie wished 10 al
low our fishermen and our seaiaring men, 10 purchase
their articles with out an oppressive burden on them
They already suffer red enough in the the dangerous and
hazardous business they were engaged in, without being
taxed for the benefit Of the manufacturing interests
By reducing the duty, we should obtain more revenue,
and, he believed the fishermen and sailors generally
would have not only q cheaper, but a better article ihan
they now have.
MIR. SHIELDS moved TO strike out, in line Fifty.
three, "fve cents per square yard, beng the uuly on
cotton bagging, gunny cloth, &c, and insert 20 per cent.
I'D valorem.
MIR. s., in support of this amendment, made an estl'
mate of the annual amount of the cotton crop, and the
quantity of bagging used IN packing IT,. (oe'ng ABOUT
eleven millions of square yards) for lhs purpose OF
showing how oppressive the duty would be. A duty
of five cents the square yard would De nearly I0o per
cent. on the East India gunny cloth, which came cheap,
aud answered as well as cotton bage'ng, ana was nov
principally used in his section OF the country. ms
duty would amount 10 a prohibition of the article.
MIR. FILLMORE replied TO the remarks oil the gen.
tleman from Alabama, (Mr. Shields,) and stated that
the duty proposed was only equal TO ABOUT % per cent.
ad valorem.
MIR. GWIN moved 10 amend the amendment, by
striking out 90 per cent and inserting 20 percent ne
said he did 81 for the purpose OF testing We sneerly
of the declaration that % per cent. would De a sum
cient duty. Fiji was, he saw no reason why II shouio
not be inserted instead of > cents per square yard.
1This was accepted by Mr.. Shields
MIR. G. DAVIS replied, and argued, during ms Ten
minutes, in favor of protection 10 begging, gunny cloth,
The amendment was rcjected-ayes "a, noes 50.
Mr.. GAMBLE then moved TO strike out "2 cents
per square yard as the duty on the same article Oh
cotton baggirg, and insert - cents.
Mr.. WIN moved TO amend tins amendment, by
striking out 81 cents and inserting 2 cts. lie said that
the people Of Mississippi had 10 pay a heavy tai upon
all the b agging with which they packed mp ,heir COTTON
rs cents nn every bale. They derived the baggIng
from the State of Kentucky, which, out of the 100000
bales Of cotton annually made in Mississippi, only con-
sumed about 5000, al most.
MIR. MARSHALL of Kentucky said The Chair.
man of The Commlt,ee of Ways and Means has already
exclaimed that this duty of five per cent. on cotton
baqaing and punuy cloth was laid simply with refer.
ence TO revenue. He has stated, that this specific duty.
Il estimated as an ad vulorem duty upon the present
price of the foreign article, is below the average duties
imposed by this bill, with a view TO revenue alone
The 90 Gentleman from Georgia, mir. Gamble.l in favor
of his amendment, contends that this dnty Of five cent?
is higher than the duty imposed p!riorto 1882, which he
IL .-Ia afo ~ aG 1Van nj a nFOtPTtyA
dn,v and moves 10 reduce it 10 that standard-three
and a half cents per square yard. A du;y Of any par
ticular date eau, of Itself, form no standard, rule, or
reason, for presen, legislation. Circumstance may SO
have altered as TO require a r~eadjnstment Of the actual
amount of duty, in order to preserve your principle,
aaa .n..xa NAM ohiect whether that nIlnciple and OBJ.