The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-03-22

,f pldced In Inc cOndluOn oil having 10 levy u
same duties upon all articles, the productive a
we'll as The unproduclvr. The slightest dut
upon some might have the effect of causing the
importation to cease; whereas others enterin
c Extensively into the consumption Of the country
might b. ar the heaviest, without any sensibl
dihlnuton In the amount imported.
: 81 also The government may be justified in s.
discriminating, by reference 10 other considera
tons o. domestic policy Connected with our man
ufactures. So long as The duties shall be lai;
with distinct reference TO the wants of ihrTreas
t ury, no well founded objection can be RAISED
against Them.
Here is discrimination for Two PURPOSES FRS
, Tor revenue. For that purpose, it may be deem
ed expedlent 10 impose on some articles hiyh on
others moderate duties, and on others, none al
all. But there are other considerations beside:
the mere purpose of revenue, which may right
July control discrimination, and constitute a Tule
tur its application. And what are they? sCnn.
siderations Of domestic policy connected with
our manufactures Mark. The President speaks
Of our manufactures not the manufactures of
New England or New York, or PENNSYLVANIA.
out onrmanufactures; thus Matchmaking this great
interest.
So, then, the policy which protects our manu-
| features may form the ground of discrimination,
and, OF course, may justify the imposition Of
| high duties on some articles moderate duties on
others, and on others no, needing protection no
duties al all.
! But, asks sumo opponents of protect on, Dues
not the President say that the duties must be
laid with distinct ref, renee 10 the wants ofIhe
Treasury and yet you make him say that they
may be laid with distinct reference 10 the pro
ieclIon of manufactures. Do YOU MT make him
inconsistent with himself? BY no means. Tie
duties may be laid with distinct reference 10
both these objects. A reference 10 the mere
wants of the Treasury will involve conSidera-
/ tons only as TO the aggregate amount oil duties
10 be levied and such discrimination as shall
have respect TO The best means of raising that a.
mount. The Government may not, for example,
levy forty Millions when The waits of the Treas
ury require but twenty. But, ia levying these
twenty millions. it may look distinctly at the
otter object, and so apportion the amount among
the various articles OF Importation, as to disc0ur
age the importation OF some which come in COM
petition with our own manufactures, while the
importation of others is left comparatively free.
Thus the leading purpose may be revenue-a
purpose which exclusively controls as 10 The
amount TO be raised. while there may be another
Purpose-that of discriminating for protection
which controls as 10 ho,c the amount shall be dp-
portioned among The several articles of Importation
This is plainly the sentiment of the message;
and this l. discrimination for protection, invoiv-
ing the great principle for Which the friends of
the protecting policy have ever contended.
We have, Mr.. Speaker, arrived al moment
Gus crisis. In reference 10 the protecting pncv.
The great interests which that policy has long
cherished, have not, as yet, felt the heaviest
blows aimed at them by the compromise act of
the I'd March. 1888. Under that acI, four tenths
only OF the excess duties over 20 per cent, have
hitherto been abated, and that by the gradual
process OF biennial reductions ~ one tenth, run
ming through period of eight years One hall
oil the remaining sx-tenths is 10 be taken off on
the Isl day oil January, 1912, and the remaining
three-leLths on the Isl OF July next Thus, with
in a little more than six months from this time,
reduction is 10 be made greater by one half than
the whole reduction which has taken place since
the 81 of March, 1888.
And now, sir, when under the operation of
this experiment upon the power Of endurance of
the interests hitherto deemed worthy the guar
dian aud fostering care of the Government, these
tremendous turns OF the screw are about TO be
made, what Is 1t proposed to do? Why, sir, TO
take away the whole subject from the Committee
on Manulaciures-the natural guardian of these
interests-and send it to a committee, the naiur-
al range of whose inquiries involves no investi-
CATION into the claims of those interests, and !
which has been constituted with no view what !
ever 10 tteir protection. To do this would be, (
in effect, TO say that we will have no such inves
tigati n. And are we prepared for this7 Shall |
the present session pass without an examination !
of this subject? Are we to sit down and quietly |
submit 10 The operation of the act of the 23d |
Congress, which struck in vance the blow IN |
der which, without The interposing arm of Con-
gres>, many OF the protected interests will eel |
and sta.ger on the Ist of July next? MAY not /
this Congress b. supposed better TO know with
how heavy hand these interests will now bear
10 be pressed, Than the Congress which sat here
nine years ago? Did that Congress enjoy the /
exclusive privilege of legislating in regard to
these great and vital interests for all future time?
Was that one stroke Of notification 10 inllict
perpetual paralysis upon the American syslem?'
No, sir; no. There is no such power IN thai COM
This 9th Congress is 10 legislate witt !
no such shackles. The reople have sent US here
to consider the present condition Of the country;
10 inquire into the operation ofexsling laws upon
all its great nterests-agrcutural, commercial
and mannfacturing-and 10 adapt our Legislation
to the protection of those interests. To abandon
any of them blindly 10 The perpetual control of
former lee islat"n. is to abandon our duiy-to
belray the trust which The Constitution and the
country have confided 10 US. Especially is this
true with the interest involved in the question
now befnre US. For half century, it has been
cur policy 10 cherish it IS among the cardinal |
interests Of the country. The second act passed |
by the Congress of The United States expressly /
asserted its claim to encouragement and proec- |
tion.' To foster and sustain this interest was /
deemed By the men Of the Revolution. whose |
wise and patriotic counsels infused its spirit SO
largely into ouI early legislation, To be essential
to the maintenance Of our independence, and the
full development of the resources of our emancl-
paled country. have sketched the history Of
that policy through successive administrations oil
the government, and shown how steadily they
have acted on the principle that it was to be the
settled and enduring policy OF the country.
lust government will not treat lightly the pledge
mpIisd in such course of policy, especially
when il is considered how extensively the skill,
and industry, and capital oil the country have