Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1842-07-13
qsosa FessiOnaE.
TIiE = tRIFF-MR. PICKEN'S
REMARKS

sEiic Tariff Bill OF the COMMITTEE Si
Ways and Means being under consldera-
fiop, and On amendment: TO substiiuis Tor
the frat section, the Bill from the COM
mittce on Manufactures.
Rir. Pickens being entitled 10 the floor
Blr. Fillmore asked that gentleman TO
c;Ye way in order that the Committee
nigh, take up the amendments Of the Sc
naio 10 the Navy bill.
Mr.. Pickens said that rs the bill had yes
serdav been laid aside on his responsibility,
and as be was now prepared 10 20 on, he
must decline to yield The floor, and be ac-
cordingly proceeded in his remarks.
After some preliminary observations. he
said ,ha, the bill under consideration had
two objects; The FIRST, to raise revenue for
the supply OF the wants OF Government,
and the second, TO afford protection 10 ex-
,ensive interests connected with The domes.
tic manufactures OF The cour'ry.
His purpose was 10 coniine himself prin-
cipally to The frs, branch ef the subject.
aud, in doing SO. chiefly to consider the
views OF the Chairman Of the Committee
of Ways and Means on The financial ques.
ton. Tie Chairman OF that Committee
{Nir. Fillmore) had made his estimate cf
qhe imports of the country on the basis OF
our imports in 1910. which was Sl97, ,0O0,-
600, of which SlS.N00 600 were reshipped,
leav.ng Sso,G'0,0o0. on which he propos-
: cd an inpGst sysiem 20 operate. From
:isa, aGloaa ahaa, 81 H1h.0O0 of free ar
,!ctSs were 10 &c aeGatJrd avins some
r;aine Ike S7f,lJG,GO0 aeslf,ing 10 his
E(M.. P's) calcola,tn, o. SJ9.00U,0O0 &c
cofdins 10 Ire Calculation OF tic gentleman,
on which i,upps,s were 10 be levied.
The srea, question presented was. how
could we raise, as required, according TO
the estimate OF The Committee on Finance,
27,OOO, ,OOD revenue from S77 200. 900 i'm
pors. The gentleman had said Tho: ;s27.-
100000 revenue MIS- necessary for The
wants Of the Government, and he propos-
cd TO raise itby imposis, or in other words,
by taxation on imports. II would require
duty OF SO per cent on this amount of
s77, ,0U0, ,0O0 10 raise S27 ,000.0G0; and the
question was, whether this amount Of i'm
nortaiions would produce this revenue !
MIR. P's impression was, that those who
supported this bill under the idea that il
would give S27. .000, 900. would find them
selves totally deceived. The question
which the people of this country would put
to themselves vas, why did they propose
this 36 per cent or S27, ,000. 900 on imports;
20 suise this immense smouu, Of revenue
from only one branch of national industry !?
Dir. P. did no, propose 10 go fully into
The question Of who were 10 paw this
amour, of S27, ,0n0,000. lie did not pre-
tend TO say that il fell on The producers,
aud VET TO say that il fe:lon the consumers
was a declaration rs iul! Of absurdity as
the contrary opinion, 10 say the least of it.
In nine cases out Of ten il would fall OF the
consumers and producers both: in the frs,
ins,anceoun the producer, and IN the second
On the consumer. This bill would fall
in tho first instance heavily and sorely on
place on oil i5ose branches ofdomcSiic 10
dnstry connected with commerce, or
would finally be divided between the pr
t,ucer, The merchant, and the consumers,
yyhal was the silua;ica Of the connt,.
\, ,he .,csent time The gentleman h.
oroposcd tax bill precisely as il the coun-
irv was The same as-in 1S26or 1882. Now,
with a circulation OF S9I, ,00o, GOO, and $780,
O0O,0O0 of specie, they proposed to levy a
lusy of36 per cent on the inportasions OF
the country. under the idea that they could
collect ia the same manner as in lS2S aud
70. when we had circulation Of $685.
O00, 0,00D,i, whicli was more than 50 per
cent more than The specie at that time in
tbe connlry, and about $40, 100000 more
than The circulation Of 1912. while the
,ooula,;on Of The country was Eve millions
less than q, the present lime. itwas tax
" which, under existing circumstances, the
country would never pay, because IT never
could nav il. Under existing circunsian-
res. a 20 per cent duty was equal 10 40
or even 50 per cen, duty in 1928 or 1882.
What was The difference as regarded The
eap;,aI and labour Of this country at this
,;,ne andiu 1882! Al thar time the domes-
,;c nroduc,s Of this country commanded a
fair nricc. and there was but little surplus
labor or capital; all of i, was invested.
Rn, now there was surplus capital 10 a
vast extent lying ausoiu'Sty io'e III ou'
,arre cities; aud so il was with regard 10
snr1Ius labor. If they expected To mise
sss7 .0Oo, ,OOO-i.e. So per ccnton S77. .000.-
,Go--,o raise lit from the imports of The
co.n,rv exclusively. they would be entire
10 deceived. /, would take another and
i;,rcrep, channel under this protection, and
,he surplus labor and capital Of this conn-
,,y would be invested in the production Of
,hsso very articles they proposed TO pro-
,eet bv these high restrictions.
Again: what was 'he situation OF q We
re importap, and growing portion of this
Confederacy-,he interior Wes'-as com.
cared with 1928 and lS3a! At thei period
|, was comparatively anew country; !he
,vbole of its labor was devoted t2.cptiing
down the forests, reducing their fiei!s 10
cultivation, and building their houses. il
was then q small consuming portion of
,bis Coniederacy. and bad but very little
;n,eres, ir the duties imposed on foreign
articles. No country had exhibited so ra-
Md changes within the last ten or fifteen
rcars. Ii was now tho most extensive,
IL. 81