The North-Carolinian., 1842-06-25

1898, g and 40, S9.265,4o4 per annum,
and in ls4O alone, only Sc, ,5o4, ,4s4M
= Again, on the following &a specific duty
without minimum) the duty proposed would
be prohibition of all low qualities, for iu-
stance:
On flannel, 27 inches wide
Cost per SO. yard Duty
ss cents would i cts: OF s 81 per ct on cost
80 a e " a
Ingram carpets 36 inches wide, costing 36 cents,
would pay 80 cents. or ss. per ceat. on costs cost
ing As cents pay 80 CENTS or 62s per cent on cost
Treble carpets costing " cents. would pay 65 cents
or so. per cent cost; Brussels carpets q inches
wide, costing 90 cents, would pay 55 cents, 571
per cent. on cost; costing lI2 CENTS would pay 55
cents, or AZ per cent, cost
BY the Secretary of the Treasury's bill, hemp
carpeting (used extensively by the poorer
classes) Sc inches wide, costing Cd. sterling,
or Il cents, would pay 80 cents, or $50 per
cent. on cost; now it pays 20 per cent! again.
costing Sd. sterling, or Is cents, would pay
30 cents, or lSS per cent on cost. Under
the same bill, goods made from spun silk,
Qhere being no provision 10 distinguish that
from organzine sik,) which is an article Of
considerable import, and now pays 90 per
cent. would then pay specific duty of 81 SO
per lb., which piece Of handkerchief
costing IS. Cd. sterling, and weighing or.
would be taxed no less than 80 1-2 per cent.
on the cost! Under Mr. Fillmore bl cot
ton bagging, the cost OF which will average
about Cd. sterling, or II cents, AZ inches
wide, will pay S3-1O0 cents the running
yard, 4S l-2 per cent on the cost. The
honest importing merchant will never object
TO pay any per centage Of duty which may be
found requisite for the wants Of a proper and
economical administration Of the Govern
ment, provided in attempting to reach the
highest revenue point, legislation does not go
beyond what it processes; aud thus. (as is the
case with most specific duties. exclude What
- =. = ing the importing merchant to
's'and IN his business and giving the manu-
facturer what ought to go into the Treasury.
Pure and honest legislation ought to be couch
cd Ill no ambiguous language, but in terms to
be easily understood; therefore, if for example
it de deemed advisable for the benefit of the
manufacturer to tax the lower qualities of cot
ton goods, Chose worn by the poorer cIasses,)
with higher rate Of duty than the finer articles,
let it be SO declared in the bill, in some such
terms as the following: sail cottons costing
II cents the square yard, or Under, shall pay
an ad vauorem duty Of Is per cent. or 100,
or whatever it may be-" only let it be express
cd as it really is, and not covered over with a
veil SO ingeniously wrought that few or mono
but those who provided with mercantile
glasses to see through, can detect the decep-
ton. As to the argument that specific duties
are necessary in coarse goods, TO prevent un-
dercharging, the thing is ridiculous, for any
man, even one unacquainted with merchan-
disc, will know that The coarser the article the
easier is any undervaluation detected; no, it
is fine goods that some such check is requir-
red if at all, as there it is sometimes difficult
to detect a small per centage in value.
The foregoing will be found correct ex-
pose of the general application Of specific and
minimum duties. Many other articles might
be enumerated, but the above will suffice to
convince the most casual observer that the
system IS deceptive, arbitrary one, in its
operations; and also, that the bill now under
consideration is purely protective one, and
consequently, with or without the proposed
duty on tea aud coffee, will neve: yield rev.
enue sufficient to meet the wants of the Trea-
sury. G..
Washington City, June f3, tS42.
N. b. duty Of 25 per cent. on most de-
scriptions Of goods, would give amRIe Protec-
ton to the manufacture 80 - 81 p r.
quires on cotton goods, nd would raise near
SO per cent more reve.dc than such bill as
is now proposed. The manufacturer looks
beyond his own interest whan he asks so
much, for he loses sight Of the evil, the real
evil, which he has to contend with under any
tariff that may be passed. it is the Auctuation
arising from the foreign competition through
auction, not the competition of the regular i'm
porter; but when the manufactures abroad gets
into difficulty and secs he is on the rapid road
to bankruptcy, he at once, 10 desperation Ito
raise the wind) throws off his surplus stock
upon our markets, and through the auction
system conducted in this country alone, he
is enabled to do so on better terms than the
resident merchant, who, being subject to tax
atioa,~srent, clerk hire, insurance, &C., is
placed to great disadvantage in competition
with the foreigner selling directly through this
and the result is, that in depressing
times, when manufacturers may require
to- steady the market, (for that is
the great object even. if prices are iow,) it is
then they most subject to this ruinous
fuctuation produced by4his desperate gam
bling kind of competition, under which an
article may to-day bring 40 cent? and tormor-
row 25, the price not being regulated by the
wants of the buyers but by the Immediate aud
pressing distress of the sellers. -