Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-06-16

I TrNUkTY TIUU-Vs
measure should not be hurried through without
| knowing precisely the grornd where they s'eod
| lie should like to know II there was any money 10
the Treasury to meet the distribution act on the Isl
OF July If a fact that there was no cash on
hand IN the Treasury, then this wasa naked and
undsguised proposition force the Secretary to go
into the market and borrow money on bonds below
par TO distribute among the States, and then to tax
the people Of this country TO refund It.
lie did not hesitate TO say that, If this provso was
stricken out, he would prefer the bill TO any other,
because its provisions were wiser, jus,er, and more
coniormable to the implied faith OF the act OF 1888
than any other act. He would rejoice 10 see IL a.
dopted.
MIR GwlN moved an amendment 10 the amend
ment TO add TO the end OF the bill the words, ITO
later period than the LIST August, lsi2."
MIR CUSHING said he was very solicitous TO
understand what the force oil this bill IN ITSELF
and on two other important Questions. On recur
ring 10 tho act of 1885, he found in the Sd section,
that there seemed to be implication OF law, that
the existing for the collection Of revenue should
cease TO operate the 30h of une, 1872. Another
provision was, that on the 30th of June, lsi2, all
duties should be collected m hard money; and an
other tina, from and after S0th June, the duties 10
b, paid by law should be assessed under such
lations might be provided by law. Alter SOih
June, 1912, II was made imperative by the act Of
1888, that duties should be collected by home valu-
alton; but there not only no treasury machine
1 ry but no existing law, directing how this thing
should be done; and the law OF 1888 contemplated
that some Jaw should be enacted before the 3Oth OF
June. On these two provisions oil the act OF 1888,
as he understood that act, not only were there Sc
rous doubts whether, after the 5Oih of June, there
was any law whatever under which duties cou'6 be
collected; but supposing there was some impliea
ton OF the law under which duties could be collect
| cd; vet, as specific mode was prescribed and as
there means of ascertalnIng u, the mode was
explcOble, and being made the means OF ascer
tanning the thing ITSELF there was doubt whether
any duties could be collected. So on two points
| on the question OF the doubt involved in the first
clause OF the Sd section but more especially on the
absolute certainty OF difficulty IN asceriainlns the
manner OF collection provided by that clause
npprehended that legislation was necessary anterior
| 10 3Oih June. On these premises, the Committee
| on Manufactures had reported general bill 10 take
the place Of existing legislation in oil its parts.
! The Committee Of Wsys and Means had reported
a bill in like manner, and these two bills proposed
| permanent provisions Of law concerning the whole
matter. Ii anterior 10 the 30th Of June, either OF
them should become the law OF the land, there was
cessty for further legislation. In the face OF
these two pending bills, the Committee Of Ways
/ and Means had reported n bill TO continue tempo
rary the existing revenue laws; and m fact 10 con
tnUe them they existed on the LIST OF Of January,
1874 because change interviewed between the LIST
OF January and 30ih June.
The first idea, from the fact Of that biz being
ported by the Committee OF Ways and Means was
an admission OF the fact, that in the opinion OF the
committee, neither OF these bills would I've the law
OF the land on the 30th June lSi2, and that there
fore, temporary provision was necessary for the
benefit OF the Treasury. But further, the fact OF
this bill being reported, and the fact that without
some additional legislation there would, on the LIST
July next, be no law by which duties could be col.
lected, constituted imperative mora duty for the
House TO enact tariff law for, unless tariff sW
was enacted, the Government would come TO a dead
stand, no duties could be collected, and an Interior
consequence would he that our markets would be
gutted with foreign merchandise, and the merchan-
disc already imported would be liable TO be export
ed account OF the drawback 10 be returned after
the expiration Of the law on the 30th OF June.
That was one consequence If no Jaw was enact
ed before the LIST July; another consequence would
be that the protected interests OF this country would
be deprived not only Of the protection afforded by
existing laws but would be liable 10 be overw IN
ed by the bringing IN OF foreign merchandise
These three serious consequences-hrst, the bank
ruptcy of the Treasury; second, the gluttng OF the
country with foreign merchandise, and third, the
prosration Of our protected interests-woud eusue,
Il general legislation took place IN Congress an
terror the Both June and the fact OF these con-
sequences constituted the strongest imperative mo
RAJ necessity that they should adopt general legsa.
ton before 3O,h June.
In that point Of view what was the effect OF this
latter bill To take away that urgency, and Il, in
stead OF expiring on the LIST Angus, it was indeh
nlte itwould totally exsingush that moral urgency
He admitted the extreme urgency that some pro.
vision OF law should be enacted, but on the othe,
hand he could not but feel internal dread in re.
gard 10 its posi- be consequences on the tariff int
rests. He, however, yielded TO the necessity which
the chairman OF the Committee OF Ways and Means
told him existed, and he Could yield under this Sc
ries OF em6arrassments to no considerations exeep
oil imperative necessity.
MIR G. next proceeded 10 examine the Telaiiv
operations of the bill under consideration, and th
! bill as first reported by the Committee OF Way
and Means, with reference TO the distribution act
He referred TO the provision of the distribution act
which was, according to his construction, that Il Ia,
final contamination of the compromise act took place
on the 30ih Of June, bringing down the maximum
OF duty TO 30 per cent, and II there was no fur
Their legislation the part of Congress, then th
distribution was to take lace on he LIST Of July
But It was obvious that the BILL first reported b,
the committee, did change the existing facts pro
viding that duties TO be levied on the LIST OF July
/ 1872 instead OF being minimum under the compro
mise act, should be 20 per cent, with the additio
OF the reduceable excess, as it existed on the Is;
January, 1912. His understanding, therefore, wa,
that 1t suspended the Distribution or, to speak NOR
technically, continued the non distribution. In III
s ,cond bill the Comm re Of Ways and Means hn
reported proviso, the effect of which was TO coun
teract the preceding portions OF the bill as TO hav
the distribution on the LIST Of jolly 1912.
Mr. G. referred to the intimatIOn Of the gentema
/ from South Carolina, (Mr Piekens,) that the pub
lie faith was involved in the slipulations of toe com
promise act and cOntended that 1t II was the case
there was identically the same iailh involved in III
distribution act. this provso passed, those State
| and the gentlemen who insisted on distribution
| would get their money on the Isl July, 1912; bu
/ the rest OF the Union, which needed a protec,iv
tariff, would not get It, and in this way one othe
Involvement towards the passage OF a permanent 10
! riff act was withdrawn from Congress. Not onl-
did the passage Of the &C. diminish the mora urgency
of some sort OF tariff act 30th June, but ate
the LIST August It knocked away one consideration
which he supposed would operate in obtaining
! permanent tariff act He would not enter into III
question whether or not the distribution act shout,
/ be repealed. or at least whether IL should be re
! enacted, for the distribution act was dead letter
I and the question was not whether they would repel
the distribution act, but whether they would ufls
into this dead body soul ty new legislation. Tia
seemed 10 be the true question:; and Il gave add
tonal gravity TO all the other political financial ant
protective considerations Of this questions; but II
that point NJ view " was in fact re- enactment o
the distribution act leaving the tariff TO shift Tor Il
self u gave the distribution, ewing al the oihe
interests which in the distribution act and IN this bil
were associated together being correl tive into
rests u he understood the legal relation Of this bi
TO the compromise oct and 10 the distribution aef
he entertained serious doubts Of the pioprety o
adopting this provIso, making the distribution an,
leaving the other connected interests at the mercy OF
caprice Of Congress
| Mr. UNDERWOOD said that he did no, concu
with the gentleman from Massachusetts fNrCusb
| ngl IN the idea that there was any barsoin,og nj
contract between the two Houses in respect 10 tb,
ptovisO inserted IN the land distribution bIl. 1
there was any such bargain or contract Mr. u. coul,
| say for himself thlt he was not pfiVy 20 n, knew
| nothing about I', and would not be bound by IT,
mir CusHISC said he DID not speak Of n bsrgau