The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-04-14
NUMBER 20.

I friends, with or without my aid, will fulIs
H. III letter and spirit, with the most perfect
fidelity. But the second obligation is 10
less binding and imperative; and that is,
/ that such duties shall be laid as may be Nc
cessary 20 raise such revenue as is requisite
TO an economical administration Of the Coy.
] eminent. The source of the revenue is
defined and prescribed-the foreign i'm
ports, to the exclusion of all other sources.
/ The amount, from the nature Of things,
could not be specified but whatever it may
be, be it large or small, allowing US to come
below, requiring that We should 60 beyond
twenty per cent, that amour, is TO be raised.
contend therefore, with entire conf
dence, that il is perfectly consistent with
the provisions OF the compromise &C, 10 i'm.
pose duties 10 any amount whatever, thirty,
forty, or more per cent. subject TO the SIN
gle condition of an economical adminlsIra.
Z iioD of the Government.
What are the other principles of the act?
First, there is the principle that fixed al
r0torem duty shall prevail and be in force
at all tunes. For one, | am willing 10
abide by that principle. There are certain
vague notions ahoat as TO the utility and
necessity Of specific duties and dIscrlmlua.
1 lions, which am persuaded arise from i
want of right understanding Of the subject
We have bad the nd ralorem principle
practically in force ever since the com.
promise act was passed and there has
been no difficulty in administering the du
ties of the Treasury on that principle.
IL was necessary first 10 ascertain tho
value Of the goods, and then to impose the
duty upon them and, from the commence.
menl Of the act to this day, the cd ralorcza
principle has been substantially in opera.
ton. Compare the difference between
specific and the I'D valorem system Of duties,
aud maintain that the latter is Justly emit.
tied to the preference. The one principle
declares that the duty paid shall he upon
the real value Of the article taxed the
specific principle imposes an equal duty on
articles greatly unequal in value. Coffee for
example, (and it is an article which always
suggests tselfto my thoughts is one Of the
articles on which specific duty has been
levied. Now, it is perfectly well known
= tina, the Mocha coffee is worth at least
twice as much as the coffee of ST. Domirg 20
or Cuba, yet both pay the same duty
The tax has no respect to the value, but is
arbitrarily levied on al! articles Of a specific
: kind alike, however various aud unequal
i" may be their values. say that, in theory
and according to every sound principle o.
!, justice, the ad Yalorem mode Of taxation i
y entllled to the preference. There is, ad
: NIT, one objection 10 il: as the value Of an
article is matter subject to opinion, aud as
opinions will ever vary, either honestly or
fraudueutly, there is some difficulty in
preventing frauds. But, with the homo
valuation proposed by my friend from
Rhode Island, tMr. Simmons the ad valo.
rem system can be adopted with all prac.
tIcable safety, and will be liable 10 those
chances only Of fraud which are inevitable
under any and every system.
!, Again; Wha. has been the fact from
the origin of the Government until now !
The articles from which the greatest
|, amount Of revenue has been drawn, such as
woolens, linens, silks, cottons, worsteds,
and few others, have all been taxed ON
the ad ealorcB principle, and there has
been no difficulty in the operation. be-
Iieve, upon the whole, that 1t is the best
T mode. | believe that if we adopt a
fixed rate ad udlorem, wherever il can be
done, the revenue will be subjected to few
er frauds than the injustice and frauds Incl.
dent TO specific duties. One Of the most
/, prolific sources OF the violation of our rev.
enue laws has been as every body knows,
the effort TO get in goods Of finer quality
!, and higher value admitted under the lower
t rate Of duty required for those ola lower
3 value. The honorable gentleman from
New Hampshire (Mr. Woodbury. and the
honorable Senator from New York Mr..
Wright both well know this. But if tho
i dn!y was laid od ralorem there could be no
: motive for such an effort, and the fraud, III
, its present form, would have no place. In
England, as all who have read the able re.
port made by Mr.. Hume, Scottish men,
Der in the House Of Commons, mus! per.
ceive, they seem 10 be giving up the speci.
fic duties, and the tendency in the public
, mind appears to be, instead of having q
variety OF specific duties and variety OF
dd rdlorem duties, to hare one permanent
fixed rate of duty for all articles. am
: willing, repeat, to adhere to this great prin-
= cple as laid down IN the compromise act.
If there be those who suppose that, under
. the specific form of duty, higher degree
: of protection can be secured than under tho
: other mode, | would observe that the actual
measure Of protection does not depend upon
!, the form but on the AMOUNT of the duty
/" which is levied on the foreign rival article.
t, Assuming that we are to adhere to this
], principle, then every one OF the leading
IS principles of the same act can be adhered
; TO aud carried fully out; for again assert
|. ,hatthe idea that duties are always to remain
C at precisely twenty per cent. and never to
o vary from that point, be the exigencies OF
Government what they may, does not be-
;, long to the language the act, nor is it re-
|. CURED By any one 0. is provisions.
e The next resolution have proposed ID