Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-07-29

| 40 dollars worth Of woollen goods 10 90
| 80 % cotton 90
! 10 " iron, 90
| 80 other goods, average duty Of
Of 80 per cent 10 %
S.:553 81
! In this table have made no allowance for the mini
mum principle Of valuation on cotton and wooien
goods, adopted in this bill, which would much enhance
the dn,y those two kinds Of fabrics.
! "'rhns, Mr.. Chairman, would family Of ten persons.
in comfortable circumstances be compelled, under the
operation of this bill TO pay TO the Government, under
the of price, the enormous tar Of SOB II per an
mum, on the articles consumed in the family Do you
think, Sir, that the people OF this country, If they
could know precisely the amount OF taxes they pay I'M
der the indirect system, and the immense injustice to
which they subjected would long submit 10 such
system: | do not
But this is not the worst feature in this system of
t,xaon. The table have exhibited shows only one
of It's features. 1t EXHIBITS merely the tar which the
Government leves under the false and fraudulent
name Of price. II does not show how much the con
pays 10 the naanntactnrer. 1t does not exhibit
the immense which the people OF this country pay
the s,upendous justice which they are forced 10
submit-in order 10 support the system OF protection
which the manufacturers propose 10 impose upon the
PEOPLE To show this shall 20 into short calcula.
Ton Of facts and figures
suppose it cannot be denied that all other things
being equal the imposition of duty upon any article
increases the price Of the whole quantity consumed,
nearly to the amount of the duty imposed. ] am aware
tia. the advocates of protection deny this proposition
Some Of them seriously undertake to demonstrate the
abSurdi,y that the imposition of duty actually cheap
ems The price But, If duties do not increase prices
why is not The duty proposed 10 be levied on wool
raised 10 40 per cent. ad valo:em, as il is wooien
uacturcs instead Of imposing only 10 per cent on
tina: article: And Why do not the coarse wools Of
which the sa;,nets nerro.coths and carpets
are manufactured, pay 40 per cent, instead of per
cent, which but 40 cents each hundred pounds
a duty which amounts 10 just nothing SO far protec
ton concerned Sir, the true why the duty
wool is not as high on wooilcn manufactures, is,
because the design of the runers Of this bill to
bill TO discriminate Jar0r OF the manufacturer and
againS. the woogrower. And hence, too, the reason
why wool costing less than eg ht cents pound is ad
m;;ed the nominal duty Of FIVE per cent, while wool
Of higher value is 10 be taxed thirty per cent. The
manufacturers understand that at The rate Of eight cents
and less, thcy get wool from South America almost
cthom dg'y, Which will compete with the middle
grades Of woo grown in this country. In order 10
rive equal protection 10 the wool. grower, the cheap
wool from South America of midd!ng fineness should
b. taxed hundred per cent. ad vaorem.-But
this is in perfect harmony with the character of this
bill, which 10 have been framed with the design
to tax the ng,ce!.urist for the benefit of the
iactuIer.
TO return to the argument. Assuming to be an in
controverible proposition that the imposition of duty
enhances the price Of the commodity which 1t is I'M
posed, nearly proportion TO the amount OF the duty,
will now proceed 10 show the immense tax the people
of this country obliged 10 pay to the Government
and the manufacturer, under system of protective
duties. will take for the purpose OF illustration the
articles of woollen, cotton, ron sugar. and salt which
constitute the main articles of consumption, coming in
competition with similar articles produced in this
try. But before proceeding 10 the calculation, it will
BE- proper TO remark that, when the duty imposed
article not produced this country, the amount paid
10y the consumer, addition 10 the first cost, SIM
ply the amount Of duty imposed, and the profits Of the
merchant and retailer upon that duty. If the
cle is produced here the amount paid by the consumer
IS the duty 10 the Government, tue profits of the
chant and retailer that duty, and the increased price
Of the domestic article, to nearly the amount of the du
", and the profits Of tie merchant and retailer the
domestic article
! proceed show, by facts and figures, the i'm.
mense sum the people Of this country pay, aside from
the paid into the Treasury under protective
TEN Of duties, proposed by this bill shall take, for
the data OF my calculation, the facts furnished by the
tables Of commerce, ending September 80 1910, and
the statistical tables Of the late census, with tine rates
o duty proposed by the bill reported by the Committee
! Of Ways and Means. ] begin with The
| .Nanujaetnrcs IF 'roolica The amount of woollen
manufactures imported INTO this country in the
ending September 80 oi0, was S6,!2G 630
The amount of duties on this sum, alto per
cent, would be s2,i9O,G52
To the amount of duty, add 10 per centum
I upon the duty for tie importers profits,
and % per cent, or the retailers, VIZ: 80
per cent az, l95
7,s47
Thus the original cost Of the article is increased
aboL; 10 per cent when II reaches the consumer. Ii
increases the price OF The domest article in nearly
the same proportion. Let see the amount tie
people OF this country pay ;hc whole quantity con-
>umcd, in consequence OF tie duty imposed upon the
foreign article.
According TO The census tables, the whole value Of
tie manufactures of wOol!en, in the year ls4O,
was S20,690,999
80 per cent. added to tha! sum, in conse-
quence of the duty, which increases the
price 10 that amount 10 the consumer Sl034S 400
Md to this the duty on the imported ari-
c.c and the profits of the merchant and
retailer upon that duty, amounting TO 3,237 ,S47
And the result is 1856 $40
which is the amount the people of this country In We
10 paw in order to get $500 652 INTO the Treasury
But still more striking result is exhibited in con.
nexlon with the
Cotton Manufactures amount Of cotton goods
imported in lcl0, was S6,50I Isl !
On which duty is to be levied of 80 per
cent ad valoreu, (,he effect Of the mi.
ninum valuation | do not consider,l
amounting 10 1851 ,345
To which are to be added the profits of the
importer and retailer the duty, amount
ing ITO os5,303
2,53G,64s |
which is 80 per the first cost in consequence
OF the duty
The value of the manuacture of cotton in this coun.
try in lSl0 SI6,35o, I53
The price of which will be increased 10