The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-07-28
REMARKS OF MIR. GUSHING,
OF MASSACHUSETTS,
ON THE TARIFF BILL.
HOUSE, OF REPRESENTATIVES, July -, 1912.
Concluded.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, July 10, lo42
Concluded
PUBLIC LANDS.
Noie-Mr CUSHING moved to amend the bill b,
striking abe 25th section, which is in the words
following, viz:
SEC. rs. And be il further enacted, That the pro.
viso 10 the sixth section OF the act entitled " An ac'
to appropriate the proceeds Of the sales OF the Pupe
lands, and to grant pre-emplion rights" approved
September fourth, eighteen hundred and iony os'
and the same is hereby repealed"
When Mr.. G. made this motion, the rule OF ,he
House terminating debate the bill had attached IL
it. If otherwise it his intention 10 nave given
his reasons for this motion; which reasons are the
following:
The condition of the Treasury, at the present time,
impsravey demands the imposition OF additional du-
ties and revision Of the tariff so as to meet the eI-
listing deficit make the annual revenue equal to
the annual expenditures and to provide for the pay
ment of the actual debt Of the Government.
As at present arranged the duties derived from Gus
toms are and for many years have been, wholly IN
adequate to meet the annual wants Of the Govern
In fact tine Treasury has for several years past
labored under embarrassment from this cause
When MIR. Van Buren, cane into power, ne en-.
countereJ, at the outset, precisely this financial
difficulty, by reason OF which IL became neces-
sary for him, not only to expend The whole OF
the receipts Of each year, but to use In addi-
the intended fourth instalment of the surplus
treasure, ordered in 1896 to be deposited with
the States and to also the proceeds OF the sale
of the stock in the United States Bank held by the
Government. Besides which, ne was compelled to
postpone large amount Of appropriations, and still
to leave balance Of Indebtedness in outstanding
Treasury notes at the close Of his administration
When the present Administration came into power
it found the Treasury laboring under these same en-
barrassments.
~ Al. Ala hao do nj tQd
of temporary surplus by the deposte thereof with
the States.
After this, il was impossible with all the resources
of the Government, whether by the sale OF the pub
lie lands by the received from the duties
on imports to defray the expenses of each year. and
daily accumulation of debt was the consequence
For the peculiar fact in the financial history OF the
Government during the last ten years has been this,
namely that while the expenditures OF the Government
had during that time greatly increased yet smuita-
neousy with this the derivable from duties
on imports the only form of taxation used at the
present time by the Federal Government, has been
undergoing a regular periodical reduction by law
Ii is to be remembered that the last general rcvis-
ion of the Tariff by the act of the l4th Of July,
1882, which, as modified by MIR. Clays bill of the
second of March, 1888, commonly called the Com
promise act fixed the rate Of duties, until some mo-
di6cations therein were made by the act OF Scptem-
Der the llth, lS4l.
BY the Compromise act, it is provided that in all
cases when the duties on foreign imports shall by
any act exceed 20 per centum on the value thereof,
onetenh part of such shall be deducted from
and after December 3lst, 1893; another tenth part
thereof shall be deducted from and after December
3lst 1885; another tenth part thereof shall be de-
Quoted from and after December 3lst, 1887 that
half of the residue Of such excess shall be de-
Quoted from and after December 3lst l64l; and
the other half of such residue from and after June
30th, 1912.
BY the progress and result of these reductions,
then, the revenues Of Government, as well from Gus
toms from all other sources, have come to be alto
gether insufficient for the indispensable necessities OF
the Treasury.
And the final completion Of these periodical re-
auctions ito say nothing Of the effect Of their pro-
gres) has operated most disastrousy on the invest
mens of capital and the pursuits of labor and indus
try in various branches Of business; more especially
the abrupt process of cutting OFT for nths OF the eX-
cess of duties above 20 per cent in the short period
of six months, intervening between the first OF Janu-
ary 1912, and the first of July, 1872 for which re-
ductiOn the provision in the Compromise act for the
payment Of the duties in cash on the home valua-
ton, is not found to afford sufficient compensation.
Under these circumstances it became the most inn
porant business Of this Congress, whether regards
the finances of the Government, the material inte-
rests Of the People, to re-arrange the Tariff
And it would be comparatively easy TO do this, and
to arrange the Tariff upon footing of reasonable
satisfaction and stability but for the disturbing nfu
relatively unimportant fact.
This fact is the question of the distribution of the
annual proceeds of the public lands among the sew
era States
On the fourth of September, lS4l, an act was pass
ed providing among other things, for the semi
al distribution OF the net proceeds of the sales of the
public lands among the several States. Such dstri-
button to be suspended and upon and during the
occurrence of two contingencies, viz First, war !;
secondly, the imposition OF duty upon any one arti
Gle of imports to an amount exceeding 20 per cent ad
valorem.
The last condition is contained in proviso to the
sixth section Of the act which proviso is in the words
following, viz:
{" If at any time, during the existence of this act
there shall be an imposition of duties imports in
consistent with the provision of the act of March 3D.
1888 entitled An act to modify the act of the 18th
of July, 1882, and all other acts imposing duties
imports, and beyond the rate of duty fixed by that act
to wit twenty per cent on the value of such imports
any of them, then the distribution provided in this
act shall be suspended, and shall so continue until
this cause of its suspension shall be removed, and
when removed if not prevented by other provisions of
this act, such distribution shall be resumed"
This proviso was an amendment to the Distribu-
ton bill introduced in the Senate, the record history
OF which is in the following extracts from the Journal
of the Senate, Of August %, 1871:
The Senate resumed the consideration of the bill
a. K. AZ to appropriate the proceeds Of the sales of
Wv Puoh@ JANUS anu W gram pte-cinption rlguts
The amt ndment proposed by Mr. Berrien, the 2lst
instant being modified by Mr.. Berren by unanimous
consent as follows:
At the end Of the sixth section insert
Propided That, tat any ii during the existence
of this act, there shall be imposition of duties on
imports inconsistent with the provisions Of the act OF
March I'd, 1888 entitled An act to modify the act
of the l4lh of July 1892 and all the acts imposing
duties on imports" and beyond the rate Of duty fixed
by that act To wit twenty per centum the value OF
such imports, or any Of them, then the distribution
provided in this act shall be suspended, and shall 50
continue until this of its suspension shall be
removed, and when removed, if not prevented by
other provisions Of this act, such distribution shall be
renewed
On the question to agree thereto, those who voted
in the affirmative, are