The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-07-28
REMARKS OF MIR. GUSHING,
OF MASSACHUSETTS,
ON THE TARIFF BILL.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, July Is, 1872
Concluded.

House OF Representatives., July 49, lo42.
Concluded.l
PUBLIC LANDS.
.Nofe-Mr CUSHING moved amend the bill by
striking out the 18th section which is in the words
following, VIZ
SEC 25 And be it further enacted, That the pro-
viso 10 the sixth section OF the act entitled An ACT
to appropriate the proceeds of the sales of the public
la nds, and to grant pre-empton rights" approved
September fourth eighteen hundred and fory-one be,
and the same is hereby repealed"
When Mr. C. made this motion. the rule of the
House terminating debate the BILL had attached to
it, If otherwise, it his intention to have given
his reasons for this motion; which reasons are the
following
The condition of the Treasury, at the present time
mperatiyey demands the imposition of additional du-
ties and revision Of the tariff to meet the ex
listing deficit, to make the annual revenue equal to
the annual expenditures, and to provide for the pay
ment OF the actual debt of the Government.
As present arranged, the duties derived from Gus
toms are and for many years have been, wholly in
adequate meet the annual wants of the Govern
In fact Treasury has, for several years past
labored under embarrassment from this cause.
When Mr.. Van Buren, cane into power he en-
coun,ereI, at the outset, precisely this financial
difficulty by reason of which it became
sary for him, not only to expend the whole OF
the receipts of each year, but to use In addl-
ton in the current expenses OF the Government,
the intended fourth nstalment OF the surplus
treasure, ordered in 1886 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, he 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 aborng under these same en-
barrassments
The Treasury had in the first place, been depleted
of temporary surplus by the deposite thereof with
the States.
After this, it was impossible with all the resources
of the Government, whether by the sale OF the pub
lie lands or by the revenue received from the duties
imports, to defray the expenses Of each year, and
a 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 theGovernment
had during that time greatly increased yet smulta-
neously 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 regular periodical reduction by law.
1t is to be remembered that the last general revis
ion of the Tariff was by the act of the 14th OF July
1882, which, as modified by MIR. Clay's bill of the
second of March, 1888, commonly called the Com
promise act fixed the rate of duties, until some mo-
dihcations therein made by the act OF Septem-
Der the 18th, l94l.
By the Compromise act, it is provided that in all
cases when the duties foreign imports shall by
any act exceed 30 per centum the value thereof,
one-enth part of such shall be deducted from
and after December 3lst, 1888; 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
one half of the residue Of such excess shall be de-
Quoted from and after December 3lst, l84l and
the other half Of such residue from and after June
30th, 1912.
By the progress and result Of these reductions,
tben the revenues Of Government, as well from Gus
ms from all other sources, have come to be alto
fether 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-
gress has operated most disastrousy the invest
ments Of capital and the pursuits of labor and indus
try in various branches of business especially
the abrupt process Of cutting Oft tour ths OF the ex-
cess of duties above 20 per cent in the short period
of six months, intervening between the first of Janu-
ary 1842 and the first of July, 1912; for which re-
ducton the provision in the Compromise act for the
payment of the duties in cash on the home valua-
lion is not found to afford sufficient compensation.
Under these circumstances it became the most inn
portant business of this Congress- whether regards
the finances of the Government, or 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 nu-
ences which arise, from collateral, secondary, and
relatively unimportant fact.
This fact is the question of the distribution Of the
annual proceeds of the public lands among the sew
eral States.
On the fourth of September, l84l an act pass
ed providing, among other things for the semi-annu-
al distribution OF the net proceeds OF the sales of the
public lands among the several States. Such distri-
button to be suspended and upon and during the
occurrence of two contingencies, viz First, war
secondly, the imposition of duty upon any arti-
Gle Of imports to amount exceeding 20 per cent ad
valOrem.
The last condition is contained in proviso to the
sixth section Of the act which proviso is the words
following, viz:
elf at any time, during the existence of this act
there shall be imposition of duties imports in
consistent with the provision of the of March I'd
1888 entitled An act to modify the act of the 18th
of July, 1882, and all other acts imposing duties or
imports and beyond the rate of duty fixed by that act
to wit: twenty per cent on the value of such imports
or 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 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 3D. l84l:
The Senate resumed the consideration of the bill
Oh. r. ~ to appropriate the proceeds of the sales
the public lands and to grant presumption rights
The mendment proposed by Mr.. Berrien, the Dist
instant, being modified by Mr.. Berrien by unanimous
consent, as follows:
AT the end of the sixth section insert
Propided, That, if at 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 l4th of july 1882, and all the acts imposing
duties on Imports and beyond the rate of duty fixed
by that act, to wit twenty per the value OF
such imports, or any of them, then the distribution
provided in this act shall be suspended and shall so
continue until his cause 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
Messrs. Allen, Archer Barron, Bayard, Berrien,
Calhoun, Clay, of Alabama, CLAY of Kentucky