Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-01-01


had unbusias e,irnr'efy enough 10 advocate. The
Secretary Ut STATE inseii, that Time, openly oppo-
scd il, though ncw, 1t scsihcd he was strong III It's
favor Had the retiring Cabinet recommended 10 Inc
President such / this they mi ht we'll have
been denounced for gross aud open Inconsistency
alr w here adgered the history OF The session Of
1887 when Il United States Bank had So decided ma
jor,ly in It's favor and 10 the sudden aud marvellous
change when III Democratic members had afterwards
voted for ar. Van Burcns Sub. Treasury scheme
The iac at ibat day, was charged as evidence OF
the mower of Executive influence in Congress; and
so violent was the revolution Of principle demanded
by party discip pine, that portion OF the party re-
~"s Of 1 @ Fa and 'o of hono
like sacrifice V now demanded from Mr. w; he was
Confidence sde ' by Mich he was bound to his constituents
lie could do it, lie trusted in God lie never should
be- guilty oil aci so base. And he concluded by say
nr that he had ongcd Tor opportunity of saying, III
the face OF Heaven, before his constituents, his State,
a:d his country that, whatever others chose 10 do he
should stand by his principles
Mr. HUDSON Of Massachusetts obtained the floor,
but offered if gentlemen ready and DESTROYS now
TO take the question: resign il and waive his prlvi
lege of addressing the House Cries Of " No, no: go
on.
Aier few predatory words, showing that, the
question now was presented the rules OF order admit
ted the widest latitude of debate upon It's whole bear
ms MIR. II. proceeded TO remark on the bodness Of
MI Rhelt in meeting Tie question. That gentleman
laid once, the axe TO the root, by denying, IN toto,
al! power III Congress 10 pass bill which should lay
any discriminating duty for the protection OF the
tlona industry aud in supporting his position, he had
attacked that Of the gentleman from New York, Mr.
Linn who had conended that the power Of protection
vas Incidental 10 the power given by the Constitution
"to regulate commerce. The gentleman had insisted
that power TO regulate not power 10 destroy;
and as protection in that gentleman view, destroyed
commerce, il could not be sanctioned by the clause
This appeared to Mr. ii very summary mode OF Get
tinr naiiors. TO him il appeared that, rs the Cons
tuition confded to Congress the power to regulate with
ont any qualification restriction Whatever Congress
on that subject liberty Ia do just what II should
deem most expcdent. And did not every body know
that under the sanction OF this clause, Congress had,
in fact actually destroyed at least for time totally
suspended the commerce OF the country: The embar-
go and acts rested Tor their constitution
atty solely these words yet every enlightened states
man acauicsced in those laws entirely constitutional
however severe their operation might be- Nor had MI
H. any hesitation IN saying that Congress might destroy
commerce. far as particular branch OF II vas con-
cerned thereby to promote lis general prosperity No
enlightened statesmen, no sound lawyer, would at
tempt TO coniu,e that position. The power 10 regulate
commerce was conferred absolutely and without anycon
dlon whatever. What did that power imply What
was necessary consequence III Clearly this; that
If other powers adopted a system in relation 10 their
commerce which impaired the commerce OF this coun
=
counter enactments. Such acts lie conceived 10 be
legitimate exercise OF a constitutional power
Our commerce was chiefly with Great Britain ana
what was the adopted by the Government OF
that country towards American commerce: was II
not such as 10 embarrass and hamper that commerce in
various waysa Did she not absolutely exclude some
OF products from admission into the British ports,
and did she not pass discriminating duties against
others The documents would show many striking
instances Of this The very large amount of hsh-say
/ a. $50 all
rived from our fisheries, Great Britain shut oIt abso
!ucly and entirely. On the whale oil OF tins coun-
try amounting 10 about n million and halt every
year, Parliament imposed dn,y OF twenty-si1 pounds
Twelve shillings per ton; while, on whale OIL I'M
ported from her dominiOns, she LEVIED one
shilling ton Here discriminating duty Of
tweniY-sx pounds eleven shlings III favor OF her own
products, and directly against -, on American
whalcbonc, she put duty OF nnety.ive pounds per
ton; her own but one pound per ton. As to The
corn laws every body familiar with the exclusion
which vas tine effect Of them. Now would his friend
from South Carolina Mr.. Rhett,l say that the Ancri-
can Government had no right 10 pass countervailing
laws TO meet the effect OF legislation OF this character
In laying duties TO have respect to the pro-
lection of our citizens:
On the clause WHICH declared that taxes might be
laid to pay Tic debts aud provide for the genera well
iee Of Tie L. S, the gentleman had decided ii man
ner equally summary. The gentleman had argued
TINT fit were allowed that Congress might ciscrl.
inmate III any one case III laying outles revenue,
then the whole discretion of discrimination in duties
and Of the entire subject Of the tariff, was absolutely
conlided Congress- and thus could have been
Intended, ergo the clause gave no such power. And
this argument proceeded from gentleman who pro-
irssed the most absolute, entire, unbounded confluence
ir the people; zee is aenGd Sus posji. 1he DIS
csetion Of laying duties for Tire ends mentioned IN The
Constitution could have been confded to the I'M
mediate chosen representatives Of the people.
Mr. Rhctt here interposed TO explain, and stated
that he had put his objections even more broadly than
the gentleman had stated it. What he said was this
If Congress had tho power of discriminating IN the
duties laid for the benefit of manufactures, on the
ground that Congress had the power 10 legsate IN all
matters it may deem cspeden to the gsnerd 'reydre,
then the Constitution was surrendered up 10 the Will 81
mere majority this floor who would possess unit
m,ed legislative powers; and the Constitution with It's
limitations, would thus virtually be abolished
Mr.. H. replied that il came 10 the sumo thing, ana
the gcntemans principle, broadly stated was this-
that nothing could be submitted TO the discretion OF
Congress without the humiliation OF the Constitution
As that instrument gave Congress the power Of laying
duties for the ends therein spec hed Mr. H. understood
that provided these ends ruTsncd the whole SUB.
Jet was submitted, absolutely, 10 the discretion OF
Congress And what were these ends 10 pay the
Debts provide for the protectnn and promote the &C.
neral welfare of the U. S Now if Congress might
Law dues 10 protect this country against The arms OF
Great Britain could it not protect II against the manu-
features Of Great Britain II il could lay taxes TO prn.
ect us agains, British soldiers, in British fort Or ship
mirhl not Just much 10 protect us against BRUSH
paepers, in British factory: TIL" power ample
Congress could well protect American manufactures
against the attacks of British Legislation rs It could pro-
ect American cities against the attacks OF BRUSH
fleet II it had power for the one il had power Tor the
other.
The gentleman settled the controversy by general
principle he insisted that duties for protection and du
ties f revenue were only different from but direct
" opposed 20 each other-where protection commenced
revenue ceased In illustration, the gentleman vert
on 10 show that if protection was carried far who'll
10 exclude the foreign article, no duties, CT course
would be paid on its importation; but he did not stop
there lie to say further, that duty less than
prohib,ory destroyed just in proportion as II
diminished Importation If it reduced The importation
one-haI, il destroyed revenue one-ha II II reduced
Importation one.oliarte- il reduced one-quar
ter II duty Of 100 per cen, would destroy revenue
entirely, duty Of 30 Tcr cent would destroy one,hal
Of the revenue, and duty Of - per cent. would de
slroy one.Gnartcr of the revenue The gentleman IN
sisted on tins principle Of universal application.
Mr.. H. denied il 10 he a sound one. lie denied thai
4 "A al inatrn nm