The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-07-04
THE STATE OF THE REVENUE UP
ON THE LATE VETO.

Suppose that from the failure of Congress TO
leglsale, all the requisites prescribed by the
Compromise act cannot be fulfilled, does il fol-
low that no duties can be collected under that
act7 The words, under such regulations as
may be prescribed by law" refer clearly TO the
home valuation. No such regulations are made
by lap-does it follow that no duties can be
| collected or that all the other provisions of the
act of 1888 are void or temperatures That act
declares, that "sIch duties shall be laid for the
purpose of raising such revenue as may be ne
cessary 10 an economical administration of
the Government" Suppose the administration
| OF the Government should not be economical,
does II follow that no duties are TO be collected
The true question, in constituting this act. is whe
ther 1t does not contain such distinct and posi-
i've enactments as will continue TO operate,
whether there is additional Legislation or not
Admitting that, for the purpose Of executing the
clause in reference to the home valuation, far
ther legislation IS necessary, is it not clear that
1t is only necessary to tina, single provision Of
the act Of 1888 and that all its other provisions
are now, and will continue to be, operative
The rate Of duties is fixed at 20 per cent. The
articles on which they are TO be levied are as
certained-they are TO be paid in cash. If the
home valuation does not operate for want of le-
gislaIion, how can it be contended that these
provisions are therefore temperatures
Thus if we concede all that the argument of
those who now contend that all the interests of
the country, its manufactures, its commerce, It's
agriculture, the Government itself, that every
thing shall be sacrificed to the political designs
or prejudices of those who will have distribution
or nothing-if we concede all that they assert,
it does not follow that the anarchy, which they
hold in terror over the President and the coun-
try, will follow. But this concession is not ne
cessary. 1t is clear that the regulations requir
ed by the ACT OF 1888, as to the home valuation,
can be executed under the forms now existing
by law. 1t is only necessary to change the for
mer valuation so as to assess the value of the
articles sat the port where the same shall be en-
tered" instead of at the foreign portland for
cash instead of credit.
1t is said that an Overwhelming majority of
the party who elected the President are in favor
of distribution. That is not the question. The
Wings themselves declared, in the Distribution
act that distribution should be suspended when
ever the duties were beyond 20 per cent. The
practical question, then, is, whether distribution
shall be made on the terms and conditions as
were expressly declared by its advocates in
1S41. 1t cannot be made under the act of al,
if the duties exceed 20 per cent. Shall it be au
thorized then, as a new measure, without this
restriction and in violation of the distinct terms
of the act of Al? But gentleman who so often
assert, on the floor of Congress, that the maJo-
rity of the Wing party of 1910 decreed this or
that particular measure or principle, should re-
member that these popular majorties of 1910
have been, in almost every instance, where there
has been any thing like a fair test, reversed
What has led to this but the principles and mea-
sures avowed, and so pertnaciously pressed at
the extra session Of lS4l-principles and mea-
sures which were generally disavowed in the
contest of 1910, and which have been since pro-
claimed, for the first time, party tests. L ose
gentlemen who camor so loudly for the will of
the People, should look to their own duty in this
particular, and remember that if the Represen-
tatves, or halfof the II, who have been unequI-
vocally instructed from the polls on these ques-
lions, if they would only obey and execute The
will Of those they now misrepresent, these ques-
tons would be settled instanlly-and settled by
separating the mere political or party from the
business interests of the country.