Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-06-21

,.i, - considerable import and now pays 20 per
cent would then pay specific duty oil - ~ per ~
which, ON piece OF handkerchieis costing 'S ~, ~
sterling and weighing : o., would be taxed no tss
H. o9i ner cent on the cost Under Mr. Fillmore
h,II cotton barging the cost of which Will average
hn, "a s,erline or II CENTS IL inches wde VIII pay
q leo cents the running yard, or 4et per cent o
- c, The honest importing merchant VIII never
h;,o, n my any per centage OF duty which may oe
d ,snuisi,e iur the wants of a proper and ecoho-
,;o.I demonstration of the Government, provided I'D
,,,arn,inu TO reach the highest revenue pont iegs'u
49,; des mi 20 beyond what IT prcteSseS; and mus,
fas is the with most sptcihc cu''es,) eac'"o1
II is supposed TO admit under reuem"e a"iy' 'heieoy
;pa The importing merchant to stand IN his ou'
s;ness and giving the manufacturer what oughl 10
n,o the Treasury Pure and honest Legislation ough'
T., he couched IN ambiguous language, but IN terms
=, be o,silv understood therefore, II Tor example, u De
Saan,ed advisable for the benefit of the manufacturer
=, The lower qualities Of cotton goods, Chose worn
bv the poorer classes with higher rate OF ouy thah
~. ST., articles let be so declared in the bill IN some
such terms as the following "Al cottons costing
u, rho souare ward or under, shall pay an al rdto-
ION duty If IS per cent 100, whatever IT may be-,
nly l II be expressed it really is, and not covered
over with veil vigorously wrought liat lew, OF
pope hut those who are provided WIN mcTedht"e
Io.fs N see through detect the deception AS 10
the ,rgument that specific duties are necessary IN
goods to prevent underchargng the thing IS
,cnlous for any man, even one unacquanteu WIN
rcbandse will know that the coarser the article tue
easier is INV differentiation detected-no, II IS IN me
uoods that some such check is required, If at all as there
It is sometimes u'Mcuil W ae'ec' o"ai' Pc s "
value. r. tho
The foregoing will be found correct expose OF the
general application of specific and minimum duties
MANY other articles might be enumerated, but the
above will suffice TO convince the most casual observer
that the system is deceptive, Arbitrary one IN Its ope-
ration and also, that the bill now under consider
alton is purely protective one, and consequently
with or without the proposed duty on tea and coffee
4 .a, IL
will never yield revenue sufficient TO meet Tie wants
of the Treasury =
Washington, June 18Th, lcl2 " -,
~ B. duty of % per cent. on most description OF
goods would give ample protection 10 'he iha"uia'
turer more than he requires on cotton soods, anu
would raise near 80 per cent more revenue thah such
bill as now proposed. The manufacturer looks oe-
vond his own interest when he asks so much, ior he
loses sight If the evil the real evil, which he mas 10
contend with under any tariff that may be passea-t
is the iuctuaon arising from the foreign competition
through auction not the competition OF Inc regular
mporter-bu when the manufacturer abroad gets INTO
difficulty, and sees he is the rapid road 10 pahK,
up,cy he at once in desperation Ito raise the wino
throws off his surplus stock upon our markets ano
through the auction system, conducted IN TINS couh-
ry alone he is enabled to do on better terms thah
the resident merchant, who, being subject 10 laXa'o
rent, clerk hire, insurance, &c IS placed 10 gea'
disad vantage in competition with the foreigner selling
directly through this channel and the result Is, lhat
in depressing times, when our manufacturers may re-
quire something to steady the market, or that IS the
great object if prices are low It is then 'hey are
most subject to this runous uctuaton, produced oy
thus desperate, gambling kind Of competition under
which an article may to-day bring 40 cents, and To-
morrow D. the price not being regulated by lhe wants
OF the BUYERS but by the immediate and pressing dis
tress of the sellers.