Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-08-12
TWENTY SEVENTH CoNGRESS--2d Session.
TARIFF g. DISTRIBUTION.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
.JniH IL, Isle.

VIZ
section of the act rnticd appropriate the proceeds OF
the Of the pubic lands ani'n grant pre- t'" tss' up
proved September fourth ei4 teen hnhd,u al" ''! ""e o ~
The same is hereby repealed" =
When Mr. Gushing made this motion, the rule oil
the House terminating debate on the bill, had attached
10 IT, II otherwise, it his intention TO nave gwen
his for this motlon which reasons are the io
lowing:
The condition Of the Treasury, at this time, impera
lively demands the imposition oi additional duties ana
revision of The tariff, 50 as to meet The existing oe'l
cit, TO make the annual revenue equal 10 the annua!
cxnendtures and 10 provide for lie payment oil The &C
tual debt of the Government
Az now arranged the duties derived from customs
are and for many years have becn wholly inadequate
70 meet the annual OF the Government In fact
the Treasury has for several years past, abored uuef
embarrassment from thus cause
When Mr.. Van Buren, came into power, he encoun'
tered at the outset, precisely tins financial dhcuiy,
nv reason of which became necessary Tor hlm MOI
onl TO expend the whole OF the receipts o each year,
but to USE in addition, in the current expenses OF the
Governments the intended fourth instanent OF tue
Surplus treasure, ordered in co TO be deposited WIN
the States and use, also, the proceeds oil The SAFE
of The stock in the u. ) Bank held by the Govern
ment Besides which, he was compelled 10 postpone n
large amount Of appropriations, and still TO leave ba'
lance OF Indebtedness in outstanding Treasury notes al
the close Of his Administration.
When the present administration came mo power,
il found the Treasury aborng under these same EN-
barrassmen,s.
The Treasury had IN the first place, been depleted
ola temporary surplus by the depos,e thereof with the
States.
After this it was impossible, with all the resources
of the Government, whether by the sale of the public
lands or by the received from the duties on
imports TO deffay 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 'h's'
namely that while the expenditures Of the Government
had during that time, greatly increased yet, simui.
tancously with this, the dervahe from duties
on imports-the only form Of taxation used a, the
present time by the Federal Government-has been
underuoinr regular period cal reduction by law.
1t is to he remembered that the last general REVISION
of the Tariff was by the of the i4th Of july lS32,
which, as modified by Mr.. Clay bill Of the 2nd OF
March. ISIS, commonly called the Compromise act,
fixed the Of duties until some notifications there
in were made by the act Of September llth, ISL.
By the Compromise act II IS provided that, IN all
cases when the duties foreign imports SHALL by any
act, exceed 20 per ccntum the value thereof, one.
tenth part OF such shall be deducted from and
after December 81, s:' another tenth part Thereof
shall be deducted from and after December 81 lo3o;
another tenth part thereof shall be deducted from and
after December 81 l-37; that enc hall oil the residue
of such excess shall Le deducted from and alter De
cember 3i> lSi and The other half OF such residue
from and after Jane 50 l-'2.
By the prorress and n sal, oi these reductions, then
the revenues Of Government, az well from customs
ms from all other sources have come TO be altogether
insufficient for the indispensable necessities OF the
Treasury.
And the final completion of these periodical reduc-
lions 10 say nothir" of the effect of their progress
has onerated most dsastro'sly the investments oil
capital aud the pursuits of labor aud industry in va
rious branches OF business more especially The abrupt
process Of cuttn. off oarttnt$ OF the excess OF duties
above 90 per cent in the short period oi SIX months IN
,eryenng between the t Of January, lsi2, and the Isl
Of Ju!y l-2 Tor which reduction the provision in the
C,mpro,n,s" act for the payment oi duties i'll cash
The home valuation, is hot found 10 Afford suicien,
compensation
Under these circumstances il became the most i'm
porant business Of this Congress- whether as regards
The finances Of the Government or the material ne--
ests of the people, To rcarrange the Tariff.
And IL would be comparatively easy 10 DO this, and
to arrange the tar upon footing OF reasonable salts
faction and stability, but for The disturbing influences
which arse from collateral, secondary ana relatively
This fact is The question of the distribution Of the
annual proceeds Of the public lands among the several
States
providing among other things, or the semi annual dis
trbuon OF the proceeds oi the sales of the public
lands anon. the several States such distribution 10 be
SUSPENDED and upon and during the occurrence
OF two contingencies, VIZ: FIRST, war; secondly, the
imposition Of duty upon any one article OF imports 10
an amount exceeding 20 per cent al raiorem.
The last condition is contained in proviso 10 the
9th section of the act whic proyiso is in the words
following, VIZ:
al al any time dun. The Of This act there shall
be an imposition irots Inconsistent with the
vision Of the of I'd, ss, entitled I'm modify
the fihc nh o July lsa and all other acts Imposing dn
imports, and M a; ny fixed y tiia, act,
then the d,Luon provided tins act shall he suspended aud
shall So continue iS ITS suspension shall be
Of his act. such ci>trihuon slal! h rcstmet
This prov,so amendment, TO The Distribution
bill introduced in the Senate, the record history OF
which is in The following extracts from the Journal OF
fhp Senate of \ ~, ISL:
Thr cstncd The consideration Of the hill a. H. Ia
appropriate proceeds the sales OF The public Lands aud IL
The amcnmcn. poposedty Mr. nerrcn, the alst instant
being modified Ierricu CONSENT follow ;:
DAT the end of the sixth section insert
sprcridl any time during The eys,encc of this act
there shall be an imposition 81 duties on ml"is ne9sse'
10 modify The Of July, 1882 and all the imposing
~ vii twenty per centim ii imports,
any of them distribution provided in this shall be
suspended and shah continue until this cause of its sus
pension removed and when removed, II not prevented
by other o This such distribution shall be renewed
"On the question TO agree thereto, those who voted
"MesSrs Allen. 4elcr re,re,- Eascrd, B-rcn, Callo,n
Clay Of Alaama LN' Of kenlGeSy a'i"" ,u"n 6,atsn
Preston Sewer, Sroas, S Of In ana, Tiinadse Walker
"Those who voted IN the negative are
ssMcSsss. Bates, Benton, buchanan, Csoae Dion, Fraa
M In. y,i a GaSg5,;lr W.hi, Y"ne
This amendment was concurred IN by the House on
the 30lh Of August, lSll on the question that the
House do agree 10 the amendment, the vote being
yeas l07 nays 95-and thus the proyso became part
of the bill as il passed the two Houses, and was APP
proved by the President AS appears by the journal,
"Those who voted in the affirmative are
Nlessrs .Nien, L. ". .9ndrers S. !. .7ndre~s .7r
mold, Arlington, 4yerieg, Ba6eoeh, Barnard Barton,
H. Black, Blair, Boardman, Bronson, ". Bro'cn, "
Butler, W. o. Butler, Calhoun, ". b. Campbell, T. J
Campbell, Caru'hers Chapman, I. c. Ctinenden, J. c.
Clarke, S. ~ Clarke, Coles, Co,ren, Daniel, G. Da-
els, " c. Darson, Deberry, Doan, Ererett, Itssen
den, Fillmore, A. l.. Foster Gamble, Gates, Gentry,
GoG0in, p G. Goode, w. o. Goode, Graham, Green,
Grsig, Haised Harris, Hays Hazard, HUBBARD Hun.
Tor Uuut. T. ID. Jones, j. r. Kennedy, kiag, Lewis,
Linn. T. F. Marshall, S. .nason .uahiot, Mauoeks,
.uatneu Maynard, Moore, uorgan, Norris, Morror,
osborne, Omsiey, Payne, Pendieton Pickens, Poeeu,
RaadaA, Rayaer, Render, R'dg~@y, Rogers, hasss"'