Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-10-01

Hamburg CSC. iu he por's W russ y
Amsterdam 81 on inc Black Sea Do
Dantzic ST.
Wheat imported iaio G'eaf Britain 80 1881.
IL appears by published tables that there inn
ported into Great Britain, from foreign countries,
IN 1881 345l,soO qrs
FCom Russia $4,000 -
From the United States $3.50
From Prussia 4sl,9O0
From Germany S95,6OO
From nll other countries l,llS.9 Oo
twill be seen, by the above statement, that ths
United States in 1881, supplied only III per cent. oil
the mportations into Great Britain; that Russia
supplied twice much as the United States, and
that Prussia and Germany each nearly as much.
II also appears, by the tables in MeCul'oeh, that,
for twenty Ave years IN succession, Prussia mass
Piled England average nearly three times as
much as our own country; that Russia, the Neither
lands, and Germany, have each supplied twice rs
much; and mat during that whole period, the Uni
ted States have furnished only aooui per cent. Of
her foreign supply.
With these facts before us, il is preposerous TO
suppose that we could compete with the continent
in supplying Great Britain with brcadsiuit If her
corn laws repealed. Tho English merchants
arc now in the constant habit OF sending their ships
IA ballast TO Hamburg, TO take in breadstuh for
Newioundland and Brozil.
when we consider the low price OF labor on tho
continent, the ease and cheapness with which grain
can be transported from the Baltic into England, it
seems TO that nothing can be more idle than TO
suppose that we could supply the English market.
But these laws will not be repealed: they may be
modified IN some trlfing degree, hut they VIII not
be annulled. In fact these laws as they al present
exist, operate IN favor oil our gram growing States,
rather than otherwise. AS England receives bread
stuff from her colonies almost free OF duty there is
large and important trade now carried on through
Canada, whereby the American wheat and Hour md
their way into Greet Britain on more favorable terms
than the grain from the continent. Repeal the
laws, and this trade would lie cut off, Nor is this
trade in effect confined to the States bordering upon
Canada. N. York, pennsylvania, Ohio and Mich.
gan, can send part Of their supply 10 that market;
and all that is taken off in that direction reduces
the quantity in market and so tends 10 raise the
price in all other grain growing States This trade
would be destroyed by repeal oil the English corn
laws And the repeal would operate upon the grain
growing States in another respect: It would reduce
the price OF living, and Of course oil labor, IN Engan
and enable her manufacture cheaper, and there
by PROSTATE our own manufactures. AT present,
the gran growing STATES find their best and sUTest
market nmUH= 49, --fsctnrr- Rt the Last. But
let the price OF living and OF labor be reduced IN I'm
elinJ and our domestic manufactures would de
cline, aud tie grain growing States would suffer IN
their home market. Thus would the grain growing
interest he injured rather than benefited by repeal
of the English corn laws.
But gentlemen tell us that n tariff is a tax upon
Che labor of the country. The gentleman from In
diana (Mr Kennedy says that 1t is n tax upon
the farmers and that the advocates of a protective
tlrid long TO some great minuffcturng establish
ments. Whatever may be the case with others.
can say for myself that have no connexion with
INV Species Of ma nuGnciures. do not own one do!
lar OF manufacturing capital. My sympathles are
altogether with the cul'ivaors OF the soil. Among
item wss born-to the business OF agriculture /
was brought up. This band has welded every i'm
rlement Of hnsbandrY. | know what 1t is 10 eat
hread in The sweat OF my brow. | know what il
is TO endure the labor OF the held exposed TO the
rays Of u tcorching sun, or the chilling basis OF
New England climate. The district which have
the honor to represent is an agricultural district and
t,,xrc rs The
proportion which this business bears 10 agriculture
is comparatively small. advocate protective ia
riff because believe that 1t will promote The inter
est Of agriculture, and, particularly, because be-
eve that il will improve the condition OF the poor
labofer. who depends upon his daily earnings for
the support of himself and family. BY encour
aging manufactures and the mechanic arts you
ate demand for labor, and so enhance the price
Wages, like every thing else, depend upon the laws
Of demand end supply. When manufactures flour
Ish there will he a demand for labor, and II IS then
that the poor man receives the greatest reward for
his toll; il 10 .hen that his income is the greatest,
and his labor brings him the most abundant return.
MANY OF our hardy laborers have no property but
their ability to toll their physical frame IS their on
TO productiye capital Now, II you protect the
industry Of the country, and so enable the poor
man to earn q larger sam, You practically add to
his productive capital, or, which is the same thing,
render his present capital more productive. II the
laborc- by the impulse given TO industry, is ena.
Lied 10 earn $50 10 year more than be could hove
earned without this STIMULUS, you hcLuhiy, Tor the
time being, confer upon him as great csSing %
though YOU deposited $500 for his benefit, and sccI
red the interest to his use. The aborirg man. more
than any other has interest in this pro,ec i've po-
cy The system is de igned 10 protect labor, and 10
fccufc 10 the industrious their reward advocate THIS
vstnrn not because IL will benefit the capitalist but
because it will confer blessing on the lahorer.-
The capitalist has no interest m protection. His
tens Of thousands will yield him better return
5hen labor is depressed, and every article which he
IL
earitast II he seeks nothing but gain, coves what
nrc generally denominated "bofd tmcsj" but the
man who depends upon his own labor has direct
increst in revival Of business, and in the general
prosperity Of the community. Let the hard labor
ets Of the country, those who eat their bread IN the
sweat Of their brow, reject upon this subject, and
they will at once see TINT they have dree. interest
IN the protective policy. They will not only per
ceivo that a tariff tends % increase wages, but that
the samo sum OF money will purchase more Of the
neeessaries Of lie. There is article Of clothing
which GOES into the consumpu Of the poor m n and
his family 90 much cotton in its various forms. -
This nrIice has enjoyed protec ion since 1916, and
tho reduction in price has been three oriOur bundled
nor cent. Common shHings, which, 81 that time,
would have cost 50 cents at retail now he bought
for from to 10 coats, and oil other articles Of cot
ton have fallen IN about the same proportions so that,
by the operation Of the tariff wages are kept up, ord
articles of consumption have fallen IN priee.-25
venfs ago, the females Of New England twho have
not, as vet, thank Heaven, imbibed the sentiment
that labor s degradngD would lie required 70 inoOi
weeks 10 purchase an ordinary calico dress, which
they can nov purchase with weeks labor. View
D, any light you please, and the protective system
~ emphstically the system for the aboror and the
poor man.
regret Mr Chairman, that gentlemen seem dis
po-ed 10 view this subject though what I believe
10 be n falso medium. They speak Of II as sys-
tenn 70 benefit manufactures, and BY manufactures
they mean the manufacture Of cotton nod 'oooi.-
'Tk,svpew Of the subject is entirely superficial. II
!. not the interest Of manufactures alone, m The
narrow sense IN which that term Is used, that w
wish 20 promote. There y what may be called The
uimiag interest and The W. ehane interest wbe'
.,e desplv involved IN this question. And then
err tLcse 10, FIRST and foremost, the great agfieultu
al Interest, which needs encouragement as much ai
any Other; end Tho tariffs a. we'll calculated 70 @id
-. a.. f,,nse, consumes his own products, he ha
no interest IN the prices which they bear. Bat u
youns msn purchases farm, end expects 10 P'j