The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-07-28


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, july IA, 1872
IRoN-sHIPS.
Mr. EDWARDS of Pennsylvania having moved to
raise the duty hammered iron to twenty-five dol
lars,
Mr. CUSHING objected. He said that the origi-
nal bill proposed duty of eighteen dollars per ton
on hammered iron in bars, and thirty dollars on rolled
iron in bars He thought both Of these duties were
high; buthe especially opposed to increasing the
| duty on hammered iron. He was IN favor OF main
tanning the distinction between hammered ana
| rolled iron which this bill proposed IN conformity
with the principle of previous laws. 1t rs the rolled
iron from England fabricated with mineral COAL
which chiefly comes In competition with our own !;
which is much less the case in regard TO hammered
iron fabricated with charcoal, and coming from the
| Baltic and chiefly from Sweden. Besides winch,
| the hammered iron is needed for great many pur-
poses of mechanic industry in the United States IL
is preferred by blacksmiths, because it is more easily
wrought under the hammer, and IS preleraDie ior
| fine works in steel. 1t Is also USED lor ihahi'iS
springs horse shoes, and in the construction OF YES
| sells.
| There is another very important reason why tis
| motion should not prevail. Much had been said the
present session about rea iatory duties In ls case
| he did not call on the House to impose retallatory
duties but to return kindness for kindness. Our
trade was of great Importance to Sweden, IN
| consideration of which she admitted the pro-
auctions of the United States into her ports
| at duty Is per cent less than similar eoods
| would pay coming from other countries. lie wished
The House meet this liberal and friendly overture
| in the same spirit in which it made by the Swed-
| ish Government.
Mr. c. said he regretted to little considera-
ton shown to branch of manufactures when Is Sc
| cond 10 Importance to none IN the United states =
He meant shipbuildng, which, by this bill Is taxed,
tight and left without mercy. ship is taxed In her
wood work and tax ed in her ron--taxed IN her cop
per and taxed in her leadtaxed IN her sails ana tax
ed in her riggng-taxed in her anchors and taxed IN
her cables If there be not some torbearance IN THIS
all the ship builders will be driven out OF the United
| States and compelled TO take refuge IN the brltsh
Provinces. A ship owner has now to labor WIN
| fearful odds, under all the duties imposed on snip
building in connection with our reciprocity treaties
He (Mr c. protested against there being any unne-
cessary additions made the present heavy burdens
| of the ship owner and ship builder
] sHEATHING COPPER.
Mr. FILLMORE having moved to make the duty on
| sheahng copper two cents per pound, and Mr. WIN
c. JOHNSON having moved to amend the motion so as
to make it 81 cents per pound, Mr.. GUSHING objected
He said this proposition to impose heaVy
tax on the construction and repair OF SHIPS tor the
benefit of four five establishments in the United
States engaged III rolling sheet "copper" and 1t was IN
his opinion altogether impolitic and unjust. he had
already complained of the excessive burdens which
this bill imposed on ship building and here was an
other striking example of the same fact. He pro-
| tested against it on many accounts.
| First in this case, as in regard to the heavy duty
imposed on hemp, and chain cables and an
chors-in proportion you raise the duty, you
drive our vessels to supply themselves with these arti-
Giles abroad much possible That great portion of
mercantile marine engaged IN the carrying trade
usually visits England, at least once year Some OF
those vessels do now and all of them could, well
as not have their sheathing and e'sheahing done Ia
England.
In SO far as this is done you, by driving the yes
sells out of the country to be sheathed prevent sheath
ing from being imported into the United States and
| deprive our own mechanics and laborers of the ad
vantages of fitting up and putting in order our ships.
| Now, large amount of capital is invested IN ma
rine rail ways in this country, and great many me-
chanics obtain living in the business OF sheathlng or
e-sheathng vessels and in the general fitting up IN
painting repairs of upper works, spars, &C., which
frequently accompanies reshea thing, whenever that Is
DONE He Informed, and believed that the varl
Gus expenditures for labor, &c, connected with tbs
first sheathing of ship, generally one halt OF tt
cost of the new metal, and when vessel Is re-
shea,hed the expenditures generally as much a.
the of the sheathng copper And as to all ou
vessels engaged in European trade, those who would
by this duty be driven to sheathe in Engan 1T was
question whether you shall sacrifice the convent
ence of the ship and the ship builder, the pro
fits of the importer, and the employment of all The
mechanics connected with the fitting and repair o.
ships, for the sake of giving bounty 10 some four o.
five copper rolling establishments
Butin the second place, in antoher point OF view
this would work still more pre- udically for there wa
an important part of our commercial marine which
did not frequently regularly visit England, VIZ on
whaleng vessels, useful and important branch
of enterprise and our traders 70 the East and Yves
Indies and South America, to say nothing OF steam
boats, coasters, &C., which never leave The Unlte'
States Now, upon this part of our shipping Interest
the duty would fall with redoubed force. The
could not escape it by getting cOppered in England
Finally, the amount of revenue to be thus obtained
would be small for two-thirds OF the ships which ar
copper sheathed in Boston and N York, can with
out very great Inconvenience and will, if driven to
by this enormous duty, have their oppering done IL
4 England
1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, JULY 10, 1912.
MANUFACTURES OF LEATHER.
Mr.. GwlN having moved duty of Is per cent o.
raw hides Mr.. CUSHING objected.
He said that the original proposition reporto
by the Committee of WAYS and Means, TO i'm
E pose duty of one cent per pound on raw hides
whether dry salted clearly wong, not onl
by oil the amount of the duty, but because II
putting the duty per pound upon sailed hides
upon dry ones you will in fact, drive the sailed hide
i out of the market.
, Heretofore, under the act of 1882, hides,
material of manufacture free; by the present bil
/ there is, in many cases, duty OF per cent on tn
various classes of material. 1t would be unwIs
and unjust in the of hides to raise this to ID pc
G cent.
}, The manufacture of boots and shoes, and othe
fabrics Of leather is immense business scarcely St
cond to any other branch of acure in this cour
try, and there this of peculiar in it, that II wa
g carried comparatively little by machinery 1t wa
s. much more than the manufactures ofcoton and WOO
business of handycraft-abor and skill, being me
r chanic, rather than machinery manufacture. o
l. this account it deserved favor by If the nan
Der Of hands employed, and on this account 1t rt
/ CURED protection, because foreign handycraft-abo
I came into direct competition with it, and It was
lust therefore to neutralize the beneficial effects
5, the duty which this bill imposed the manufacture
'f articles of leather by imposing heavy duty on tn
II raw material.
It Nor was this desirable for the benefit of the catt
Il raising interest in this country. With US, no on
thinks of raising cattle for the sake of the hide alone