Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-07-29
10000 90
5i9,623 ~
aud hmm.
$1,000 20

Cost Of collection, drawbacks, and boun.
tues 5l9G23 20
Probable nett amount of revenue S39li -
If the above statement of What vii! be the relative
income and nense al collecting the duty salt APP
proxlma,cS even tie real of tie facts what
Der from The grcnt agriculture! districts could excuse
himself to his constituents and 10 te country for aiding
sich lces atom But, If presents The reG state Of
facts villa; gentleman who might support this tax could
apect his constituents 10 Thank HIM, that such
acts would mpart dignity 10 has country history?
Salt is as Indispensable 10 the egrcul'nris,s and
sumers as 10 those engaged in the fisheries. Why
should especial privileges, them be granted those per-
engaged in the fisheries All classes consume
salt though perhaps, the farmers require it more
tensiveiy than any other. put il TO gentlemen TO give
some substantial reasons why SAIL should be taxed p
With The repeal of the Duty the country will save the
vast expense of coll,c,on; and the draw backs and fish
ing boun,ies vi H. Of course, fall 10 the ground "For
says Albert Gaatin, while Secretary of the Treasury
in letter to John Randolph, Chairman Of the Commit
lee of Ways and Means, :he bounty phil on the expor
ations of picked fish, PORK and beef is said 10 he
more than the duty on The salt used in curing the
same In the year 1918 Great Britain repealed her
salt tax and shall the U. S. persist in burdening
tcle so important in the everyday concerns Of life, at
rate of Duty under existing circumstances, too low to
be source of revenue and yet too high to be borne,
without receiving, in return, some adequate benefit.
Most Governments, as far as possible, impose taxes
on iu5nries and exempt articles of primary Importance.
This maxim has been frequently sanctioned by our
statesmen, for the obvious tendency of such
is to cxonerae, 10 great extent, the poorer class of
consumers, and leave the burden of taxation to fall
The more ,reaiy luxurious This consideration has,
doubtless, 10 great extent, influenced foreign legisa
ton in imposing duties upon tobacco. But there IS
other motive, perhaps fully as important which may be
found in the fact, that il is article upon which
given amount of revenue more readily be raised
than any other However, let their reasons be what
they may, is sufficient for US TO know hatlbe foreg ign
duties American tobacco are enormous. Upon this
point there will hardly be any discrepancy Of opinion.
But when you propose TO remedy what is characterized
grievance 10 the planters, it is natural that
should entertain different about the mode of ell
fecting it.
Representing, do, tobacco growing district, it
is 10 be expected that should take deep interest in
whatever propositions nav he s"es'a ny honorable
gentlemen, w;th II OF inducing foreign Govern
mel to lower their duties on American tobacco In
deed would 30 far MS the fur,les in making all
proper and audabe exertons to accomplish so deslra-
bl. an object Without any general directions from
those represent To support he retaliaory policy; and
being therefore, left, conceive, free to follow the
dictates of my own judgment as to what would best pro-
mote their interest in this particular, have looked
into the subject with much my other engage
ments would permit and notwithstanding my anxiety
to zee the grievances complained ofremoved yet feel
it due those represent to say that have not, thus
far been able to discover any beneficial results likely to
ensue by adopting the portion Of this bill which pro-
TO strike out. Nalner ulaH pursue poicV
deemed the best OF doubtful proprcty, and leopard
staple CROP yearly increasing at rapid rate, both in
quantity and value, must confess would rather per.
nit the trade 10 remain as il is at present The coun-
Try is much in debt for rasty TO embark in an
enterprise which may recol with tremendous conse-
quences the tobacco planters. This effort TO thwart
control foreign Legislation by increasiDgMe prices IF
consumption 10 0nr O,cn citizens, without iull and
abiding conviction that should, IN short ume coerce
them into an abandonment Of their present
houtn tim npdn
soon To remit reiaatory duties by far loo specu
latve and hazardous am at present advised, to re-
ceice my support.
1t s true that in large portion Of Europe, our TO-
bacco is heaviy taxed; nevertheless, close examine
ton OF the subject Will satisfy many ] feel sure, that
some respects, the fore policy does not operate
many hardshps on US as, at first blush might appear
exist. As Tor instance the tax purely for
Rue, and not for pro ction. Then, in countries
with hcl we dcn most extensively me cultivation is
prohLd entirin and in others, is seriously restricted,
and liable t" many oppressive regulations. In other
portions of Europe where the trade and cultivation
both free, find, from report of the agent Of the I.
s., q. Dodge, Esq that, IN oil those countries, the
average price OF toscco ranges from 50 tn S6per lC0
lbs; and that they CONSUME very little, If any, Ameri-
ran tobacco. Upon examination, ! think il will be
found, that those countries -xbch tax our tobacco
high do in fact give MS the monopoly Of The market;
Tor they have to prohibit limit the cultivation at
lone, enable them 10 make imported tobacco
of revenue.
Before attempt 10 !erislate ourselves out Of real
or einary iicuites, let bear in mind the pro-
cressve increase both consumption and price of Ame
rican tobacco, and carefully weigh in our minds whe
Their aot action in The particular mode proposed
might not relnd, rather than expedite the objects it is
designed TO accomplish. The committee generally are
rot perhaps, Of the rapid progress this staple IS
making. The interesting document No. $3.50 recently
placed before from the Secretary Of the Treasury,
contains many valuable facts and specuations 10 his
conjecture! estimates, he places The consumption of
American tobacco in the U. s., annually at fourth
of The productions whch leaves nbnu 81, 43 hogsheads
for the home consumption in ls4l. Ii will be seen,
however, that other persons have made calculations Of
the entire consumption Of tobacco annually in the U.
S. They incline TO the opinion that il amounts in
value, annually TO between len and twenty millions
Of dollars As most of them favor high estimates, We
may perhaps place the consumption, annually, Al the
first ment onrd sum of S0G0000 beirg not great
ly beyond the value of the true quantity Nor IS this
extavagant as one might suppose at first: fer tie
value OF manufactured tobacco in the U. s. amounts 10
about So 000 annually; and Of this only export
according 10 official returns about six hundred thou
sand dollars worth. Then the importations Of cigars
are worth annually about 81 100000. In addition,
there is large quantity made cigars in the u S
inspected To all this there be large addition
for what is consumed in the shape Of planters twist,
and for smoking. So, therefore, home market il
| fully supplied and have large amount to export.
| 1t il proper, too, to remember, that the FoREIGs
prices regulate the home prices so far as the planters
are concerned. What, then, might be our condition,