The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-08-26
Farmers! Wool
ers, Look at this!
The Tariff Bill.

~
! On motion OF MIR EVANS, the Senate Aug 8
proceeded with the unfinished business OF yesterday
(he further consideration of the revenue bill Jas in
committee OF the whole; the question pending be-
Ing on MIR BENToN's amendment TO strike out the
word seren, and insert fre, in the 9th line of the
first section; which will be understood from the
following extract of that part of the first section in
which the word seven occurs;
On coarse wool manufactured, the value
whereof, at The last port or place whence exported
to the United States, shall be screen cents, or I'M
der, per pound, there shall be levied duty OF five
per ccnum nd valofem.
Mr. BENTON SAID that on this motion, as on all
Others TO be made either by himself or others, he
intended TO be brlel, limiting himself the explain
aiory statements WIhch were necessary 10 make
his object known lie wished to have his share III
The legislation OF The session, and Tor that purpose
to olier the amendments which he deemed necessa-
ry 10 improve ihe character oil lhe I'M; but he dId
not wish to delay the action oil the body and pro-
lorg session already TO long The bill before the
Senate was an important one-a TAX bill OF 81
pages--and 1t was his right and his duty to altempt
to improve IT, lie coud not reconcile 1t TO any
sense OF uu'y 10 permit Oh pages OF taxes 10 80
through the Senate without eNamlnaton,and with
out attending to de'ai!s' ana the duties on items,
IN winch al! pIac'lcal legislation depended The
present motion was 10 reduce The minimum on wool
from cents 10 cents. Ivy The bill, wool was
divided mo Two classes; above cents cost, II Is to
pay heaVy duty, TO W.T.; 8 cents per pound, and
80 per cenium on Tho value; costing less Than
cents, 1t Is to pay but per ccntum, which Is the
same as free.
Now The object oil The bill Is revenue, and these
rates defeat revenue: one is too high, the other too
low. All the wool that is imported, will be so
managed as to bring it under the cents COST
This is proved by experience. The same classi-
cation of imported wool has been heretofore made
S cents being given in place of land what was
the consequence! why, that nine millions OF
pounds weight OF foreign wool was imported at u
value under cents, TO wit, at l-l cents; nnd
only half million pounds weight above the value
OF cents. Tins there was no revenue from
wool! and thus 1t will be again; for although cts
Is substituted Tor :, yet the universal reduction OF
prices Is greater than IN That proportion; and the
result will he the same under the minimum Of I
as OF 9. No revenue will be had from wool, and
an injury will be done TO agriculture, Wool is AN
agricultural product. All parts oil our country
produce It, ana produce all qulllles OF 1t, and IN
any quantity that the manufacturers can consume
The argument on the other side is, that no wool
States. TO which the answer might be, that this
bill intends there shall be none such; and, for that
purpose, will take care 10 keep down the home
product, by encouraging the foreign importation,
Even if all should be i'lr, and no wool actually
imported hNt TIN, which cost less than cenis;slII
there would be an interference with our domestic
wool for this 'iem,dlllerlng from the rule establish
cd Tor other lmporlatons--ihe home valuation
takes the foreign cost for the asccr'alnmcnt OF the
value; and we know that on the coasts OF Asia
Minor and in Soalh America, the sheep is worth
almost nothing; and the wool Is, consequently pur.
chased Tor Il mere trilIe u all was lar there would
sill be dangerous interference with homegrown
wool; but all would no, be fair! Good wool will
be mixed up with coarse. Low prices in foreign
ports--in Asia and South Amcrica-will be prov
ed; and wool worth much more than cents the
pound will be imported at per ccn,uni--,lnt is
10 say, free Of du,y-will be imported as costing
less. This lus been the case under the cents
limit and will be under the 7; and TINS, an injury
will be worked both to the revenue and to the ng-
rcultural interest of the country MIR Is. showed
that the bill contained provisions to cOuntcract