Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-07-20
From the National intellisencer.
TIM DnEa.p mamma M. ,

TIE GKEAT TARIFF BILL,
Alter having undergone pretty thorough Discus
sion. and fair trial Of all amendments sed or
suggested TO H. finally passed the House OF Repre-
sentatives on Saturday evening by n mailrity Of
four votes. tight 6t. truly But, then, il must
oe remembered, that no tariff Of duties can ever
pass the House OF Representatives except by a
close vote. There arc many and such different
reasons which influence men To vote against H. in
many cases not 30 much with the intention Of do.
e,uns the b', as Tor the purpose OF marking their
ini'ldual dseonont at particular provisions Of IT,
that the majority in its favor IN always he dmi
nutvc IN Its proportion. Instead Of four however
the majority, would we beli,vc, have been ten or
even twenty times as many, IL all who believed
that tho bali ought 10 pass had voted in favor OF H.
Upon the final vote tho House was UNUSUALLY
iuIi. All the abseniees Except perhaps MIR Wise)
are believed TO have been absent iron, necessity
OIL had been present. aud the Speaker had also
'oteu, the majority would have been about tho
same. hut. to save the bill aud ensure its passage.
mere no donbi that. had been even rejected on
~ ",s' uia, mat vote would have been teconsi-
uereu, anu the bill passed by sufficient majority
or the character OF the bill tho read,r vii, La all.
to obtain pretty good idea by close Observation of
the late OF the amendments proposed 10 H. Some ;o,
portsnt amendments. will be seen, though agreed
70 ~ COMMITTEE OF the Whole, were rejected by
Tue House; among them that embracing ths vnrs-
housing system and that which exempted the ar,i
ees oil tea and coffee from duty which articles amons
the uHtnunitrdted articles in the bill ms n,s.eJ
arc SUBJECTED 10 an al paiorea duty Of twenty per
cent without the duty these articles "a q should
have considered tho bill an essential failure as a
| measure for revenue.
lhere IS one section introduced into the bill bv
way OF amendment, ON the motion of MIR w q
johnson, OF Maryland and unanimously concurred
IN by the House, which we look upon as the n o
ihpo''aht-asp, We were going TO say, but the word
"'de would better express our idoa-strid, let us
say towards the reform ofabuse and the economiza
on OF expenditure in the collection Of revenue thar
mas been thus far Effected during the whole course
oil our experience OF public nfiirs. Il is one That
we have ourselves more than once heretofore su,
gested MS necessary to bring under some control by
Congress, and, we may add, by public opinion, tho
potenual but irresponsible and almost invisible
patronage sptnging from the Custom house estab-
shmen', or einsng TO with parasite tenacity and
appetite We refer, OF course to the provision that
henceGorth. the Secretary OF the Treasury shall in
his annual report to Congress- state the number and
names, Sc oil oil persons employed in the eollec.
Ton and protection OF the revenue, and the amount
paid 10 each by salary or otherwise, and that the
compensation OF all such officers in whatever form
shall be drawn from the Treasury upon REGULARLY
| nudred accounts, instead of being drawn from the
revenue before il reaches the Treasury, &c.
This VIC take TO be one of the fruits of the late
custom house investigation, the valuable informa.
ton furnished 10y which has thus not been entirely
smothered by objections TO the constitu,ionely Of
.he commission, or 10y exceptions to the construc.
uons put Oy the Commissioners upon some portions
OF the testimony taken before them Notwithstanding
these imputed mlsapprehensions Of the Commission.
ers, and the want ola good understanding between
themselves, this investigation has supplied n ys,t
amount OF information OF great value very
and proper 10 he placed in the possession of Con,
gress and Of the People.