Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-03-29

for nine long years. by the end of which time, they
TO be brought down by slow and gradual process
TO 20 per cent ad rai0rcmat which, for the oeneht Of
the staple States, they TO stand thereafter In the
first of It's operaton the duties raised form 33 per cent
which was The lowest rate 10 Is per cent when was
The highest. And on item, coarse woolen cloths
article extensively consumed in the South, the DUTY
raised from 5 cents, upon every square yard-the
value of which exceeded 35 cents to so per cent These
heavy duties only to be reduced at the rate OF one
tenth every two years This was the Compromise; by
which the South consented to submit to an onerous
tariff for nine long years. in consideration that u was
10 be abandoned thereafter She agreed to submit
to wrong for long period, in consideration that
she to be free from aggression thereafter. The
South has patiently submitted to the burdens OF the
compact She las asked that IFS provisions should
be disturbed, notwithstanding under the first part OF ITS
operation, much larger revenue raised than was
necessary for the wants Of the Government. Indeed
she has invariably resisted IFS nfracon, whenever pro
positions which would lead to it have been made. And
she has done this when the proposition came IRON
Northern in the nsidous form of proposing TO re
duce the duties She has patiently borne the burdens
Of the compact-and the question is whether, now
when it is aboutto operate favoably to her interest she
is prepared to give it up 1t would be more than folly
her to do so; and would be worse than bad faih IN
the other party to insist upon it.
But is said, admit that the Distribution will disturb
the Compromise by making increase of the tariff be-
yond 90 per cent. ad raiorem necessary And yet IT
argued that nearly all of the States are III debt the
Southern States among the rest and as to meet those
debts taxation IS necessary the question IS IN fact De-
tween indirect taxation by the General Government
for This purpose and direct taxation by the States?-
The advocates Of distribution say they prefer the for
mer because it is less felt by the people, is less oppres
sve, and produces incidental beneficial effects in en-.
couragng domestic manufactures which are highly
va liable.
Mr. g. desired to examine this proposition in all its
parts and to this portion of his argument he asked the
especial attention Of the House II were true that this
simply question between direct and indirect tax
aton and precisely as much money would be raised IN
proportion 10 the burdens The people by the one
mode the other, yet he not prepared to say he
would prefer the latter. The former mode Of taxation
for State purposes had much to recommend it. In the
first place. the taxation itself is not less real, because it
unelt. To repeat figure he used the other day, in
direct taxation, like the dreadful malaria, not less
destructive, because it was pestilence which walk
eth in darkness and in its operation was only felt
in its woful effects. The burdens upon The peo-
pie just great, although they are imposed
by hand. The indirect mode of taxa
ton does not beget the circumspecton and
economy in The representative which is the concom
tant OF the more direct responsibility TO his consu.
ents, under the other mode Nothing is odious to a
free people unnecessary and budensome taxation;
and when it is imposed directly that they know the
srictes account But this strict accountability in the
nature of things cannot exist where the indirect mode
is adopted.
Blu, is it true, that under the Distribution law, we
will receive much into our Treasury as will be alb
stracted from our people, by the increased duties
which the distribution will make necessary, with only
the deduction Of the expenses Of collection? These
expenses, all admit, must be deducted. will demon
s!rate clearly any moral proposition can be demon
srated that such cannot be the case. On the contra
L. ,t~1
creased duties which the distribution will make
sary, than will receive under it. To prove this,
have in my hand some calculations, which | will pre-
sent to the House. But before do So will lay down
proposition, upon which the argument is founded,
and which cannot be denied II is this, that duty
laid upon any article, only enhances the price of
the imported article upon which it Is paid but of all
similar articles produced in this country. This propo
ston cannot be denied, at least, by the advocates of
Tariff for projections for, it lies at the very foundation
of the protective policy do not assert that the price
of all articles will be increased to the full extent of the
duty laid. But many Of them this will, at this time,
unquesonably be the IL twill be the case in all in
stances where market supplied to considerable
tent from the British manufactures For time since
the productions of the British manufactures have been
very great, so much so, that large quantities of them
have been lying undsposed of in their warehouses. In
this condition of things they have pushed them
pidy possible into market; and in consequence
of the distress in England they have sold them at the
from this has been very great and the demand
market has to very great extent been met by it.
Upon the best established principles of political
my, the price of these articles has been regulated in
our market by this supply Ifyou embarrass it, or cut
il Off the demand continuing the same the price must
be increased If one fourth Of the supply entirely
cut of, il would be impossible to calculate what would
be the price For, the demand would greatly exceed
The supply that the price would continue to go up until
it would become so high, that consumption of IT would
g - L.
II is impossible TO calculate the relation between supply
and price. II the article be Of prime necessity
ind the supply is diminished one fourth, the price
might be increased tenfold, even twentyfold. In
lie supposed if instead of cutting off the supply
entirely yon only lay duty upon it, you increase the
price to the extent of the duty. If these positions be
we'll taken as they doubtless are, in every instance
where the supply from the British factories is great
as 10 regulate the price in market duty laid upon
i will increase the price not only of the imported ar,
e but of similar produced in this country TO the
ull extent of the duty. Bearing these principles in
nnd he would ask the attention Of the House TO some
statistics He presented the following table, which he
laid was taken from the "Money Articles of the New
York Herald, which were written with ability which
III" whole country acknowledged.
By turning to the census table, we get the value Of
II the goods manufactured in The United States. To
hem we have added the value of the articles i'm.
ported in the same year, forming the following table
,fanufaetures of The United States, and Imports of
Manufactured Goods in lS39-40.
Manufactures. Imports.
vooen, sa0,696,e 99 So So $40
'o.ton, 46,3D4oJ 6,51i ~
NIX, I9,sit lo,o1 i,.oo
lived, G,5a55aa a,aol'0oo
'ali,cco 5,SlGG5S sa9,S31
a DWARF &c, 6,i5ps: sse,ro
arms, e,654,l0 1889
'arious g,s7o4s2 a,a57'OoO
rante &C. o.442 $50
tricks and lime, 9.594o