The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-08-12
Read! Read!
WOW SEE WHO ARE THE FRIkNDS
or The FARMER md THE
POOR MA.N.
THE Tariff Bill.

ed with the unfinished business of Yesterday, (beins
the further consideration of the revenue bill as il
committee of the whole; the question pending be.
ing on Mr. BENTON amendment to strike out the
word Seren, and insert fire, in the 9th line of the
first sccon 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 he seren cents, or I'M
der, per pound, there shall be levied duty of five
per centum ad valorem.
| MIR BENTON said that on this motion, us on all
others to be made either by himself or others, he
intended TO be BRIEF limiting himself to the cxpIall-
atOry statements which were necessary to make
his object known. lie wished to have his share il,
the legislation of the session, and for that purpose
TO offer the amendments which he deemed necessa =
ry 10 improve the character of the bill but he did
not wish to delay the action of the body, and pro-
lorga session already TO long. The bill before The
Senate was an important onc-a tax bill of 81
pagcs-and it was his right aud his duty to attempt
TO improve it. lie could not reconcile it to any
sense of duty TO permit 81 pages of taxes to 20
through the Senate without examination and with
out attending TO details, and the duties on items,
in which all practical legislation depended. The
present motion was TO reduce the minimum on wool
| from cents 10 cents. BY the bill, wool was
divided into two classes; above cents cost, it is TO
pay heavy duty, TO wit: 3 cents per pound, and
30 per centum on the vaue costing less than 7
cents, it is to pay but per centum, which is the
same us free.
| Now the object of the bill is revenue, and these
rates defeat reycnue one is too high the other too
low. All the wool that is imported, will be so
managed as to bring it under the I cents COST
This is proved by experience. The same cassiii-
cation of imported wool has been heretofore made
$ cents being given inplacc of and what was
the consequence? Why, that nine millions OF
pounds weight of foreign wool was imported at a
value under 5 cents, to wit, at 7 IA cents; and
only half million pounds weight above the value
of cents. Thus. there was no revenue from
wool! aud thus it will be again; for although cts
is substituted for 8, yet the universal reduction OF
prices is greater than in tina, proportion; and the
result will be the same under the minimum of Z
as of 8. No revenue will be had iom WOOL and
nm injury will be done 10 agriculture. Wool is an
agricultural product. All parts of our country
produce it, and produce all qualities of it, aud in
any quantity that the manufacturers can consume
| The argument ON The other side is, that no WOO
of this low priced kind is grown in the United
States. 10 which the answer might he, that thi,
| bill intends there shall be none such; and for thai
| purpose, will take care TO keep down the home
product, by encouraging the foreign importation
| Even if all should be fair, and no wool actually
imported hut that which cost less than cents ;sl
there would be an interference with our domestic
wool for his item differing from the rule establish
cd for other imporlalions the home valuation
takes the foreign cost for the asceranment of the
value; and we know that on the coasts of Asia
Minor and in South America, the sheep il worth
almos, nothing; and the wool is, consequently pur-
chased for mere rlllc. If all was fair there would
still be a dangerous interference with homegrown
wool; bu. all would not be fair Good wool will
be mixed up with coarse. Low prices in foreign
porS--ln ASA and South Amcrlcn-wlIl be prov
ed and wool worth much more than 7 cents the
po"hn VIII be imported At per ccn'un--that Is
10 say aeo o' auly-Wh' oe imported as costing
Tess. In's .as oceh inc case nhdeI the cents
llnit' ana WIN DC under The I; and Thus, an injury
VIII be worhcd bo'n to The revenue and to the az
ilcu'nra' interest OF The country, Mr. u showed
mat inc blII contained provisions to countcrnc'
lhese frauds "hch ADMITTED lher existence; while
the law was important TO prevent them. The true
remedy was 10 make Inc limit :" low, that II
would on'y cover the really coarse woods; and he
proposed o as The mint, which would effect that
OBJECT hir IL: said was evidently to FAVOR manu-
|
ana nlne millions OF pounds admitted nee OF duty.
Now'(M d. sald' )'hc manufacturers which work
cd up domestic material stood on very differ
eht loo'lhS IRON nose winch worked up foreign
mVcrIaIs, The lormer encouraged our agricnl-
! we; Inc la''cr discouraged IT, And OF this charac-
Ter was the manufacture Of this foreign wool IT
was the manufacture OF iOrelgn article; aud il 10
lhIs Is added mat i1relgn soap Is to be admitted
Tree oil duty TO wash it-ioreIsn OIL 'rce to greGse
lt-and ioIclsn ingredients lree'o aye lt-ihen the
name oil domestic manufacture would become Ian
cllul and imaginary. There would be nothing
domestic about 1t but the name Mr. u. SAID
that TURNER reason Tor making these coarse woods
pay some revenue 10 the treasury, was in the fact
that the cloths manufactured ont OF them were
powerfully protected by heavy duty on foreign
wooIlens.-not less than 40 per cent. on the home
value, with ten per cent more II imported in Il
foreign vessel. Thus the manufacturer was 10 have