Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-12-02
VOL. 80, NO. 10. -wnoLE NO. 1885.

10 te 9'a'e winch he hnd the honor in part to rep
resent mere while he had found the bill greatly un-
equal in It's application 10 different interests and
ve'y defective in almost all essential particulars he
thought he saw most cogent reasons tor its pas
sage, because such reasons seemed to him papa-
DIy to exist for The passage oi some revenue bill
before the adjournment of Congress. Ofthe three
great interests OF that stae-agricutural, CONNER
cal and manufacturing las; he supposed 10 bo
The least extensive in capital invested and the per-
sons employed. Tint interest might be directly
oenehed by the duties imposed by the hill though
he entertained settled conviction that The duties
were III many eases much too high Tor the true
ochent OF me manufacturers engaged in the BRAN
ches intended to be projected that they could NOT
ne pcrninueni, and would be calculated TO raise M
artificial interests IN he disappointed and perhaps
Frustrated 10y future legislation. His impression
was, thnt lie duties upon iron were not very far
from fair rate, for revenue duties intended TO af-
ford incidental protection. Those upon the WOOL
lens and e he thought much too high, and
mosl unef 4 falling TOO heavily upon the coar-
ser ia'ri Eduiversal consumption, especially
The coaro, k,lens. Oher duties upon less es-
sentlaI lntereL were still more uureasunahy high,
such us that upon glass ware: Wide all these du-
ties, rs well as that upon plain and common silks,
were, IN ms lndgmeut mu;h above a wise reve-
nue. Standard.
Upon the agricultural interest this bill must one
rnte, IN the main: as a tax and burden upon the
very lew articles Of agricultural production where
protection might he afforded, it is not given to an
extent any thing like equality in the proportion to
that which is given To the manufactured article.
The duties respectively imposed upon wool and
wooens present striking instance of this inc
quality. The coarse wool is admitted ut a mere
nominal duty OF per cent while the cloth manu-
iactured from it is to pay 40 per cents
TO the commercial interest these duties are HI
rect burdens, mud the excessive rates fixed by this
bill cannot fail to disturb trad extensively, il they
r..
prohibitions Still, strange as it may seem to
some, and mistaken ms he might be in his appre-
TENSIONS he felt bound to for this bill as an
act OF safety to the commercial Interests. Grave
questions have been made here, as well as else
where, whether we have in fact any revenue laws
IN lorce, aud whether any duties upon imports can
be lawfully demanded and collected and legal
gentlemen of the highest distinction, both in and
out OF Congress, have pronounced deliberate opin-
ions against the validity Of our collection laws. IL
seemed to be universally conceded that such
doubts had been raised in the public mind by these
bold and confident opinions, that no payments
were now made at the Custom Houses but under
formal and solemn protest against the right to de-
mand aud receive the duty. Let Congress adjourn
without any action, in the face Of the fact that
many OF its members and some of lis committees,
nave confirmed these opinlons-and what state of
things must we ancipale| What temptations
for speculations, and Irregular and excessive i'm
own and all other countries? No duty above 20
per cent can he demanded in any event, and with
reasonable doubt aud an opportunity for lniga-
ton MS to the payment of even that; and under
the confident expectation OF n high Tariff (perhaps
as high rs the one now before us) al the next ses-
SION OF Tins same Congress, to take place in about
three months from this time, will not tho country
De hooded with goods, imported as well on for
eign rs domestic account? Goods are unusually
low, and money is cheap in England and France;
aud the three months TO be allowed will afford
Time TO bring importdtions sulicien: for the con-
sumption OF years IL that should take place, what
consequences are to follow? The depression and
suspension of our manufactures, OF course the
destruction OF the regular importer and merchant;
The drain of our specie to pay the foreign debt
contracted for the goods another universal bank
suspension; and then all the arrangement of bust
ness, depression of prices, Of products and labor
ana all the other evils attendant upon such irreg-
ularliies. Were these appreheusions imaginary?
tie had not been able to convince himself they
were; ana II they were not, we might look for a
state OF things to which any thing we have vet
experienced will be but as the beginning of trou-
BILE.
Defective he had admitted this bill to be, he
had used his utmost efforts with his friends, to
improve it. The Senate had amended it exten-
sively, and improved il much from the shape Civ
en- to it Ivy the House and yet many most impor-
;ant amendments had been rejected by the deib-
crate votes of that body He had voted for var-
Gus propositions rs substitutes for the whole bill !;
which, though not such he would have pre-
fcrred, were less Objectionable 10 him than the
biII IN It's present shape; and lie should cheeriully
have given his vote for the Substitute offered by
the honorable Senator from Virginia, mir. Rives,l
u It had not proposed duty upon tea and coffee,
which the Senate refused to strike from il.
Much had been said in The course of the debate
as TO the rules by which different gentlemen would
govern this legislation. He knew of hut one prac-
tlcable rules and that could be stated in very few
words. He would keep The expenses of the Gov
eminent at the lowest point consistent with an eff
Gent administration of the public affairs: would
apply towards the payment oil these expenses all
the revenue derived from the public lands and in
cidenta sources aud would raise the balance
which should be required by duties upon imports.
In raising this, we had been compelled, aud must
ever be compelled, TO submit TO such distribution
of The duties upon the various articles oil import
as the ma ority of Congress passing the law shall
think most wise and Just. Ii would usually hap
pen that the same majority, which should distri-
butte the duties would pass the law; but this was
not the case because certain gentlemen believed
it to he their duty TO vote against this BILL not for
any Thing which il does contain, but because il
does not contain all they wish--and yet their votes
have contributed 10 make that majority by which
the rates of duty have been settled. That which
the bill did mol contain and which constituted their
objections against it, made il more acceptable TO
hm-indeed, alone made it possible for him to
vote for it,
At the extra session Of the last summer, a reve-
nue. bill and loan bill were presented aud dur
ing the present session, Two previous revenue bills
and loan bill had been brought forward, against
all of which he had been compelled to vote, be-
cause they were connected with provisions for dis
tribution, or bore such intimate relations 10 thar
policy, that he could not, as a matter of principle,
give his vote in their favor. Now, for the first
time, measure is presented, which not only does
not aid distribution, but positively puts an end 10
it and, for tho reasons he had suggested and
briefly assigned he felt bound to give 1t his vote,
Objectionable as it was in its details.
Another reason had operated upon his mind,
which he had omitted to assign in more appro-
pirate place. His State was one OF the heavily
indebted States Her Legislature and her people