The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-07-23

persons and to much capital He believed tina
not less than two millions Of yards of carIetng
annually manufactured in the United tates, and
that If there were injurious legislation 10 prevent
1t, the quantity would constantly and regularly in
crease. The wool used in the manufactured foreign
production, and of kind not raised at present at all
and not susceptible of being raised with profit. AT
the present rate of importations, the AMOUNT Of
venue to be obtained by the proposed duty would be
small, and it would probably prove to bs much less
than anticipated, because the importatonwould be-
come less under the duty, in CONSEQUENCE of
the diminution the duty would OCCASION in carpet
manufacture, and the consequent diminuNon of the
demand for the wool 1t was, in fact, deposition
to impose a tax to the amount Of the duty on the
manufacture of carpeting. He hoped, therefore, this
article would be left on the footing on which it now
stood.
The motion was rejected
Mr. CUSHING moved to strike out five cent from
the duty on coarse woods, and instead theeof to in
sert two per cent. He said that the Committee had
rejected his motion to make these woods free as they
stood under the Compromise act They had also re-
jected the motion of Mr.. Brown to leave them at a
duty of one per cent. He, Mr.. c., wouldmsk one
more effort against the proposed change, and it
would be seen that, as the question now stood the
change would be very serious The Committee
OF Ways and Means have proposed to reduce the
maximum from eight cents to seven cents and, upon
the motion of the gentleman from Vermont, (Alr.
Siade,) the Committee of the Whole haW adopted
cents the maximum. Observe the effect of this.
Woods which cost six cents and under, arc to pay a
duty of five per cent ad valorem and woods which
cost six and quarter cents, seven, ht cents,
which have heretofore been free, to Iay duty
of thirty PER cent. ad valorem. This duty of thirty
per cent woods heretofore free must be tunous to
the carpet manufacturers. Sir Robert Feel states
the true principle this subject. He says &C our
object has been, speaking generally, to reduce the
duties materials which constitute the ele-
ments Of manufactures to an almost nominal amount
And this is the correct view of the subject. Instead
of this the Committee propose not only duty, but
very high duty, on this material, which is
imported solely to meet the demands of manufacture
ing industry.
The motion was rejected.
Mr.. FILLMORE having moved to strike out thirty
per cent. ad valorem from the duty fine woods, and
insert instead thereof nine cents per pound and Mr.
Arnold having moved to amend the amendment by
striking out nine certs and inserting twelve and
half cents per pound,
Mr. CUSHING opposed the motion. He said the
proposition was INDUSTRIOUS one. On woods costing
six and quarter cents, Mr.. Arnold's motion would
be duty OF two hundred per cent. ad vaOrem; and
Mr.. Flmore's, duty of nearly one hundred and fifty
per cent; and the least of the two sums would be
duty of than hundred per cent on the seven
cents and eight cents woods. In this way the Com
mittee would get no revenue these wools as none
would ever be imported. They might as well at
prohibit the importation of all such woods, and
also prohibi the manufacture of carpets in this
country
Mr. EyEuE7r, of Vermont, having proposed a scale
of minimums for duty wool, with the specific
duty of ten cers per pound on all woods costing less
than thirty cents
MIR. Gushing opposed the motion. He did not OBJ
ject to the minimum principle, such, nor to spe-
cifc duties. On the contrary, he considered specific
duties ncomparably better than ad vaIorem duties,
in all cases when it could be applied but he was
sorry to the lgrowing interest trying to force
upon the Committee such heavy duties, at the eX-
pense of the wool manufacturer. This project was
injurious to the Government, for ii would prohibit
importation; It would do no good to The wool grow
er, for the lfacturer could not afford to fine
woods for the purposes for which he had heretofore
used the coarse ones. The Committee would now
see how faacious was the idea which had grown up
at the beginning of the session. under the motion to
refer the Tariff question to the Committee on Manu-
features. They would see how fallacious was the
idea that the manufacturers only the manufacturers
chiefly, called for protective duties They would
also see that, when he details of Tariff to be
arranged, it was not between Massachusetts and
South Carolina that conflict of interests existed but
much more between Massachusetts and Vermont
Whatever protection Massachusetts got for her man.
ufactures she paid full consideration for in the pro-
tective duty charged on the material, which
she had to buy chiefly from the other States of The
Union.
Mr.. Cushing moved to amend the bill, by striking
out 40 per cent. ad valorem, the duty proposed on
broadcoths, cassmeres, &C., and inserting Is cents
per square yard. Mr.. G. said that this ad valorenl
duty might perhaps suffice if it could be collected, but
this impossible. If there anything establish.
ed by the report of the commissioners for investiga
ting the New York Custom-house it was the per
petual recurrence of fraudulent mportations under
the system of ad vaorem duties fine woollens. Il
is bad system of the Government which is thus de-
frauded of its revenue. 1t is bad for the manufactu
rer who does not get the protection he counts upon
and it is bad for the honest importer, who is driver
out Of the market by the lower price at which the
fraudulent importer is able to sell his goods
Mr.. G. said he could not conceive why this bill
should make much distinction between the inter
ests of Massachusetts and those Of other States The
bill proposes heavy square yard duty of cents pei
yard on cotton baggng, for the benefit Of Kentucky
1t proposes high protection in the form of specific
duties the iron and coal of Pennsylvania A
square yard duty and a specific duty was proper
enough IN those cases, and a specific square yart
duty is in like just and proper for the cloths
and cassmeres of Massachusetts.
To be confnued)
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