Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-09-06

NO. I'D. ---tOLUmE AAAlA.
constituent when clearly and fairly expressed ought 10
govern The conduct of the representative on all ques
tons Of mere expediency should be fathess to my
trust if | were to vote against this bill
Mr. B. said he had, yesterday, voted against seve
raj substitutes proposed for the present bill, which fixed
the duties at uniform rate on oil articles imported
This he had DONE because he opposed 10 any no.
rizonaI tariff which could be devised by the art Of
man. Such tariff all wrong in principle, and
would prove, it had already done in this
try, runous in practice He trusted that the idea Of
| horizontal tariff would be abandoned and for
ever. A statesman, in framing tariff of duties for
this vast country, embracing as II does so many d.
versied and conflicting interests, if incidental
protection out of the question, must review all
these interests in their respective relations towards
each other and subject foreign productions TO such
varying rates Of duty will best consult the wshes
and promote the welfare of all our people. This
| was no question to be ciphered out by the rule OF
three-to be solved BY merely ascertaning the amount
Of imports and then imposing such a uniform nd
valarem duty the would produce sum equal
to expenditures. This bad been the practice
of any nation, ancient modern far as his know
ledge extended-it had certainly never been the prac
tice of this country, until il had been adopted since the
Both of June last under the Compromise law. Each ar
tice of foreign import deserved separate consIdera
ton, much If were contained III separate bill.
The far-reachng sagacy of Gen. Jackson, early
period oresaw what oud be the effect Of this herr.
zontal scale of duties In his celebrated message 10
Congress- Of the 10Th jan, 1893, he used the following
language:
she majority Of tie and Of the peope will certainly
that the protecting duties shall be wholly ahoenrd
never be eenaed any Time any possib.
tnrency. As le practicable provide
of duty shall Re imposed upon Inc protected mat shall he imposed
I've the and in time Of war; would add greatly TO s III
cora"
He had not the bad to discuss the question at
length at this late hour Of the session, and whilst all
were anxious decide The fate Of The present bill before
our adieurnmen, to day He would therefore, merely
enumeru.e few Of the inevitable evils and bad effects
which must result from the want of any discrimination
in the assessment OF duties. Even the Compromise
law itself did not ubrogae determinations. II was
true that fixed 90 per cent ad valorem az the maxi.
mum but it contemplated discrimination below that
rate of duty.
And in the first place, uniform rate OF duty "woud
be severely oppressive to the por, because it would
impose The ad rnlcrem Tax. in ali cases, upon The
Injuries and the necessarfs of life,-upon the costly
wines used by The rich, and upon the coarse woolien
garment necessary protect the poor from The pierre
ing cold of the Northern blast With oil his heart,
therefore had he voted for the discrimination proposed
by his friend from Missouri, MIR. Benon,l and which
had formerly existed in tariff laws, in favor of low
duties upon lew priced cloths and blankets IT
both wise and humane policy TO impose taxes upon
property rather than upon labor.
In the second place, horizontal Tariff be il high or
low, would ruin all your mechanics ond artzans who
prepare foreign fabrics for You must discriminate
in their favor-by imposing higher rate OF duty on
the ready.made article than the material Of hich
it is made-or you will he supplied with coats and
hats from London, and with boots and shoes from,
Paris But have already sufficiently advered to this
subject.
In the third psce-in imposing Tariff of duties,
YOU ought, as far may be consistent with sound po-
Icy TO give incidental advantages, By discriminating
duties, the productions of one foreign nation which
admits ;..c .s ports your domestic productions
upon liberal terms, those of another which closes
its ports against your most important articles OF expor-
taton All nations have acted more or less upon this
principle. If France receives yonr agricultural pro-
ductions favorable terms than England, n
atesnan, imposing duties ought TO encourage the
trade with France, rather than with England.
In the fourth place articles, the consumption Of
which among the people. sound policy requires you to
discourage ought to be subjected to heavier duties
than those imposed upon articles, the use OF WHICH
ought to be encouraged Who. or example, would
think of imposing the I'D valorem rate OF duty
upon French brandy and upon coffee
In the fifth places articles of very small bulk and
very great vaue-such jewellery, diamonds, and
other precious be charged witha low rata
of duty, otherwise they viii all be Struggled into the
country the persons of individuals; whilst, on tho
contrary articles of great and ponderons buk the orr
gnal cost of which is trAng, and whose chief value
consists in the expense Of transporting them to your
markets. ought 10 he charged with high rate Of ad
vaorem duty-olerwse they will produce little or no
revenue. Coal is example of such IN article The
90 per cent duty which now pays under the Compro-
mise act only TO about 30 cents per ton, or
less than one cent and half per bnshel although,
der the act of 1916 subjected 10 revenue duty
ove cents per bushel Such are the effects OF no.
rizonta tariff.
Again in imposing duties with a view to incidental
protection determinations ought TO be made in favor OF
manufactures, the material OF which IS produr-
ton Of your own country, and more especially u pe
agric uural production Fur this reason, The cot
ton woolen, iron, and hemp manufacture ought 10 ce
encouraged preference 10 manufactures the maier-
ais Of which derived from foreign countries. You
ought 10 discriminate in favor Of the manufacture OF
such articles will render you independent in war.
Indeed, might state thousand reasons for dscrmi-
nation, which prove conclnsyey that the Procrusiean
rule of uniform horizontal ad vaurem tariff OF duties
be applied in adjusting the revenue laws OF
great nation. II is for such that voted against
the amendment Of my friend from Arkansas Mr. Sc
vier1 proposing horizontal duty Of % per cent? OIL
though firmly believe that tariff might be easily
adjusted with proper determinations, when wouid
WELD sufficient 10 the treasury, and afford sui
fcent incidental protection to manufactures, without
exceeding tbut average rate.
But am not only opposed TO any UNIFORM scale oil az
valorem duties, but TO any and oil cd valorem duiies
whatever cxcep, in cases where IRON e nature Of Inc
article imported it is not possible tn subject 10 spe
ciic DUTY. Our experience has taught w
I lesson on this subject which ought not soon 10
forget cannot refrain from briefly adverting 10 some
Of my reasons for this opinion.
Our ad valorem system has produced great frauds
upon the revenue, whilst has driven tie regular Anne
rcan merchant from the business OF importing, and
placed almost exclusively IN the hands OF The agents
of British manufacturers he American importer pro-
duces his invoice 10 the collector containing the actual
price at which his imports purchased abroad; and
he pays the fair and regular duty upon this invoice Not
SO The British agent The foreign manufacturer, in
his invoice reduces the price of the articles which he
intends TO import into country TO The lowest posi-.
BILE standard which he thinks will enable them TO pass
through the custom house without being seized for
fraud and the business has been hitherto managed with
So much ingenuity generally TO escape detection :
The consequence is, that the British agent passes the
of his employer through The custom houee tho
payment of much lower duty than the fair American
merchant is compelled to pay. In this manner he is
undersold in the market by the foreigner and thus Is
driven from the competitions whilst the public revenue
is frauduiently reduced
Again ad vaorem duties deprive the American ma.
neau all the henclls Of incidental