The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-07-08
MOTIONS TO CONGRESS.

MOTIONS TO CONGRESS-.
BY the way of amendments TO the memorial OF
the Wooden Manufacturers of Boston and vicinity,
recently presented 10 the House Of Representa-
lives, and published in the Boston Daily .4irer-
User
The McmorA!Isis oppose the ad valorcm system,
or duty of so many cents on the dollar according
TO the cost of cloths abroad (on the foreign invoice
is said,) which they truly allcge is often false.
They go for specific duties on the English system,
or the introduction of one minimum on woolcns,
that all cloths costing less than so per yard
shall be taken to have cost s so, and pay the du-
ty accordingly.
Now to all this we have not one particle Of OBJ
lection; bu, what is very femarkdjic in this me-
morial is, that while it expresses pious and ten
der concern for farmers and their interests, cr0f-
lily coaccals from Congress crcryt fact impolan, to
the agricultural interests, Just see how it pratcs
about foreign competition with '.AmcricaR in
dusiiy amt GgricGliavc," without breathing even
Il wish TO Congress TO do Il thing for the farmer.
~ nv iU''tIuH HuN pItSCIllCu lOI INC CONSlN'T-
alton o. Cong,"ss is whether il is either for the in
lcrcsl of the ,yunlry, or Just to the parties, more
especially aud nmr,. lately Interested, to destroy
this branch Of industry. The nulGhcr OF sheep are
estimated to be 20, 900 900 worn ~, OF" 900 dol
lars, consuming the produce lO,000,uCo OF acres
of land, which land is worth more than $500 ,QOO,-
OO0 The wool manufactured in the United Suites
is estimated at so, 900 900 of pounds; persons inn
mcdia,ey employed in this manufacture, 80, 900;
persons dependent on the woocn maj uacturcs,
and the raising Of buildings fixtures and power, in
the United States, considerably exceeds twenty-five
millions (25, 900, 0O0) Of dolurs."
Amendment LIST. Now TO prevent !hc entire fail
use and abandonment of sheep husbandry in the
L. S., and 10 make this 2lO millions Of capital pay
an cqaul per cent profit, with capital invested
in woolcn manufactures, the memolali,is ask
a specific duty Of forty per cent. on all foreign
wool, according TO the value at which they shall
be appraised in the United States, for wool.grow.
ing the last Two years has not averaged per cent,
while manufacturers Of duiy free pool, making a
protected article, have averaged over twenty-five
per cent. and have been growing rich while the
wool-grower has been approaching his ruin.
Past experience clearly demonstrates, that the
intended aid of Congress TO this branch of Indus
try, in imposing ad ,aOrcm duties has completely
failed, by the arts and frauds of foreigners, in the
false representation of cost abroad aud false inyOi-
ces by which the duties have been assessed and
collected; aud uhiid The duties on The rGW maicri-
al hare crcccded The duties on The manufactured
article, Gan anomaly in lcgslaton) the home con-
sumption has been so Ear Supplied by foreign labor.
as 10 deprive this branch of American industry of
the home Market and has 50 completely brought
the foreign agriculture and foreign labor into COM
petition with American agriculture and American
labor, as 10 sacrifice the interests Of large portion
Of the capital thrust into his manufacture, TO such
degree that il now anguishes in doubt, aud is
struggling 10 learn the decision Of Congress, wleh-
er ii shall proceed or be abandoned"
% MISUNDERSTANDING to the fact, that the
statement " hiisi duties on The rac material hare
exceeded The duties on the manufactured aiicie,"
should read, whilst the duties on the raw nate
rial, superIins South American Morino aud fine
Nlesgo, or part blooded Merno wool, has been
admliled duiyfrec under the Compromise Act, the
fabrics made out ofthis very wool have been pro-
tecied by that rery I'd, by duty as high as fifty
cents on DOLLAR
Your memoillisis respectfully suggest, that
the introduction Of every yard OF broadclotli into
this country, il the introduction Of two aud half
pounds of wool INTO Ibis country-nnd the intro
ducion Of every yard of beaver and pilot cloths is
the introduction OF from three TO four pounds of
wool into the country, and each such yard of cloth
forcgoes the income of an acre Of land Of the Amer
lean farmer and of course employs the Of land
Of the foreigner"
Sd Amcndment.-And therefore the farmers Of
North and the Souh-ihc East and West demand
tina, Cong,ess should fix specific protective duty
on wool, in its rar state as well as in its manu-
fdciuTed state.
Since, throughout the memorial, manufactures
and agriculture are connected together, and as the
m,moralists ask protection Cor "lbs branch Of in
dus,ry'' instead Of these bTdnehe, Of industry.
5ih.--We would therefore have the memorial
50 amended Throughout, that silit ricicciicn