Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-06-17

JARVIS, formerly one OF our diplomatic agents
in Europe, and now one of the most intolll-
gent practical farmers in the nation.
COPY OF A LETTER
From Farmer in Termontto a Gentleman in
Washington.
WEArHERsrIELD, April lS42
Dear Sir-I rcceived your three letters of the 3lst
ultjno and LIST and Ind instant, last night and as
disap pointed and mortified at the course things are
taking in Washington in relation TO tariff policy
1t IS now about nne years since the experiments on
the currency began. We had not then wisdom
enough to let well enough al ne, and what has been
the consequence Why, we have been experiment.
Ing and experimenting until widespread run has
overshadowed the land. Hundreds OF thousands Oh
the most ind strous classes Of the community, and
those who were daily adj ling honey to the national
hive, are now ruined aud, instead OF enjoying the
comforts of life the fruits of their industry, esteem
the benefit If the bankruptac resource against the
most denrn led poverty, an as the means of exert
ing their Industry in some humble line to prevent the
starvation of themselves and Their families Had an
valuation OF all ella -ees OF property IN the
United states been taken IN 1888, and agaln III the
present year, am satisfied that there would be found
loss of over $500 600 900 of the money value OF
that year compared with the present.
One woul1 suppose that such an immense amount
of loss, and such distressing pros ration of all
branches of our industry, would have convinced the
representatives. Of the people, in Cnngre assembled,
of the danger of experimenting upon any subject VI
There seems to be some fatality attending both our
currency and tanf Ilcy, bnt in d'.ecy opposite
way. When our currency was good, we strnyed
from the true system; BIT twelve years oil perjury.
corrupt!ous and frauds, attended with the loss of
muny millions OF the revenue, and inca Gu able inlu-
ry to the industrious classes OF our people by means
OF The ioregn valuation, appears to make US mug the
viper more closely TO our bosons, until 1t Will sting
the revenue and the agricultural, manufacturing, and
mlcliancnl elias es Of the community to death.
Upon this point the experience of twelve 10 four
i rnt ,,,nI. f,G
Congress. Noiher the general knowledge of those
frauds the judicial testimony # the fact exhibited
in our courts, can weln them from the pernclous
system One otfrs for adhering to it, and
another another and every one thathas been offer
ci my own pract cal experience te1ches me, is per-
fertv grouniIess The first reason heard, and thai
TOO, from member of Congress- was, that the home
appraisers might Appraisc the goods So high as to cut
OIL foreign importaOns and thus destroy greatly
lessen the revenue. 50 il that the government
must % shares with a set of foreign cheats and
ewnllers, in the shape of agents. in order to secure
to itself part of the that ought TO be col
eccd, and by this very dlIni Il c)pa-tnarshiD ruin
the agri 'u.tural manufacturing, and mechanical in
dustry of a large por ion of the country. Another
objection is that without host Of custom house Of
fccrs to examine every piece of lods, the home val
nation cannot be carried into effect. Be so. An
eighth part OF the money Of which these foreign
agents have robbed the United Stat would paw all
the Off .ars narl-l TO perform this duty thoroughly
and expaiitiou5ly; and, for one no douh very
row-mindel man, should prefer giving from $780,
wv - 10 our own cItI ms 10 project the rev.
enlc of their owa co airy, rather than to allow a
par el Of swiNdng agent to rob of 81 900 600 TO
5000 ODD year BY means Of false oaths and the
brnary of custonI-house Ulcers THIS foreign vau
e.uh as PiIyet a direct bounty to perjury bribery
corfuptiun and fraud and vii continue to operate
margre all The legal penal les ,ha, can be enacted.
But where is the difficulty about the home valua-
ton 1t has always been practlsed in Ho and, in
the Hanse Towns, in France and SPAN, as have
wi messed with my own eyes, and in Portugal as
witnessed for nine years. and in the two latte, 'oun
tries on every kind of goods imported into the United
States-i. manufactures of woo Of cotton, of sill :,
of lron of steel, Of brass, of per, of pewter. of
tin, and Of leather Liverpool ware md GAS, begin
ming with broadCoths at six dollars yard down TO
coarse wollens at twenty five Cents muslns a, two
dollars yard downo cotton goods nj ten cents ra-
zors and knives worth five shillings sterling each,
down TO those of slxpense sfsrling and the same is
applicable other manufactures vet the cases Of
goods opened day by day at the custom houses,
and the appraisal went on in mehodical, correct,
and orderly manner, in the prcsan of hundreds of
people. Now, have mixed in the course of my life
much with foreigners and must say that my
trynen are quite as ready, handy, and Intelligent a
peol.e any Of the continental nations of Europe,
and if 50 employed and well paid have no kind OF
doubt that we can assess foreign manufactures with
as much readiness, saglcity and skill, as any for
elm people whatever. In England, too the duties
winch were not specific were Away, assessed in the
same way.
But Mr. 5. has received letter from an apprai er
in New York, which states that nine-tcnths of the
on innorationS is collected on ten articles,
DO not clearly what inference Is 10 he drawn
from this fact unless it il in ended to he inferred that
as Grea. Britain Collects f200 0000 900 from ten art
ces by specific duties, follows as necessary con-
sequence that we must collect uur duties at the ap
piasa set on the goods by the exporter in England
whose interes, iii to have them entered at as low
duty in this country a. possble and his apprai,a i.
TO be taken as the true cost, because this SAINT
English exporter has taken British customh ous
oath that the price he has axed 10 the 90 ds is tn;
true COST or value. Why, would sooner taks h'
word Of York hire horsg jockey a to the slundnes
OF horse whlch he has laken TO far in a maj Ike
town for sale. Besides the New York custom
house has been he theatre of more Than ree-fourth
OF the frauds against the revenue, and as there is
strong hanserlng after the monopoly Of the oregl
trade in manufactures in that ci V, mus, be a owe
10 receive with many grains Of doub he inference
intende! 10 be dawn from any facts stated as com
ing from that quarter should hardly think tina
much credit ought to be given 10 the opinion of
captain Of SLAYER III regard TO Mr.. SIS sentiment
upon abolition.
Another objection that has been raised against tn
home valuation Is, that the same kind of goods m.
be differently valued in dltla.on ports In reply
this, have already once or twice remarked that, ov
ing TO the facility Of our communication between or
section d tie country and another the same kind
goods " II rarely for month together be ten p
cent. higher in one port than in another, and, cons
qnenily the difference of the duties assessed cann
be more han from one to five per cent. between OF
port and another. But il il not better and wiser
risk this inequality than 10 contlnne to expose GU
selves to the wcll-knc wn frauds e from thirty
fifty per cent, Which have been Frtcised by mea,
of the foreign valuation and which makes the diff,
ence in the duties charged between New York al
those ports where the goods have been fairly enter
five tunes MS great! But you state that many lette
have been received from manufacturers again I I,
home valul'lDn; this n me is imcpmprrhcnslb
because in the reports of all the public meetings III
have been held upon the question: where tn. meth
of asses ing the duties have been mentioned speci
duties or the home valuation and cash payments ha
been recommended Perhaps Mrssrs L. s. and
with their immense capital and tie high stat. of ~
fiction TO which they have attained in their manuf
turing operations, may not feel the want Of prOtt
ton provided they buy their wool from
American farmer ms low or lower than the Span
or Saxon and other German woods can be sold q
this may be the case with three or four OF five oil
Establishments in the United States.
have heretofore, upon several other occaso
witnessed this kind OF collision between the wo
grower and manufacturer S wel!mes the VIC
grower has complained that the manufacturer
leen better prO'ec ed Than himself Blu, oftener
manufacturer has grudginely conceded the necess
protection to the ool-grower 1t lis, howe,
short sighted policy in both If the manufacture
not fairly protected, the wool-grower cannot fine
market for his wool and if, from want of prot
ton, the wotl-grower cannot make moderate 4
fit from lsng wool, he will give IN breeding sh,
and leave tive mnuuacturcr to depend upun The
po'tati0a OF the raw material from foreign countr
Naai must be the nseQuence ! ENGLAND al yy