Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-02-14

the gentleman from Georgia, [slr. MerlwetheI,I ny
which the pay of all officers in the navy were 10 pe IT,
duced 20 per cent ,,., ,,,o
Mr. HOLMES (who held The ficor) addressed the
committee al iarrp lie commenced by rema'khg 'ha'
he should no, into the merits OF the amendment
under consideration He was wei! aware 'hat 'e spur
of retrenchmenl abroad III To, country. u ON!
renamed Tor the House 10 determine no" thht sph
had heen excited and how il 10 be satisfied ana
put to rest The conviction was now eio"a'i'S uP""
us, that crisis at hand anu u oio not oe"o'se
Wings only or Democrats only, eu' u pvhoo'eo eNey
man to believe himself be the depository OF Tue
interests of this Government. Before The american
peope he arrajgncd the present Congress, ana ne no"
declared that the Wings had iaereo IN Tue G'scaarse
of their duty, whilst the Democrats remained inert
All seemed 10 be alike indifferent 20 the crisis WHICH
was al hand He had long to:eseen, that when the
country came to its present dllemnawAen the taxing
power Piled 10 commerce. failed 10 furnish IL
revenue and difficulties came IN every sh9Pe-'''.
would shrink frcn the responsibility when TIE Spectre
rnpeared in terrible array before them. Nov, = hen ne
expenses OF the Government were estimated al '"'GV'
600. and It's receipts a. but 00J0 GOO, gentlemen III
stead Of calmly viewing the state OF things ana seeh"
remedv covered their eyes, aud aroded even iAe sh'
of the caaintes around them. lie was convinced NAV
The time had arrived when the Representatives, mere
assembled individually and collectively, were oouad
to take heed OF the pubic wants, aud Wien they con!u
no longer 20 home and say TO their reproachng cohs'
tuents ssthou caust not sag Gid H. ne ieit II MS
duty 10 move that ell appropriation bills be laid on the
table; and that THIS well as others, be- mol passed,
until the House could know what were 20 be te sources
of revenue lie would therefore, send to tire Char the
following preamble aud resolution, which he INTENDED
10 offer IN tire House al the proper tune
The resolution was read for information as follows:
Whereas the fact is now disclosed, that the revenue
Of the Government w fall oae half tom the amount
estimated by the Secretary OF the Treasury or TIE year
l-33 and that he high duties imposed upon iofe'sH
imports by the tariff OF l.2 have prevented 'he 'mPGr
ta,ion of merchandise to the amount estimated ~ 'lr
time of The passage Of the tariff bill Ana whereas az
the appropriation bills presented 10 .'.e mouse ~ ''1
s.Commi,iea of Wavs and Means have been based
INN, ,he estimates OF revenue furnished By the Sscre
t,rv OF the Treasury in his annual report u: he CON
,nencampnt OF the sessions: And, whereas, II highly
ine.na6,eat 10 proceed wilh the consideration oi .he
appropratios before ha"c correct Information cpoh
the amour, Of 4 probable income: Therefore,
ResoiroG, That tGI5 appropriation b.. ne ian! aSi'e
informaIIy. aud that comntee be appointed 10 IN
ouirc and report upon the pcb16.e revenue TO report
bill arranging The duties Gpoa imports so a 10 fase lir
LARGEST amount OF feveaut ara further 10 tePo! upon
the best mode Of retenchns expenses, go Us 20 n'ake
the revenue meet the expenses.
The CHAIR SAID the resolution was no; IN order
Several members: at IS moi offered
Mr. HOLMES sad he gave notice OF his IN
ent,on 10 offer the resolution, and also OF his Intention
10 move that committee be appointed, whose day !.
should he 10 examine the causes OF 4 failure IN
.ne revenues OF the Government, 10 report 10 the
House the proper means to De rtsoFted To, TO supply
the deficiency and report whether was not proper
20 cut dow-not the navy not the army, not the cit'l
ls-but all and eveTg sciary and eno'ament no" ca
ioyed by any person the employ OF Tie government
in horzona! scale
The question was nOv presented, whether we siioHa
have Government such Us My. Jefferson wanted, and
which he Mr. fl did rot .rGn,; Government
such as the experience OF the as wax taught Us WAS
the most proper-a Government "!th adequate means
of defence 1t must, he thought, be evident that We
could carry car Government VITA reVchte col
l0o00,o00. unless abandoned oar navy-not With
such revenue, unless were content to nave pas
sive commerce Il was needless 10 think Of keeping
ships in every quarter OF the globe, without navy
TO enforce their ,:s uiit the declee5 CT :his Tavern
ment Now whilst liz ,sisa-d TO sustain our commerce,
we had before Us the discovery Tia. our means were
decreasing, whist our expenditures were increasing
The resources which alone we bad - rely were
those derived i'll the first place, from tax on con'
rnerce and In the second, from direct taxation. Nh1'
was the present position of commerce la lciU.
our trade vas IN the most iioGtsnL ccndticn, anu MI
counties were tributaries 70 the L. 5. THEN w IN
srodaced system o. Indirect taxation, io- tie ucneil
of internal industry. The encouragement; gwen 20 IN
,erna industry had the eii.c, Of diminishing imports
and Of breaking down commefce. As commeice Ge'
creased 50 did the duties Ge!Yedby Government from
imports The failure OF the produced a failure OF
the other What was the answer OF these TRENDS {"
home industry, when the prediction made that. b.
fostering it, We shoul4 diminish commerce, and lessen
the duties Gerigab!e from imports: They said when
impor, duties iai, tax those establishments and pursuits
which your pocy has reaIed. The time had now ar
pushing the upoh Commerce 10 an extreme, for the
benefit of these domestic establishments, the revenue
had failed There mus! either oe resort to commerce
by reducing the tariff; TO excuses and ether direct
taxes, held out by the advocates OF hone industry
when commerce was frs: taxed Tor their beneht. Bat
did any one believe that If tax OF 90 per cent. were
imposed upon all the ron coal cloth, spirits and other
articles manufactured IN the l. s. 1t would be PAID
Mos, assured'y Were such measure 10 be Cared
he believed that woul excite instruction, IN Gem
al ss.uas rtttn
would be bat as small breeze the howiiug storm
Could gentlemen seriously think OF taxing the wheat
OF Indiana or Illinois, the eaton O! Mississippi, the
means Of exhausted Mar 3ud2 These States coc!d no;
now support their SAFE Governments They could
with difficulty, struggle against Inc weigh, Of indebted
upon them.
All oher measures would be OF no avail, czcer,
modification Of !ae Tariff and q revival ii free trade.
However pa.niu II might /" 10 tie manufacturers they
must be told, that the question not whether IL! II
interests should suffer, but whether this great l. raO
tic should survive PERISH. The iGri:t "ust he
brought down 10 the sole objects OF revenuet'" reVe
nue. point. There was one point, winch, whenever IL
rived at produced smuggling and, also, point whch
was too low because a higher wouid produce
more revenue Gentlemen might depend upon 1t,
should the pesen. Tariff be allowed 10 remain III force
two more years there would be little or no revenue ct
all lie had lately seen letter from Mr. Everett, oar
Minister at London III which II was stated, thai he
had ascerained beyond doubt, that the most eA'en
sive preparations making 10 carry on SYSTEM OF
smuggling along the whole of our frontier lie baa
also, been told by friend, who was acquainted win
the lake trade, that great preparations "cre making tor
"A voice ."N nat are they Il large
amount of capital had been invested IN erecting ware
houses and in the construction of vessels suited 10 the
business. An efficient po.ce was also engaged TO
further the designs OF snnggeis and thereby, erahe
them to bring goods al cost Gt fTon Ten 10 twelve
per cent TO the American merchant.
He called attention what the Wigs o.! thc present
Congress had done Did they dTe~!a, when they
created the present high Tariff thai, ia less Than SIX
months the revenue would lapse INTO one hal! Of :ya:
they estimated Was tmot tier duty iopro?ose some
mode of relief They said their aanGi we're tied, and
that they had not the Executive power ihc Demo
then in minority The Executive coo:d not act, be
cause Congress was no: with ;;ia. Congress vo"d
not because twa divided i"lo parties. Parties woua
MOI, because they were engaged ~ President uaA'ns
srhus whilst the question With Us was whether =
No.,sern cr a Southern Should be President, the
Governments vas gradually going TO decay