Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1844-01-13

States. BY the existing law no drawback
whatever is allowed in such case, except TO
foreign places TO the southwark or west
ward Of Louisiana. The facility afforded
by the Improvements of our interior com
munications and by the application of
steam for the rapid and safe transmission
of goods from our own sea ports to the
British dominions, together with the early
closing of the ports of the latter by ice, and
the late period at which they open, would
ordinarily induce preference to that mode
Of supply, and at particular seasons would
be so advantageous TO Our own citizens as
to secure very large portion of this car
rying trade, besides giving additional en-
pIoyment to our ships. The policy which
has in effect prohibited this trade, doubtless
arose from the apprehension that it might
afford opportunities from the illicit rein
PRODUCTION into this country Of goods thus
exported. 1t was adopted at time when
the whole amount of duties collected on
merchandise, with deduction of one per
cent, was refunded on its rc.exportation.
1t is submitted whether the introduction
of the just and judicious principle of re-
tanning much larger per centage of the
amount of drawback and the imposition of
duties in the colonial ports, have not chang
ed to great extent the ground of this pol
icy. 1t is not perceived what motive of
interest can exist to smuggle into this coun-
try goods which have paid this transit
charge and these duties, rather than the
merchandise which under existing laws
may be re-exported 10 Halifax, and carried
;nt,, he
Whatever apprehensiOns may exist on this
point, it is not doubted that they may be
removed by adequate guards. Among
these may be suggested the designation of
the ports from which only the re-expor-
tation might be permitted and the produc-
ton of official evidence that the same goods
had been received, entered. and paid duties
in the adjacent British dominions to which
they were re-exported. 1t cannot be doubt
ed that such measure would tend greatly
to the increase of our tonnage, and restore
TO our own ships trade of which our pol
icy has, TO great extent deprived them.
| In the last annual report from this De-
partment the attention Of Congress was
invited to the warehouse system, and va
rious communications from custom-house
officers and intelligent merchants were sub
mitted. 1t is certainly worthy of inquiry
whether the time during which imported
goods are permitted to remain 10 the charge
of custom house officers may not be exten.
3ed so as to relieve the importer from the
advance of the duties which they are now
obliged TO make before the amount is reali.
zed by sales of the goods. The frequency
of the communications between our shores
and those of Great Britain, and their SUR
Prlslng regularity, have doubtless mitigated
the burden of the advances upon our own
citizens, as the goods to be imported from
that country are in effect warehoused there
and are shipped according TO the supposed
demands of the market. But it NAV be
well 10 inquire whether this mitigation is
not in fact destructive of that portion of
the importing business of our own citizens
upon which II operates, by transferring it
TO those upon whom the burden falls
/ lightly. If at all. Possessing large capitals,
and able TO command money at much lower
rates of interest than our own citizens
British merchants can better afford to keep
large stocks on hand, or to advance the du-
ties upon such as they send to US. The
same advantages in their favor exist also in
respect to merchandise imported from the
continent and other parts of the world. In
absence of regular and speedy communi-
cation, the stocks Of this descri prion must
be ordinarily large. and the advance of du-
ties upon them must absorb capital and
cause very serious inroad upon the prof
| its of business. 1t is represented that the
importing trade is now chiefly in the hands
of the agents of foreign houses. Inde-
pendent Of other considerations which will
suggest themselves, the consequences to our
navigation, to the building of ships, and to
the employments of our own seamen of
giving TO subjects of other countries the Sc
lection of the means of conducting COM
merce with US, may be very serious And
it will not escape intelligent legislators 10
inquire how far it is intrinsically Just to de-
mand of one class of our citizens the adj
vance to the Government of portion of
their capital, while il is not required from
any other class, The importers are in fact
the collectors Of the duties for the Govern
ment, and il would seem that very cogent
reasons of public policy should exist to
compel them to pay over before they had
collected.
The general opinion to be derived from
the correspondence communicated to Con-
gress in the report before mentioned is,
that the revenue from customs would be
augmented after the first year bv the ware
house system, in consequence of the greater
facility that would be given to importa-
tons, and of fair and increased COMPETE
ton, and consequently probable reduc-
ton in prices; that fluctuations in the
amount of imports would be prevented, and