Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1844-03-15

Gated one 1t was presented in great variety of q
forms. In one section of the country the bill was
looked upon as protective, and therefore uncon-
slitutiOnal in another section 1t was not consider
ed as sufficiently protective. There was no dill
Guilty IN making out that it was competent for
Congress whenever they might choose, to impose
duties for protection, aud for protection only even
II the wants Of The Treasury did not call for revc.
hue from such duties There no difficulty in
establishing this principle. Whence was the
power derived? From the power 10 regulate
commerce. The General Government derived
lhe power TO regulate commerce from The States,
who possessed it to its fullest possible extent, linL
lted 10y no possible restraint OF exception. Their
power was az omnlpotent, if gentlemen choose, as
the power Of Parliament. What became OF t2
The States CeGed it 10 the General Government
when the Constitution was formed. Ii was reln.
qnlshed by The States TO the General Government:
II was transferred, without qualification or abridg-
ment, to The Congress OF the United States, and as
such we may exercise it in any and every manner,
according 10 or discretion. What part of the |
Constitution could be pointed out containing any
limitation or abriIgnent of this power TO regulate
commerce? There was none. As The States |
we're expressly prohibited from the exercise otthe !
power, II Congress did not possess il, then the |
power was abrogated. There could not hive |
been any design to nbrogate it. While the people
were creating a more perfect form OF Government,
could it lie imagined that they intended, instead
OF concerning the iull cover on the Government
~ ililll uUU HDriGHO u ! COuU X De lntcnueu u
deprive this Government of II necessary power,
that was exercised by every other Government in
The world! They included ia the Constitution
provision prohibiting the States from evying Any
duties on imports aud exports because that pow
tr aud the power to regulate commerce were so
intimately blended that they could not be separa-
leh. Whether the policy OF protection was wise
or not, it was, therefore, certainly within the CON
stituiianal power OF Congress.
The question whelhef Congress can impose
duties merely for protection, when not wanted for
revenue was speculative one. lie would
be satisfied with n tariff which, while il imposed
such duties would, ia The aggregate, yield no
more than sufficient for the vans of the Govern
uiehi would, by proper discrimination, promote
all branches OF industry, aud afford protection TO
agriculture and manufactures. He held The opn-
ION that the imposition of protective duties to an
extent lranscending the wants ofIhe Government,
would he injurious 10 the protected interests
The question resulted in this whether, in provi
diliS tor the necessary wants OF the Government,
we may Impose duties that will afford protection
10 domestic industry? The idea of u horizontal
adyalorcm scale oil duties was out OF the question:
IL was IA Thing that was utterly impossible aud
w4nld never be attempted Discrimination was
necessary even with a view to revenue alone; iur
ONE articles would bear higher rate OF duty
than others. In imposing dniies articles for
revenue, we must look 10 The rate of duty which
each article VIII bear. The only difficulty was
MS to the manner in which we should make dis
crnlnn'ion. The honorable Senator from South
carolina had supposed a case which put this
question in IFS true light. He bad supposed HE
case OF an ar lie paying forty per ceht. DUTY and
hnd shown that twenty per cent duty would
yleld the same amount OF revenue, because don-
ule The quantity OF importation would lake place
under The lower rate OF duiy. Why so !? For the
benefit, he says, of commerce. Here, then, he
takes leave OF the purposes OF revenue, and he
makes Il discrimination for protection for the
finn # nt,Ip In
Phclps) would only ask the gentleman TO extend
his pruciple little further so rs 10 embrace the
protection GogrIrulture and manufactures The
principle was right, but it was so applied as to
foster only one OF the great interests OF The coun-
try leaving the others 10 shift for themselves
Here, then was The only difference between The
senator and himself; on one side the principle of
protection was applied to commerce alone, and on
The olher it was extended to the great and, he
might add more important interests of manuiac-
tures-more important, because commerce could
not exist without productive industry IN other
occupations. We could not engrail OH an idle or
unProdnciive population "a prosperous commerce,
anu II was The great object OF the bill of 1912 TO
promote productive industry. Commerce has al
ways beet attended 10 Ivy this Government. More
alI@ition has been paid to than to any other in
Ittres. IL has been iarorlte interest OF the Gov
efnment from lis foundation, and il has legislaed
tor It's protection, and expended enormous sums
Tor lis protection aud Improvement. There has
been but II single exception 10 This policy on The
part of the Government, nnd that wa, IN resort-
ing TO systems of reciprocity, the operation of
which was most severely felt 10y our commerce.
In those treaties OF reciprocity the principle Ut
protection was abandoned, and the folly Of pban-
doning protection was fully illustrated by the
consequences.
Every Senator, in debating this subject, must
he eni'airassed by the consideration that lie
present nothing new in argument or fact in rela-
ton 10 1t, aud he unprecedented that he should ia.
tisue the Senate by referring to views already ia.
mIllar The Senator from South Carolina pro.
+ poses TO repeal this law OF 1872 confding in The
belief that another and beIier sl be substi-
Iuled tor it. We could doubtless have anoher
, provided we could psree upon lis principles. In
lddgng OF the proprIeiy of the existing bill, we
must go bnck 10 the condition OF things when il
was adopted. We had hen Just passed through
, AN extraordinary political revolution, and thoso
/, succeeding To power in the Government found
= HAT domestic industry and commerce were pros
/ rated, HE sources OF revenue were dried up, aud
y HE people were ii n state OF Bankruptcy. These
. circumstances had produced This ponucal reyolu-
= uol. Congress met here 10 redeem the Country
n RON inpenhlng rUin--to remedy The evils under
. which the country wns suffering. We were sent
, here To provide means of reilui, TO devise means
/ to enable The people 10 breathe mora freely aud
, The only .hlng that was done hich could have
, these ,hccis WAS The enactment of the tariff act
. OF 1872. Had that bill failed, it would have been
AT once The cause of the dissolution o The party
+ which had the ascendency lhe defeat of lis ch,et
, object. We proposed (said MIR. P.) u Bank of the
Unted States, which, by the way, was never n
+ great lnvore with him, He viewed The question
, ol The currency us a subordinate one Tor, while
the country was embarrassed, il was Impossible
a 10 sustain Banks or sound currency aud the
= attempt TO regulate the currency by legislation
: alone was The most idle Thing That ever entered
The mind OF man.
. We also proposed bankrupt act aud this tariff
+ bill. What was proposed or The other side To
huild vaults aud construct iron chesls and get all
=. me gold and silver they could and lock il up
That was the proposition OF The other side--to I'D
here to The sub-ireasury. Run hung over this
. great ana hitherto prosperous people, and i was
? SAID that overriding was The difficulty not in do
nestle interests, for it impossible to overIrade