The North-Carolina standard., 1844-04-03
CONGREssIONAA.
rconpExskD nov THE cLOBE.l
Thesday. March &c

ment of the bill introduced by Mr. McDHHle Ior
reducing the rate of duties under the presen; tars
if. to the standard ofthe compromise act Mr. Ben-
ton in continuation of his remarks Of yesterday
addressed the Senate for an hour and half; first
tokino up the subject of manufactures, whh,a
view of showing the relative condition of the
manufactures previous 10 the late war, and alter
the war; He showed that, in 1910, tho United
States were very little behind England when the
Iattershad like amount of population The pop
ulalion of the United States, in l8l0 was eight
millions corresponding nearly with the poPula-
tion of England from 1876 to 1857. England,
in 1887, after five hundred years of accumulalng
powers in manufacturing, had manufactures a.
m ounting TO 8 266, 900 00e, with population OF
ej oht and a half millions. The United States, IN
lSlO, with population of eight millions, had
manufactures in a thriving condition amounting to
8 200, ,OOO 600; showing that in little over twen-
ty wears of independence, this country had nearly
oyertaken England. which had required five CEN
turies to reach 1896 100000. Mr.. Tench Coxe
the gentleman appointed by MIR. GaIltam to ~
yestigate the statistics of manufactures IN loFV as
certained that instead of 28,OOOOOO, 1.-THE a
mount of American manufactures as represented
by the census of that day) it was really over
8 200 OOOO 900; and he also ascertanrd that this
growth had been spontaneous arising from the
thriving condition of the country, the energy OF
Young people enjoying free institutions, and the
incidental protection afforded by the income OF
revenue derived from ad valoFem duties of 5 to Is
per cent. and specific duties never exceeding
from one-quarter to one-third Of the real value
This thriving condition of manufactures grew up
without one syllable being ever heard OF The word
tariff, or anti-revcnue protection being coveted as
a necessary element of such prosperity No one
that he had ever conversed with could recottect
having heard of the word tariff anterior TO 1910.
Yet now it was the watch-word Of mIIonary
monopolists and aspiring politicians 1t was chung
to as the ladder of promotion by which every par
tisan of protection sought to reach power-tfom
the office of towncIicr, 10 that of the presidency
He showed that, in 1900, Massachusetts had TWEEN
tv-one millions of manufactured products which
had increased, up to 1910, to one hundred mill
ions; while, in the whole Union, manufactures
had grown up TO the enormous amount OF probably
500, 100000, though agriculture remained at
the same amount it was in 1910. How, then, he
asked could this fvefold increase occur in the bus
mess of one class, if the other classes had not
been made tributary TO it by undue legislation
His proposition was not to I'M ure manufactures,
but to give them the highest incidental protection
consistent with revenue duties, with the benefit OF
hard money besides Thirty per cent. protection;
because the articles Of competition must incur
I-2 per cent of expenses and bear IL l-2 per
cent profit for the importer, before it becomes sub
ject 80 per cent duty the orig ginal cost; the
whole being so per cent. protection 10 the home
manufacturer, Of the same kind of article. His
feelings, always friendly to manufactures, were
unchanged He had voted for The tariff in 1924,
cordially: and he had voted for the tariff ofI82S,
but it was with reluctance. He voted against the
act of 1912. He regarded manufactures as one
of the great interests Of the country, but not the
first. He ranked the great Interests of the United
States under three heads; frSi, agricHiture-theI |
paramount interest of all others-because it was
the source from which the wants Of man were |
best supplied; second, manufactures agency
by which the products of the earth were fashion
ed for the use of man; and third commerce-the |
handmade of both, and which exchanged the SUI
perhuities of nations Mr.. B. concluded with
forcibie address to manufacturers, pointing out that
their real interests would be best consulted by
return to the old policy, which had amply secur-
ed the prosperity of the country before the late
war; He declared his own feelings Unchanged
that he was now, as he always had been, the
friend of that great national interest but his
knowledge of the subject was enlarged, and he
now saw there was no necessity for any other pro-
lection than that resulting from revenue duties and
a solid currency-such as the present amount of.
gold and silver in the country would furnish
Mr.. Simmons will address the senate next on this
subject.
In the House, the unfinished business of vester-
0oJ was AiS |oh' Ups OC4hS IbOGIou vi NIL
Hamlin to reconsider the vote by which the a.
mendment offered by Mr.. w. J. Brown to Mr.. J.
p. Kennedy resolution was rejected. That mo-
lion having been negativcd, the subject was pass
ed over, and Messrs. Brown and White Obtained
permission, under a suspension of the rules, to
make explanations regarding the opinions attri-
buted to MIR. Clay in the amendment above refer
rcd to- The House then resolved itself into Com
mittee of the Whole on the state of the Uuion,
and proceeded to the consideration of the bill re-
pealing the act of 1912, by which the second reg
lment of dragons was converted into a rifle regi-
ment. The committee reported the bill to the
House, and it was passed by vote of "a to Sc.
Wednesday, March 81. +
In the Senate, today, the most important sub
ect which occupied attention was the resolution
Of the Finance Committee for the indefinite post
ponement of the bill introduced by MIR. McDuffie
for reducing the rates of duties, under the present
ariff, to the standard of the compromise act Mr..
Simmons took the floor, and addressed his argu.
ments chiefyto the refutation of certain proposi
lions advanced by Messrs. Benton and Woodbury. +
first by adducing tables constructed from the an
nua returns of revenue, imports and exports, lin
cItdi@g the time Of the embargo and of the qoor.
which Mr.. Benton had particularly stated belong
ed to neither system,1 prior to 1916, and subse
quent to that period, including specie and free
goods, to show that the fluctuations were as great
under the system of low duties as under the system
of high duties and next by reference to Stats
frs To nrova that fhronohouf both ,,ou:oI a ,