The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1844-01-12

ducing the price of land offered for sale
but il would be with the hazard, if no! Ger
iaInty, OF destroying rich fountain, who's
regular and steady stream is kept up b.
maintaining moderate price adapted 10 III
circumstances Of our fellow citizens auC
yet not inviting speculative Investments
Our ultimate resource, then, must be tht
duties on Imports. Aud when il is consid
cred how large portion oflhe expenditures
Of the Government. is caused by our light.
houses, by our foreign intercourse, by our ma
ny and other means 20 protect and extend our
commerce with foreign nations and with
bow much more equality and equity tax
upon Tie importation OF foreign merchandise
operates upon all classes than any other
mode Of raising revenue; with how much
more ease it is collected, and how ii eutIre.
ly avoids all collision with the State sove-
reieniies respecting the SUBJECT oftaxatlon,
this mode Of supplying lie wants OF the Gov
ernment will commend itself 10 favorable
consideration.
| Sufficient information has not yet been
obtained respecting the Practical operation
/ OF the act OF 2G!b August, lS42, establish
I ing the existing rates Of duties on foreign
importaiions, to authorize an accurate opin-
ion Of the probable results Of its different
provisions. The commercial statistical
statement required by law, embracing the
returns from the Goth Of September, 1912,
to the 30th OF June, 1913, is 10 course Of
preparation by all the force that can be ap'
Piled TO il, aud II is hoped will be laid before
the two Houses Of Congress in the course
of the ensuing month. As il will embrace
the first nine months during which the pres
ent tariff has been in operation. II will pro.
baby contain The desired information. -
But the undersigned feels bound TO say, that,
from the examination Of reports ne mas
caused to DO made from the principal ports,
and from general view OF our commerce,
after the best consideration which he could
give TO the subject, he has not been able to
discover any Of the existing duties which
can be increased With any reasonable pros
pect Of augmenting the revenue. The
danger from this source is, that articles up.
on which high duties are levied vii either
be clandestinely introduced or not import.
ed at all. II is believed that to the grea,
vigilance which has prevailed during the
past season along the coast and on our exten
ded inland irontier, i, is mainly owing that
the fraudulent lmpottations which had been
anticipated by some, have been prevented
The temptation. however, should not DC
carried so far that success in one enterprise
wil remunerate for The losses IA SeVeIai
failures.
On the other hand, looking at the subject
exclusively iu lis bea..hg upon the revenue
the nndersicnc-'fG not prepared to specify
any ve,,- important rates Of duty that Will
81 reduction unless the deficiency be sup
piled by duties upon other articles, Those
levied on glass, particular kinds ofiron, coal
and sugar, are considered by many too
high for revenue purposes. Should The sta. /.
istical information bef0re referred TO, ex
hbi, such q result in respect to these or
any other ortichs, they will doubtless ar.
rest the attention Of Congress.
Assuming, what will probably be found
10 be the case, that no essential improve
menl Of too revenue is likely to be effected
at least for the present, by an increase of the .
duties already existing or by reduction Of
them, it becomes necessary to inquire
whether any articles now FREQ of duty can
with propfiely be suhjectedtoa moderate im-
post, and whether there are any other means
of providing for the anticipated deficiency.
rhe articles now fee Of duty, which pre-
sent themselves most prominently Us sub. .
ects Of impos,, are teas and coffee. In the
last annual report from this Department
this source OF revenue was Indicated. The
necessity of resorting to 4 is apparent aud
more urgent now than it was then. The
opinions of importers of these articles, OF
merchants and officers Of the customs in va. !
tious parts Of the United States, as CON.
munica,ed 20 this Department in pursu' I
ance of its request, are unanimously and
decidedly in favor Of such duties as " more
equal and less burdensomo than any other
mode bv which the same amount could be
collected" From the organization Of the
Government to the year 1892 duties were
laid upon these articles. In that year they
were repealed in pursuance of The recon.
ulRnuatou Vi tue iTCStuCutJ WHICH was
made, as he stated, in consequence Of the ma.
iiona deb, being ex,ingushed, and The rev.
enuc being abundant for the public service.
The reasun for that policy having ceae,,,,''
and additional revenue beipg '"l'S.'cnsao'o
for the most ecouomica al administration oil the
Government, it cannot be doubted that our
fellow eitzens viii acqulesce IN the neces-
sity which requires such an lmpost as cheer
fully as in any other burdens which they
are called 10 bear Cor the secu-itY and pro-
lection of themselves, their property, their
rights, aud liberties.
Notwithstanding the opinions of some, !
cannot doub, that the price OF these articles
woeld be enhanced TO the consumer to some
extent by ,ae imposition Of duties. But 1t
may be questioned w,.aiher this effect would
nor be temporary. Coffee is RAISED in VA.
rious countries, and the amount PRODUCED
has Increased of late years rapidly. Should
the competition between those countries be
Ill -,