Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-07-02

COMMUNICATIONS.
OUR EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT

And startles an echo from Georgia 10 Maine.
COMMUNICATIONS.
OUR EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT.
We cannot consent 10 lay The following letter
from our able Correspondent before the public,
withou, expressing our regret that II did not reach
rs in time for publication, before General Nc
Kay's Reform Bill hal received is c0"p dc grace.
But though in that respect II comes The day alter
the Fair vet il is calculated 10 thro" further light
upon a question, which cannot be permitted 10
sleep. We have right 10 seek justice, and we
will demand it. The present act (oi ~ which
the Wing Convention OF this State cries up as
the principal fruit of the victory oi 1870 and
which Mr. Clay rcjoice> L. save, 10y The rejection
of The proposed Revenue Bill is too oppressive
in its provisions To- be borne hy an enlightened
people No clause in the act is more infamous
Than the one relating 10 eottoa bGsstac. 1t Is, as
our Correspondent writes, THE blacklist portion
of the act OF 1872 and more tyfaanicm in It's
character than any enactment ON our Statute
Book. 1t more efecluaiy protects this article,
manufactured BY Mr.. Clays tmmediats friends,
than did the act of ISIS, As have conclu>ively
shown The planter has under il no other than
Hobson's choice-kenucky tagging, or none.
This whole subject of the Tariff must undergo
a rigid discussion. 1t must he exposed, III order
10 be corrected The atrocities Of the mischief
must be unmasked, that suffering people may
obtain some remedy. Admit that III 4 series oil
gcars articles are manufactured cheaper, another
price falls in England in consequence Of improved
machinery ard other causes, yet this reduction Is
essentially cotnteracted by minimum rrin-
ciple. and our high specific duties The question
really is no, whether the goods become cheaper
every year. bu. whether they come as cheap 10 IL
asthey would do under 4 lower Tariff and whe-
ther higher Tariff does net co,nteIact the mn
proyement Of machinery. Ne. and make Us irl-
bu,ary 10 our own graspin2 moEopuliNSE We
should he very happy il some Of o,u lnieiiisen;
merchants would treat the subject ia plain, COM
mon sense manner, th,,>:
Give rs the price oi The most important aril-
c!e> after they are manufactured IN England;
Then add on al III, expense 81 bringing them
10 our own ports
Then thirdly, put on the revenue duty say OF
twenty per cent, and thus show what the article
would cost rs in oar market;
And faaiiH. show what The articles actually
cost under our unelua! and oppressive Tarin
Thus SHOWN" what the eXhoFsanl Tax is that
We pay IL or domestic manufacturer fer The
protection Of his own articles
Thus, according 10 the elements oi the calcu-
lalion, furnished by Sa!tons.all's Report, iron
should cost no, more Than thrtyseecn dollars Il
ION, when, in fact. it costs the consumer, Black
3lnlt! &c. SlAtl vi s:!eiitt uuildIS.
Will any interesting and liberal merchant give
MS tables Of this description p. Eddto,s Eaqa,rer
EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENCE 81
-M,sE, April -. 1911.
To ne Editors 81 ne Enquirer:
Deal S;irs The Tariiihill, reported by the Chair
man oiihe Committee OF Ways and Means, was
received By the last Elayrc Packet Ii is certain
IL free from many OF The Obnoxious features oithe
Act of 1912 but il is no; in all respects, such an
one as the true interests OF the nation demand IL
) TOO discriminating in ito character The rrin-
cipe OF specific duties is still rec0gmi2ed--most
papably as relates 10 sugar n:olasscS. and iron.
Coffee, lea and sugar as they are articles con-
sumed By every class OF individuals, should be
alike taxed in proportion 10 the cost Of each
Protection cannot BE- regarded as incidental, while
sugar pays a duty of two cents per Id. and coffee
and tea are admitted free
Hopes are very confidently entertained that this
bill will become a law, not on account oi any
peculiar merit which il possesses as 4 whole, but
because in lis details il is infinitely more equitable
and just than The existing tariff Of duties. View
ing IN this light, the opponents OF protection
should be satisfied with ii, II they cannot Obtain
all that they wish for nor they should be cheefed
with the rapid strides which this enactment would
make towards the contamination OF their object.
In len years from this time if they continue true
10 themselves, they will see the broad banner OF
FREE TRADE fairly uniuiled TO The breeze under
4 system OF equal, il Rot Uniform duties laid
iorreyenue purposes merely. III they suffer no
mammoth moniel institu,ionS-no United States
Bank-to come into existence the event is GER
tain. Ii is indeed gratifying to patriot hearts to
see the beautiful model Republic" after having
passed through many alarming vicissitudcs, oc-
casoned by unwiSc legislation, returning totfA
If fba al
Choir OF It's Satety--THE CONSTITUTION.
The Tariff Act of 1912, Notwithstanding the
enormous duty which il imposes on many arii-
cicS, requires, (section lG) ''Chat in all cases
where there is or shall be imposed any at valo-
rem rate of duty on any goods wares, or mcr-
chandi>e imported into the United STATES, ana
in all cases where the duty imposed shall oy
law be regulated by, or directed 10 ne estimated
or based upon, the value oil the square yard, or
of any specified quantity OF parcel Of such goods
wares or merchandise; it shall be the duty Of
the collector. within whose district The same
shall be imported or entered. 10 cause The actual
market value or wholesale price thereof, al The
time when purchased in the principal markets
OF the country from which the same shall have
been imported into the United States, or OF the
yards, parcels, OF quantities. as The case may
be 10 be appraised, estimated and aSccria'ned,
and To such value or price, 10 be asceitaiheu III
tue ulduIcT pIO'iutu III dIt Sii'ti -
all costs and charges except insurance, and ~
'cLupiNa ~ EVERY CASE A CHARGE FOR COM
MISSIONS az tie usual rates, as The ffns tafm
at The port @hre he same may be entered, niva
,rsich duties shall BE- assessed"
Now, the friends Of "home valuation are not
satisfied with making the importer pay duty on
the actual cost Of his merchandise, al The port at
which it is entered, but they require him 10 pay
duty on commissions which frequently are not
charged in his invoice, AMI which consequently
be does not incar! Suppose, for instance, that
there should this year be an extraordinary yield
of cotton in The U States, with diminished hemp
crop, occasioniBg an advance in the price ofbog-
ging, and that the head Of large Mobile house,
for the purpose OF supplying his planting Gus
toners on the best possible terms, crosses the AT
lantic and buys in Westphalia $4,000 worth OF
the article. The commissions al The usual rates,
~ per cent, on this amount would he Si,25o,-
Taking the value Of The bagsing in Germany, al
6 cents per square yard, and the specific duty of4
cents per square yard makes an ad valorem
du,y Of &C per cent; and therefore the duty exact
ed and collected upon this constructor commission
amounts 10 1898 O0!!! As the merchant esli,
mates his profits BY the capital actually employed
in the purchase, the planter is thus douoy taxed
10 bolster up this national scourge-thls withefins
bliehtins curse 10 the true interests oil The people,
PROTECTION
II The bill, reported by Gen, Mckay, had no