The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1844-05-09


exhibited by lhe commiiief Of ways and
means. amounting - zoo, 800 I'D 100 /
per Gems. When hrst Imposed lhsse
duties were III 30 O. 20 per cenl.; bpi
nov, owing 10 The reduction of prices.
they have run Up 70 200 o. 900 reri
cent. By way u illustration take he
article o. glass. On which duly u e. !
box Was imposed n ! time when glass
cost sI2; this VAS then duty Of 50 per
cent, but nos when home competition
induced ~ this protective duty, hssbroughi
down The price 10 g box, lie duly,
owing 10 this reduction of price. i 200
per rent. instead of 80; The sane j. rue
Of many other articles on which the duty.
when imposed, did not exceed 20 or 30
per cent but now, owing % REDUCTION Of
price producedb y home competition, they
amount 10 ? or 800 per cent. When four
cents per pound duty was pui % cut nails.
The price was Twelve Gents per pound, and
This duty, Of course. was 80 per cent: but
now. when The effect 81 this protective
duty has been 10 reduce The price Of
ma Is from twelve 10 three cents per pound.
The duty is increased 10 100 per cent;
this i equally true Of spikes, rods, wood
screws. &c. Again: eight cents yard
duty was supposed on coarse ecilons when
imported II 90 cents, heing duty Of 40
per cent, but now. when The price has
come down 10 ive cents Ter yard. The du-
ny goes up 70 100 per cent
/ Sir. ! could 20 on and enumerate more
Than twenty such instances where The du-
ties, though moderate when imposed, now
actually exceed The price Of The article !;
yet we are told that in all Eases The duty
is added 10 The price. and paid BY The
consumer! That Is, that the consumer
. pays ~ box duty on glass that lie buys
for %; cents pound on nails that he
| buys for 3; and 8 cen.s a yard on coarse
cotton goods thar he buys for 5. Such
are the ahsnrdiiies into which these stale
anii.lariff theories Involve their yo'aries;
but suppose what they alIege were true
! in point Of fact, and that the duty j. real
\ ly added 10 The price, The cost of cottor
+, goods being 30 cents when The duty Of {
j cents was imposed, add the duty, ihs
e price wonldbe, Of course, 90 cents yard
o and the duty only 20 per cent. instead o
!. l60 as stated by the committee; hence, i
/. You raise The price five fold, then the do
e ~ is quite reasonable, and there will b,
y no objection whrtever to its payment
% Let the manufacturer. then, run up hi
q price from 10 % cents yard, and h
at once silences all the objections Of Oh
n Committee OF Ways and Means, as thi
i would fin the duty at 80 per cent, jus
!, what they want il. But suppose the ma
l. nniacturer were TO reduce his price 10 on,
:, cent yard. then the duty. beings cents
:. would be 500 per cent. Horrid oppres
g sion! who would submit 10 pay duty G
i. 500 per cent? Who could then refus
j TO go with The Committee Of Ways an
n Means for reducing such enormous du
lies! ......
!! ABsrRDITIEs OF THE REPORT.
lie But The Committee of Ways and Mean
6 say that the object Of this bill is TO in
% crease the revenue by reducing the du
h ties; yet, in the very same paragraph, the.
.: say, that should the revenue be fund re
'e dundant. to avoid the horrid evils of de
D, posites or distribution among the States
If The duties shoult! be Instantly reduced, s.
/ as 10 reduce the revenue 10 the wants o
ie the Government; at this time, the commit
tee say, there is not revenue enough, ant
they propose to increase il by reducing
the duties; but should itturn out that Their
is too much, then they say reduce il b,
reducing the duties. Thus reduction
of duties is alike effec,ual with the com
mittee for reduction or for an increas
N of revenue. Excellent disciples of DR.
Sangrado, who had but one remedy 70
all diseases, bleeding and warm water.
How such apalpable contradiction is 10 b
e reconciled or explained ] am at loss 4
e conjecture. ...-
l. The Committee proceed next 10 sa.
l. that it is the true policy of every interes
:; in the country, except manufactures, Il
1t advocate the proposed reduction of du
!; ties. and they especially name agricul
e ture. Now, sir, in my opinion the re
Il verse of this proposition is true; agri
o culture is much more interested in tn,
If maintenance of the present protective
tariff than the manufacturer, and for thu
J. most obvious reasons; high protective
= duties are calculated TO induce increas
IL ed investment in manufactures; the eff
e feet of this is clearly 10 increase the de-
1t mand for the raw material and bread stuff:
d produced by the farmers; and the neees
|, sary consequence of this increased de
= mand is to increase the price Of every
= thing the farmer has to sell, and by IN
n creasing the quantity. reduce the price
l. of m anulactured goods. Thus the pro
h tec,ive. policy enables the farmers TO sci
l. higher and buy lower; while. on the othe
y hand, increased competition obliges tn
e manufactures 10 sell lower and buy his sup
II plies at higher rates; yet it is asserted il
IS this report, and in every anti-tsritf speech