The St. Landry whig., 1844-10-31

olo st p. u. HEBRARD, Register.
THE TARIFF-TTs EFFECT ON HONE
MARKETS.
One of the most striking features in the news
by the last arrival from England, and one which
will be deemed of paramount interest to the cot
ton planters ofthe United States, is the fact that
there still remains on hand an immense stock of
American cotton, of the crop of last year, and
that the average sales did not nett over seven
cents a pound. Nothing could exhibit i'll a strong
er linht the imperative necessity OF creating q
home market for our great southern staple, as
nearly as possible adequate to the consumption
of orr surplus crops. Nothing could more eff
~fectuaIly illustrate the folly of that suicidal policy
which would c|ircumscribe our home markets, by
crinplinr and harassing the domestic manufae-A
turer. than this simple fact. 1t proves that we
nroducc more than our foreign markets can con-
sumo, and that we must depend almost entirely
on tho northern manufacturer for a market for
the crop of the present year.
Suppose. with all the disasters which have be-
Gelthe cotton planters during the present season,
~locofoco policy had prevailed, and the protection
which has been extended to domestic manufac-
lures, under which they have grown strong
enough in some measure to come TO their relief,
ha been LEFT off, andthey made to depend en-
tirel7 on the overstockcd European markets, with
their low prices, for the sale oftheir present mis-
lerally meagre crops, and what must have been
their condition?
During the last year alone, the increased con-
sumption of cotton by our own manufacturers
amount to one hundred thousand bales, and IS
5 likely still to continue to increase in nearly the
Y same ratio. Another fact worthy OF note is, that
q the domestic manufacturer has uniformly paid
higher prices for the cotton consumed by him
~ ~ III ~ =. u,c,o3,tror / "A any. other mart nj the &
), world. They took for consumption during the
past year four hundred thousand bales, at an ave-
4 rage price Of nine cents a pornd-a large pro-
! portion having been purchased during the first
i four months Of the season, at from 10 toll cents,
: when the prices in Europe were some 20 per
5 cent lower. Even now, when, owing to the
$ great influence eXcrted at home by the tluctna-
, lions Of the European markets, the prices at
n home have materially declined, they are still
Y higher at the north than in any foreign market
2 in the world. If then, our manufacturers were
in a condition to take double or treble the amount
of cotton now consumed by them, is it not aP-
q parent that our planters would on an average got
4 mech higher prices for their cotton? if, during
the past year, our domestic factories had taken
eight hundred thousand bales, instead OF half
that amount, is it not fair to suppose that the
s southern planter would have realized al average
Of nine cents a pound, instead of less than seven!
8 Suppose again, for instance, that we could have
. consumed at home the surplus now on hand in
the European markets, under what different
IS auspices would not our new crop come into mar
ket? Every bale Of our surplus cotton we con-
s. sumo at home, (and it is evident there Will be a
. surplus more than our foreign markets can con-
sumo lessons by so much the influence the auc-
pit tuations of European markets can exert over
Of prices at home, and adds to our ability to regu-
81 late the prices of orr own produce, instead of
"A having them regulated for us abroad. Let the
tariff Ia reduced, however, and thereby reduce
instead of increasing the amount Of the raw ma.
st terial consumed at home, and pou immediately
c9 place it in the power Of the foreign consumer to
Cd set a price on it, and rest assured they would
setit so low that the planter would not make his
ne salt by its production.
I'D Our other agricultural exports, which find their
ne way into the European markets, arc so small as
nd scarcely to be worthy of notice but by way Of
or showing the influence of the tariff, or rather its
effect on the Interests of the northern farmer, as
m well as the southern planter, by creating a home
10 = market for him, we will glance at the foreign
prices Of a few articles of northern produce, as
lila compared with the prices Of the same article ut
of home. American flour is quoted at nineteen
~sbiliings, or S4 Sc pcr barrel, out OF which a dus
sd tYof los. 10d., or - 26 must be paid, leaving
ss d balance Of 80 80 to pay freight, commissions,
tai dfa wage, and producers profit, to say nothing Of
IS Insurance, and other incidental expenses. The
, na same article rarely sells at home for less than
IS 81 90 perbarrel. On every thousand barrels
tai Of American flour consumed in England, the Bril-
the fish Government derives a revenue of $2,226.--
est Surprising England should take one hundred
ny thousand barrels of American flour, not halt the
Is; amount consumed by Louisiana, the government
old would derive a revenue from it of S$s256,000,
ru- while the producer gets only $23o,o00, cut q q
which the cost Of production, freight, and al.
81 other incidental expenses attendant upon ITS
sn, Transformation must be deducted. Thus it will
os, be seen, then, that this article does not nett one
rds halfthe home market price, and that the market
created at home for one hundred barrels oftilour,
, ~ yields the home producer more than a market
al for two hundred barrels abroad.
The stock of American tobacco in the king
"a dom was about $4,000 hogsheads. This, ifcon.
sumedin England. as most oft will be, will yield
to the British government a revenue of about
twenty millions of dollars, the duty being y
N cents per pound.
From this simple statement of Facts, it is aP-
A. parent that we have nothing to hope for from the
foreign market, and that we are bound to depend
on the creation of a home market for the con.
sumption Of our surplus agricultural products, \
IA the sticklers for locofoco theories would base
ta' their calculations and arguments on facts anc
6rnras thev mIst arrive aft the same conclusions.