Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-12-27

ject TO. can assure the Committee, that the ma
nulacurers OF Germany, especially, apprehend
the repeal of our corn-laws more than any thing
that we can do The public authorities again, in
Germany, who have only the great public inter-
ests 10 administer, never asked US for moment
TO take of any duty upon manufactured articles;
the great demand was TO take of the duty upon
timber ard upon corn.
"Do you not conceive that all protection
amounts TO tax upon The community?
Certainly; it is quite evident.
aThat is implied in protection?
"No doubt Of il.
"And, therefore, The tax for protection upon one
article increases the cost Of producing another?
Certainly; no doubt Of it.
"And, therefore, sometimes duty is imposed
for The purpose Of protection, because we have
protected some other article?
Certainly; not only solitary duty upon one
article for protection, but il is duty for protcc-
ton connected also with another protecting duty
that bears upon it. A protective duty may not
only be what il always is general tax, but
particular tax on some other article OF manuiac-
ture. The protective duty on food is a general
tax on the nation, and particular lax on manu-
featuring labor, navigation, &c.
"Our difficulty, therefore, in competing with
other countries, frequently arises as much from
taxes Tor protection as from taxes for revenue2
Certainly, more than from taxes Tor revenue
upon commodities.
''raxes upon raw material, for the purpose OF
protection, would present great impcdments 10
The production for other articles!
"No doubt of il.
"lL E,raH Surprising the cost Of subsis-
ence and OF The law material were the same in
this country as in other countries, do you think
there would be any chance of other countries I'M
derselling us in the labour markeil
"Certainly not, with our natural advantages OF
position, which no other country possesses in the
same degree, and the intelligence and industry Of
Ensshmen although The English are not so
economical as the people Of Other countries, yet,
with our advantages OF capital and skill, il We
can change our system Of Legislation, we may,
in every manufacture We now possess, meet TO
reign manufactures in every market in the world.
The manufacturers of other countries are only
appIehensive that we should change our system
OF taxing food. | speak only OF the manniac-
lurers; the consumers are OF a different opinion.
is it your opinion, that, olhGr things being
equal labor is cheaper in this country than in
any other country in the world?
"As 10 labor in this country, you must take il
either al the money value OF labor, or you must
take il at what the laborer can get for his labor
that IS what the laborer can get for the money
price Of his labor. As 10 the real wages Of the
laborer in this county, they are much less than in
Saxony.
"And the mere rate of wages alone does moi
prove The superior cheapness Of production, bul
you must take into The calculation The advania-
ges OF capital and machinery?
"C3pita and machinery and other elements,
such as coal and iron, and the advantages oil our
harbors for expectation, and many other internal
advantages as 10 carriage and Intercourse. The
conclusion 10 which | have come, after laborious
investigation in almost every country IN Europe
is briefly, that we should have nothing but fiscal
taxation; that is, duties for revenue only: have
no protection at all, but only equalizc upon eqni-
table principles your system OF taxing the ropu-
laiion for revenue, and you may then meet The
people of all other nations with yonr manulac-
lures in every country in the world, and in most
articles undersell them.
"Mr Chapman When you stalelhathe labor OF
Saxony, and generally on The Continent, is really
dcaIcr than the labor Of this country, do You
mean 10 apply it TO maritime labor?
mo; strictly speaking, do not apply it TO
maritime labor. | apply ii 10 maritime labor
thus far, that the provisioning OF ships IS much
lower on The Continent if siiip-owners on the
Continent even gave the same wages, which they
do not as our own vet they carry on their ship
ping more cheapy than we can, because the pro-
visions which are found by The ship-owner for his
crew forms an essential part OF the wages
Again if Dutchman or PrGssian were Com
PEELED 10 vicluaI his family ashore al the prices
paid in England his wages then would not be 10
himself more than one half what the same wages
are in Prussia; but, as he maintains his family
in Prussia, the low wages he gels enables him,
by The cheapncss OF provisions in that country, 10
live as well as an English sailor will who main
tains his family in England.
"Caairman. Do mol, therefore, the circums,an-
ces you have stated operate very much against
the British shp.owncr in his competition as
carrier, in every part Of the world?
mot donbt Of it.
"M Williams. How is it that the Govern
men,s Of those countries have never adopted that
feeling which YOU say is so general against pro-
hibtory duties?
"The Government of most countries, except
ing those Of Saxony, Switzerland and Holland,
on the contrary, were led away BY the visionary
splendor Of being able 10 supply themselves with
in their own countries, with every thing they re-
CURED 1t commenced in France under Colbert,
and it was initiated BY other monarchs; but il has
turned out that those countries, in which those
projections have been completely established,
have not at all ihriven, in consequence of those
projections; and where they have occasionally
hriyen, they nave done So in defiance OF them.
| have in my possession representation from
The manufacturers Of silk al Lyons aud other
parts of France, who wish 70 have no protection
at all for their silk manufactures"
EXTRACTS from Sir John ]. Guests Examina-
ton
"What is the present price OF British iron as
compared with that OF Swedish iron {?
"The present price Of Swedish is about tl2
SIS in bond and OF common British iron about
I'll.
"Nr ViRicrs Are we not able in this country
TO manufacture much larger quantity OF iron
than We now manufacture?
'Yes; we make III this country about two-thirds
OF the whole produce Of the world"
EXTRACTS from John Bowring's Examination
"What, in your judgment, constitutes protect
ing duty?
S."It appears TO me that every duty is a protect
ing duty, which excludes any foreign article COM
ing in competition with the home article, or which
raises the price of the home article by the duty
put upon the foreign.
SIR ViHicrs. Is not the purpose of imposing
that protective duty 10 compel the consumer al
home to consume dearer article instead of one
that he could procure cheaper from abroad
obviously, it is TO exclude the foreigner from
the field of competition BY raising The price in The
interest Of the projected commodity.
"Ciaunla,r. Creating monopoly in that coun-
try where the duties are so imposed?
cCreating a monopoly where the duties are so
high as 10 x.lude The foreign article, and creating
higher price where The duties are protective but
not prohibilory.
ais the silk trade in any way projected in
Switzerland, from whence those ribbons are i'm
ported?
"By no means; there is no duty on import or
export in Switzerland.
"Then do you mean that Switzerland, being
quite free from any protective duty, is able 10
manufacture silk ribbons, and import into France
those silks, paying Is per cent protective duty
ayes. There is no country, in which the de
velopment of the sound manufacturing principle
has been so great as Switzerland, which has not
single protection Of any sort in her legislation.
"a re there moi branches of colion manufacture
at this time lourishing in Switzerland more than
in England orin France3
"Many SUCH
r potiC