The Woodstock age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1844-1845, 1844-10-03

the duties to he paid here equal the frs,
cost. IL, therefore, The duties must Away.
ne paid before sale here, the business.
would require two capitals, one in China
to purchase the articles, another here h
pay the duties. This might he very well
for the chairman, (Mr Gray,) and few
mher gentlemen-but he Mr. wy we'll
knew that both the Chairman and these
gentlemen saw too well how this would eC.
feet the enterprise Of young, merchants, to
give 1t their countenance or support. As
to The punctuaIily and certainty with which
the duties had been paid, under this sys-
TEN, they were wonderful, The loss from
l7S9, was most inconsiderable. The cur
failing of the privilege of drawbacks, Mr.
w. thought equally objectionable. He
could account for the proposition only on
the supposi'on that the intention was
greatly to diminish if not, indeed. to abo-
ish the foreign commerce of the country.
Other nations had deemed it an object
OF Importance to make their country an
cntrepJt Of commerce, and, for this end,
to encourage the import alton of such arl-
Giles as were likely to be again exported
Such also had been our system heretofore.
1t was very obvious to what extent foreign
commerce was encouraged, by allowing
drawbacks; and, if the object oflhe pres
ent proposed measures be wha, he had sup
posed, he admitted that this, among others,
was a means fifty chosen to produce the
end. There was many gentlemen pres
ent, who knew much better than he did,
/" what extent our foreign trade consisted
at the present momeri, of foreign articles
imported into this country, and again ex-
ported. 1t was certainly very considerable
He found, by reference to Mr. Seyber's
tables and stalesmenls, to The average val
ne of foreign merchandise exported from
the United States from 1906 to 1917, a.
mounted to 42-l0Olhs Of the whole eypor.
iations In some years the expectation Of
foreign had exceeded that Of domestic pro.
duce. 1t had heen stated, and was doubt
less true, that. in some years, no,wih-
standing the quaniy Of India goods con.
sumed IN this country, the amount Of sales
OF those exported, within the year, exceed.
ed the amount of all the purchases il India
an iu'por'an, fact, by the way, for the con-
slderalion Of those who consider the East
India trade so destructive. Mr. w, said
he hoped he had Inexperienced the OBJ
ec, uf ihose who proposed these measures.
He hoped they saw mode in which tn
reconcile them with the existence, and the
fair rights Of commerce; but, he confessed,
he had himself perceived no such mode
He found that. on introducing aud recon-
mending the bill, the sentiments of the
Committee were thus expressed by it,
Chairman; Commerce has been too long
a pet, the spoiled child of Government, To
think there are any other interests worth
protecting. The mere creature oflegisla.
ton, raised to Importance by our laws, and
the expenditure of a great portion Of our
revenue for its support. commerce has pre-.
scented herself as the Atlas which supports
the Government, the country, and all its
great interesis-now it seems she cannot
support herself"
He (Mr W )begged to differ most wide
ly from these opinions. He by no means
agreed, that the commerce Of the country
was the mere creature Of Congressional
Legislation. The commerce Of the coun.
try was older than Congress-older than
the present Government. This Common
wealth had great and profitable trade,
Notwithstanding its embarrassmenis, before
Congress had the power TO legisla,e upon
the subject. The county of Essex alone.
possessed more tons Of shipping before this
Government was framed, than belong to
The whole of England. in the reign Of Ellz-
beth-at the time Of The repelling. by her
fleets, of the Spanish invasion. Before the
organization of the present Government
So considerable was the commerce of,he
States, that the amount Of importa,ions. for
some years. rose to several millions; in one
year, indeed, il fell little, if any, shor, Of
twenty millions of dollars. 1t was certain
lytrue that the Government. during the
greater part Of its course hitherto, had
shown a Just. hut no more than a just, care
for the protection Of commerce. He
thought the Government had done no more
for commerce than commerce had done
for Government. Commerce in his opin.
ion, had been The main support oflhe pub.
lie revenue. He did not. in saying this.
mean than any particular class Of persons
the merchan:s-ihe ship-builders-mr
the ship.owners. fr instance, had been
the principal support Of Government, or
had done more than their part towards
that support.
But commerce, by acting upon, and en-.
riching The agriculture "i the country, by
calling into activity all the capital, and ex.
citing all the industry and enterprise Of the
cnlntry, had given to the whole people an
ability To contribute to the revenue; and
it had also afforded an easy and convenient
mode lnr the collection Of the revenue
Since the commencement Of the GOVERN.
meni, three hundred and 6hy million Of
dollars have been paid into The Treasury
through the Observation-Disclosures or
thir,y-6ve millions alone have been OBJ
,aieed from all other sources of revenue
and this, not without much discnnient. and
more than one rebellion. This does not
prove. indeed, and is not stated To prove.