The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1845-12-30

voices and undervaluatlon, these dangers
are believed 10 be arrested efFectrlally by
the stringent provisions and severe penal
! ~ Of the 18th section Of the trrif OF 1872;
and now one-half the revenue is collected
| from ad-valorem duties.
At least two-thirds of the taxes imPos-
ed by the present tariff are paid, not into
the treasury, but to the protected classes.
! The revenue from imports last year ex-
ceeded tUeniy-seven millions of dollars.
This, in itself, is heavy tax; but the
whole tax imposed upon the people by
the present tariff is not less than eighty
one millions of dollars-of which twen-
ty-scven millions of dollars are paid to
the government upon the imports, and for
ty-four millions.to the protected classes,
in enhanced prices Of similar domestic ar
ticles.
In illustration of this position, il is al
legged that the duty is not paid by the for
eign producer, but by the consumer; and
that the duty constitutes as much part of
the price as the cost of production
The making of laws to increase the
profits of particular pursuits is opposed,
and the view taken that "legislation for
classes is against the doctrine Of equal
rights, and repugnant to the spirit of the
constitution. !"
The argument Of countervaling the ef-
feet Of foreign tariffs by our own is an
swered. 1t is contended that the manu-
facturers who urge this argument are not
the party injured by these tariffs, but the
great interests of agriculture, commerce,
and navigation; and that, injured as these
interests NAV be by foreign tariffs. they
ask no couutervailing tariffs aihome to de-
crease the injury. The report says
"Let our commerce be as free as our po-
litical institutions. Let us with revenue
duties on ", open cur ports to all the
world, and nation after nation will soon
follow our example. If we reduce our
tariff, the party opposed to the corn-laws
of England would soon prevail, ana ad-
nit all our agricultural products at all
times freely into her ports, in exchange
for her exports. And if England would
now repeal her duties upon our wheat,
flour, Indian corn, and other agricultural
products, our own restrictive system
would certainly be doomed to overthrow.
If the question is asked. Who shall be-
gin this it is answered by the fact, that
England has already abatcd her duties up
on most of our exports. She has repeal
ed the duty upon cotton, and greatly re-
duced the tariff upon her bread-stufs,
provisions, and other articles; and her
present bad harvest, accompanied by re-
duction Of our tariff, would lead to the re-
peal Of her corn laws, and the unrestric-
ted admission, at all times, of our agri-
cultural products
The report goes on 10 state that the ma
nufacturing interest is opposed to recip-
rocal free trade with foreign nations, and
instances the rejection of the Zoll-Verien
treaty and their support of proluniory
tariff, which, il is alleged, is double BEN
eft fn tho rnannfaai1rar and double lUss
to the farmer and planter-a benefit to
the former, in nearly monopoly to the
home market, and in enhanced prices Of
their fabrics; and loss to the latter, in
payment of those high prices, and in TO-
tai or partial exclusion from the foreign
market. The report adds: The num-
Der OF manufacturing capitalists who de-
rive the benefit from the heavy taxes ex-
tracted by the tariff from the twenty mil |
lions of people, does not exceed ten thou
sand. The whole numbep {including the
working classes engaged in our manufac-
tures) deriving any benefit from the tariff,
does not exceed 100000, of whom not
more than 10000 would still have been
brought INTO this pursuit by the last tariff. |
But this small number of 10000 would |
still have been in the country. consuming /
our agricultural products; and in the at
tempt 10 secure them rs purchasers, so I
small number, and not consuming one
hall the supply Of many counties, the far
mef and planter are asked to sacrifice the /
markets eff the world, containing popu-
lation of eight hundred millions, disabled
from purchasing our products by our high |
duties on all they would sell in exchange. |
The farmer and planter would have the |
home market without tariff, and they
would have the foreign market also to a |
much greater extent, but for the total or
partial prohibition of the last tariff.
The report goes on TO speak of the /
great variety of our agricultural products,
which TO be consumed must find a for
elgn market, or be greatly depressed in
value. If on our reduction of duties.
England repeals her corn laws, nearly all
Europe must follow her example. or give
TO her manufacturers advantages which |
cannot be successfully encountered in
most of the markets of the world. The
report adds:
The tariff did not raise the price of our
bread-stuiis; but a bad harvest in England
does-giving us for the time that foreign
1larket which we would soon have al all |
oil I'm, lNr- r Il