Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-10-16
Prom this Southern Literary Messenger.
The WAREHousE System DiREcr TRADE WITH II


Prom tins southern Literary Messenger.
TnE wAREHousK System AND DiREcr TRADE WITH the
SouTH.
Continued.
may be said. that the present system works well
aud the country Hourshng Thank God does four
'sh and probably would flourish under
careless and injurious legislation than
planning Of The people have energy enough
modate themselves, by degrees TO circumstances and
were 90 be enacted OF less ID
Ut feet high should be allowed import dutiabe goods.
We should probsby find fair number OF such importers
10 ull operation, two years hence II had fetch
them from Patagonia. The question is, whether the
present system be tolerated without putting stop to
foreign trade but whether just reasonable and desr
able-n Short whether II the best that practicable
This Is PLAIN view the Government GOO
no matter whether for protection revcnue this
intended to fall upon the merchant f importing ,ne
upon the goods becaute they have arrived at New York
az New Orleans, but because they have gone OUT OF
THS CONTROL. GuyERsngST, INTO cJNsuNP-
TON. The Government must be that they do not
60 into consumption until the duty IL paid and can be
secure by having custody Of them until that time,
other words, by the Warehousing System. Besides
the correct principle Of axaon the should b.
cured st the least ssbe expense and risk to the Govern
ment combined with the least possible
the tax payers-or, what the thing, the
mes That the tax Is not upon the good, but
consumption OF the goods, is conceded by
IL, when they exported to foreign county,
called by paying drawback de- the exporter
why then SHOULD the duty be demanded before goods
wanted for consumption But paying back these du-
ties by drawback dtbsnurc the Government ~
per cent and repays only 97 prof secy in lo days after
expectation, there in New York eneay in not
than IS days Why 81 per cent any ne should be re-
tained know not; the only all plausible
heard 10 10 pay thing for the trouble given the
tom House, but this is worth any lining, ough
to apply to tea and cUee and oil other articles That
yiree must, therefore, conclude hatti practice not
founded Ia all Il is certainly INJURIOUS 10 our
port trade aud ships.
Anoiher consession on the par of the Government,
that the duty not the goods upon their consunp
non to be found in the circular Of the present Seere
~ OF the Treasury, allowing goods remain beyond the
usual time ia tho Public Store" because the late IRE in
New York has fallen heavily upon the importing neret
but word here this sounds liule like Warehou-
sing System. When u merchant does 10 pay his
duties before landing he ablans from catering the goods
and hS ship losing patience the delay the Custom
House iosnd the unen.red goods and opposite the
"Pube Store and they remain there uleniered yond
aspecihed nme, the eolIscier sells them by auction
der To obtain the duty for the Government and the charge.
Tor the . Public Store"
AT the time Of the bank suspension all remember
how the Government postponed the payment Of du bonds
for certain time, tighten the pressure OF the money
market upon the imporers-whyi the me
ITSELF but because the o the bonds under
such pressure prevented the buyers for pon
buying usua-r prspenisd fAe soods soi~g
sumptioR.
"And after the great New York fire. some years ago.
the payment Of the bonds postponed. and think IN
some cases the duty actually remtted the fundamental
that the goods had been burnt. and had
gone into eoHsnmpoR and, therefore, the Government.
although legally entitled. equitabIy entitled 10 the
duty, because other would be imported supply the
TO have filled, and the Government would receive duties
twice upon portion Of the consumption Of the
ny, which, Oi course. intended 10 be the
The Government said Of hrs-ihe law thus and
grant besides, the importer ought have
covered the duties in his fire insurance. The importers
replied, did insure the duties part OF the value oi
the goods but the fire extensive that the insurance
companies are ruined, and unable to pay us. we took
oil reasonable care TO protect ourselves and as the
ordinary consumption Of the country yet to be
supplied by fresh imporalons in place OF those burnt
Government lDse
the duty;-t merely would gain by the calamity OF the
city OF New York besides which. II the Warehousng Sys
TEN had existed. goods burnt IN bonded Warehouse
charged with the duty. Well the equity Of the
other words the principle that the duty
the goods but upon the consumption Of the goods prevail
ed To greater or less extent aud indulgence, which
under Warehousing System would have been
ny and unnsked, granted. And what the
quenc,l reply from best authority, that the defa.
cations OF Swarwoui and Price had their origin the
iusion which these postponements Of duties caused the
CASTOR HJuse transactions. We, therefore, know exact
y how many hundred thousand of dollars the Government
lost by Its adherence 10 injurious, unsafe irrational and
unnecessary mode al collecting duties, in the
least How much II has lost by dcbenure frauds do not
pretend TO say; but not a triHe, ii we knew ALL
II do not what obj eeons be made TO the Ware
housing System The State Of the revenue and OF
the credit of Government forbid any mdy The part OF
the Tfeasury,the great profits Of our home
ought to prevent any unnecessary alarm in that quarter
and the probable revision Of the Tan makes IL particular
iy desirable thai the Warshousing ssvd he nir1duc
cd without delay as preliminary to any alterations m
be made thereaiter without agatng and the
foreign trade Of the country.
The present SYSTEM by requiring immediate sudden
and large outays OF money for duties tends drive men OF
moderate capital out Of the importing trade and TO throw
IL into the hands OF few capitalists THUS leading TO mo
nopoizng speeulaions and to induce wealthy foreign
Houses To establish Branches In New York. to take the b
sness from the natives Of tho county swes the
receipts and payments the Custom House. causes
fluctuations IN the monthly receipts OF revenue than IN d
ties were merely paid when the goods pass OF the Gus
tody OF the Government for consumption; increases risks
Of loss and chances Of delacaon and fraud: creates nm
necessary uncertainty TO estimates Of
and by reducing the stocks Of high dued goods
emily low nps In the very bud the export trade in foreign
products, causes unnatural and injurious fluctuations IN
prices, and neojessy exposes the and comor
Of life 10 the control Of monopolists
The proposed, or Warehousing System Ia. stood tho
test OF ~ yoan practice In England has secured the co
on M o'enues oepeh"ed the navigation and cum
mefco :" inst county, and insured more uniform, tie
the consumers OF foreign produce Much "a I bsvo -
10 the way OF such things, havo never heard 81 ~ -
Iouno a Hi'n 'nefe except by some Of tho Landed in
ieros high Tory party, aud that ycsrs ago und, H.
preienee that wheat smugged into consu p,ion o.,
the tondod Warehouses; but really because the e.i.ten
Of stocks Of bonded gfsin aud -four ready TO he
Tor home Consumption whenever prices advanced sueen
~ allowed the grain gfowefs less time profit BY minc
prices, than the foreign grain mad been already on
the spot but had 10 imported from abroad ia moe ,h
scsrcty. 49, ~
Probably the grain already In bond was imported BY IN.
merchant beeause he had anticipated scsreiy sad
So he act prevented certain extent the necessity n
the consumer paying famine prices and a. .e,sd gy..,
saving o money ard perhaps u suffering TO the consuming
csss But pehaps he merely imported IL because he had
chip at Danzo, which otherwise have returned home
IN ballast and the Pice being extremely low he though, !,
safe operation 70 load her with wheat and tke ali the
chances Of demand IN England for home eop.umpon a,
ohporaion " ho had been obliged 10 pay sny ,sb d,tv
on arrival IN England, such our duty on iron which I,
iuIy 100 per cent duy OF 10 per cent his shin
"oud probably have returned home IN ballast Tor he s,r
no pooabiv OF early scarcity, and might well have an
pesred TO him both hszardous and inconyenien, 10
outlay Of essh Tor duty article for which he vb,
mo- demsnd sssving prices for months But no broneb,
the cargo and WsreboOsed and other me fchants
did the same In six months an unforeseen search, s,.s
ana many orders were dsspsehed the Baltic for wheat,
bot they were limited the lover price becsu.e Of 1be cn
millions OF bushels already in bond sod known 10 be ON The
wy And the Ru'sso and the Dane also lad ,h,ir cycs
upon the bonded stocks snd Supplied the order. TO- 90 and