Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-12-11

IN anticipation of the period Of ITS re i'm
bufseupais under the authority conferred
upon The Secretary Of he Treasury BY
the acts Of Jolly twenty h's,, ls4l. and OF
A riI iiiietnsh, aud Of March thirj. iS43,
had not the unsettled state Of ouf relstions
with Mexico menaced hostile collision
with thai po~ef. la sl.w o! such a con-
IingeEry, il WIS deemed pra ent 70 retain
I 10 the lr-asury AN auli8nl unusually large
/ Tor ordinary purposes.
a 1 " Years ago. our whole nati 1nal
debt gov NJ out ithr Revolution and
4 the al uf 1912 with Crest b titan was
ext,ngushed, snd We presents TO thu
world the rare aud noble spectacle Of
great and growing people WIN had fully
discharged every Obligation. Since that
1 time, the existing debt has been contract.
ed and small as il is, in comparison with
the similar burdens OF mos. other nations,
II should be ext ngulshed al the earliest
practicable period. Should The state OF
the country permit, and, especially i our
foreign relations inleIpose no OBSTACLE, it
IS conteml lated to apply all tho MONIES in
the Treasury as they accrue beyond what
IS required for the appropriations by Con-
gfess, 10 its liquidation. | cherish the
hope Of soon being able to congratul tie
tbs country on its recovering once more
the lofty position which Il so recently oc-
cupled. Our country, winch exhibits TO
20 the world the benz fits Of seif-goverp-
ment, 10 deye oprng ell he sources Of na-
tienal prosperity, owes to mankind the
permanent example OF a nation free E ON
the bl ghtlng influence Of public debt.
The attention Of Congress is invned 10
the importance Of making suitable unodif
cations and reductions of the rat, oil duty
imposes by our presen, tariff laws. The
object ofimposing duties on imports should
be 20 raise revenue to pay the necessary
expenses of government. Congress may /,
undoubtedly, IN the exercise OF a sound
discretion, discriminate in arranging the
rates Of duty on different articles !; but the
DETERMINATIONS should be within iheIeve.
tue standard, and be made with The vie "
to raise money for The support Of govern
ment.
Ii becomes important 10 understand dis
unctly what is meant by a revenue star
dard, the maximum OF VIII CHI should mol
pc exceeded in the ra;es OF duty imposed.
1t is conceded, and experience proves, that
duties may be laid so high as 10 diminish,
or prohibit altogether, the importation oil
any gwen article, and thereby lesser or
destroy The revenue which at lower rates.
would be derived from lis importation. -
Such duties exceed the revenue rates, and
are MT imposed TO raise money fr the
support ofthe government. II Congress
levy a duty, for revenue, of one per cent.
on a gwen article, It will produce a gwen
amount OF money TO the treasury, and wtll
incidentally and necessarily afford protec.
ton OF advantage. TO the amount Of one
per cent. to the home manufacturer Of a
similar or like article over the importer.
Ii the duty be raised TO ten per cent, il
will produce greater amount oil money,
aud ufford greater protection. II It still
be raised 10 twenty, twenty-five, or thir-
ty per cent, aud if, as il be raised, the
revenue derived from il is found to be in
creased, The protection or advantage
will also be increased but # II be rails
ed 10 thiuy.one per cent. and it is
found that the revenue produced a, that
rate IS less than at thirty per cent, it csa.
SEES to be revenue duty. The precise
point IN the ascending scale of the duties
at which 1t is ascertaned from experience
that the revenue IS greatest, is the maxi
mum rate Of duty which can b. laid for
the bona fde purpose Of collecting money
for the support of government. To ra Sc
The duues higher than that point, and
thereby diminish the amount collected, is
10 levy them for protection mercy, ano
DOT for revenue. AS long, then, as Con
gress may gradually increase the rate OF
duty on gwen article, and the revenue
is INCREASED by such increase Of duty, thew
are within the revenue standard. When
they go beyond tina; point. and, as they in
crease The duties, the revenue is diminish
cd or destroyed, the act ceases TO have
for its object the raising OF money 10 sup
port government, but is for protection
merely.
1t does not follow that Congress should
levy the highest duty on all articles OF
import which they will bear within the
ItNtuue StdnUufu, iOT eouic IdttS Woulu
probably produce much larger amount
than the economical administration of the
government would require. Nor does it
follow that the duties on articles should
b. at the same or horizontal rate. Some
articles will bear a much higher revenue
duty than others. Below the max mum OF
the revenue standard, Congress may and
ought TO discriminate in the rates imposed,
taking care so to adjust them on different
articles as to produce an aggregate am 'unt
which, when added TO the proceeds OF
sales Of public lands, may b. needed 10
pay the economical expenses Of the gov
erEment.
In levying a tariff of duties, Congress
exercises The taxing power, anc for pur.
poses Of revenue may select the objects OF
taxation. They may exempt certain ar
tIcles altogether, and permit their impor.
tation free Of duty. On Others they may
Impose low duties. la these classes
should be embraced such articles of ne
cessty as are in general use, and especi-
ally such as are consumed by the wealthy
c;lzen. Care should be taken tina, ali
,he great interests OF the country, inclu-