The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-08-09
CONVERSATIONS on Tnn rARIrr.

had read the newspapers, and had listened to
speeches upon this subject; but that they abounded
in terms which he did not understand, and which
were not sufficiently explained, so that he derived
but little information from them. Hs further OBJ
served that if would permit him to ask questions
IN his own way, and would conline my answers to
his questions, 1t would be most satisfactory, as
scented 70 his proposals and the result of our CONVEX
sations at various times, satisfactory to him,
that, at his earnest request, offer them to the pub
lie, under hope that they may be agreeable and
useful to others who are similarly situated. His
questions and my answers, as nearly MS can reco-
lect them, were as follows:
QueSton.--ln the first place, desire to know the
meaning of the term "duties?h
Answer-It is the name of a TAX which govern
mont places upon imported goods.
Cues What is the object of this tax?
Ans 1t is two-fold--frst, to produce revenue;
that is to raise sum OF money for the support of
our general government; and secondly to raise a
sum of money for American sugar-panters, and for
American manufacturers, sufficient in amount TO
able them TO carry on their respective operations
probably.
Cues. Is an equal tax laid upon all imported
goods
Ans By no means. On dye-stufis, and many
minerals which are principally used by manufac-
turers, there is no tax o On very fine clothes,
very fine silk, gold chains, precious stones, and
other articles of taste and luxury, the tax, al pres
ent, is very light. But heavy taxes are laid upon
blankets, and all other articles which alb.
solutely necessary to the enjoyment of civilized
life. This arrangement Of the INK on the different
kinds and qualities of goods, is called tsrif
Cues What is the whole amount Of tax collected
on imported goods annually?
Ans This depends upon the amount which is I'M
ported We may, at present, set 1t down, III round
numbers, at twenty-five millions
Cues Is the whole revenue of the government
derived from this tax goods'
Ans Principally. There are few millions
drawn from the sale of the public lands, and other
sources, but not to any amount which can pe i'm
portant 10 our present investigation.
Cues. How is the tax on imported goods col
lecteG
Ans The tax is laid as soon as the goods arrive;
and the importer has TO pay it, before the goods can
be taken on shore #UH
Cues. Do the importers, then, contribute TWEEN
ty-fve millions year to the support of our govern
rnenta
Ans No, nor any part of it: they could not af-
ford it. For instance, an importer of sugar pur
chases hogshead, weighing one thousand pounds,
for twenty five dollars, in the island OF Cuba,
When he arrives at an American port lie is cont
PEELED to pay n tax of twenty-five dollars. or
course if he had lose this tax, he would lose ali
his capital; for would take all his sugar to pay the
tax. W .,
Cues. How does the importer get back the
money which he pays as-taxi
4 Ans. In the same way that lie gets back the
money which hePad for the sugar in the island and
for freight he adds all these items and tie tax to-
geher, and calls the SUM of them cost. He then
lays reasonable profit, and all together he calls his
price. So that, when he sells the sugar, he (under
the name Of Ptice) gets back the tax with cost and
other charges
Cues. Do you, then, really think that high tax
raises the price of goods
Ans A high tax has lust The same effect ~ .i','
price Of goots that high FIRST cost hos. If hogs
head of sugar costs nothing in the island Of Cuba,
and is taxed twenty-five dollars il will sell for the
same price in our market as hogshead which cost
twenty-five in Cuba, and pays no tax.
Cues, Does all the money which is produced by
this tax on imported goods go into the public treas
ury'
Ans. Yes
Cues, How, then, does this tax-law raise a sum
of money for the sugar planters and the manuiac-
turers?
Ans. If there were no tax, sugur, which is pro-
duced 10 Cuba at twenty-five dollars per hogshead,
would, with freight and charges, sell at SAY thirty
dollars in our MARKET and, by the laws Of trade
and competition, the American sugar. planter would
have to sell at the same price; but when a tax of
twenty-five dollars is laid upon the Cuba hogshead,
that necessarily raises the price of it, as we have
seen, TO ifty-fye dollars The same laws of trade
and competition enable the American sugar-papter
to rise to the price. And thus il is that by the
force of this taxing law, and by its force and opera
ton alone, the American sugar-planter taxes the
American consumer at the rate of twenty-five dol
lars per hogshead, two and half cents per
pound, on oil the sugar he can make IL it were
for this law, bale of cotton weighing four hun
dred pounds, and selling in Cuba at twenty-five dol
lars, would bring home hogshead Of sugar weigh
ing one thousand pounds; but under the authority
OF this law, the home-proecied planter charges one
bale Of cotton for tax, and another for sugar; so
that 1t requires two bales to obtain the hOgshead
This law produces the same effect upon the price Of
bread slufs meat, and all the articles which the
sugar planter consumes, or for which he is willing
to barter his sugar.
Cues If this increase of the price of American
sugar is tax, what is the penalty for falling to
poyi9
Ans The same penalty that is paid for falling to
pay the government tax. In either case, If you re-
fuse to pay the tax, you will go without the sugar.
Cues. You have spoken only Of sugar. is the
effect of the taxing law similar upon all the protected
articles of American manufactures
Ans. Exactly the same The amount of the tax
differs ON different commodities but the principle is
the same in all.
Cues. What is the whole amount Of taxes which
are thus collected from the whole mass of consumers
for the benefit of the sugar planters and the manu-
faciurerss
Ans. The amount is rapidly on the Increase il
may be safely set down. for the present at fifty mil
hons OF dollars II is probably mucNQpore, but il
10 exceedingly difficult, perhaps impossible, to ex-
PLAIN the exact amount.
Cues. Why is the precise amount Of this tax un-
Ans. | have no means of usceriainng the amount
which paid to any protected cass except the sugar
planters. Every manufacturer is his own custom
house officer and his own clerk. He collects his
own tax, and being accountable for it TO one he
renders no accounts
Cues. But do not those who pay know how much
they pay 10 government, and how much to the man
ufacturer
Ans. They cannot know how much they pay to
either Many imported articles, as we have seen, are
not taxed all; taxed specifically -that is,
by the pound, the piece, or the yard others, by
per centage the cost aud others, again, by an IN
genious device called a minimum. So that the
whole affair is so intricate and so complicated,
that 1t s almost impossible for any one TO separate
the tax ON any article which he purchases from the
cost and charges. Indeed, he does not know the
FIRST cost, nor the charges, nor the profit; and Of
course he cannot probably know the amount Of the
IL is added TO the rest; they all make the price;
That he learns and pays, and can know no more.
Cues What is the amount which the sugar-plant-