Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-07-30
DUTIES ON IMPORTS.

, Inc aaversares of Protection both in and out Of
congress, (remarks the National Intelligencer)
srehuousy advocate the superiority of ad ruloren,
duties over specific ones. Mr. McKAY's anti-ta-
ri bill goes upon the od ralorem principle, as be-
ing less favorable TO home protection. and the Es>
ecutive organ, bound to defend whatever is Demo-
cratic doctrine. for the time being clamors daily in
favor of the same principle. This is the Demo.
cratic notion of to-day. But let us see what il was
yesterday that is, what it was when the ones,ion
OF the tariff was last debated in Congress- Wa
will furnish the learned economists Of the IJnion
with the opinions Of gentleman whose Democrats
ic orthodoxy they will not dispute, and whose ac
quain;ance with the subject of imposts is at least
equal to that of any of these who now, in either
House of Congress, contend for the dd raiorens
mode. In Mr. BUCHANAN's speech, delivered in
the Senate on the 9th of August, 1912, ON the
tariff bill, which soon after became law, we find
the annexed orcibe remarks in regard to the rela-
tive merits of the two modes of laying duties.
81 am (said Mr.. b. not only opposed to any uni
form scale of ad vaorcm duties, but to any and all
ad vaorem duties whatever, except in cases where,
from the nature of the article imported it is not
possible TO subject 1t to specific duty. Our own
severe experience has taught lesson on this
subject we ought not TO forget. l cannot re-
fran from briefly adverting to some of my reasons
for this opinion.
"Qur ad valorem system has produced great
frauds upon the revenue, whilst it has driven the
importing. and placed it almost exclusively in the
hands OF the agents of British manufacturers
The American importer produces his invoice to tho
collector, containing the actual price at which his
imports were purchased abroad and he pays the
far and regular duty upon this invoice Not 50 the
British agent. The foreign manufacturer, in his
invoice, reduces the price of the articles which he
intends to import into our country to the lowest
possible standard which he thinks will enable them
10 pass through the custom-house without being
seized Tor fraud and the business has been hitherto
managed with SO much ingenuity as generally to
I De oe'ec.ion. The consequence is, that the
Dri'ish agent passes the goods of his employer
through the custom-houSe on the payment nj n
much lower duty than the fair American merchant
Is compelled to pay. In this manner he is under
sold IN the market by the foreigner, and thus is dr-
ven from the competition, whilst the public reve-
nue. is fraudulenty reduced.
''Again: ad valorem duties deprive the Aneri-
can manufactures of nearly all the benefits of incl
dental protection when it is most required. When
INC busincss OF the country is depressed as il is at
present; and when the price of foreign articles
SINKS to tar less than their cost, your duty sinks in
me same proportion, and you are also deprived of
revenue ut the time when it is most needed
''Our own experience, therefore, ought to have
convinced us that whenever it is possible from tho
nature OF the article, ought to substitute specifit.
for ad valorem duties. These continue to be the
same upon the same articles, notwithstanding the
constant fluctuations in prices They afford ste,
dy revenue to the country, and an equally steady
incidental protection. When commodities are usi
ally sold by weight or by measure, you may always
subject them to specific duty; and this ought al
ways TO be done.
LET us, then, abandon the idea of uniform
horizontal scale OF nd valorem duties and whether
the duties be high low let us return to the ancient
practice of the Government. Let us adopt wise
determinations and, whenever this can be done,
impose specific duties"