Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1846-07-17

1Me TV6resK1O9kSHMS BILL
Some Of our readers may not be acquainted
with the nature and the provisions Of this i'm
portant bill, which has just passed the
Senate Of the United States, and which.
we humbly trust, will, ere the termination of
the present session Of Congress, become the
law Of the land.
Under the Tariff of 1912, when goods are
imported into this country, the duty on them
must be paid Immediately in cash. This en-
harnesses trade very much. Indeed, it throw s
the importing business almost entirely into the
hands of the rich capitalists. The poor enter
prisng young merchant is literally unable to
import. For suppose he purchasesin England
or France goods for the New York market. to
the amount of S25 900, when they are landed
in this country he has to plank up in hard dol
lars the duty, amounting to six or seven thou.
sand dollars, before be can touch particle of
them. This, perhaps, he is unable to do.
The consequence is, that the importing. as we
observed before, is in the hands Of the rich
capitalists of this and foreign countries. To
obvlae this difficulty, the present bill proFo-
ses that the government shall erect large store
houses at the principal ports of entry, into
which the goods shall immediately be put
upon their arrival in this country, and that
there they may remain for the space of three
years, subject only to the usual charge for
storage, anb without the payment of interest
upon the duty, from the time of their entry
Thus, when the poor man imports 10; OF
goods. say from England, he immediately puts
| them in the public warehouse" under the
Custom House lock and key, and he can, so
soon as a favorable market offers itself, with
draw them, by paying the duty and charges.
He may not be able 70 make an advantageous
sale Of the whole Of them at one time, and he
can, if he chooses, send his d'ays for such
part of them as he may want, pay up the du-
'y and charges, and carry off just such boxes
ard packages as he may then require. This
would give an immense stimulus to the com
merce of the country, and induce great com
petition in the importing business, and Of
course, cheaper the price OF goods. For this
last reason, the bill is bitterly opposed by the
manufacturers of domestic articles. Their
object is to put down all competition, and, of
course, they oppose every measure which
! would tend to put down monopoly. Another
great end which the ware-housing bill has in
view, is to facilitate the re-exporting of fot-
eign goods from our great seaports. The en-
teIprsing merchant, Of New Orleans, say, i'm
goods from Europe, and on their arrival in
! New Orleans, he Immediately puts them in
! the government warehouse, where they may
remain for the term Of two or three years.
Well, i: may so happen that the importing
merchant may think that he can do better by
sending his goods to some point in South
America. If so, should this bill 60 into ope-
ration, he can re-shiP them at any time, with
out paying cent of du'y-merey paying the
charges. This latter consideration is most
important one. 1t will stimulate our mercan-
tile navy in no ordinary degree. Another
great and most important feature in the bill,
is the amount of revenue which would arise
to the government from the charges for sto.
rage. 1t IS computed that this alone would
pay the expenses of collecting the revenue, a,
the same time that it would be OF immense
beneGt'to the trading community. This is bu,
a rapid glance at the main features of this i'm
portaut measure, blu: we trust that it will no,
be unacceptable to Some of our readers.