Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-08-22
SPEECH OF THE Hon. SIMON oAMERON,
On the Reduction Of the Tariff of 1s42,
DELIVERED IN THE SENATE OF TIE UNITED STATES,
JULY ~, 1916.
i.,.,t 81 (COucltfdedl
(Concluded.)

The honorable chairman the Committee
on Finance has undertaken to show that there
has been large incfease in our exports for the
last half year. The correctness Of his conclu.
sons are rendered doubtful from the very par.
tial view which he has taken of The subject
lie has given US only the exports from the port
Of New York. It will be readily seen that
they mey be greatly increased there. and yet
the whole amount be scarcely varied. Owing
to the restrictions heretofore imposed upon our
trade with Great Britain, and the regulations of
their colonial system, our agricultural products
were taken first into Canada, and exported
thence into England. The recent changes in
her corn laws, while they have materially af.
tected the interest of their Canadian subjects,
have had no beneficial effect upon our prices.
This the honorable chairman has kept out Of
sight. The only change has been TO export
this produce directly TO England Instead Of
through Canada. without benefiting in the
slightest degree the farmer here.
The chairman speaks of the anticipated re.
peal of the cornlaws. He ought TO have known
that this repeal has been absolute for some
months. When Sir Robert Peel introduced
his new corn bill into Parliament, the custom.
house officers were directed to regulate the du.
ties by its provisions, taking bonds from the i'm.
porter for the difference TO be paid should the
bill not become a law. hI 8'
1t is probable that larger amount Of bread.
stuffs will be shipped this year than heretofore,
but for reasons very different from that assigned
BY the honorable chairman. One have slrea.
dy given. The anticipation of the new British
tariff regulations gave sudden and unworan.
ted advance to prices here. last fall. Unusual.
" large amounts were purchased BY specula.
tors. Their expectations were not realized !;
and, after holding as long as their means and
credit would permit, they were compelled to
sell at any prices. From these ruined specula.
tore it went into the hands Of shippers, who
have eent it abroad. should like 10 see the
first farmer who has received the slightest be.
nefit from the modification of the English corn
laws. It's an indispu.able fact that we never
have and never can compete with northern Eu-
rope in supplying England with brendstuffs!
The laws of nature and of trade render il utter.
ly impracticsbic. The history Of the -four bu-
siness Of this country proves that when il is at
the lowest price, expectations are largest,
When the farmer sells his -four for half price,
when the dealer and miller are ruined all over
the country, then, and then only. do the British
buy breadstuffs from us in large quantities: at
no other time can we compete with the low.
priced wheat and rye shipped into England from
the Russian and German provinces-countries
where literally the .ox is muzzled who trsads
out the corn," and where the lsborer who pro,
duces the grain is permitted only to eat the
husks from which the wheat is winaowed.
We are referred to the recent action Of Eng.
land upon her corn laws, as a reason for redu.
cling our tariff upon foreign manufactures
Who is 60 blind as not to see that there is nc
parallel between the cases! In England j, is an
effort of the laboring population to rid them
selves Of the oppression Of the landed sris,ocrs
cy, by which they are deprived Of their bread
Here. it is an effort Of the arisocracy to deprive
the laboring man Of the means Of earning biz
bread, fst s.r7 1
The great market, and the only certain mar
ket Of this country, is that created by the msnu
featuring interest at home. Those who lool
to Europe for consumers Of the products OF ou
soil will be disappointed; and, in the end, tn,
surplus population and increased capital of thu
west will seek manufactures as the means o
employment. @ '-sf l's tt
tn proof Of this view Of the case, | need onl,
mention the fact that the single State Of Massa
chusetts took last year from the other State
last year one million Of barrels of -four r--mor
than the whole export Of that article from tn
United States to foreign countries. Il 10 ais
true that for the last twenty years the hom
market has generally kept the price Of bread
stufs above the shipping price. These fact
ought to settle this question. ! might ask, i
conclusion. what berefciai effect can the re
duction of the price abroad have upon our pre-
ducts here 1sfaisa 1nnr a@ ssi
The objections to this bill itself sre % M
merous, that il 10 hard to tell where they begi
, or where they end. am glad 70 be able to a
} quit my honorable and able friend, the chsi
! man Of the Committee on Finance, from .
participation in concoctng scheme 90 we
calculated to do mischief 90 badly adapted |
the legitimate business Of the country. and
certain 10 fail in producing sufficient reyenu
TO meet the expectations Of the government
Its chief evil on the business Of the country