The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-18

under such circumstances, deduction Of two
and half per cent. will be made refunding the
duties
8. 1t is said, also, that goods may be Withdrawn
IN the smallest quantities for home consumption, and
that the public stores win become mere retail shops
Il is certainly very unlikely that any such result
will follow. No merchandise be Withdrawn
without permit from the collector and this permit
must be paid for. The Inconvenience and ex pense
will, in ordinary cases, constitute sufficient obsta-
cles 10 the withdrawal of minute Quantities Of mer-
chandise. But if gentlemen think il material, the
objection can readily be removed by a proyso, that
no merchandise shall be Withdrawn from store ia
less quantities than in an entire package, bale, box,
or eask
| These, as understand them, arc the objections
made TO the details Of the bill and am sure il will
afford the senator pleasure TO find on more critical
examination ofthe bill, that there is not Of them
which ~ not either groundless, which may not be
removed by The most simple amendment.
/ will only say in conclusion in respect 10 the de-
tails Of the bill that il has been subjected to the rigid
scrutiny OF some Of the most experienced individuals
I'm the revenue service. Some now in commission,
and others who have become familiar with the ope-
rations OF the system, through long experience in
prominent siuations-aIt these gentlemen concur in
the opinion that il will be adequate to the objects il
has in view, and thatit is sufficiently guarded against
abuse. But should experience point out necessary
changes, il will always be easy 70 make them.
leone now, Mr.. President, TO portion Of the
| senator's remarks, which will require a somewhat
extended and critical examination. When this bill
was first called up for consideration, alluded Incl
dentay, In my explanation Of its provisions to the
British warehouse system and 10 the influence il had
exerted upon the commercial prosperity Of Great
Britain. did not say, nor do intend to intimate,
that the plan proposed by the bill under considera-
ton was copied in any degree, from the British sys-
tenn. On the contrary, 1 had, throughout my re-
marks, kept steadily in view the idea that IL
founded upon own laws regulating the deposite
Of merchandise in the public stores and that the OBJ
jects Il had in view were TO be accomplished by an
| enlargement and more extended application OF the
provisions Of those laws. In his reply, the senator
referred ito the British system omparng the plan
proposed by the bill under consideration with it, and
in his references TO the operation Of the former he
came to conclusions to which cannot yield my
sent Fey.
have no printed report of the senator's remarks,
and, speaking from very hasty and brief notes OF
his topics, l may inadvertently misstate him. |
trust shall not; but if do, beg him to be assured
that no one will regret II so much ss myself.
understood one Of his first remarks in relation
to the British warehouse system to be that it
designed to extend the commerce of Great Britain
and to depress the trade and shipping Of other coun
tries.
| cannot concur with him in all respects, though
not differing with him entirely as TO its design;
and shall endeavor to show that its effects has
been to exclude foreign shipping from partieipa-
ton in the commerce Of the British empire.
Its design, as | have always understood, was
chiefly TO remove great commercial inconvenience
arising from the necessity Of paying duties IN cash
are stated by McCulloeh to have been:
al That the merchant in order to raise funds to pay the
duties, was frequently reduced to the necessity OF selling
his goods mmsdiasy on their arrival when, perhaps, the
- That the duties having be paid all once AMI not
degrees as the goods ysre sold for consumption their
Dric nv ~
| advanced in payment Of the duties.
- That mpettion diminished in consequence
the greater command Of funds required to carry trade
under such disadvantage and few rich individuals
enabled to monoPolize the importation OF those commod
ties on which duties were payable ...
- That the system Of cash the entry OF
chande had an obvious tendency to discourage the
IS That country from becoming an ,nye
PCT for foreign products and hndsred the importation Of
ton and thus tended to lessen the resort Of foreigners 10 the
markets Of Great Britain inasmuch became difficult
rather impossible for hsm to complete assorted cargo"
These the reasons assigned by McCulloch for
establishing the system; and it is curious to observe
how closely this enumeration Of Inconvenience de-
scrlbes those under which our own commerce la
bors.
In the Yearly Journal Of Trade for 1916, work
which has been published for twenty-three years,
and which, believe, may safely be referred to as
authority in matters touching the commercial sys-
tenn of Great Britain, ! find the following passages
in some preliminary remarks in relation TO ware
housing:
to the present century system of
and prohibition pervaded the administration of mari
time and revenue Affairs producing to the
from the Giro the import du.
ties being required to be paid the landing Of goods
particularly the during the late war when
the usual regularity of commercial transactions much
and the merchant at times called upon on the
This gave rise to system of deferng payment allow
goods to be secured in warehouses other approved
and tn he fake mt
might suit the convenience OF parties the payment not be-
1903 the establishment OF the general warehousng
"The principle upon which the warehousing act was
founded was that goods, upon being taken out either
home consumption for expectation, removal coastwise
should be subject to the like conditions when first i'm
ported This was then deemed prodgious boon-such it
unquestonahly was" .,. ..-
Such was the design of the system 1t had no
direct connection with any considerations of policy
in respect to the trade or shipping of foreigners 1t
was matter purely of domestic interest, framed
exclusively for the benefit of the commerce
of Great Britain--not to depress the commerce of
other countries Indeed, by referring to her statutes
it will be that foreign vessels permitted to
carry into her ports, and warehouse for expectation,
articles prohibited to be introduced into the king
dom for home use. .-. .iI
Its effect has not been to discourage the particpa-
ton of foreign shipping in the commercial inter-
course of Great Britain with other nations. On the
contrary, foreign tonnage enters to very remarka-
BILE extent into her foreign trade.
In connection with this subject will proceed to
state of the principal notifications and relax
atoms of her ancient anti-commercia system, which
have taken place within the last half century. For
this purpose will again refer to the last.named
work, as the changes are better and much more
briefly stated than they would be if given in my
own words:
he opening Of the East India trade to private indivd
uas stands foremost in the list of modern alterations in
commercial code. That this trade almost exclusively
confined to the East India company since the year 1895,
during the reign OF Queen Elizabeth, is well known"
1.-THE first general warehousng act was passed in 1903
The leading feature of the waehousng act TO defer the
duties formerly due to the king at the time
Importation, and to allow goods to remain under certain
regulations in warehouses; other places, until may
suit the parties them either for expectation or
home consumption" . . .s .. a
ain the year 1924, entirely principle was intro.
duced into the economy Of foreign trade and which
affects in slight degree the interests of of our sta
pie manufactures -
This principle to abolish far practicable the pro-
hibions on import, and bounties on export
system OF reciprocity in intercourse with foreign
nations has been recently adopted The ships Of those
/ lnn lAA- ~