The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1846-07-28

about forty per cent, ortne Same DIS '"e o'J
Oh woolleus. which is forty per cent. al va
loren. Now, The. provisions OF the tafin OF
lS43, in respect 70 wool, are SAID, ny those oi
its enemies wbo profess 10 be lriendly 10 Tue
wool growing interest, to be tani'y I'D TWO
particulars-the imposition ct an al vaioreH
dniy on cheap woods, and ol too low a duty on
those of higher cost: and II Is sad mat me
frauds upon tho ad valorem duty on coarse
and the low rute imposed oh fine woods. are
the causes Of ihc reduced prices oil The clip oil
1915. II the frauds upon The revenue are, as
! Incline 10 think, a vail objection to Inc 40
valurem duty on cheap MOul. they are jortt-
orr, decisive argument against The whole
bill now proposed, which levies ALL duiies
upon the ad valorem principle I; aud no Dem
oc.at, who has coude;n"e the tariff oil lc]2
for this feature, can honestly sustain the
bill of the committee. As 10 the duty on
sner wool, while | admit that it ought to
have been higher, yet | Insist 1t Is still rcla-
nvely much above that on wOoIlens, ana
rd,at the Uool-grower would be more bene-
Gttod by an al Iilional dn,y of ten or t"en
~ per cent on cloths, taln by Ike increase
Of the duty on the raw ml'eriaL 1t is noto-
ricus that, with the present arrangement
rhe woollen factories in general are oaie-
Ty sustained. An increased duty on cloths
wou,d exclude more cifrctualiy foreign
competition, aud by securing TO the manu-
faclurer more certain profits, woulI enable
him to pay better prices GIr wool. A higher
du'y on WOOL, on the other hand. II The
manufacturer is left 10 compete with The Tor
eign capitalist, might compel him TO sus-
pend his operations, and deprive hisn both of
ihe ability and The inducement 10 purchase
altogether. The exclusion or increased cost
Of foreign woods avails the woOl-srower moth
Ing, unless Ire is secured market Tor liis
own; and this can only he done by aifordiRg
the man sfaciurer such encouragement as
will induce him TO buy. JUDGED. the duty on
wonilens, though apparently high, IS ~ TACT
balanced. or Deutialized as protection, by
eounlervailing duties on the raw material and
Other articles necessary for the manhiaciur-
er's use. II you compute the duty oil broad
cloth al forty per cent. al valnrem, aud cal
cnlate the amount of the duty on the wool,
the dye stuffs, the oil, the chemical prepara
ations used il the process Of manufacture.
and til other articles consumed by the la
borer, and paid for in augmented wages BY
his employer, you will find that the manuac
,urer, who is protected by duty of one dol
worth three dollars. has consumed in The
fibrifcation Of thai yard other articles subject
20 ms great an amount Of duty as the cloth
he has produced. All protection TO the
wooilen weaver, which encourages and ena-
bIes him to buy wdol, is protection also 10
the COL grower; and. in general, protection
u those who convert The raw mateIial enures
10 the benefit of those who produce il. We
AK, therefore, protection for manufactures.
not rs manufacturers, but as wool
growers. as dealers III dye siutfs, as produ-
,eis of the food, the raw material. and The
Other necessalies which the manufacturing
artisan consumes.
However strong may be the speculative
convictions Of gentlemen, that different sys-
tenn Of financial policy would be better than
tia: now in iorce, they should nevertheless
remember, that we have not 20 decide the
mere abstract question. what international
arrangements are suitable 10 right reason
what mutual system Of supply would, upon
the whole. be best for all-but question
conditioned hy the circumstances and institu-
tions of our own country; by its physical or
accidental adaptation 10 particular modes OF
iuI ustry ;Ly the policy of other nations, whom
we rival, or with whom we trade; by the ex
is;ing interests " llch have grown up under
our past leg islaion, and are dependant upon
our present and future action. In all great
Questions of state Polity the fortunes of ihous-
ands are al stake, and the bread of the citizen,
the fuod of labor. is the subject Of the analysis
and combination of the political aichymist.
The true inquiry therefore is. not what uni
form policy would be best for all nations, out
what particular pulcy.all things ecnsidered.is
Richest for that people which has entrusted lis
welfare 10 our hluds, which our legislation
ony can directly reach, and TO which alone
vs., as Legislators are responsible. Before
~ great change is advenIuIed upon, we are
hound to see that il is recommended by the
c:eaiost reasons of justice or exPedency and
nsihipg can Justify revolutions in policy for
the SAKE Of mere experiment, uuiill the evils Of
existing ystem are become intoleraLle.
stated in the oniset, that tie reduction of
the tariff was asked at our hands as Il meas
are beneficial TO public finance and TO private
economy. This argument, in both IFS phases,
though ollen nssd ny persons professedly
friendly TO the manufacturing ard mechanical
nttre>ts. is founded up>n the expectation of
81 state Of things utterly irreconcilable with
the prosperity OF thnse interests. as well as
with the common veal III other relations; aud
il needs but " orb to shew that, if the finan-
ci,l results predicted from the reduction Of
The tariff are obtained NJ all, it can only be by
the utter prcsiration Of the industry of the
country, and oil The vast moral and physical
jnterest which depend upon it.
The financial argument, the principle long
snotilered, but now avow cd, that duties are
TO he not only imposed, hat arranged, solely
with a view to rerenuc-ihe duty Oh every
ar'irle being fixed at jus; that rate which
will yield the largest rcturn to The treasury
suppose perpetual lactualion. The duties
are to be vared from time to time. to meet
the wants Of the Government, and tho de-
mands of trade fer particular articles oil for
eisn fabrication bni, according 10 The ia
innus tariff reported Of tie Committee Of
Ways and Means Of the 2Sth Congress,
which is understood To be still the exponent
Of the views Of the committee reporting this
bill, the variation is always to be in one direc-
ton. few months since. when there WIS
an apprehension Of an excess of revenue, we
were told that the threatened evil must be
prevented by reduction Of the duties exacied
hv Government; now. when the uniowmd