Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-07-31


raised 10 that point vii! yield on The impor,a.
lion SO diminished, precisely The same amount
OF $4,000 To find that, might require Tie
Use OF fractions. So, to illustrate il IN round
numbers, suppose that The 20 cents duty dimin-
ished The importation only TO rs 900 pair, instead
OF $4,000, as he supposes Now, 20 cents duty
would yield $4,000, the same amount yielded al
ID cents So, again supposing 80 cents duty re-
sricled importation only to $4,000 pairs, this yet
higher duty would sill yield $4,000 the suppo-
sed larger amount, and the sum realized from 5
cents. Here, then, would be three rates Of duty
Is 20, and 80 cenls-each yielding The largest
amount OF revenue which the import would bear;
and oil these The Secretary woui say in common
with every reasonable man, the lowest was The
true revenue duty. And why? Because consistent
" with the attainment oil the amount OF revenue
required, ii imposed Tie eastrestyictos on imports
II raised tic amount by The forrest LAT m The targcs
amount Of consumption, and The largest nhmte,si
consumers 1ciiic IL garc Tic icaa, and PnretU IN
cidcntal bounty, 10 be drarn from he smallest
| amount VI consumption and the isreA consumers.
| On The other hand, either OF the other rates Of
duty are to the extent, respectively, that they eS-
coed the lowest rae alluded 10, purely protective,
as much so as il they were pIohibiiofy; Tor 10
such extent they cut of importation, enhance he
bo"ntieS drawn in The form OF prices on The ar;i-
| Gle made within the country, and exact iheui on
| the larger amount oil consumption, ana from me
| larger numbered CONSUMERS. The nai"Ie o! The
| protective system, and the repnsnancy oil rs aim
| 10 all fair taxation, is thus well Illustrated. II
aims at bounlies 10 classes, not contribution 10 The
| Government. Revenue demands admission 81
! imports as Tree as may bc GnCer the least daiy-
| Protection demands exclusion, either cla: or par
| tial. Revenue duties invite competition from
home and abroad; protection seeks mol lair COM
petition, but Graves monopoly, as full and com
pete as The necessity ol revenue will allow.
So far, Mr.. Chairman, have only sought 10
explain The intimate connection OF the protective
| system with the revenue system of the Govern
ment, and 10 illustrate its repugnancy 10 the nrin-
cipes OF fair taxation. wish now, as far as time
will permit, 10 examine ns practical operation IN
The projected classes themselves, and also on the
other great Interests Of the country. | shall then
inquire into The prac,icabiliiy Of establishing ma
nuiactures with success in The section VI the
Union 10 which belong.
From what has been said OF The inseparablc
connection which exists between the purest reve-
nue. duties and some degree Of incidental prolec-
lion, il is manifest, Mr. Chairman, that in adopt
ing and acquiescing in The system OF deriving the
revenues Of the Government from duties on I'M
ports, no incousiderable concession has been
granted, and no trivial advantage has been ac-
corded by The other great interests OF The Union,
10 those branches OF industry and capital engaged
or 10 be engaged in tie production within The
country OF articles u The same or like character
with those imported from abroad. This advan-
tase results almost entirely 10 Ihs manu-
featuring and some lew ii lie mining interests;
Tor with very few exceptions, the productions .!
The agricultural and the pursuits ci tic CONNER.
cial classes neither require nor admit oi such in
cidena protection. From protection 50 inciden-
tai and limited, it is, however, cheerlu.ly admit
ted some general hent IN is secured, and without
inordinate sacrifice. 1; may frequently happen
that The circumstances oithe country, lis resources
and The condition Of lis industrious classes, may
have prepared il 10 engage successfully and al d
profit in particular branches Of manufactures or
mining, and yet the pre-occupalion Of line marhc,
by imports from abroad, and the serious difficulty
OF dveriing the supplies OF rade from their esla-
blished channels, may deter capital and industry
within the country from engaging i'll competition
with the foreign products. Under snch cl!cnnl-
stances, without some collateral advantages, II Is
manifest that before such enterprises oil domestic
industry would be embarked in, We shoald have
10 wait MOI merely until the products could Dc pre-
duced as cheaply here as a5read but until great
er cheapness OF production could be counted on
and consequent ability existed on The part OF
the domestic producer To nndersell and suPpani
the rival imports from abroad. In all such cases,
revenue duties admirably supply, BY their INCL
dental protection the aids and stlu'uianls iequi-
Of such branches of productive industry. For
snch purposes, too, they are fully adequate. Our
Government requires, for It's economical admin
istra,ion, about % 900 900 dollars 10 lie raised by
duiies; and, under the very sric;cst revenue sys-
tenn, The average OF such duties would always
equal, il not exceed, 30 per cent. The present
bill before the committee averages about % per
cent, ami on most OF the articles Tor which pro
lection is asserted 10 be necessary, the duties are
even higher, being generally 50 per cent. To
them should be added the amount OF protection in
cidenlally afforded by the cash duties, the valaa-
ton at the home market By the addition OF all
charges and the like, to the prime cost, and Inc
freights which. according 10 calculation made
by Mr.. Clay himself, some years SINCE equals
some III per cent more. The incidental prolec-
ton, then, inseparable from The strictest revenue
duties, would amount To some 81 per cent, and,
under the provisions ofthe bill now offered, rang
from &c 10 40-odd per cent. Surely This gives aid
and advantage more than enough for the csla
blishmeLt and growth ol all branches oil internal
industry, for which The country is al all prepared,
or which can be carried on al profit.
In what other industrial pursuits ot life would
men have the hardihood To demand premiums
and advantages SO great2 Ia domestic comreli-
ton they would blush 10 owe success 10 such pre-
fermcnt, and, surely in competition with products
from abroad, they should dlsdain 10 claim from
their counlrymen sacrifices and submission in
their behalfio exactions larger than those, which
are by general consent cheerfllly accorded. Pro-
ducts Of manufactures or mining, which cannot
sustain themselves under such large premiums,
are not capable OF natural, hardy and permanent
growth, but are miserable, sickly, hot-bed plants,
forced into precarious icing hy excessive nurture,
and destined speedily 10 perish without adequate
return 10 any. The growth not OF hardy indus
try but The legimae product Of political iag"-
~ iha II n
meat as parasilcal shoots On the labor and "a
pital Of the really productive classes, !hSy de-
serve only 10 be eradicaied, or left Undecided 10
wi;her and decay.
Instead, however Mr. Chairman, of The system
Of revenue, with its liberalrates oil incidental pro-
lection, for many years past, most exlrayaganl
rates oil duty, in not few instances prohibi!ory,
and, in more, having direct reference to prosc-
lion and The partial monopoly of consumption in
behalf of different branches Of manufacturing and
mining operations, have been unwisely and IN
Justly adopted, and, with few intcrm!ssions per-
sisted in. Time will not suffice 10 trace these
various protective cnaclmenls, ncr 10 exhibit the
disastrous effects actually Induced, aud the still
more serious dangers threatened by them. Sui
fee il 10 say--as candid examination OF The pro.
visions ulthe tariff al 1872 must satisfy all yea.
sonable men-lhat its features are highly and di
recly protective. Many duties, we are assured
hibitory, and on moi lew leading articles, OF A.
most ahsolrt. necessity-such as coarse wool
lens, iron, sugar. salt, coal and the like-'he du-
ties, though yielding some revenue, range from
fifty 10 more than hundred per cent, aud ope-
rate most lucrative monopoly oil The market 10
the internal producers. Now, can or oughta bill
of such inordinaie protection longer 10 disgrace
our statute book, or cypress The labor and CAPT
tai ofthe great masses o! the counry2
To the manufacturers nd other proec.r,! class
es themselves would appeal. Unless great
" mistake, much The larger portion OF them,
instead of deriving benefit or permanent seru-
rily, sustained real loss and constant liability 10
Revision and ruin from such protective system.
lis, Mr.. Chairman, great error, which sui
has most strange prevalence, maj mucn lne great
nufac,uring and other projected interests have
originated, and are sustained, only under the pro-
Ieciive system; lla, they owe The breath Of their