The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-08-13
SPEECH
HON. THOMAS II. BENTON OF MIS-
SOURI,
In The Senate, august S, 1916.

In The Senate, august S, 1916.
Mr.. Benton then rose and said, that he desired
10 call the attention of the Senate Ia bill in
'foduced by him six months ago. and thus ia r
passed over by the practice Of taking up bills out
OF order. He spoke Of the bill for the abolition of
the salt tax. and Of The fishing bounties and allow
ances- founded upon that tax. Mr.. b. wished To
give new and extraordinary reason for the pass
age of that bill, growing out of great oversight
In the new tariff bill. BY this new bill the duty
on salt is reduced to twenty per cenlum on the
value, and the bounty in lieu of drawback is re-
dnced c"rrespondingly on the picked fish export
ed. This IS very well, as far as it goes but il
happens to 90 almost no distance at all The
bounty payable ON that description of exported
hSh Is almost nohing-only about four or FIVE
thousand dollars per annum. Last year it was
s4.lI4 while the payments on account of dried
nsh exported are usually 800 900 dollars rer
ahnnm. Last year il was $3.50 600 hut in 184l
IL was 1885, 200; and the sam total already paid
on this branch OF the fishing business, is about
nine millions Of dollars, and will 90 on at tina,
Iae under the new bill. The whole of these
counties and allowances are bottomed On the salt
uniles, and are drawback of the duty supposed
10 have been paid on the salt put upon the fish
exported and, therefore, classed with re.exoort-
ed salt. entitled 10 drawback like other re EXPORT
ed merchandise. Though clothed with The name
" Dountles, ana OF allowances tu fishing YES
sels." still it is all founded on the salt tax. and
IS declared in the acts upon the subject to be in
exchange and Communication Of the draw back and
an equivalent therefor In ali the early acts of
Congress these bountiPs and allowances rose and
lell with the rise and fall Of the salt duties and
10 The time Of Mr.. Jefferson, the whole fell TO
ge'her. The whole were repealed upon the re-
conInendatiOn OF that wise and patriot President
dnu The United States remained for some years
without salt tax, and without the superslructure
Of Oouniies and allowances to the fisheries erected
upon il. The bill which | have introduced is a
copy Of that act. Literdtim, uerbaiin,, ct punc
loatim, it is copy Of that blessed act. My bill
copy Of the Jeffersonian act in word and spirit
ana is entitled TO be passed on its own merits
Without the intervention Of the new circumstance
which renders it imperative. BY the great over.
sight IN the new revenue bill, as it came from The
louse Of Representatives, il will take the entire
amount Of The salt duty TO pay the fishing allow
dnces, and also about 100000, or 10000. in
auollIon thereto, from other duties TO pay them
brief statement makes this plain. The value
VI The salt imported has usually been 800 900 Oi
SoUU,OO0 per annum the secretary computes tina
me reduced duty will increase the importation
9no carry it up TO million Of dolars per annum
very good II may do so and I will proceet
upon that assumption. million ofdollars worth
az twenty per centUm on the value, will Weld
gross revenue Of 100000; but that som viii
lack 500 900, OF S150,000 Of being sufficient {
pay the fishing allOwsncesi and the defcienc
'Osi be made OF ont Of the treasury The re