Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-08-27

YET luc rec lradlsts OF the United States, North
and SOUTH arc endeovoling to do what the mother
country thon endeavored to do--prevent the erec-
ton OF manufactures in the United States But
further In 1871, in consequence of complaints
made by interested individuals to Parliament that
tho colonsts were not only carrying on trade, but
were setting up manufactures detrimental to Great
Britain, the Board of Trade WIS to inquire and re-
port with respect to laws made, manufactures set
up, and trude carried on detrimental to the trade,
navigation, or manufactures of Great Britain. In
| report made in pursuance of this ORDER the Com
mssoners found that certain trades, carried on, and
manufactures set up, were injurious to the trade,
navigation, and manufactures of the mother coun-
! try. Among the manufactures were enumerated
those OF wool, flax, ron paper, hats, and leather
The Commissioners concluded their report by say
ing that there were more trades carried on and man
uiacturers set up, prejndicia to great Britain in
New England, than in any other of the British col
onies.
SO it seems that the hardy and industrious peo-
pie OF the Eastern States werc then disposed to
manufacture for themselves but were opposed by
BRITISH party which took every means as the Brit
ash party of the present day does to break up their
manufactures, and compel them to import their ar
tices from abroad
Mr.. Upham said that in 1881, the company of
Iaters in London, complained that great quantities
of hats were made in New England, and exported
to SPAIN Portugal, and the British West India ISL
lament was procured not only to prevent the en-
pOrtdiOn of hats from the Colonies TO foreign coun
tries, and from being carried from plantation,
State to another, but to restrain, TO a certain
tent, the manufacture Of them in the colonies
! Precisely the policy of the British party in our
country at this time
The manufacture of iron in the colonies was for
hidden by an act Of Parliament Iron ore could
be reduced into pigs by the colonists, but it could
not be manufactured by them In l750 Parliament
permitted pig and bar iron to be imported from the
colonies TO London, duty free, but prohibited the
erection or continuance Of any mill or other engine
for Sitting or rolling iron, or any plating FORGE to
work with tilt hammer, or any furnace for max
ing steel in the colonies under a penalty of goo.
And more eftectually to carry this act into execu
ton, every such mill, engine, plating FORGE and fur
mace, was declared common nuisance and TIE
government of the colonies were directed to cause
the to be abated within thirty days, or to for
felt the of $500!
[The spirit of this act is precisely the spirit of
the British Tariff act lately passed; and if they
dured, the ant-protectioniss would now declare
every factory, workshop, furnace, forge, rolling
mill, tilt hammer, and other place of industry, nut
iS1nce, and order it to be abated. They are actua.
ted by the same spirit that England was to US a
century ago.
| All the facts here stated Mr.. Upham said he OBJ
tanned from work of known merit, Pitiln's History
of the United States. He further remarked that
we had tried Free Trade most eliectuaHy. That we
had had its blessings from the close of the war of
the Revolution in 1888, down to the passage Of the
first act for the Protection of American manufac-
lures, in 1899, winch the second act passed I'M
der the Constitution, and which was signed on the
4th of July, 115s-beng second Declaration Of
lndependence.-n declaration which made us free
| in fact, us we had been IN name from Great Brit
an which freed us from her work shops, and ena
bled our mechanics and workmen to set up bust
ness for themselves During the first year of this
glorious of Free TRADE, and the first after the
war; our imports from Great Britain were as sir to
one of our exports to that kingdom, The average
of our imports from 1888 to 1870 were as three to
one of exports. The balance against us for the
first year was Si2000,000, and fortthe whole peri
3D. nearly S50,000,000! The effect was to drain
the country of what little specie the war had left in
it, and to entail upon us n WORTHLESS paper curren-
cy The country unable to pay the interest on
the public debt, and general bankruptcy followed.
Some of the States tried to protect their home IN
dustry by duties on the foreign articles, but for
want of harmony and concert among the States,
there being no national government to take up the
subject, their efforts failed. Great Britain had the
control Of our market for the productions Of her
workshops, and under the old confederation we
could not prevent it.
Mr.. Upham after depicting the ruinous effects of
free trade upon the country, it existed under the
old confederation, went on to show that these eff
ects were in part, and in a great part, the cause
which brought about the formation and adoption
of our present constitution and form of government.
Whoever chooses to consult the history of those
times, will find that the chief motive of a call for a
convention 10 reorgani2e the government, was to
c'othe it with ample power to regulate foreign COM
merce, and to establish system through which,
and by which our own artisans could be protected
against the runous competition of the workshops
of foreign countries.
Mr.. l.. argued that, as the States had the power
to protect domestic industry before the constitution
was formed. and as they did not retain it, they sur
rendered it to the general government, which OF
course now possesses it. This is an unanswerable
argument in favor Of the constitutional power OF
Congress over the subject if any argument were
necessary to prove proposition so absurd as that
the legislative body of the nation cannot pass laws
to protect the interests of the nation and promote
the general welfare! Mr.. U. then reviewed the
debates in the first Congress under the constitution
upon the bill which became law, to impose the
duties and to protect manufactures. On that occa-
sion the purpose was duO,Ued to be to project ana
encourage domestic manufactures; and in this debate
Pennsylvania took a prominent part. MIR. Fitz
simmons of Pa. said, he had prepared himself witt
an additional number of articles to be added to the
bill, and among them were some calculated to en-
courage The productions Of The country and prOtec
our infant manufactures.
Mr.. Hartley of Pa. said If we consult the his
tory of the ancient world, we shall see that they
have thought proper, for long time past to give
great encouragement to the establishment of man
lactures by laying such partial duties on the i'm
portation of foreign goods, as to give the noMr
MANUFACTURERs IA considerable advantage IN the
price when brought to market. From this view o.
the subject he thought it both polite and Just tha
the FOSTERING HAND OF THE GENERAL GOVERN
MENT should extend to all those manufactures
which will tend to national ability. Noargumen
can operate to discourage the committee from tax
ing such measures as will tend to protect and pro
mote our domestic manufactures"
Mr.. Clymer of Pa and Mr. Madison expressed
similar sentiments. Mr.. Ames of Mass. said HI
considered that the present constitution was dlcta
ted by commercial necessity, more than any othe
cause. THE WANT OF A SUFFICIENT
GOVERNMENT TO SECURE THE MANU-
FEATURING INTERESTS AND TO AID
VANCE OUR COMMERCE, was long seen by
men Of Judgment, and pointed out by patriots soil
Icitous to promote our general welfare