State journal & flag., 1846-08-21

ioTutll to SpcCluC uutieS oH account or frauds under the former. hold in my hand list of ihe principle articles paying specific du |. ties, showing the time at which they were imposed. Upon examination, it will be found that the act of 1790 was the parent of a large portion of these specific duties, and they have been increased by every ta- riff since that time. In 1616 large nun. Der was added, not under pretencc of avoid. ing fraud, but doubles to conceal the enor. nous duties imposed at that time-lmposed. if you please. strictly for revenue, but to conceal the expences of a war which. in certain quarters. was far from being popu lar. The remaining specifics have sprung into existence since that time-many by the act of 1928; but not once because the ad valorem had been evaded, bu, be. cause a high rnte of protection was de- sired on particular articles, 10 put down foreign competition. l challenge the ad- yocates of specific duties to show a single article on which that form of duty was i'm. posed to put down frauds on the revenue. They will find in every case since the act of 1916, these duties have been imposed on the petition of parties asking for such enor- nous rates of duty, that 10 grant them, it was necessary ,he amount should be con. cealed under the dsguises of the specific system. The following is the list, 10 which l will invite the attention of the Senate
 All the articles on the specific list amount to about ninety. None of these appear 10 have been imposed with a view of prevent ing frauds.
 Nails have been specific from l79O 10 the present time.
 Spikes have also. Cut nails are only made in the Umled States.
 Steel has also.
 Wire was advalorem till 1928. It began 10 be manufactured three or four years be- fore that lime, when Il petition for protection was made the ground of the duty.
 Tacks, brads, and sprigs. made specific in 1916 mo cut tacks used or made in England, and none other of any consequence are used.
 Sheet, hoop. round, split, and rolled iron, made specific in 1916 and 1924, ou account of domestic competition.
 Bar, rolled, hammered, and pig iron were changed to specific--the first two in 1916, and the last in 1878, for the purpose of re- renue solely.
 Anchors were made so high in 1al6, for revenue purposes, that the duty induced competition at home, tl the manufacturers asked and obtained increased protection in 1924. and still more in l642.
 Castings, in 1878, were increased, for protection, from three quarters of cent to one and half; in 1924 one and half and in l642. from various rates, one 10 five cents per pound.
 l Anvils. hammers, and chains raised, for prote 'ton on petition, in 1924, from 20 to 56 per cent.
 ] Brazier's rods raised for protection from 20 per cent to cents per pound in 1924 on petition of manufactures; present duty equal to 56 per cent.
 Mill saws raised in 1924 from 20 peI cent. to one dollar each, on petition of ar Eng'ishman, Tn Philadelphia. by the name of M,llngion. There are now four other manufacturers.
 Mill cranks and mill irons both raised ir 1924 from 20 per cent. 10 cents per pound, for protection.
 Sad irons in 1924, were beginning to be made, and Congress raised the duty from 20 per cent. to 2 l-2 cents per pound equal to S7 per cent.
 Manufactured slks: These were free principally in lS42, when silk mania hao overspread the country, and high specific rate was imposed on the article by tho pound, with a view to protection.
 Sewing Silk: This article had been sub. ject to specific duty for some years, ir consequence of it's being manufactured ir Connecticut. at Mansfield a duty was im- posed in 164l.
 Gloves, boots, skins, paper, carpeting hemp, glassware, all made specific, with g view to protection.
 Pins, shovels. spades, &c., were all in. creased to protect, and so of most other articles.
 Having shown, from the history or speci fics, that they owe their origin to protec ton, and not to frauds, as is commonly i'm agined. I now state my objections 10 them
 First, they increase the expense and ado greatly to the difficulty of collecting the revenue. am informed that very large number of those engaged about the New Oth hCuStout'houoO-oo tHdby PciuucS de one hundred--may be, do not say wiU be dispensed with, by adopting wholly the ad- valorem system. By ridding ourselves ol the specific system, we can disband an ar my of weighers. gaugers, measurers, and clerks, in all the custom. houses, and large number of clerks in the treasury. We shall rid ourselves also of that vexatious class of questions arising out of specific du. ties, which occupy the comptrollers frequent. ly to the obstruction of all other public bu- sness, and which constitute SO heavy and perplexng a portion of litigation before our courts The contested cases arising under specific duties are as ten to one, compared to advalorems. No doubt can arise, under an advalorem duty. as to what amount of duty the law intends, while the most difficult of all things is to reduce every article of importation to the class to which it belongs; so great is this difficulty, it cannot be said that we have ever approached to absolute uniformity in collecting duties, although the Constitution, as well as common jus- tice, requires ii. l am informed that four different rates of duty, under the act of s42, have been collected at four different custom