The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-16
CON GREssIoNAL.
SPEECH OF MR.. BRoDHEAD,
OF TRANSATLANTIC,

The tariff bill being under consideration in Com
milIee Of the Whole on the state Of the Union
Mr.. COss, Of Georgia, in the chair
Mr.. BR0DHEAD obtained the hoos, and COM
msnced by observing that the House would bear
him witness that since he had been a member he
had constantly sought TO render himself useful as a
working man, rather than conspicuous in the way
Of matchmaking. Political discussions, personal
controversies and explanations, and disputes about
points Of ORDER (he said were generally unproht-
able TO the members and the country and uninter-
ssting 10 those who read our proceedings. As he
had sludiousy avoided all these, he claimed the in.
diligence OF the committee with some confidence, for
the reasons which would appear during the course
Of his remarks, while he expressed some Of the rea
ssns which would influence his course upon the
greet subject under consideration.
Two measures (said Mr.. b having reference to
the revenue and protective policy Of the government
are now under eonsideration-the act Of tho 30h Of
August, 1912, and the bill now upon the table re-
ported by majority Of the Committee Of Ways and
Means and intended a substitute for IT, The old
law the evils, and the remedy, subjects for de-
liberation and debate. The power OF legislation is
said TO be the most important trust which man can
eonhde to his fellow-man. In execution Of this
trust, am called upon to choose between these
two measures, neither Of which, in all their details
Is pleasing me. IL is therefore, choice Of evils
but Of this do not complain, for the lives Of the
best Of US are spent in choosing between evils. IL is
the way we obliged TO get along in legislation,
and il Is the way we get through this rugged and
peryerse world.
The honorable gentleman from Indiana, [Mr
OWEN in his speech a few days ago, announced
himself in favor Of compromise and Cancellation, and
invoked US to meet him and the other advocates Of
the bill OF the Committee Of Ways and Means in
that spirit. Sir, most cordially accept his invita-
tion and ask him, il lie is governed by that spirit
why it is that he desires to change and upturn the
entire revenue policy of this government IN one act
why IL Ia that he seeks to repeal, from the begin
ming to the end the act Of 1912, which was itself
one Of compromise? That it was formed by yield.
ing Of interests and sacrifice Of party feeling, can
be denied, and hence IL has merits, at any rate,
in my estimation, for am a COMPROMISED Except
where honor and principle are concerned as well IN
matters which relate 10 myself those which per
tain TO governmental affairs. Il was in this way
that our constitution formed-that great charter
of our liberties under which the peo lie Of this
try have grown and prospered beyond precedent in
the annals OF nations. Let any look at the
history Of its formation and adoption, and he will
fn1 that political anmos,ties, local interests, private
grievances, state consequence, fayorite systems-In
fine, all the most powerful and obstinate passions of
the human heart were all sacrificed the price OF
It's purchase. The cold thirteen" became nation
by compromise Of conflicting interests. 10 acoun-
try Of such extent, of such diversified climate
productions, interests, and pursuits, no reveaue
laws can be framed except in the most liberal spirit
Of compromise for, In adopting laws for the good Of
the whole, some little injury must Of necessity be
done TO the parts President Polk said, in his inau-
gural address on the 4th of March, ls45 at is a
subject upon which conflicting interests Of sections
and occupations are supposed to exist; and spirit
Of mutual concessions and compromise in adjusting lis
details should be cherished by every part Of pde
sprtad country the only of preserving har-
mony and a cheerful acquiescence of all in the OPP
q H. l. o.
most cheerfully concur. But though the extent Of
country and its diversified interests may render
general revenue laws difficult of adjustment and ex
ecution, yet thaRks to the wise trainers Of the con-
stitution vast internal and coastng trade 10 allow
able, with which, in amount and value, our for
eign commerce is not to be compared. This is
the kind of free trade--.amsricdn free trade
advocate, and wish to extend between
a people whose habits, government, and cur
rtney are similar. Ii seems to be very much
overlooked and undervalued lately, but that should
not excite wonder for the good we seldom miss we
rarely prize. Our foreign commerce is but drop
in the bucket when compared with the value of our
ntern, free trade. The productions of the industry
Of my own native State far exceed in value our en-
tire foreign commerce. The trade upon the main
line Of the Pennsylvania State improvements will
shortly exceed it. The trade upon our lakes, to say
nothing of the Mississippi and its branches, now
exceeds it. The Secretary of War, in his report,
says: with the settlement and growth Of the west
ern country, the commerce upon these inland seas
(the akes) has rapidly increased, and its estimated
annual amount exceeds in value, the entire ex-
ports Of the products and manufactures Of the Uni
ted States to ali foreign countries But to return
from this little DEPRESSION, in which have INDUCED
for the purpose Of showing the value of our home
markets, end that internal affairs and domestic in
dsiy should not be operosked have said that the act
of 1912 was one of compromise, and, as | always
lke tn fall nitb thp n
correctness, now proceed with the proofs.
In l542 the duties under Mr.. Cays compromise
act Of 1883 came down to 90 per cent. ad valorem
upon all articles without reference to their nature or
kind-upon the Injuries as well as the necessarIes
of life. The whole amount Of revenue produced
was less than seventeen millions Ihe sum
required to pay the expenses of the govern
ment was about thirty millions. A large debt in
addition to the one contracted to carry on the Flor
ida war, was fast accommodating, and revision of the
revenue laws therefore became necessary The
wing Congress which came into power with General
Harrison went to work to do it. They passed. IN
June lS42 bill raising the duties above 90 per cent
on some articles, and continuing the distribution
among the States of the proceeds Of the sales of the
public lands in pursuance of the act Of l64l. The
act Of l84l contained provision that, If the duties
were raised above 20 per cent, the distribution
should not be made President Tyler vetoed the
bill on the ground that it violated the spirit of the
the proceeds of the public lands to the States, By
this time the wings discovered that they had
fallen into great error in making no de-
claration of principles for the public eye in
the canvass Of 1910; and that, Notwithstanding
they had succeeded in electng "Tippecanoe and
Tyler, too" they were most magnifcently hum
bugged and Observation-Disclosures" to use the
word Of the honorable gentleman from Kentucky,
tMr. DAVIS themselves, in electing John Tyler.
Mr.. Tyler turned democrat, refused TO sign their
bank charters, and his friends and offce-holders
asked that justice might be done him. In the be-
ginning ofAugust, in the same summer they passed
another bill imposing duty tea and coffee and
containing clause continuing the distribution pol.
icy. Mr.. Tyler again vetoed II, principally for the
reasons before stated. The democratic members Of
Congress sustained him, and strenuousIy objected
to the distribution and the duty tea and coffee.
1t was now evident that some compromise must
take place, or the wheels Of government would stop,
The rank and file Of both parties in Congress-those
who care more for the country than they do for
party--united their counses, and the existing ac'
was the result. The leaders Of both parties voted
against il, as the journals will show. The wings
yielded the distribution cause, besides making some
other notifications thereby retaining in the treasury
for ordinarv nnrnoapy ahout S00 OO0 mar annun