The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-07-31


tuate with the state Of the nation anu 'hs
necessities of our public stfaIfs IL mus,
necessarily depend on the state OF trade and
the public exieeuciss. We want one g.
mount IN peace, another 10 Tune oil war
There Is, therefore, no such thing as nix
"a revenue standard. Mr.. Secretary Wal
ker asserts that IT is Ise0ty per ceut We
have tried that, or at least ve had ap'
proachcd ", at q time too when our Impor'
iaiions we're very large, and our experl.
ment had proved tha, when we got down 10
The scale ss far as tventy.fve per cent. the
revenue failed, aud the Government was
placed in the most trying and peniOus crI.
SIS. Under the act OF l-42 The annual az.
eragc nell revenue IS from tsenty-slk 10
twenty.seyen millions of dollars-abouI srf
ficieui to answer the wants Of the Govern
ment in ordinary times. But Mr.. Chair
mao, it is objected TO the existing lag that
lis operation Is most injurious 10 The con.
sumlug portion OF the community, especl-
ally 10 the farming and planting interests;
tha, il raises the price Of oil the people
have 10 buy and lowers The price Of all they
have 10 sell; that i. is system OF plumber
and injasI.ca aad that il puis inlo the
pockets Of lie manufacturers Two dollars for
everv one Il places IN the Treasury-hity
four millions TO enrich them and only TWEEN
" seven millions 10 the national cCtfers
This representation, which 10 truth IS mere
defamation opposed to the facts Of the case.
is based on The idea that every tatIif OF du-
ties is necessarily q tax, and that in all ca
ses this tax Is paid by The consumer. Now,
sir, | utterly deny his position. 1t may
be true as a general rule, but il not only
has many exceptions, bot there are many
cases where i; Is decidedly opposed 10 the
truth. Ga those articles from which we
derived the greatest par, Of our revenue the
duty did not raise tho price and was not q
Tax to the consumer because nearly
noush Of the articles we're produced 10 our
own country 10 meet the demands OF coo-
sumption without resort TO the foreign sup.
ply. Domestic competition was induced
and lowered the price. When the article
IS not made al home 10 sufficient quantities
10 answer our demands, the duty vac o;te1
divided between the consumer and Produ.
Ger or importer, ID which case the foreign
importer pays part Of the tax for the priv
ilege Of selling IN our markets. Where We
do not make The article al all, The whole
duty was strictly Q TAX, and paid by The
consumer. Prices depend 90 The great
laws Of supply and demand, aud on sbe abilI.
~ OF the people 70 consume. But. sir,
will not enlarge on mis- subject. Every
body knows lha. ibe prices Of the leading
articles Of consumption are lower than they
were at and before the passage Of the act Of
l842. Ii is 40 admitted fact. But. gen.
,lenen say this is owing to improved ma
chlnery aud other causes. What has in.
proved machinery aud given new impulse
to manufacturing skIil bal the policy Ne
advocate
10 regard to The prices Of agricultural
produce, especially Of that grea, staple cot.
ton, il was well known that .here vas o
great oyer-producfon.
MIR. Burt SAID he though, not.l
My honorable friend from South Carroll.
ma is mistaken. This fact was 90 ue!I
known, and so fully admitted, Iha, q con
ven.on had been called 10 The South TO
take into consideration the means Of diver.
ting labor from the culture OF cotton into
some other channel, that q better price
might be obtained 90 the residue which
was raised II has been said that if We
would consent 10 reduce the tariff we should
fiBd q market for our surplus agricultural
productions. | wish, sir, hat the hopes
which are 80 fondly iadulged on this sub.
ject could be realized. Much has been pro
missed from the abolition OF the British com
laws. IL is possible that the new system of
British legislation may so work as 10 afford
Us market for small portion Of that sur.
plus but sir, even this | greatly doubt,
The aggregate agricultural products Of the
country amounted 10 value 10 between eight
and nine hundred millions Of dollars per an.
nun. OF this vast amount about one half
was consumed by the producers, our own
population, tho other half sought market.
And where was that marke, to be found
Undoubtedly the chief marke, was at home, !
IN the consumption by non. producers Of az.
Ticuliurai produce who are engaged IN 9th. /
er pursuits. The whole amount of our ex I
ports last year was about nnety.ulne mi. !
lions OF dollars. This is about the average
per annum. OF these, the staple articles Of
cotton, tobacco, and rice constitute more
than sixty millions Of dollars, and manufae.
tured articles make up another SUN Of thlr
teen millions. The balance, of little more
than twenty five millions, is made Up Of ey.
cry other article exported. The fact is, !
sir, We do not export to all foreign markets
for sale one ttcentteh part OF the surplus
productions OF our farmers. We import al. |
most as much as we export, notwilhsland-
ing our vast surplus. We import even cot.
ton, as well as beef, hams, wool, potatoes.
&c. But. cir, this small amount Of import
Is the mere incident ftrade aud commerce
as is our export Of the produce Of our farms,
except Of the three great articles which |
have mentioned. The foreign has never
yet been, and | fear never will be, our true
market for bread. s,uHs and provisions. It
is prepoS.etous 10 suppose that foreign coun.
'fies' situated as they are, can ever furnish
an outlet tor Inc lOur hundred millions sur.
Dlus OIL our aprtctifu,,f ,,,,J,n,,a,.. "a