The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-09-18
rom the Eufaula Democrat.
"AD VALOREM AND SPECIFIC DUTIES

"AD vALoREM AND SPECIFIC DUTIES.
"The question Of ad vaorem or specific duties
would seem to bet very plain one. That duties
should be levied upon imports in proportion to their
value appears to be the most natural, just, and prop
er mode. In such system, there is neither injus-
tice concealment. The amount of the may be
ascertained at glance. The system Of specific du-
ties the other hand had its origin in the desire Of
the protectonists to conceal from the people the
amount OF the duty imposed Instead of levyng the
duty upon the value Of the article, it is laid upon the
yard of CLOTH or the pound of sugar. without ref
erence TO their quality. In this way the coarse
cloth and inferior sugar pay the same duty the
finer articles. If the specific duty imposed on yard
Of cloth worth five CENTS is five cents, it is a tax of
100 per cent. the value Of the article. But If the
cloth Is finer and Ia worth ten cents yard, the du
ty is only fifty per cent In like manner, if il were
worth twenty cents yard, the same duty would
be but twenty five per cent. In Short the finer the
cloth, sugar, salt, the lower is the duty under
the specific system. Here then is a discrimination
against the articles used by the poor, and in
favor of the finest articles used by the rich. This
odious and impotc discrimination is yet more APP
parent in other ARTICLES. Silk, for instance,
pays a specific duty on the pound The finest
silks of course the lightest, and hence the
discrimination in their favor is twofold. The Hon
Dixon Fl. Lewis in his late admirable speech on
the tariff, in which food of light is shed upon the
! subject stated that lady's silk shawl was recently
| imported into New York, which was so fine and
costly that the duty levied upon it only per
cent. Under the ad valorem system, the duty
would have been levied upon its value and there
fore the costly the article, the higher would
have been the tax paid. But under the specific du-
| ties imposed by this glorious wing tariff of 42,
while the laboring men of the country were taxed
l0l per cent. their log chains, CD per cent. upon
their brown sugar, and SO per cent their salt, a
| fashionable lady in New York. pays l per cent.
| upon the magnificent shawl that adorns her person.
| "But apart from this premium TO extravaganza
and luxury, held out by specific duties, they are
highly objectionable, because they conceal the
amount of the duty paid, and are intended by the
| monopoists to deceive and blind the people as TO
the extent of taxation. II was thus that the deform-
tiles of the tariff of AZ, partly hidden from the
| public gaze. BY the aid Of minimum patudtions too
| goods which actually cost five six cents as
sumed to cost twenty or thirty cents and taxed &c.
| cordlngly. The real duty therefore several
| times great as the apparent duty. The monopo-
lists preferred darkness rather than light, for
| cellent scrptura reason.
| AIN choosing between ad valorem and specific du.
ties, IL is difficult to perceive how any dsinerested
person can hesitate. But as there is no wrong for
which some reason cannot be urged II is contended
that ad valorem duties open wide door for frauds,
on the revenue, and are therefore inexpedient The
high character Of our importing merchants, and the
slight temptation held out 10 commit such frauds
are OF themselves strong arguments against this sup
position. 1t Is nearly impossible that intelligent
and competent appraisers appointed by the govern
ment, and interested in its behalf could be greatly
deceived as to the value Of goods imported. Be.
sides, in the prices Of goods imported, there would
necessarily be great sameness. The invoice of q
dishonest importer, when compared with those Of
the honest, (and the most rabid protectionist will
hardly deny that there are at least Of the lat