Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-07-17

Thursday Morning, july &c. 1876.
THE QUESTION OF TIE DAY.

The whole country is watching eagerly the
action Of The Senate uroa The new Tariff BILL
While We have most confident hopes thai lnea-
sure, which has Just received Inc sanction Of The
House by handsome majority. IN accordance
with The popular voice expressed IN The PrcsideE-
tial election, will be confirmed as The policy OF
The Government hy Democratic Senate We sill
deem it our duy to say lew WORDS in behalf II
PROMPT and united action o! The Democratic
Senator'S cpon lbs vital question. Il is true. That
Inc Tarfi Of loi2 was passed ~ the votes Of
a few Democrais-bui tney ayowed themselves
10 he aciuaied by peculiar motives. Some i 'nr
Wigs in Congress had iactiou>iy resolved t.
''neai Mr.. Tyer's Administration and 10 peril
the credit Of the Government, III oI,.eT 10 punish
him Tor what they denounceda as his "usason tothe
Wing parry They seemed 10 have stalled their
fortunes On The mischiev0us principle u Dislfi-
button" which was cut oil by The Tariff till, and
10 have resolved 10 lei The wheels al Government
stand sill, rather than Surrender their cherished
"DisIbuiion" policy q bItety. some oi Tie
Democrats, under the influence j. hese views,
thought il better 10 "o'e io7 Tauti, odiogs tho
il BE- than IT. destroy all he resources Of Inc Gov
eminent and reduce il u a state .. bankruptcy.
II vol!Hs, then, Tor the hi 81 l-i2 they SCI iofh
these considerations, and al lie same time a.
anowleGged the injustice ard nlischieis ii tie bill
AMI pledged themselves to Tc.orm them on the
first occasion which should pfeseE! iiseIi. The
occasion has now arrived, when those pledges
can be redeemed-and We cannot doubt thai
Republican Senate will 10 il cuty 10 he county
and The party and amend AM le-adjuS bill,
which every Democrat acknowledged 10 oe fuil Of
errors and inequalities, and which could not have
been passed bu, for the hen perous condition Of
the Government finances.
l. is important, moi only as financial mea-
sure, operating equally and justly upon all sec.
lions o: he country In; as a matter q party re-
iicy, that Democratic Senate should confirm
The action OF Democratic House. Whatever
views may be entertained b. a small portion q
the Democratic party, il certain sec,iuaS. il can
hot he denied, lhatlhc whole principles OF or par
" are concentrated in a revenue Tariff. Il We
should be defeated il that, we may eventually be
defeated as 10 all the rest I'idL is now tie arr
ing point. The Wings know il, and viii spare
no fort 10 embarrass, and, il possible, deiea. lol>
cardinal measure cf the Demo ratio parry. j
Dcmocra, who now hnches from his tut:, VEL
merit eternal condemnation. All hancs mu>i
strike Tor the hotties; Of he battle Is now raging.
To be passive j 10 te useiess--nay, Il nav lc u
contribute 10 The success Of lie Wings. In rev
Of all these considerations ve canno' touti that
Democratic Congress wi redeem i promises
10 The people, prune down The unjust privileges TO
the few, extend fair play 10 TIE vasI interests q
Agriculture and Commerce aud strengthen the
foundations upon which Inc doctrines u he Demo
cratic raIiv are based. Partial tavorsio none.
equal justice 10 ALL is lie mriio II he Democrat
ic parry. Can Democratic Congress forget this
noble maxim2 Can il adjourn, without pushing
onwards The great movement, o. tae ace-lhe re-
taxation Of Commercial, restric;ion2 TneT haze
pledged ourselves to lie people % reduce lie &C.
jrs, and oppressive features q he Tara. W.
viii not believe that a Democratic mSjoii'y WI
tal,ify lis word a, season 50 au>Picioa- 81 H.
4evelormef.; q! the blessed traits q! free i-a;e
But, say lie Wings, the proposed Tariff biz
will oaerale mos, miscaevousiy; stripping the
Go7efnmen. OF is necessary resources. We
have read with pleasure Ire Gear anu conclusive
speech Of Mr. Lewis, Tie Chairman q the Com
mitiee oil Finance in lie Seraie On Monds:. i
rafules many OF lie obi-ciobs urged against ae
mex Tariff ill., and ~ cannot 60 better than
presea. bret ANALYSIS u some Of his mastery
views.
lie shows lie iai!acy a ne objection, hat al
valcrenl duties cannot he relied IN iCr reTenge.
Even under lie Tariff u l-i2 ne amount raised
81 al vaio:em du lies last year was 2l5122 sli,
while that raised from specific cu'ies was only
$40 eco. us although he Psincifa! articles q
heavics. consumption, such as iron, molasses,
sugar and salt, paid specific duties. |! appears,
then. ina; more than hail the revenue j. raised
under al vaofem dules-and MIR. l. coftcats.
tha, ,hev are more efficient Than specific cu;ics.
lie mex: examines the objection urged against al
:ao!em duties, lha. The revenue vii bc dei,aud-
ed - false invoices-and proves, that even j; a
dishonest trader, who should il direct opposition
10 his own interest, attempt T. undervalne IN az
tic!e in open marse!, the value y! which would BE-
- we'll kroWa 10 the appraisers: and Il he should
escape the State prison for his fraud and prevent
the forfeiture OF his goods; still he would gain
on the highes, unlerya uaiou but tour o. FIVE Per
cent-aad Ibis can be no adequate ncilve Tor a
FRAUDULENT differentiation The proposed bill i
50 framed as 10 guard against suca faniuier;
conducl-in requiring comparison q MANI IN
voices Is commercial men acquainted with the
actual marse, value 81 goods, ami naturally in
clined 10 lean IN favor oi The Government.
Mr. l.. further Show, ~ official documents,
nar frauds are no, necessary ccnccmi'an,- q al
yacrem dutes-becaCse, il hey nae existed, u Is
evident that they would nave been detected, and,
after most thorough investigation, no fraud
from this source could be made out, ,ho1sha dis
tinguished member of tie Wing parry presided
over The investigation. Under Inc present. system
Of snecifc duties, The chances 81 fraud collision
and mistake are infinitely stronger, than under
the system Of I'D yaluren dalIes established ~
the bill: because, under the latter, articles pass
under The surveillance oi lie collector, naval o,;i-
Ger APPRAISERS ami assistant appraisers clerks
and examiners; while, under The specific duty
system, lie article passes through the hands Of
To, enc officer, who, after Tie process Of weigh
inc. measuring or suasins, hsnes over the ar,i-
Gle 10 The importer, without being Subjected 10 nc
salutarv check which The other system interposes
asains, COLLISION and fraud. For these reasons,
then. il We wish 10 avoid frauds, instead oiabar-
donins me ad yalorem principle, We should aG-
here more closely 10 il.
Blu, the great objection Of The pro,ec.ionists is,
lba, Inc bill will not produce an adequate reys-
nue.. Mr.. L. replies, that low cuiy will produce
greater importation, and consequently larger
revenue. Therefore, though he does net ook lcr
very heavy inundaion, re expects one sn!f-
Glen. 10 give Us lwen'y-sisht or thirty millions oi
revenue. In the hTst place, very heavy tree list
has been abolished in The biil-duties have been
pu, On almost every thing, aud on some q me ar
,icles OF the old tree list We have imposed The
bishes! rate Of duty. Founding his estimate upon
.bs imuor,atiop oflas. year. ne makes out, under