The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-09-07
AID VALoREM DUTlES-MR. CLAWS
OPINION OF THEM

When Mr. Webster stated in the Senate, som,
| weeks since, that mo public man in our country
had ever ventured, before the last session Of Con
gress, to recommend system of ad yalorem duties
we replied that Mr.. CLAY had expressly approved
such system, and we quoted Mr. Clay's lsngusg,
TO that effect. Thereupon the wings replied tina
Mr. Clay meant only to approve ad yalorem duties
on a home valuation. This statement has gone tn,
rounds Of the wing journals And Mr.. Care
Davis has lately published two or three columns in
the National Intelligeucer to sustain il.
This statement is entirely erroneous. Mr.. Clay did
indeed say, in the Senate, in l84l, 1912, that hs
pneerred home valuation; but he also said over and
again, that he preferred the ad vaIOrsm system
WiihOu vegadto home valuation.
| To prove this, we quote from Mr.. Clay's speech
in the Senate in the discussions which preceded the
enactment Of the tariff Of lS42.
| The speech may be found in Greedy and Noel
rath's edition of the Life and Speeches of Henry
Clay, vol I'd. PIP. 1928:
81 say, therefore, that Independent of all consid-
erations Of protection, independent Of all ends or
noyes but the prevention OF those Infamous frauds
which have been the disgrace Of custom house
frauds in which the foreigner, with his double and
dueod as circumstances may require, fixes the value
Of the merchandise taxed-eyery consideration OF
national dignity Justice and indie Oendence, demands
the substitution Of home valuation in the place of
foreign. What effect such change may have in
the augmentation Of the revenue am NOT prepared 10
say, because ! do not know the amount think the
rate may be set down at from twenty TO twenty-five
per cent in addition TO the foreign value of imports
do not speak with great confidence. IL the rate is
twenty-five per cent then it would add only five per
cent TO the rate Of twenty per cent? established by
the compromise act OF course, 1.-THE home be sub
sttuted for the foreign valuation, the augmentation
Of duties beyond twenty per cent. will be less by
that home valuation, whatever il may be. WIrHouT,
HOWEVER, EsrERNo INTO THE QUESTION OF HOME
VALUATION, AND LEAVING THAT SUBJECT TO BE Ar
RANGED HEREAFTER, IsHALL TREAT THE SUBJECT As
~ THE PRESENT SYSTEM or FOREIGN VALUATION Is
TO CONTINUE"
After discussing, at some length, the amount Of
revenue required, and some other topics, Mr.. Clay
thus returns to the subject Of ad palOrem duties,
creating the subject" (be it observedO las if the
(then) present system Of foreign valuation 10
continue"
He said: "What are the other principles of the
sct' First, there is the principle that fixed AID
vALoRrM DUTY shall prevail AND BE IN FORCE AT
ALL TIMES. For one, am willing to abide by that
TO the utility and necessity Of specific duties and dis
ordinations, which, l am persuaded, arise from
,oan. Of right understanding 9th subject"
This is enough; but there is more. Under the COM
promise ACT from 1882 ls42 duties were collected
upon the foreign vaiuation. Mr.. Clay in this very
speech recognises this fact, and points out what in
his view its Inconvenience. Ye in spite Of the
foreign valuation, during that whole period, he ex-
pressy approves of the application Of the ad paiorsm
principle during the same time. He says: "We
have had the ad valorsm principle practically in force
ever since the compromise act passed. and there
has been no difficulty in ad mnstering the duties of
the treasury on that principle"
In another passage, he strengthens his assertions
as follows:
"Again: what has been the fact from the origin
Of the government until now5 The articles from ,oheh
the greatest amount Of repenue has been draion such
ipooIens linens silks, eoitons ,oorsieds and teto
others, hare all been Jared the ad pdlorem principle,
and there has been difficulty in the operation. be-
liepe, upon the iohote, that IL is the best mode"
After this, it is idle to say that Mr. Clay's prefer
ence Of ad palOrems, in 1S42, depended upon the
then suggested home paluaiion. He approved them,
he says, as they had existed for ter years 'under
the compromise act" when there was no home val
uation. He expressed his approval of them when
'treating the subject if the foreign valuation was
10 continue" He approved them as they had been
laid on the principal revenue articles, "wooens,
silks, linens, worsteds, and Others" "snce the orr
gin of the government" And since the origin of
the government we had had foreign valuation. Let
US hear no more, therefore, of Mr.. Clay's prefer
ence Of the ad valorem system being founded on the
idea Of home paiuaiion.