The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-18

my authority in the laws and statistics of the British
empire. IL have misunderstood them, il has been
rom putting an erroneous construction on the data
rom which my conclusions drawn--dala of the
highest authenticity. Hrr 81
The history Of the warehouse system of Great
Britain affords instructive lesson of the power OF
prejudice, kept alive by the misrepresentation OF
Interested classes TO defeat and delay the adoption Of
social improvements and reforms In 1888, Sir
Robert Walpoe minister of great energy and intel
ectusl power, undertook TO introduce the system in
London on very limited SCALE and believe in re-
spect 10 a single article of observation-disclosures.
HE was met by the furious opposition Of the mon
eyed capitalists Of England, who monopolized that
branch Of trade through their ability 70 command
the means Of paying the duties on the entry. They
inAamsd the populaee by the grossest misrepressn-
tations, the Parliament house was surrounded by
mobs, the life Of the minister was threatened, and
he was compelled 10 submit 10 the humiliation OF
rising on the floor of Parliament and moving such
postponement equivalent 10 defeat Of the
measure. Ii is Curious TO look back into the history
Of that period, and SEQ with what violence the
scheme was denounced, and what banefu effects
were predicted certain 20 how from Il. i will
read 10 tho Senate few extracts from Smolett's
eontinaauon Of Hume's History Of England, TO
ahow 30 what extent the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of self
interest can so, and how successful il may be in
carrying popular prejadice along with IL. IL was
coniended that IL wonld be- .gsa. ..-
Destructive to trade and dangerous TO tbs liberties Of
the subsetH that would produce additional Of
by the treasury as 70 multiply the dependents on
crown and enable Il st further to the freedom
OF elections that the traders would become slaves to
eisemen and warehonSksspe, they would be declared
all access to their commodties except certain hours
when Attended BY those oceri that the merchant for
cry quantity Of tobacco he should sell would be obliged
make journey or send messenger the once for per
mt which could not be obtained without trouble. expense
and delay and that should law be enacted
Of this motion wouid'in all probability be- some time
other used pIecedent for introducing
every branch Of the revenue; which case the liberty Of
Great Britain would be no mOre"-(yol 5, page 6i7)
These representations prevailed, and the histori-
an adds:
THE miscarriage Of the bill celebrated with public
reoicings In London and Wesminsler and the minister
was burned In ehgy BY the populsee."
Such was the fate Of this measure in 1913; and il
was not until 1903, seventy years afterwards, that
successful effort was made to establish il. Il has now
become the most important branch Of the revenue
system Of Great Britain, facilitating and extending
vastly the operations Of her commerce. IL has made
her mercantile interest the most prosperous in the
world; and yet IT was through the blind and mista-
ken opposition Of the merchants that its adoption
was so long delayed .. -.
repeat, the history Of this measure affords an
instructive lesson IL is thus that interested classes
OR, what is practically the same classes fancying
themselves interested-are sure to be found arrayed
against the introduction of sauary reforms success
fully for time, but overcome at last by the power
OF truth; never yielding To- reason and argument al
ways waiting TO be vanquished; planting themselves
before the car OF improvement until they in dam
ger of being run over and crushed, and then hanging
on behind In imPotent attempts to stay Its prog
ress.
now proceed to examine some objections raised
by the senator to the general policy OF the measure
l understood him to say that the system of were
housing proposed by the bill would be maintained
at the expense Of the American importer and for the
benefit of the foreign importer or his conslgnee.
do not undertake TO give his precise language. l.
state the proposition in general terms. In other
words, it is contended that the privilege of storing
goods in our seaports for domestic consumption or
expectation, at the option of.the importer will have
the effect Of accumuating in those ports immense
masses OF foreign merchandise, which will be thrown
into the market to the great injury of the domestic
producer. But IL seems to me that there is ready
and satisfactory answer to the objection, Whether
goods are stored in the countries where they are
prodnced, or IN our own cities is of no consequences
30 far as the question OF composition with our do
nestle products is concerned unless it be shown
that In the latter case (storing in own cties)
they will be brought into the domestic market at
cost materially less. This, it is believed, cannot he
readily shown. Whether stored at home or abroad,
the expense Of bringing merchandise into the domes-
tic market must be nearly the same. In either case
it has the same processes to perform. 1t must be
transported from the factories workshops where
1t is produced to the sea- it must be shipped carried
across the ocean, brought into ports, and before
ii enter into the domestic market be Sold the
impost or duty must be paid. The charges and sx-
actions are the same in both cases. If is placed in
store here and allowed remain for limited period
without paying duty, it is in no better condition, so
far cost is concerned, than it would have been if
it had been kept in store in the country
where twas produced, unless storage here is cheap
er, and this is questionable. Whether it will
come into the domestic market at all depends its
cost. As has been seen, the cost will be nearly
the whether it is stored abroad and kept there
until 1t s required for consumption here or whether
it is stored here until it is absorbed by the demand
for home use- 1t is undoubtedly true that the pro-
posed remission of the interest exacted the
duties from the date of the entry until the goods go
into the importers possession, will to the i'm
porter or owner the amount of the interest; and
believe it to be difficult to show that there will be
any other difference in cost between goods on which
the duties are paid on the entry, and those which
are stored for limited period without exacting the
payment of the duties until they 60 into the im-
porter's possession. There will be, however, an
other difference, though inconsiderable il, as sup
pose, the privilege of storing goods shall have the
effect of enlarging the circle of competition in the
business of mporation; for to the extent that the
regular dealers purchase abroad, they will save the
charges on foreign agencies here To the present exf
action of interest tho duties am totally opposed
1t is but means of adding indirectly to the amount
principle, to be abolished without regard to any
plan of storing goods. Still, though | consider the
,xaction wrong in principle, do not admit that it
,dds so materially to the cost Of imported merchan-
1ise as to give any appreciabe advantage to domes
ic products Of like character in the home market.
Nor have | been able to satisfy myself that the
measure proposed by the bill under consideration
would add much to the public revenue. The Sec
etary the Treasury estimates tho increase rev.
'nue at I'll 100000; and his opinion is entitled to
,reat respect. 1t strikes me, however, as a large
estimate. At least it is conectural But if it shall
prove to be accurate, it does not follow that the inn
ported merchandise, on which this increased rev.
niue is charged, will be altogether of those descrp
ions which come into competition with our own
and it will at all events find market
or an equal amount Of our own products. Mer-
,handise will be stored, unquestionably, in very
arge quantities for expectation. So far as the inn
,ortation and Incorporation of this merchandise ex
ends the carrying-trade, it will aid the treasury /
Trough the increase of the tonnage duties, which are
however, very uncomfortable. The amount Of inn
,osts can only be augmented by bringing greater
quantity offoreign merchandise into the home mar