The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-18

treaeherous 20 them; when ] put II TO your cor
Sciences that there thousands and tens OF thon
sands OF good North Carolina democrats, VINO, =
for from having adopted Il IN their political crero
did never much hear ~ IL until long since "a
election TO the Senate Let each one answer 70
hmsslf-Did you ever understand II beiores
sincerity ! declare, that until after my election u
the Senate, did not and | presume you did net
But think understand IL now, my countrymen
and venture 10 guess, that the more you know
IL, and the longer IL shall be tried, the less you vii
like IT, ...
But let tell you what il 10: Il Is To lay duties
taxes upon goods imported from foreign coun
tries, according 10 the value Of the goods the
ket fiom whence they come--the lns fixing the pc,
cent and the collector Of il asceftainng the foreig
value OF whatever is taxed--viz; the sum Of tn,
tax--for which he IL not responsible TO you but I,
the Treasury Department. And specific duty il
the same tax imposed upon tho same artcle-th'
lao itself, however, Distinguishing the values, 10y
establishing the particular Of taxation and eay-
ing nothing for the collector to do Tut TO weigh OF
measure the quantity; wherein, II he be guilty Of
fraud, he may probably be convicted, II disposed
10 Cypress the merchant, he can be prevented. IL
short where the tax is specific the collector only
weighs or measures the quantity; where II Is ad rao
rem he not only measures weighs the quantity
but likewise determines, upon his own judgment,
the foreign value Of the things imported. The UNI
form rule, as approved by your government, has
been heretofore, that Of making all the duties spec
yaleremi but reduce the list Of ad palOrsm duties
from time TO time, by adding to the list Of specifics
The experimental tariff condemns and regulates
this policy altogether, and prescribes a new one
of having all the duties ad yslorem, and none o.
them specific With this explanation, you can
have no difficulty in comprehending my objections
10 the nav principle Of the experimental tariff.
Il was maxim Of the revolution, that "represen-
tAton and taxation should go together" Now,
this is great pnncipe Of liberty never to be des
pissed; and the abrogstion Off cannot be necessary
10 the interest Of the republic. But il moth
ing unless il creates the duty Of laying taxes by the
lao and not by the o6er, who collect IL so that The
citzen who reads the law may, far practicable,
see In il what il taxes him officers, too, whom the
people have no agency In appointing, and eanno'
remoye-oficers who, IN assessing values, exercise
their own discretion, and whose Individual Juog
neot. in this country, as to the market value OF
property in all foreign lands, cannot be successfully
impeached because the Witnesses TO do II 1--we
abroad and cannot be got here and II they could,
woud st be almost impossible 10 convict the once
ofinlsutionaI ia school Ii must be proved that b,
was wrong, and knew II 20. Is not this new doc
trine. then more than a slight departure from thu
maxim of The republic Shall Il be approved, upoI
the notion that this great principle OF Representative
democracy has become impracuca6iet Shall we
sanction the pretence, that the Pecpaes repre'enfS
tire, will cheat them in adopting the specific duties
and assume at the same time that custom hous'
officers will be more sorupuous and more Just l'
you, in fixing the values under system OF ad paio
rem duties' Ought such a departure rom grea
and fundamental doctrine Of representative govern
rpent TO be tolerated, much less ingrafted perma'
nenty into the laws Of free people, without una
voidable necessity, and sanctihed as a part OF ou
democratic faith, without notice to the people,
step or two further, and we shall be carried to .
point where Congress can do nothing but declare
the aggregate which may be levied for the
government and leave the Treasury Department Il
IN NAV eem
Sording to Its rules.
leone now to show that what the experiments
tariff makes the rule Of taxation, the fathers OF tn
republic made the exception. What they declared
was fruitful mother Of frsuds, It has adopted as tn
only parent Of our revenues!
In 1895, when Washington was President, Alex
ander Hamilton, his Secretary Of the Treasury, in
report to the House of Representatives, used tn
following words, viz:
According to the present laws imposing Duties on ar
Giles imported into United much short Of
third o(he whole amount ofthe duties derived from ar
ain other nations where this branch Of revenue will
u.s. principal very considerable consequence an
where peculiarly of situation has tended to keep tn
rates duty low experience has led to contract
he number OF articles rated ad valGrem and Q
that s lin to weight measure, or other rules
quantity. -
when duties high Is impossible for the merchants
ouy country to have manifested more prsby than those
the United States this subject; and 1t is firmly believe
that in which Illicit purchases TO III
disadvantage OF the have obtained little as hitl
With duties so considerable as those which now exist d
position will not be experienced ia some individuals WI
ah %n 20 an Hsn, sSc;en 70 make nrdsnt 70
h and by ey.ry reasonable nrecaSo,
Win ,L =, snoh ,,.mnt;. :, = ns.bisss - -
~ :. ,hs II, con,rhna ~ nncb 10 N. ;n,ero, " Il,
~, ,r . a. 70 Thai Of The reveB,,e " " - vi
Is beloved INA. ID our stem ihe meth Of rating
s, compass and il /. evident that 10 do 60 ,yIl cor
tribute rally the security Of revenue 4m,,
lean Sa,, Poprs Finance, vol !, pases4a)
10 1901 under Jeiersons administration, Alber
daiann, secretary OF the treasury, IN report Il
the senate, saiu that-
I'm order guard as far as possible against the value
goods being IN me INVOICE would be eig
tbs adj ysarem as NAV be suscentibe oftba,
Isee American state Papers, Finance vol l. D 7eaj
In 1916. under Madison,s administration. A. ]
Dallas the Secretary of the Treasury in a reno,
~ the House of Renrcaent,tives and in answer ~
resolution of the nrpcedino session after tborouo
examination. said:
rh,, .r,,o,.. innor..a :, .,.,, .our s,or,, -,,,o
be charged with sptode duties upon their weight and