The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-07
fOf the UnlS
THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM.
Ma. ABborrLAwRlNCE:

1
dom-freedom of thought, word, and action.
need therefore offer apology for making few
remarks your tariff letter TO your friend Mr.
Riyes, Of Virginia, dated January Is, 1886 hop,
you and your friend satisfied that you have
at length embraced correct principles and ascertain
ed which side is most conducive TO your interests.
| The first impression | had reading your letter
was, that II written by the great manufacturing
Mr.. Lawrence, whom had heard Of and so i
proved and in looking for the object you had in
view, Immediately remembered that the time is al
hand for altering the unjust and impotc tariff o
1912: then, could not resist the irresistible concu
slon that, like Demetrius who made Ehrines for the
goddess Diana, you had raised your voice TO save
| your craft.
You begin by saying 1t Is a currency question, YET
you take notice of the chartered banks and pspei
money system and for the good and sufficient reasoI
that II would not have suited your purpose to have
done so.
Next you assume that the annual expenses Of
the government for the ensuing FIVE years
Will be thirty millions Of dollars per annum, you
might as well have made it thirty millions; il
would have given you more ground TO cover with d
rotten ediiee;) and then proceed TO show that one
hundred and forty millions Of dollars worth OF mer-
chandise, at 20 per cent. ad valorem duty, and
twenty-five millions worth at no duty, must, OF ne
| cessliy, be imported IN order to raise the money
The fact Is that twenty-six million dollars a more
reasonable and probable amount for in all likeli-
hood the foreign relations of the country will be
peaceably maintained, and the expenditure not over
| this amount.
But suppose it will require thirty million dollars
per annum for the next five years, and that one
hundred and slxty-hye million dollars value OF
goods have TO be imported what them Why,
the people OF the United States will be benefited TO
the extent of the difference of duties by obtaining
merchandise from Europe at lower prices, which
would enable them to purchase and consume in
creased quantities. | have no doubt that more than
| q, 49, l.. Il. II
deficit of forty-hve millions of exports over inn
ports, the would be the case; 80 that no
loans would be wanted, no treasury notes issued
the banks would not break, and that dreadful con-
vulsion which you picture 80 awfuly would not
take place.
| How do make this OUT One word in your ear
If you please. For your special information and COM
fort the English and provision laws will be i'm
medately either repealed totally or greatly modified
with clause for their gradual and certain extinction
at no distant period. Such is the state of public
opinion and feeling in Great Britain that whatever
party is in power, this must and will happen.
Whether these laws are now repealed, or only
largely modified, 1t will open to the West and South
extensive and profitable market for their produce
and greatly relieve the eastern markets; thereby
giving the eastsrn, southeastern, and northeastern
| agrculturists better home market.
Your assertion that in ordinary years (you take
care to say nothing of this year, very little wheat
would be shipped from this country, is incorrect,
like most of the other things you tell about The
hardy, Industrious, and frugal emigrants, coming
regularly from Germany and Ireland, with the ad-
vaptages Of land at price far below what can be
had for in Europe Of equal quality, will enable
them to supply England with their produce from
| New Orleans, on better terms than any othsr
part of the world. So far then from this contem-
plated alteration Of the United States tariff throwing
the balance of trade against this country 1t is the
very way to bring about exactly opposite result
nj he nj (9rea Rriti has hee, and
is likely to continue, to protect everything pro-
duced at home or in her colonies. What do you
cali protectieni Ii is evident you think 20 per
cent ad valorem duty on foreign imported manufac-
lures not enough
Well, do the people Of Great Britain produce no
manufactured Yes, immense quantities. What is
the protective duty they place your super-excel-
lent domesicsf Ten per cent. only, and the manu-
facturers constantly offering to their government
to take it off. When you and others were concoet-
ing the tariff of lS42, raising the duties British
goods, what took place in England Twill tell you,
for perhaps you may have forgotten. Sir r. Peel and
the tories had just then ousted the wings, and of
the first acts Of that ministry was to make large
reduction on the general tariff including American
agricultural products, such cheese, pork butter,
naval stores, &c, since which, the west and south
west, have had large and increasing trade in these
articles. This is ALL for since then the same gov
eminent has removed the whole of the duty on raw
cotton, of which England buys from this country to
the value of not less than sixty millions dollars per
annum. To use your own language, this is free
trade all on one side; but the liberal side is Eng
lish.
Next, you say that soon after this new tariff act
shall have passed. all the manufactures in England
will be set in motion Gas if they were not in motion
now for the supply Of the American market
Well, if large increased quantity of British
manufactures should come to these States (the more
the BETTER they will be sold cheaper, help to give
surplus revenue, employ more ships sailors shin
wrights, anchor, chain-cable and sail-makers paint
ers adorners, porters, statesmen, clerks, &c. &C. and
prevent the KIND protection you so generously wish
| the ship-owners TO have
| But these Englishmen are great rascals; YOU saw
they will send two invoices; in they will pIt
their goods at low prices to pay the duty by in the
other they will put them at high prices to sell by.
You should have told us at the same time, that,
whatever prices they put in their invoices the peo-
pie who come to buy will examine the goods and
give no more than market prices that the proper
officers will ascertain the correct value on the other
side; and if the importer, even if he should happen
to be Yankee, is detected attempting to cheat he
will meet with due punishment You know, Mr..
! Lawrence, under the present very high tariff thu
temptation TO cheat is vastly greater, by inducing
the merchants to smuggle and evade the duty alto.
gether In twelve months, you say the country
will be literally surfeted with British goods as il
it would injure the population of the United
States to buy more clothing for less money.
|
will not be content with selling the people cloth
| ing at lower rates, but they will also take
your -four, wheat, Indian corn, pork oorncd beef,
vegetables, fruits eggs, and poultry at higher prices
than can be obtained for them at home
With reference to specific duties, which find so
much favor in your sight, would say that ad valo.
rem are as superior to specific light is to dark
ness To those who wish full notion of the differ
ence between the two, would desire them to read
"Bundelcund. IL was an extensive manufac-
| turer filling my Golfers out of the pockets of the
people through the nstrumentality ofspecfc duties,
| il is not impossible but that might have my ewes
opened, and so discover their real value.
| Once more, you say that Congress should legis.
late for labor and the capital will take care of itself
and does not require the aid of Congress to place il
in any other position than to put the labor in mo-
ton. This is tub thrown out to the whale, (the
public) and adroitly managed that if you do MOI
catch il you will, doubt not, catch a great many
gudgeons.
Congress should legislste for labor. What dc
YOU mean! Do you mean that Laws should be
passed giving to all kinds Of laborers certain fixed