The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-31

ports ing the quantity and description Of the
which returns tables formed thereon the Secretary Of
| principal papers Of the city OF Washington -,
sso' .d Dc Further enacted That the Secretary Of the
time 70 time such regulations not inconsistent with the
laws Of the United states may be necessary 70 give u
ability under same and shall be the duty of the seere
70 report such regulations each succeeding session oil
Congress-
The bill, having been read through, was taken up
| by sections
| And the frs, section having been read
i Mr.. billiard moved TO strike out all after the
enactIng clause thereof
| Mr.. II. said the subject was one to which he had
| given some thought; and he was ready to confess
that his inclination had hitherto been to support
some measure of this characer-not this identical
measure however for he thought there were serious
objections to It. More mature reflection, and a
close observation of the Of legislation here,
had brought him TO the determination TO against
the adoption Of the scheme, at all events during the
present session Of Congress. j..
i He had two reasons for this course. He thought
that the government would want Immediately all
| the revenue which could be raised from duties on
Imports. Ii obvious that this bill would great
| y lessen the revenue to be thus derived. Engaged
as we were in an expensive war-hayng just
passed tariff bin reducing the rates Of du-
les-if upon the back Of that, the present measure
was adopted, 1t manifest that our revenue
would be materially lessened.
He had another objection TO the bill. He believed
that sudden reduction of the duties on imports
would cause the manufacturing interests of the
country TO undergo a severe ordeal. II unlike
the reduction which took place under the compro-
mise act. That was a gradual, this a sudden
change; and he, for his part was not willing to lend
| his aid to any measure which might bring
still greater caamities upon those interests than
they must necessarily bear.
| Mr.. II. then passed into an explanation Of his
via he lu VII
recent course and vote thereon; and expressing the
opinion he had always entertained that the tariff OF
lSi2, under the peculiar circumstances Of its adop
ton, was patriotic measure, but temporary one,
needing revision and containing many features that
were Objectionable.
Mr.. II, yielded for explanation to Mr., EWING,
| OF Pennsylvania.
| THE TARIFF BILL.
The SPEAKER resumed the chair informally TO
receive a message from the President Of the United
States, by the hands Of J. X. Walker esq, his pri-
yate secretary, informing the House that the Pres
dent had approved and signed certain bills, and,
amongst others, the bill to reduce the duty on
imports and for other purposes.
| THE WAREHOUSE SYSTEM.
The Chairman then resumed his seat in COM
mittee
Mr.. TRUMAN SMITH obtained the floor, and
addressed the committee in reply to remarks Of the
] gentleman from Alabama, Mr.. HILLIARp,l and in
vlndication Of the tariff of 1912, from the charge
which (he said) that gentleman had made against II
of being an immature, hasty, aud inconslderaie
measure.
Mr.. s. then went into some general remarks on
the operation of the tariff system generally, and in
cidentally in opposition to the bill before the COM
mittee
| Mr.. BAYLY, with no intention (he said) long
to occupy the attention of the committee, and with
| out any previous design of speaking at all, briefly
proceeded in reply TO Mr.. Smith, and to remarks
| thrown out in the other branch of Congress, to
| compare the circumstances under which the tariffs
Of lS42 and 1916 were passed respectively, showing
that the latter stood in favorable in regard
to the thorough ordeal of deliberation and discus
sion, which it underwent in both houses Of Con-
] gress.
He referred to the deliberate notice we had had in
the Senate, and from the wing organs throughout
the country, of panic that is to be gotten up on the
subject of the tariff There many persons in
his vicinity and throughout his State, largely inter-
| ested in manufacturing establishments. To them
he wished to add word of advice. He called
| upon them TO take themselves out of the hands OF
politicians; and said he must have been very mat
tentive to the history Of the times who did not see
that this protective system has had its day. Did
| gentlemen expect to change this policy? What
prospect had they of restoring the protective sys-
| tenn at any time' The history OF the past few
years plainly showed that there disposition
on the part Of the great south and southwest to
alter this system. In the teeming west, the pro.
gress of free principles had been most rapid and
constant As to the middle States, they had gene
rally gone in opposition to them at This time; they
could, therefore, look for no benefit from change
there. He therefore concluded that they not to
look ultimately the establishment of this system
| But if he wrong and a change was ultimately
to take place. it must be long before it would be ef
fected. He examined the probability of any re-
pealing law passing this Congress at its next ses-
sion. Gentlemen need fatter themselves with no
idea that there were would be enough in the House
the next session to take the backtrack TO accom-
plsh it. As TO the Senate, he would pledge him.
self for one State that before bill could go from
| this House to the other, the most mandatory m
stIuctons would come up to one Of their senators to
vote against any repeal of the law just passed. But
| suppose they succeeded, so far as Congress was
concerned in their attempt resusctae the protec-
tive principles ofthe act of 1912, those similar to
it, what hope had they that the third department Of
| the government would ever allow it to become a
awi The President of the United States had taken
the ground that tariff levied for the purpose of
protection was in violation Of the constitution Of the
| United States; and what member here who had
been at all attentive to the course of the Executive
could for a moment believe that he would allow il
| to pass into law during his Administrations 1t
never could become law; there was no chance.
And he begged these manufacturers to look at the
| matter as business men, and not take the advice
of selfish politicians who operating for mere po
| litical and personal ends.
| He next glanced at the prospect Of any action of
the kind in the next Congress. In the Senate they
would see republican occupying the place Of a
present wing from each of the States of Virginia,
Michigan, and Maine, making change Of six
votes-which, taken in connection with the four
| votes from the two new States Of Wisconsin and
| Iowa, would make ten votes more in that body
against this restrictive system But he showed that
the protection afforded by this bill was 0per cent
viz. 80 per cent duty, about u transportation, and
| ms mi
not live under this protection, the country evidently
was not ripe for their introduction. But in proof
that it sufficient duty, he referred to the reduc-
| ton of duties under the compromise act, coming
down, after June, 1872 to 20 per cent, the denunci-
| atoms of Mr.. Webster and Mr.. Davis against
all attempts to repeal it, and especially to the fact that
under the existence Of that act and with no better
prospect before them than it held out, nearly one.
half of the manufacturing establishments in the
country came into existence.
From these facts, he concluded that this panic
which might be got up might derange business,
IA. h.