The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-29
COMMUNICATIONS.
ror the Union.
Public crsi,t.

As the requirements OF the national treasury are likely
10 be large and must be- TO considerable extent sup
Piled by loans. II becomes very important that there
should be prompt and immediate action by Congress
the requson OF the Treasury Department aud the gov
eminent as soon as possible placed in independent po
sion in ITS finances and its credit at home and abroad
tablished and sustained IN effective to
mand what means may be wanted for the expenses OF
the the most favorable terms To do this eiec
tualy must be apparent to all that the plan OF the Sec
rotary OF the Treasury TO levy immediate duty upon
tea and coffee should be adopted without delay,
war measure and such increase of the revenue would
qnqaestonably az ones raise the market value OF the
United States securities, and enable the government to
borrow all the probable exigences of the would
qure on fair terms il would undoubtedly bring into
the market competitors from abroad and give the govern
ment the advantage OF the low price OF money Eng
land and Europe
II cannot but be Notifying TO us all to see our own
government, with comparatively debt at all, com
PEELED to pay from IS TO 80 per cent more interest
for money than second-rate power in Europe;
and, though has been suggested in quarters the
idea cannot f moment be entertained that the people
OF the west who have in the present contest with Nex
co so freely and honoaby shed their best blood in the
cause Of the county VIZ nterpose he slightest obscs
10 any mfagiw ta lsiei Ia sos Ain It's credit, merely
because temporary duty of 25 per cent coffee and
tea is proposed To suppose such thing would be the
grossest libel upon the character and patriotism OF the
whole western constituency; and member representing
that section would dare expose himself to the flood OF
Indignation that would burst upon him his return to his
constituents If he should give for voting against
such measure, the paltry consideration that might sub
ect them TO the necessity OF paying cent perhaps
one and half cent per h. for the coffee they drink
which, taking their present consumption OF this article
and supposng the price to be enhanced TO the full extent
OF the duty, which probably would not be, would sub
ject them to additional tax exceeding "A cents or
at the utmost ten cents per head per annu and on an
average OF the whole country not as much The fact that
duty tea and coffee will be less burdensome to the
consumers at large than any other articles OF equal
consumption incontrovertibe because the whole is
OF foreign growth, and the government gets the advan
tage OF all the enhancement in the price caused by the
duties and upon the principle OF taxing for revenue only
which Is the only true and constitutional one, these a
ces being OF large and general consumption the
legitimate objects OF taxation, particularly all other
imported articles which any revenue of consequence
would accrue are already taxed nearly quite up to the
revenue standard
The reasoning of the Secretary of the Treasury upon
the expedeney and propnety OF having the duty take
elect immediately after the passage OF the act most
conclusive The contrary practice of imposing
duties prospectvely doubt its origin principally
to the opportunities OF those whose immediate interests
were concerned, being small portion of the importers
and dealers who happened to hold, and expecting
supplies OF the articles affected by the Duty and who de-
rived the whole advantage from at the expense of the
treasury and the country at large. moments reflection
will satisfy any that the effect OF evying duties pros
pectVely Is to increase very much evil, which to
some extent is unavoidable in change of the. revenue
laws, INCREASING duties,) that of enhancing the value
OF those articles, upon which the duties are imposed in
the hands OF those who happen to have stocks of Them
and thereby enrich few at the expense of the great
of the consumers these articles would necessarily adj
vance IN pnce nearly the amount OF the duty without the
government reaslng any revenue at all from them. To
stop this evil where II s and enable the government in
the most equitable way to reap the greatest benefit from
revenue duties, 1t is only necessary to let the law i'm
posing them take effect practicable after its
passage, when there will be the smallest quantity of inn
ported goods on hand and the small proportion OF
the importers who might derive an undue advantage
from opposite would have no reason to com
plain OF this under the existing warehousng system,
they could keep the goods imported under the duty
till the full effect of the change is felt and prices in the
market accommodated to IT.