Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-07-17


Senate, in favor of the Tariff bill, had scarce
ly been uttered before il received signal confu.
tation from unexpected quarter. That speech
the ingenuity and pausibili,y OF which we cheer
fully concede, is devoted to two oblects-frst, to
show the advantages of ad valorem over specific
duties; and secondly, to demonstrate the capacity
of the new tariff to yield an adequate revenue
In support of the first proposition he asserted that
the ad valorem principle was objected to by no
other class of the community but the manufactur.
ers. The prompt reply is given by the memorial
of the importing dry goods merchants OF Boston
and it will soon be followed up by similar papes
from New York and other commercial cities
who say that they have examined the new tariff
bill with alarm and CONSERVATION. Why
On account of the low rates of dutiesl No; but
in consequence of the adoption of the ad valorsm
principle, which, they say, will compel them to
abandon their business d" into the hands of unscru.
pulous foreigners, who have little or no regard to
our custom. house oaths." Is the practical know.
ledge of this intelligent class of men to be Sc,
aside as worthless, and the opinions of Mr.. Lew
is, who, although he may be well versed in the
writings Of Adam Smith, is wholly uneonversant
with commercial operations, to be adopted the
basis of legislation Are specific duties, which
are coevsl with the existence Of our own Govern.
ment, and which constitute feature of the com.
mercial code of every government on the face of
the earth, TO be abolished because a distinguished
Southern cotton planter declares, er cdthedrd, that
ad valorem duties OF easier application and
less liable to lead to fraudi We cannot suppose
that Mr.. Lewis opinion-however worthy of re-
spect in reference TO matters OF which he has per.
sonal knowedge-will weigh feather against the
opposing declarations of importing merchants,
whose everyday business enables them to com.
prehend its fallacy.
Mr.. Evans, of Maine, replied to Mr.. Lewis, in
one Of the most conclusive arguments so far as it
has gone, which we have met with The
National Intelligencer truly says: Never were
facts and figures and argument brought to bear
more triumphanty upon any question than they
were by Mr.. Evans in his mastery nd unanswer-
able defence of the Tariff Of 1912. He address
ed the Senate nearly three hours in a speech Of
great power-indeed, with force of reasoning
and eloquence seldom equaled, even in the Sen.
ate, and such to add to his high reputation for
ability. He was listened to throughout with pro-
found attention. Among the most attentive Of
the auditors, we were glad to see the Hon. Secre.
tary of the Treasury, who must have been not a
little edited by Mr.. Evans searching examina.
ton aud dissection of his various Reports esti-
mates calculations and anticipations, in regard to
the finances, revenue, imposts, " &c. Among
the errors of the Secretary which he pointed out,
was one of about a million of dollars, in docu.
ment presented to the Senate that morning, show.
ing the receipts from customs for the fiscal years
ending the 30th of June, lS45 and 1916. TWAS
the design OF the Secretary to satisfy the country
that the reve nue. is declining, and hence he
states that while for the year ending the 3Oth June
lS45, the amount of revenue was S27, 52S, ll2 20
1t was in ls46 only 26,6s1, 9l5 ~
Showing falling off Of Ss46,l97 2s
But the fact is, as shown by the statement of the
Register of the Treasury, on the 6sth page of
the Annual Report of Secretary Walker, that the
aggregate Of revenue for 1915, as above given, is
not correct-and if Mr.. Walker had been fam
liar with the documents emanating from his own
office, he would have known that il was CHROME.
After the correction Of the errors referred
10, the amount of revenue for 1916 is about TWEEN.
six millions and a half instead of twenty-seyen
and n half, as stated by Mr. Secretary Walker
Indeed, Mr.. Evans shows that there has been an
unprecedented uniformity in the importations, and
consequently in the revenue, since the enactment
of the present tariff II did not go fairly into opera
tion until the spring Of ls43-and what have been
the results in regard to revenue The first year,
ending the 30th June 1874, il brought into the
Treasury, in round numbers, the sum Of
S25, 100000
The ID year, June ls45,) about 26,6OO,OOO
The Sd year, June 1S46,) 26,6s1 $50
"IIere says Mr. Evans are three successive
years in which the amount received into the Trea.
4
three years 10 be found IN our history, nor any
thing approaching 10 them. Search our statute.
books from beginning to end, and you look in
vain for any other law whose operation has been
40 uniform-so steady. During those three years
we have had none Of those evils that result from
excessive importatiops-one year excessive i'm.
portatons, next year diminished Importation
embarrassing the whole business Of the country,
and the financial affairs Of the Government -
In order still more slrikDgly to show the bene.
fits that have resulted from this abused and anathe
matized system, let US exhibit, by way Of contrast
the fluctuations, both in revenue and in the i'm
portatons, for several years preceding its enact
ment. Mr.. Evans statements exhibit the follow
ing extraordinary results-for such they will doubt
less appear to all who may Cor the first time Sc,
them grouped together-results to which the bank
Tuptcy Of the government and the people in lsI;
and ~ - as clearly traceabe, as their recover,
from that condition is NJ clearly to be shown TO b.
the consequence Of the wise system which ha
been periinaciously assailed and the overtime,
Of which is now, we fear, more than probable
In 1880 the revenue was s22.75O.OOO
1881 u rose 10 30.2jO0OO
1892 u fell % "a, 100000
1888 it was a. low l475OOOO
1885 it rose again 81 100000
1864 went Up TO 26OOO.OOO
1897 1t fell to 100000 ! or so per cent
1889 u had risen 2O,j0U.OOO
1910 was down 10 100000 upwards Of SO Or d
Let us now look at the fluctuations in imports
lions, which in round numbers, amounted,
In 1880. 10 s7oOOoOOo