The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-11-11
THE DAILY UNION.
From our European correspondent.

DEAR SIR; The new tariff act has been translated
into the eoptinental languages and published in the
Leading journals of the principal manufacturing and
commercial cities. The classification OF articles and
the ad yalorem duty which they are respectively, to
pay renders il perfectly integible TO every person
concerned In trade Intercourse win lhe United States
While there il every prospect that sufhcient reye-
nue. will be realized under its provisions 10 deiray
the expenditures occasoned by the administration
Of the government, ample and Wholesome "pfotec-
ton" has been afforded 10 the manufactures OF our
own country-"protection" exclusively incidental IN
ts character and constltutonaly legitimate 10 It's De
stowa A principle of valuation, for the first time
since we became nation, has been established upon
| imported Merchandise, which supersedes the clan
| destlne purposes secured by "speelncs" and mini
NUNS" This principle addresses Itself 10 language
80 clear and explicit to the common sense OF the
people, that there is nothing TO apprehend from rs
being uprooted hereafter by the sophistry and elo
quence of the perssvering representatives. OF class
Interests in the national legislature Its business IN
sures its triumph-its simplicity lnsures It's perpe-
tuity.
| Free trade with foreign nations, from the very
nature Of institutions, cannot be carried practl-
| caly into fun effect. The revenue law, enacted al
the late session Of Congress- approximates as closely
to il as we shall probably arrive and although
the duty upon species Of merchandise may be d.
FINISHED, and on another augmented slightly, as ne
cessity may require, yet as whole wlli continue,
hazard little in saying in operation, for scores, II
centuries OF years. IL Is but reasonable TO sup
pose that the augmentation Of imports will be some
ohai proportonale TO the increase OF population No
1 two years will likely present the same results, but
| 10 the main the one will not be magnihed much
above the other. therefore congratulate the Union
upon the defnilive settlement OF question which
has been productive Of mischief since 1876 and
also congratulate the manufacturing interest not only
on acco ant of its having been well taken care Of
but because il distinctly can foresee what u may re-
| ly upon for the future
| Viewing the enactment as one admirably calcutta
ted to develop the resources and power OF our coun-
try and 10 contribute in all its workings TO the pro
motion Of the public veal, conceive il TO be an
imperative duty upon every good citizen TO assist,
where il is possible for him TO do so, in giving Il
efficiency. II has been insisted, with more inge-
nuity however than candor, that frauds of terrific
magnitude would be repeatedly committed upon the
revenue, in consequences OF the ad ya0rem principle
having been adopted, of assessing the duties nUaia-
biz. In the first place. temptation ceases for SNUG
Cling when it had no alurements by the certainty
OF immense gain. In England the only Illicit trade
which il complained Of is that in tobacco, and this
results altogether from the enormous import duty
| which burdens the staple. The most upright in.
dividuals belonging to England and Fraace, when
returning home from Germany, Holland, or Bel
GUM, do not hesitate TO pass the cusom-houses OF
their respective governments, with vastly larger
quantity Of cigars upon their person than they are
legally entitled to carry. This is an everyday Gus
tom in which even the Lawmakers not unirequenuy
participated Unjust imposts, by which rational
enjoy ments are limited to persons Of wealth, as ID
the with tobacco and cigars, in the two nations
mentioned, engender disregard for the laws and
evenuate in the commission OF innumerablo crimes.
To secure public morality, nations should lnfuse
the spirit Of morality into oil their laws.
But the opponents TO ad yalorem duties profess TO
be frightened at the door which has been opened for
imposition the treasury by false invoices They
seem TO have forgotten that under the act OF
ls42, at least nine tenhs Of all the articles enter
ed were appraised upon this principle. Most
of the remainder came in contact with home
products which favored by the specifies
and hence under the enormous duties which
they pay ranging from fifty to one hundred and fifty
per csnt IL is presumable that more losses were sus-
laned upon them, in one year, than under twenty
and thirty per cent. duty, will occur in five, from
frauds occasioned by false oaths TO invoices | dc
not wsh to be understood, however, as saying that
frauds are not committed by importers. On the
contrary believe that with the utmost vigilance OF
the appraisers and other officers connected with the
customs, they frequently practised and may he
continued, under existing arrangements, but to less
extent, when the new law goes into operation. But
= it is in the power of Congress TO remove the evi
complained Of altogether IL that body, at its nex
, session, will pass Mr.. Csmpbelrs consular bl-s
bill which, from its merits, ought TO be above and
: wholly Independent of party consideratons-and
authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to require
o certificate to EVERY Invoice, from the consul, a
the port al ,chch the merchandise Is embarked the evi
will be forthwith remedied The actual value o.
all merchandise proceeding to the United States
from foreign country should assuredly be estab
lished before authority of the United States gov
n eminent, and to its satisfaction at the place where
u the shipment is made; 80 that no other expenses
would have to be added when it arrived at the Gus
courthouse for which it was destined, except freight
f and that only in of home paluaon being adopt
ed as the standard of appraisement. AT present IN
voices may be testified to at the custom-house where
i the goods entered, by any one interested in the
e shipment be that interest never inconslderable
In consequence of this being permitted, the treasury
. is not only often a sufferer, sometimes innocenty
deceived relates to the person making oath, bu
great injustice is likewise done to the honest and e-
gitimate dealer in like articles. Now, by the way Of
Illustrating the view which desire TO exhibit, will
II suppose a case. A, in Lyons, makes adventure
i Of 500 900 worth of vevets, and such other ar.
ces as are admitted ad valorem duties, which
average IS per cenum, to Boston, and interests
in the shipment to twentieth part of the invoice
amount in order that he, B. may swear to their for.
egn cost. A, instead Of charging the articles at the
fair market value averages them at twenty per cent
" below-thus making his own interest SIC, 900, and
BIS $4,000. Although the gratuity to B amounts to
a. 900, receives remuneration for it if the trans
action is perfected Of $3.50! At the actual cost OF
! the merchandise--$100, 000-A would have to pay
duty of S35, 0OO; but upon his proportion of the in
u voiced cost only S26, 600. goes before the coll
lector and swears conscientiou,y, for does ad
wise him Of the sratagem to which he resorted Ia
evade the law. is man Of elevated character
and the officers connected with the customs know,
ing him to be such, less rigid in the examination
o of his importation, than they would be in cases
where there was no cause for suspicion.
Frauds of this description, but upon less ex,
tended scale, have doubt, have been repeatedly
= carried out with entire success under our system OF
high duties The outrage upon the treasury is bad
enough in all conscience; but it is trihing compared
with the injury sustained by our straightforward
" merchants, who pay in foreign countries the entire
" vaue for their goods and the consequens duty, and
r who live by fair and regular profits upon their sales
They have been undersod and left with large stock.
j. on hand, in which all their capital was locked up
l. and heavy debt suspended over them from which
9 bankruptcy and its conoomitant evils followed
:, Foreign houses in New York, Philadelphia, New Or
leans, &C., are usually represented in Germany and
T. France by some connected with them; and these