The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-23

Tor il secret ] trust the house will be satisfied with
my promise TO make gradual reduction in the du-
~, to be spread over number Of years, until II be
entirely reduced. But il will be three or four days
before the precise nature OF those reductions can be
land before the house. Now, with these exceptions,
hardly know raw material with respect TO which,
IN this country, there Is any duty. We have the
advantage of free command Of foreign articles, so
far as regards lmposts upon raw materials call,
therefore, upon the manufacturers Of the three great
articles which enter into The consumption OF the
great body OF the people, ask them to give that
proof-whch am sure they will freely giye-of
the sincerity OF their convictions with regard TO the
mpohcy Ofprolectng duties, loud cheers from both
sides Of the house. The three great branches of
! manufacturing industry of which speak are those
of nen Of woollen, and Of cotton Ihear hear, hear
i ask them al once 10 set The example to others
by renquishng cheeTfully the protection afforded
! them, cheers. An honorable friend of mine the
member for DorsetshIre-and | will call him. il he
allow me, my honorable friend for II shall not be
my fault il these unfortunate political differences be
allowed to interfere with private friendship and re.
gafd-expressed hope, being Jealous OF an express
sion which occurred In her Majestys speech, that
the small interests ofthe country would not be over
looked promise him that those interests shall meet
especial attention. promise that the reyisal OF the
thn mean TO Affect the great interests; and there
fore hope TO meet the views Of my honorable friend
and 10 crafty his expectations that the small inter-
ests shall be attended 10. Row shall call upon the
manufacturers of cotton, shall call upon the manu-.
facturers Of the great articles Of cotton linen and
woollen, TO rehnquish the protection which they
: now enjoy. Those articles that affect particularly
the aborng classes, shsll endeayor TO treat with
more forbearanee In the FIRST instance, will refer
; TO the cotton manufacture The great mass Of the
cotton manufacture consisting OF calieoes, prints,
&c, is subject 70 a duty Of 10 per cent; cotton
goods made up, such shirts and stockings
brought from abroad, subject to duty Of % per
cent, but generally cotton manufactures are liable
, only to duty Of 10 per cent. propose that all
: now imported at duty Of 10 per cent. should in
future be brought IN duty-free tcheers, and that
the duty Of 20 per cent which applies certain ar
ticles manufactured abroad from cotton, and there
fore in a certain ad yaneed state shall hereafter be
liable TO a duty Of only 10 per Articles Of the
ordinary cotton manufacture shall be imported free
Of all duty, while shirts stockings &C. shall pay 10
} per cent, instead Of 20 per cent at present.
} Some confuson.l The only favor | ask Of the
House Is this-tha may be permitted to state the
whole OF my plan, hear, hear without any infer
ences being drawn at once respecting particular
, part Of H. Cheers ! may have to recommend
! precautions in the first part Of my proposal which
q may give rise to erroneous conclusions to the
rest; and therefore have request that honorable
members WILL for the present, suspend their ludg-
! ment5 Cheers. | do not ask you TO suspend
$ your judgments even to future day, but merely
until have concluded my observations. Hear
hear. am the more anxious to call upon the man.
c tectlve duties, because, according TO very high
s authority II not the agricuturist but the man.
ufacturer, who called upon the legislature, il the
first instance to adept the protective system. The
mercantile and manufacturing interests set the ex-
, ample IN requiring protection, and Il is but right
n therefore, that they should the example as
doubt not they will do cheerfuly, in now relin-
$ gushing protection. Nothing can be more marked
o than the observations made upon this part OF the
: subject by one who had no prejudices in ia
vor Of the agricuurists-l mean Adam
: Smith. Speaking historically, he says: 'Coun.
: try gentlemen and farmers, to their great hon.
or, are of all persons the last who subject the
, wretched spirit of monopoly [chees, and much
}, laughter. We are adverting to the origin Of
: the system, and Adam Smith must be quoted as 9
+ most impartial authority, having leaning biai
u any way; he is speaking historian, and 7 shal
beg leave to repeat what was reading when brok,
II of, IN consequence Of interruption. He tells us tina
3 country gentlemen and farmers their great hon
or are Of all persons the last who subject to tn
e wfetched spirit OF MONOPOLY Laughter 'Countr,
]; gentlemen and farmers, dispersed in different part
Is OF the country, cannot easily combine mer
J. chants and manufacturers, who being collected int
, towns, and accustomed to that exclusive corpora.
1t ton spirit which prevails in them, naturally endea
J. vor to obtain, against all their countrymen, the
: same exclusive privilege which they generally pos
sess against the inhabitants OF their respective
g they accordingly seem 10 have been the orgina
inventors OF those restraints upon the importation Of
e foreign goods, which secure TO them the monopoly
t ofthe home-market. IL was probably in imitation Of
them, and TO put themselves upon q level with those
e who, they found were disposed to Cypress them
2 that the country gentlemen and farmers Of Grea
Britain so far forgot the generosity which is nattra
TO their station, 10 demand the exclusive privilege
OF supplying their eounrymen with corn and butch.
er's meat. They did not perhaps take time 10 con-
slider how mnch less their interest could be affected
, by the freedom of trade than that of the people
whose example they followed That extract may
excite laughter from some honorable gentlemen or
the other side of the house but my belief that the
statement made IN II Is perfectly correct protection
was first pressed upon the legislature by the mer
camille and manufacturing interests and il was after
wards extended almost as necessary consequence
to the landed interest. l have, therefore, invited
cotton In the first instance, to renqush protection
propose TO call on the manufacturers of cotton wool
and flax the three great articles concerned in cloth
ing, to reIinqush protection applied to them and
as regards the coarser articles they produce: be
evcthey can do it without injury. cheers although
there VIII be some loss to the revenue II is my opin
ION that the importation of some articles OF the kind
VIII stimulate their eNertrons, and with the skill inge
Y nuy, and enterprise that exists in this country
do not doubt that shall beat not only the French
but the Saxon manufacturer. Cheers At pre-
sent, IN the case ofwoolen goods when made up the
are subject, under the tariff Of 1872 to duty of q
D per cent. In wooen goods, in cotton, propose t.
reduce that duty from 20 to 10 per cent. The
! House will observe that in the cotton and wooer
i trade we have given the manufacturer unrestricted
$ power to import the raw material. The same ru,
, will apply to linens. Flax, on its importation, j,
free from any duty. As ] said the other night
there is no impost whatever, and there has beer
6 none for many years, on foreign fax. Therefore
in the case of linens, as in wooens and cottons,
is proposed that the articles of manufacture
in which the great mass of the people is interested
: should come into this country duty free. Som,
linen articles it is true, are very fine; they are no
: Of general consumption but of luxury; but with re-
gard to these do not propose that we should retair
E the present amount of duty. Among these, cam
brics and some other fabrics may be included, ant
upon these the duties vary according to the article
$ but my proposition is 1.-THE right honorable bar
I onet here dropped his voice, and we cannot be an
swerable for the precise words of the conclusion o
} the senteuce that the duty made-up linen good
, should be reduced one-halE So much with respec
E to these three great fabrics; and now approach
$ another manufacture, which does not fall exactl,
within the principle applied to cottons, wooens ant
nens, but with respect to which it seems Of gr ea
m H..