Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-04-25
SPEECH OF MR.. CHARLES HUDSON,
OF MASSACHUSETTS,,
On the Wheat Trade of the Country
Hou.r OF REPRESENTATIVES.. Feb. 26. lsl,

OF MASSACHUSETTS,,
On the Wheat Trade of the Country.
Hou.r OF RKrRursrAusx., Feb. &c, lsls.
The House being in COMMITTEE Of the Whole the
state OF the Union. and having under the bill
making appropriation for the improvement Of habOrs and
| rivers
Mr.. HUDSON, of Macs, obtained the floor, and said
Mr. Chairman the rising Of the COMMITTEE yesterday
you were pleased report that the Committee had had the
state OF the Union generally under consideration and the
debate which had taken place. and that which has followed
this morning. have fully justified that report The gentle
man from Alabama (Mr Psyne) and the gentleman from
South Carolina Mr. Rhet have both objected the pas
sage OF this bill the ground that would make heavy
draft upon the Treasury, and that such scheme inter
Improvements would defeat proposed modification Of
revenue laws of the country and they called upon their
friends, by all that and dear hem-by the
cess OF their psry-by their continuance in poverty ell
that was sacred in the Of Democracy come for
ward and save the people from policy which must ensure
the continuance Of the p,esent odous system Of taxation
As these gentlemen have been INDUCED this Of
remark, trust that shall be SLOWED follow their
ample am in favor of this BILL because such improve
ments facilitate intercourse between different and distant
sections of the country and promote the interest Of trade
| and commerce.
The present, Mr. Chairman, is important in the
history of country The President, the opening Of
the session. recommended the abandonment OF that policy
which is coeval with government policy under
which the nation has grown and prospered. We have al
so been told by the Secretary the Treasury that
abandon all proeeuonof domestic duty, in order TO pro
the repeal OF the English laws. The British Min
istry approve OF the policy recommended, endorse the
doctrines OF the American Secretary; and order his repor,
be published and laid upon the desks Of the members OF
Parliament a valuable document promote Bit sh To-
An effort has been made both sides OF the At
lanic change fundamentally the policy OF this country
1 r - i.
prosperity OF the people. parayze every interest and
greatly impair that very which these improve
calculated promote. We Sir Robert Peel
and Sir Robert Walker in what the gentleman from South
Carolina mir RHErr) calls "a disastrous conjunction"
bring shout this resuta result truly disastrous be-
loved country but Great Britain ga contamination de-
| youily TO be wished"
AS the subject OF the laws has been presented for
consideration by both Governments propose cal the
attention Of this committee this subject, and the effect
which the repeal modification of these laws would have
upon the OF county. And regard this ques-
strictly pertinent the subject before The gram
of the West nd its way the Atlantic through the
very channels which this bill is designed improve The
wheat trade is important item il commerce, and
cry thing which effects that trade will render these improve
mens more less necessary.
The subject OF the trade OF the United States hes cs
late attracted the attention Of the peoples and although
OF importance eonden, that its importance
been greatly overraed From the language which some
times mployed We might naturally infer that wheat and
flower Constituted great portion of the exports OF the
try. But u official documents will show that
for of years export Of wheat and flour does
exceed one-twentieth OF our whole export.
| PROPOSE Mr.. Chsirman 10 take brief view Of the
wheat trade of the United States And here will state,
for all. that shall the wheat include
-four aud, in all my estimates, make barrel OF flour
equal FIVE bushels Of wheat The wheat crop the
United S in lS40. according the census returns
81 SOB 900 bushels and in 1874 according
the report of the Commissioner Of Patents, 95607 900
bushels OF this 90 600 900 bushels which about the
average for the last five years have exported about
thirteenth, 100000 bushels. Nearly OF the
whole crop viii be required for seed. In Great ian
estimate has been about three bushels OF seed to the
with bushels to the would be fair
sge, for all parts the county Now, if should
from the whole the required for seed and the
exported would leave for home consumption 49,
QUO 900 OF bushels. This amount divided among po
pulaton. say - 100000 would give 9lOh bushels
every man, woman, and child IN the country But is
manifest that the consumption OF wheat equal in every
section. The black population the South but
little wheat, and the sgculturss in the New England States
make considerable rye and Ind,n for bread
though the consumption OF wheat becoming every year
more general. As far as am acquainted all
tues which purchase their bread stuff, wheat the princ
pal article OF consumption and may safely estimate this
sumpton barrel Oi flower five bushels OF wheat
year per head This css will include the manufacturers
aud mechanics-,ho.e engaged in mining, IN commerce.
IN navigation IN all its forms; and If add these those
engaged the various professions and cang other than
agriculture, and all tnVse residing in the whestgrownR
section Of the country will constitute about three iths
of our entire PoPuston and these will consume about S.
100000 bushels Of wheat leaving for the other two-ihs
2UO 900 bushels, being about and halt bushels
head. This calculation being general will hold good
in every case. soldiers rauons, for example, would
amount bushels OF wheat per year. and OF
population engaged in the fisheries would
much. Flour is also largely consumed in msnuAeio-
in the form Of starch aud sizing. The manufactures
at Lowell alone between four and FIVE thousand
barrels Of flour annually
have been thus particular, Mr.. Chairman. for the pu
pose OF showing that the greater part Of wheat
sumed home and that the home market is the great
whence the wheat growers derive their support The
quantity of wheat which have abroad, for the
las twelve fifteen yeas, will exceed six per
Of the quantity produced will be by the fol-
lowing table made up from the commercial documents: