The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-08-01
i II f n f. w Err A
SPEECH

r. NJ. 7. HUNTER, OF VIRGINIA.
On the Bill Reducing The Duty on Imports
and for other purposes. Delirered in the
House Of Representatives,, Tuesday, June so.
1916.
MIR. HUNTER next obtained the floor, and
addressed the committee as fllows:
Mr. CHAIRMAN: l. am aware nf the raany
practical difficulties in the way of Legislation up
on subject complicated as that of tanifr,
whether impused for revenue or profession -
There are SD many conflicting opinions and in
teres's to be reconciled. and so many subjects to
be embraced in such BILL that it would be as
unreasonable In expect II To- satisfy ALL as would
ne impossible to mretell with precision the entire
results of So complicated system Ifeverv man
IN the House concurred in opinion as to the end
tn be sought, whether Of revenue or prosc,inn, it
is scarcely possible but that they would differ as
Ia the best mode of attaining it, With this view
oi The difficulties To be encountered by thnse who
were To frame this hill. have never entertained
the hope that it would be entirely satisfactory TO
myself. But although it is by no means such as
would nave made 1t had there been opinions
hut mine 10 consult, am still prepared to sustain
1t. as being. in my estimation. great improve
mehi upon the act of 1912. | regard as a relief
and a blessing every approach a system of i'm
pns's laid for revenue merely, and | will move
inward, whether fast or slow. towards such an
object. in preference To standing still Bach step
of progress which we make towards REMOVING ali
The restrictions upon trade, except those which
may he required FIR revenue, is, in nv opinion. n
blessing To ourselves and mankind. 1t is tn the
principles of the free. trade school that we are 10
took for the lessons which To teach us best how
to lay the deep foundations of internal prosperity.
and promote The general peace of The world
with these opinions of their Importance. / should
he recreant to the highest duties which owe, not
only to my country, bpt Ia humanity, if were
To neglect any ot the means of indicating and
asserting them in our domestic Legislation
The day has past when these doctrines could
he treated as the dreams of the visionary They
n" longer ind an exclusive abode in The closet of
the philosopher; they have entered into the cabi
net ct the statesman into the halls of Legislation.
INT" the hearts and minds Of the masses and ev-
cry step in their progress has been marked hv
benficence and reform. 1t is nearly four centn-
ries since one of the wises, of English tnunatchs
declared In his instructions To commissioner sent
t" negotiate commercial treaty with Naples,
that " the earth being the common mnther of us
all, what can he mnre desirable ar praseworhy
than by means of commerce. To communicate her
varinus productions to all her children An.
drpws. p. 3l3
This sir. is the first official document in which
is TO he found the germ uf the grand conception
of republic of commerce as universal as that of
letters. claiming the world for lis empire, and
governed by the selfexccuting laws of equality
and justice, which are founded in nature and ex-
pounded by experience. But il was not until af-
Ter centuries of error and hard earned experience
that this theory has heen reduced to practice in
the country of its origin. II was reserved for the
present day. and Eng lands master statesman
since the days of Chatham, TO introduce these
principles into the legislation of his country in
FL
at the sacrifice Of his preconceived opinions Of
long cherished party attachments, and q, it may be.
of power and place itself
i his wonderful revolution in The British com
merclal system is triumph achieved nv expert
ence after reason had failed The great minister
rested his jusiiica ion of the change, not ON thea:
retical reasoning, but upon the experience of his
own countrv, and the practical results of his own
system as far as il had been developed To this
he might well have added the experience of this
country. and of othsrs. If any man 10 this House
were called upon 10. point ont the provision in our
constitution which, next To the impulse given hv
free institutions, had mnstered most to orr
growth and prosperity, he would doubtless select
That which establishes a perfect freedom of inter
course and trade between the States of this CON
iederacy. Here. sir, are 10 he found the Indissu-
luhe bonds of orr cOniederacy, and true secret nf
o"r wonderful progress. Suppose the case HAT
zach State had remained free, separate and indie
pendent, enjoying peace at home and abroad and
hedged around by restrictive or protective syS.
tenn. and ask the question Of any man present.
whether IN his opinion, the sun total of the wealth
of all the States would have been as great as it
now is think. sir, | hazard little in venrur-
ing the assertion. that would answer i'm
The affirmative. II this be 50. what is il but ex.
perence of the most positive character in favor of
The vast and nesmable blessings of free lrade2
Our own experience in th!sTesppct is BY mo- means
an isolated instance. We see in the cusloms'
nnon of Germany confeGeracy, formed for n,
other end than that Of securing the benefits Of
Tree trade amongst themselves. It's results have
already been such as To- excite admiration and ex
peclaiion in the minds Of all Europe. With the
disappearance Of the custom house barriers we
see last passing away the rivalres and ieaIousies
which have So long distracted northern Germany.
aho nave arisen from it's separation into small
and the difference Of races amongst
nose wh" lnhabit IT.. The gfedt work Of nation
alzlng Germany has already commenced under
tedeTailve system first founded for commercial
purposes More distant and magnificent pros
pecis are opening to the view IN each step IN The
development Of the grand experiment. and the
coniederacy is already hooking far beyond the
ends for which it was created. But 1t may be
said that this union, like opr own, has adopted
restrictive policy towards the residue Of the world
This may be proof that neither we nor they have
understood tie whole lesson taught by expert
ence. bot it by no means lmpairs the force of the
evidence to be derived from the happy results If
Of The partial experiment which these States have
already made.
As far as these States have tried the expert
menl amongst each other. 1t has operated we'll
wonderfully wellj and apart from the march Of
truth and. The torce Of reason. there are natural
and physical causes at work which must extend
Their principles still further. Freedom of trade
must follow as natural consequence upon free
dom and increased facilities Of human intercourse
steam power is destined to work as wonderful
revolutions IN the moral as the physical world
Its path is not terminated by the boundaries be-